Greatness is the Centre Of all happiness and felicity Like our Lands at first is ty'd to the Crown Kings comes near unto the Gods and are like them Both in power and pleasure do command all Enjoy all are miserable onely in having Of too much and wanting what to wish for Theirs is the dazling happyness 'T is idle Therefore to prefer Private joyes before The Crown-pleasures The King may throw by his Greatness when he please and be poorly happy But the Begger will nere sigh unto a Scepter King Why I Polyander ther 's some life in this A little heaven even in the apprehension Aratus art not thou of this opinion Ara. Not I Sir nor of my Lord the Fools there Kings are more miserable than they seem Happy flatter'd by themselves and others Into a joy that is not and what they feel They rather do imagine than find so Yet I grant too a King may be happy But not then as a King Felicity Is a Purchase and no Inheritance Nor has the Prerogative more than one life In 't ever it dyes still with the Buyer Troubles are the good Kings profession In the Wars the first Dart is thrown at him Where oft times his happyness is in a Glorious death or perhaps his God-like Raies Are pluck'd from him by some accursed hand And so falls less happy being after Vainly wish'd so by a poor revenge he Knows not Com. Very Grave and unseasonable Thus your Lord-ship gets the reputation Of Singularity which the Vulgar Suspect to be Wisdom Ara. Sir you see How this place and my freenes are injur'd King Mirth onely mirth Aratus He means Thy speech would better have become a Councel Than a Banquet Timeus welcome Nay Keep your seats Would thou had'st been partaker Enter Timeus Of our Mirth Time Sir when my actions or my age Shall make me worthy of your ease and pleasures I shall be a thankfull sharer but till then Your Troubles will become me better than Your Sports and Cares will sit more lovely on My Brow than Roses Sir those that are about you Seek to drown your Vertues Ara. Your Highnesse meanes None here Time I name none here my Lord King Nay Timeus Thou nere look'st friendly on our pleasures Time I must confesse Sir I had rather see you Bloudy than thus Wet nor are my Wishes Impious Polyander Poly. My Lord Time How basely that Smile became thee I had Rather thou had'st answer'd me with a Blow Than such a Look I thought to have ask't thee Something but I see thou art unworthy Of a brave Demand Thy Skill lies onely In the Curiosity of a Meal To say at the first touch o' th' tongue this is A Chian this a Falernian Wine Streight by the colour of the flesh to know Whether the foul were cram'd or whether fed Prethee Polyander how sat the Wind When this Bore was slain Were not these Apples Pull'd the Moon Encreasing Degenerate I have seen thee put thy face into a Frown And were 't so constant in that look as if Thou had'st no other Poly Sir when you shall find Or make a cause I 'le put them on again Here they 'l but sour the Entertainment Com. You see my Lord they are not drownd they live Still under water Time Like thine Beast King Prethee Timeus let us enjoy our Mirth While the Gods give it the time will come That we shall wish for it and not have it On my Conscience thou could'st be content To have Enemies onely that thou might'st cut 'em off Time I am sorry Sir if I have offended Against your Mirth it was not my intent I came to bring you News King News What is 't Good Time 'T is as you shall esteem of 't Sir There 's A Stranger Prince ariv'd King Hither Time Yes Sir His Visit 's forc't by a Storm as he pretends King What ere the Occasion is he shall be Welcome The time 's far spent Aratus it Shall be thy Employment From us fairly Salute the Prince and tell him though the Seas Have been Unfriendly the Land shall Court him Ara. Great Sir you highly Honour me Phro So now we have time to speak What think'st thou Exeunt all but Aratus Phronimus and Eurylochus Aratus of these passages Arat. Well bravely well Eury. Your speech strook desperately at the King He will not swallow it without some touch of jealousie Ara. 'T is no matter He cannot crosse us now We have not tan'e so many yeares to build A Work up and then to have it ruin'd With a push No he that will shake 't must first Overthrow a Kingdome a Prince a Law so large The Extents are Nere did Plot thrive like it It has infected with the Holy Sore The greatest part o' th' Realm and catches daily Like some Unheard of New Opinions Streightned at first and prison'd in the brests Of two or three gain strength by Time and Eares And daily fed by curiosity Thrust out at last the Old and most Receiv'd And grow the whole Religion of the Place When we have call'd our Party forth the Work Will seem done the thin Numbers that are left Not deserving the Name of Enemies The Tyrant then will see himself no more A King but onely the Wretched Cause of Warre His Power being ravisht from him Phr. While the fruit 's thus ripe why doe we let it grow Eury. And spoil perhaps Arat. We will no longer onely A little Ceremony detaines us To Crown our King that past our actions With our thoughts shall then contend in swiftnesse Phro How sped your visit to the young Prince Arat. Most happily O had you seen with me The Dear Cause of this our Danger how Cheap Would you have thought the Greatest for his Sake And stood contemning Life thinking your bloud Ill-stored within your veines when that his service Call'd it sure 't was some such Shape and Sweetness Which first slav'd men and gain'd a Rule before there was A Kingdome Eury. You forget your Message to the Prince Arat. 'T is true pray bear me Company we may get thankes For our Complement another day Exeunt Omnes Enter Harpastes Harp Devill whether wilt thou hurle me The Ship Sunk under so much Ill nor can the Earth Bear us both together the greatest Hills Presse not her face with half that Load one thought Of Goodnesse made me lighter than the Waves And in an instant taught me how to swim Enter Melampus to him Melampus Melam Harpastes Harp Are we onely scap't Melam I hope so Harp Then the Storm has plaid the Hangman And sav'd us Innocent Melam Innocent What 's that It has sav'd us so much labour and a broken head perhaps Harp The Wrack was great and full of horror Melam How the rogues pray'd and roar'd above the Waves Vow'd whole heards of Off rings for their safety But Neptune sav'd 'em Charges and took the Verier Beasts Harp We scapt miraculously Melam I hope you 'l burn no Bullocks to the
and Haimantus Cler. Have you commanded all the Mariners Aboard each Captain to his charge bid the Souldiers fill the Decks with their full numbers And display their Colours left nothing wanting That may add to the Glory of the Navy Haim Sir all things are in their Pride and height The Captains Bravery seems to lend brightness To the day and like the Sun throwes raies and light About 'em Nor lookstheir Gold less awful Than the Souldiers Steel On the Ships appear The Joy and Riches of a Conquest and yet they Keep the Order of a joyning-battel There wants nothing to make a War-like Princely And well-commanded Navy but your Presence Sir Clear I would not have them think us such Poor Men That we are drove to seek for their Relief To sue for Bread and Water but rather That we come like Noble Woers full of Rewards and Presents able to return All favours we receive and equally To honour Them that honour Us as Great As they It shall appear that he that is Master of such a Fleet may style himself Prince though Lord of nothing else Haim The people Flock upon the shore and with one Voyce say You come to fetch their Princess Sir you have More than their Consents already you have Their wishes too Clear I marry Haimantus Such a Jewel would make the rest look dim There are two Ladies in this Isle if fame Say true the wonders of the World When Nature Made them she summon'd her whole God-head And unwearied wrought till she had done Form'd each limb as if she had begun there She seem'd to practise on the World till then And what like beautiful she fram'd before Were but Degrees to this Height these the Ascent From which she now must fall They made her Older Than the labour of a thousand years Enter a Servant Serv. Ther 's a great train it seems from Court coming To your Highness Clear Come le ts meet 'em As Clearchus is going out Arats Phronimus Eurylochus and Pallantus meet him Ara. Sir the King congratulates your safety And is glad of your Arrival though the Cause Were dangerous You would have Oblig'd him Much Sir if you had been bound for Creet Clear The King is Royal and chides me kindly He binds a Stranger ever to his Service Ara. His Majesty expects you 'll honour him With your Presence this night at Court Clear My Lord I shall wait upon him But I must fist Entreat you 'l favour me with your Company A ship-board I shall not need to excuse A Souldiers Entertainment I doubt not But your Lordships knows it well Coursnesse and Plainnesse are the Praise of it Arat. Sir you are The Envy of your Neighbour Princes you So farre exceed them in a Brave Command I nere was happy in the like sight before And my Lord they that can boast the strangest Have not seen one so Common and so Rare Your Navy lookes as if she wore the Spoiles Of a whole Land or came to purchase 'em Clea. My Lord you 'l make me proud Your presence yet Will adde unto its Glory Enter Timeus and Coracinus Exeunt Omner Time Found dead upon the shore Cor. I my Lord Thrown into a Cliffe Time Were they drown'd Cora. 'T is believ'd not my Lord for many fresh Wounds Were found upon their bodies and yet their Clothes Were wet Time 'T is strange Were there but two Cor. No my Lord Time That 's stranger yet Reward the Men that found them And bid'm make no farther enquiry After their Deaths nor speak of it Let it Exit Coraos Die with you too doe you hear The Villaines Have rob'd at their return and got their deaths That way I nere could spare 'em worse the State Stands in greater need of theirs than of the Sword of Justice Rodia Rod My Lord He calls Rodia and she Entern Time Is your Lady to be spoke with Rod Alwayes My Lord by you But now she 's coming forth Enter Endora Time Save you sweet Sister End O y' are welcome Sir Time Sure Eudora Venus and the Graces Had their hands to day about you You look Fairer than your self and move in the Sphear Of Love and Beauty Cupid has taken His Stand up in your Eyes and shootes at all That come before him Pray Venus he misse me Eud. When doe you grow serious Time These are the Fair Lookâ— Must captivate the Stranger Prince in a Free Country And this the Dresse that must inchant him ha Eud. There is no Charm in 't certainly it pleas'd Me the least of Many No 't is your Fair Mistresse that beares those Love-Nets about her If the Stranger'scape her he 's safe Time ' Had better Kill his Father and then gaze upon the Spectacle than look upon her with the Eyes of Love Eud. Nay then you are unjust Would you have him stronger than your self was If he for that be guilty the same Doom Must belong to both alike Time But I have Prevail'd so far that he shall be free both From the danger of Love and seeing Nor must You make up his entertainment Eud. I was Commanded to be ready and Attend there Time But now the Commissions alter'd And runs in the Other Sence Eud. I shall be Content to obey either May I not Know the cause Time You may We would not feed The Prince here with hopes to get a Wife This Was the Storm that drove him in Nor must you Onely for this time forbear his presence But while he staies He 's unworthy of you Eud. If you know him so I shall then without Excuse denie his Visits But I think This businuesse may be borne a Nobler Way Nor will the End Fail though the Meanes be Fair Leave it to me If he Sue with Honour He will take an Honourable Answer Though he gain none from me I 'le get his Love And send him home no lesse a Friend than if He were a Husband By my Restraint you 'l Onely procure unto your self the markes Of Jealousie and Rudenesse and fouler Staines If that the Crime were nam'd to the desert Besides it does proclaim in Me too such A Weaknesse as I am much asham'd of Had he a Face adorn'd with the Graces Of both Sexes Beauty and Manlinesse And these after the Custome of the Roman Princes in their Statues Engrafted on On the body of some God I could look on Converse I and neglect him too when I Have reason for it Fear not me then Time I doe not I know thee strong the Honour Of a Kingdome may lean with safety on Thee But he will linger here too long besot The State with Feastings and in this Jollity Give Opportunity to Treacherous Practises He must be us'd Ill there are Reasons for it Eud. Is there then a Policie In Rudenesse Why doe you not rather send A Defiance to him Proclaim him Enemie This were Nobler far than to receive him In your armes and then Affront him say Health And wish Poyson in
the Power of Faith THough Men by Nature born to fear and to avoid what may seem hurtful yet that fear by Grace and Faith may be converted into divine Valour of the highest kind as is evident by the Three Children in the fiery Furnace and by Daniel in the Lion's Den which with other the like Examples should invite such Men as trust in God not to fear what he only can prevent if he thinks fit and though a fearful Man cannot remove a Mole-hill for want of Faith much less Mountains how little Faith then have we when the noise only of Ill News does affright our unsetled Souls with dismal apprehensions of what may never happen more than the ill event brings with it if it do unto such pious men as live prepar'd to bear afflictions for few moments here with faithful joyful Thoughts of their eternal Happiness in Heaven So that we see the Power of Faith will remove the greatest terrour and work Miracles when Men dare trust in God Lord give me grace to live as I do write And as thy holy Spirit shall indite To manifest thy mighty Mercy shown To such a Reprobate as must own Christ's Doctrine to suffer CHrist's Doctrine is with patience to inure Our selves to suffer what he did endure On Earth from that malicious cursed Crew Who scorn'd his Miracles and boldly slew Their bless'd Messiah who did then submit To die because his Father did think fit That we redeemed by his precious Blood Might trust in him who dy'd to do us good And now may sighing sing and weeping pray Our death may prove our highest Holy-day When we with Christ in Paradise appear And shine amongst those blessed Angels there On the Power of Love to God TO love and fear God is what every good Christian doth own and what most Men think they do but very few I fear do understand what it is to love and fear Him as we ought with all our Heart Soul and Mind above all other Objects whatever which is a Lesson of great use to bring Men to Heaven who know that we are dying every moment that we live and cannot wish more pleasure here than we shall find by serving God thus For those who can love him with all their Heart and Mind will worship and adore him with the same Zeal and will obey praise thank pray and trust in him with the like fervent affection in all their divine addresses with their utmost endeavours to be with him in Heaven which God never will reject nor can eternal Bliss be purchased at a lower rate of Love Thus God exposes Heaven to entice Good Men to purchase at the Market-price When Love with all its Perquisites comply To six a blessed Immortality On such exalted Souls as take delight To mediate on his beatick sight When their enlightned Faith does bring them there Enrich'd with love they 'll bid adieu to fear And leave no arguments to justifie Such timorous Men as dare not think to die Though their eternal joy will then be such That none will have too little or too much And those who truly love will surely find Their happiness by God is predesign'd Who sees the heart and thoughts of every Man That loves and serves him to the best they can On Faith WHen Faith grows strong our Fancies will soar high To search the secrets of Eternity Which to our Souls are of so near concern That no man can a greater Lesson Learn Nor have a more serene celestial Bliss Than he 'll enjoy by practising of this Great step which by degrees will lead him on To the sacred Seat of his Adoption Where Faith 'bove all the Gifts of Grace will shine With Love in Bliss and Glory most divine On God's Mercy OUr God from us his Glory keeps conceal'd Because it would destroy us if reveal'd His Essence we can never understand 'T is well if we obey his just Command For God to mortal Man will never teach Such great Secrets because what we can reach By Nature cloys as soon as had or known He therefore lets us live by Faith alone Still subject to so many hopes and fears That our prime Joys are damp'd by frequent tears Which daily do our sorrows multiply Until death comes to tell us we must die The only remedy ordain'd to cure All sorts of evils that we here endure Yet God in mercy makes amends at last To free us from all miseries are past By raising them to bliss who do their best To gain a share in his eternal rest Which belt in God's esteem is to do all Was done by bless'd St. Stephen and St. Paul On true Valour HAppy are they who in these latter days Are fill'd with love with gratitude and praise To God whose joyful Souls do ever fly With highest thoughts of their Eternity And by the actions of their lives declare That Faith in Christ has conquer'd their despair For all past Crimes and now with Death has made Strict Friendship never more to be afraid Of his most sick alarms in disguise Nor of his quickest Summons by surprize And thus the greatest Cowards in the Land For Valour may in competition stand With any Hero's of the former age Or those who now in a just cause engage When Courage is a Vertue to be brave And sets a Crown on such a Soldier's grave On Relapsed Man in Paradise WHen Youth with strength wealth and beauty flourish Some short joys our wanton hearts may nourish But when old age is much decrepid grown We ought with sighs and tears great Sorrows own For idle hours that we have vainly spent Without the sense of shame or punishment And if we die in that unhappy state All hopes of mercy then will come too late So that if age revive and propagate Past sins till they do greater Crimes create 'T will turn old Age's Blessings into hate Then let no mortal man presume to think He cannot see when he is pleas'd to wink For no Man yet was ever such a Sot That Age his former Crimes had so forgot That on his Crutches thinks 't is boldly brave Loaden with Crimes to creep into the Grave Much worse than Youth when cross'd in his desire In a mad fit dares leap into the fire Which shows that all our Ages here ne'er can Retrieve the Curses of relapsed Man Till faith in Christ create a brighter flame Impow'ring men to have a surer claim To Heaven at our blessed Saviour's cost Than that which Adam's disobedience lost By which we the intrinsick Treasure find Of future joys in a Seraphick mind On the Power of Faith IF all Men did our Christian Graces understand That like good Heraulds we might rank them according to their antiquity and merit Faith may claim the highest dignity and place as of just right to be the most fixed foundation on the blessed Rock of our Salvation which will unmov'd withstand the greatest Storms when lofty Structures built on Sand are with Wind
can we justifie this Creed if in our actions we daily do transgress what we so daily do profess as if our present moments did afford us more concern to pamper fading Flesh for being Worms meat in the Grave above the nourishing of our Souls with heavenly Manna to endure unto eternity If this be Gospel-Truth as I think it is I cannot chuse but wish and pray that my Retirement may produce the like Effects in others by reading what I write to obtain the high Felicity I privately enjoy transcending all the glistring Vanities that I have seen and too largely sharedin but now know no Felicity in this World to be compar'd unto the Joy of living ever ready to go out of it which is not so easily done as said though we endeavour all we can Now Reader I have nothing else to say But wish thee Grace to meditate and pray Which will high joys create and teach thee why True Piety will never fear to dye When arm'd with such Divine Philosophy FINIS ADDENDA On our cold desire to go to Heaven WE seem to prize the other World 'bove this But fear to go to that undoubted Bliss We find few Men who would with Enoch fly From hence to Heaven that dare soar so high Or with Elijah would take like delight To mount his Fiery Chariot in his flight Our Faith for such Celestial Joy comes short Of our Fruitions here where our Support Is what we see and what we understand Which we preferr before God's best command Tho' Reason and Religion both agree To bring us to a Bless'd Eternity In the same moment we are rais'd from hence Through Faith by God's Divinest Influence Which only can Immortal Life Create By Death destroying this our Mortal Fate So that till we with God's Decree comply We do not truly Live until we Dye To a Friend in a fit of the Gout WElcome thy pain my Friend this Gout is sent In Mercy to fore-warn and to prevent Thy Gluttonies and Epicurean Crimes Which were unpractis'd in our Fathers times This is the effect of strong Falernian Wine And pride to wash thy Feet in Muscadine By eating Mushrooms stew'd with Ambergreece And the fat Livers of the Jews fed Geese With Peacocks Eggs in gravy to support Thy Luxuries and now thou 'rt punish'd for 't On the Fear of Death 'T IS strange that all Mankind should be afraid To Die nor any arguments perswade Wise Men from the terror of a Name Death is God's Messenger and we to blame To antedate his Arrant with such fear As doubts to go with Him we know not where Tho' Death's power only can our Souls convey To Heaven if we God's Holy Laws Obey But we still struggle with undaunted strife To keep our dying Bodies from true Life For want of Faith lest Death should by mistake Lead our sad Souls to the Infernal Lake When such gross misdoubting Grace only can Force Death to fright a misbelieving Man Which shews the Glory of our future State Is left to our own Option not to Fate On true Devotion WHen true Devotion is our chief delight We may presume 't is pleasing in God's sight And to our Souls will sacred Bliss reveal To fix and to eternalize our Zeal And while we live our blessed thoughts direct To the Seraphick Joys of God's Elect. And will by our Adoption when we dye Declare the glory of that dignity On God's wondrous Works WHen we consider God's Word and Deed And see the products of the smallest Seed It doth our wonder greatly antedate With joy and in our hearts fixt Faith create It doth all doubtful thoughts with truth confute When fancy guides our Fingers on the Lute But yet these petty arguments of sence Must all submit to God's Omnipotence In wonders of a higher nature shown Which all the Christian World admires and own But know not how the boystrous Sea or Land Do steady stand by God's Supreme Command Who has the Sun and Moon so firmly set With Stars in their fixt Spheres that no Man yet Can by his Industry or Art declare How high or what circumference they are And yet the Seat of God's Celestial Bliss Is still to be admir'd above all this Where God himself Inthron'd is pleas'd to dwell Which must in Glory all the rest excell Tho' these be wonders of a large extent There be some of much more wonderment That God should all Offences here forgive And grant us daily comforts while we live By our Souls washing in the Crimson Flood Of our Bless'd Saviours Sacramental Blood By which he does our Claim to Heaven advance When we approach in a Seraphick Trance And own his Mercies with intire delight To glory in his bright Beatick sight The more we think the more we wonder and The less of Miracles we understand Why the same Earth should ev'ry year produce Such various Fruits and Herbs for humane use If Faith and Gratitude did not combine To think such Meditations are Divine When God with secret Bliss such joys imparts As does create true Zeal in pious hearts And doth their Souls with flaming Love invite To Paradise ineffable to write Unless his Holy Spirit should indite To my Old Sick Friend MY good Old Friend why so sad does thy Age decline so fast that the Idea of thy Grave frights thee with fear to die Are we not all dying and none knows who shall go next nor how soon be gone if this occasion thy dismay I will teach thee an Antidote that will dispell the Poyson of that Serpent's bite and turn that universal curse of Death into a State of Bliss if thou can'st raise thy dejected Spirit to a quick sense of snaring the Eternal Joys of Heaven with those departed Saints who by Faith Prayer and Penitence are now exalted thither Let thy melancholy Meditations and Preparations for the Grave be changed from a Gaol delivery into a constant chearful zealous Conversation in thy Divine Retirements with God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost by a total Resignation of thy Soul and all thy concerns unto them and think with pleasure how near thou art arrived to thy Journeys end to be with them in Paradise Then such Celestial Thoughts will be thy most pleasant entertainment and surely meet with surprising joy from Faith in Christ's plenteous Redemption which will beget a hearty speedy welcome unto Death's arrival who comes to conduct thee to Eternal Bliss and thou wilt also find that every devout step towards this felicity of thy approaching Salvation will make thy heart dance with a Saint-like delight to baffle the terrors of the Grave with a serene prospect of thy Eternal Happiness at hand and so make thy last hours full of Angelical transporting joy to be with God the moment thy Soul expires fix thy heart thus and all sad Thoughts will vanish when a sincere Faith becomes predominant Thy Heart by practice will delight in this Divine Elixir of Eternal Bliss On
vain Projectors NO mortal Man can limit or restrain The boundless fansies of another's brain But may such Fetters on his own Thoughts lay As will keep them from wandring much astray But naturally Men add wings to try How high their vain ambitious Hearts can fly Until like Icarus their waxen wings Do melt and all their hopes to ruin brings But when our Souls do with Angellick Love Soar high they will Celest'al joys improve To flaming Zeal and raise our hearts so high As will discern our Immortality To my Rich Friend become Poor TEll me Old Friend and speak the truth If twenty Dishes in thy Youth Did then more please and gratifie Thy Stomach with that Gluttony Which did Diseases daily breed Till now thou dost on one Dish feed Tell me if now thy constant health Gives not more joys than thy lost Wealth Afforded by thy vast excess In frequent Treats and Wantonness Which made a noise more than content For all thy charge and time mispent When to the Poor half that expence Would have procur'd God's Providence And sav'd the loss of thy Estate Which thou hast thought upon too late Tho' now thou dost aloud profess Thy Poverty proves Blessedness On Injustice IF Charity to Men be God's Command Justice must in much higher favor stand If neither can in wicked Men find place They slight God's Anger and despise his Grace But these are petty Crimes when Avarice Doth harden hearts for gold and Souls intice To sell Salvation at so cheap a Rate Such villanous intentions aggravate When a design'd premeditated cheat With a bold-fac'd fraud shall just Right defeat And a false Cause by power shall justifie Hell only can reward such Infamy For God with indignation does declare He will Poor Men's Oppressors never spare Against Momentary Joys NOW let my Friend from sighs and sorrow cease For Crimes repented let thy joy increase For thy serene assurance lately gain'd Of pardon by thy Saviour's Blood obtain'd Let thoughts of thy Eternal Glory rise And scorn all Earthly Bawbles that surprise Unsteady Souls with present fading Toyes That cloud the brighter Beams of Heav'nly joys And boldly do those glist'ring bubbles try In hope they 'll last unto Eternity Who raise their idle fancies by their wit To practise Atheism rather than submit To part with present Moments of delight To purchase Heav'n with God's Beatick sight Who with his known Decrees will not comply But think to live till they are pleas'd to dye Tho of such Men it may be truly said They are that moment both alive and dead The Terror of Death by Death is cured IF Death were not for Sin from Heaven sent It could not be esteem'd a punishment To be deliver'd from our daily woe While'twixt our Roses Thorns and Thistles grow So that our care should be to weed our hearts From foul excrescents by such holy Arts As will that fatal sting of Sin destroy And so convert our sorrows into joy When we the Pangs of such a Death endure As doth produce both Punishment and Cure To my Old Friend on his Birth-day MY Friend thou dost well to celebrate thy Birth-day as a vow'd Sacrifice to God because he did reserve the first born to himself of Living Creatures and thou art one But let not thy Altar be adorn'd with a superfluous Treat with too many flagons of rich Wine and Tables throng'd with Wealthy Guests as if it were a Bacchanalian Feast But such a moderate Meal for thy own Servants with some Poor Neighbours that may soberly rejoyce to see a New Year begin with a propitious prospect of thy insuing happiness and pray thy Piety and charity may Shine round about thy Habitation here on Earth until thou art advanc'd to Heaven Death is the Beggars highest Holiday T IS but a faint Felicity that any Man can have in all the Honours Treasures and Pleasures of this World without a joyful inward assurance of his Salvation when the next moment an angry Neighbour or a Tyrant Prince can end his days Or Sickness by tormenting pains turn all his joy into sorrow while he lives with despairing terrors worse than all at the approach of Death when a poor pious Beggar will die transported full of Celestial Joys for his highest Holiday and be as welcome into Heaven as the greatest Monarch And therefore may be well and truly said Both Souls are of the same fine Substance made To my merry Friend WHY now so joyful my good Friend has thy Princes smiles this Morning added new feathers to thy Heart that makes it fly so high His frowns to morrow may turn those gay feathers into Lead tho' thou deserve not such a change Consider now such frequent sad Fates as do befal the craftiest Men that only trust in mortal accidents for their support in Princes favours and raise thy Souls delight in Service of the King of Kings whose favours will endure unto Eternity above the reach of Earthly Storms and then thy Prince's favours will have a sure foundation to subsist on with higher joys than any Sycophants black Arts by Malice or by Envy can disturb thy Peace or Pleasures when a good Conscience is so center'd and so fix'd on God For no Man can imagine the constant felicity of a strict pious Life in all conditions but he that is so reconciled with a lively Faith to God as chearfully to part with all the glist'ring Bubbles of this World to enjoy everlasting Bliss in Heaven which ought to be the supreme hope of our best endeavours On the fear of Death THO Men by nature Born to fear to Die May still account it a great misery When Piety and Prayer can't prevail To change the pow'r of that severe Intail Tho' all our Hearts and Souls do still agree To frame our Minds to God's most bless'd Decree Because no other means like that the best To bring Mankind to his Eternal Rest. Yet our weak Faith cannot the credit gain By Heavenly joys and glory to obtain Such Courage and a Valour so Divine Rather to Die with joy than to repine To part with fading pleasures that no Age Can for one moments certain time engage They shall abide nor can find any cure That Men on Earth for ever shall endure How great a shame and folly then that we Should fear to go where we desire to be And so preferr our miseries on Earth Before a bless'd and glorious chearful Death That will in gratitude the surest way Our Souls to God in Paradise convey When Faith with such a Zeal shall so comply 'T will shew a Godly Gallantry to Die On the Art of Meditation WHO will the Art of meditation learn Must make each Paragraph his chief concern For some few moments to consider on Lest reading more create confusion And unavoidably disturb the Brain With more at once than what it can retain When Piety by Art is thus refin'd It will rejoyce the heart inrich the mind With sacred Thoughts beyond all Earthly care Till flesh be turn'd into Angelick Air All Men should live as ever in God's sight And make Devotion their supreme delight And then observe how God does Grace return To make Seraphick Joy the brighter burn FINIS * He shewes a great Goblet * He points to the Cup that had the poyson
to the Prince and there unburden Our hearts of this our grief and if he have A Service that commands our Lives all hazards Now will be welcome to us 1. Guard The Villain That committed this Sacrilegious Act 's escap't 2. Guard We were too soft to obey Dying-Speech Cap. His Entrance and Escape were ordained Both by Fate 't was not in Our Power to hinder Either Exeunt Omnes Enter Timeus Give me a Power Mightie as my Rage That my Revenge may reach unto the Clouds And unthrone those Gods that joyn'd hands with Men To commit so Black a Deed It were but Justice they should loose their Deitie that So would throw it off Oh my Father did I Unload thy Shoulders of the Kingdome That thou might'st fall under a lesse Weight And bereft thee of thy Jealousies to Ruine thee with more Assurance onely Where are all those Flatt'ring Tongues that when There was no Need would in a Complement Hourlie Suffer for Thee Not One to die In thy Defence Or by his fall to make Thine more Decent What ho Charisius Erastus Acmanthes not one Voyce How Dismall is this Place The Graves where Death Inhabits are not so dreadfull l I 'le flie thee Though I run among the thickest of my Foes They can present no Horrors like this Lownesse The Cries the Sword the Trumpet in the Battell Strike not so deep Amazement I walk like He goes out as in search of some of those that had wont to attend and returnes again Aeneas among the Shades all is Hell About me I see nothing but what my Phansie frames in Horrid Shapes O yee vain fears Of Guiltie Men All are Unreasonable But yours Ridiculous When you have contemn'd The greatest and most reall Dangers You tremble at a Ghost a Thing lesse than a Man And when the Substance could not the Shadow Frights you There is no way but this to set me Above my Feares when I am Lesse I shall Be Equall to 'em Cap. O hold my Lord He prepares to fall on his Sword and the Guard return and save him Offer not up your Self a Sacrifice When there are so many that gladly would Redeem you with their Lives Let that thought Prevail with you That you ought to Live for them That so willinglie would Die for you Y' are the Prop of thousands and if you sink You pull a Kingdome with you Take your Sword By the Other End and so holding it Seek to appease this Royal Ghost If you Cannot regain a Crown yet win a Memorie By the losse of it This Object makes your Grief A burden to your Honour Lean on us My Lord and we 'l conduct you to the Camp Exeunt Omnes Enter Polyander Comastes Menetius and a Captain at their entrance a Shout is heard Poly. What Shout is this among the Enemies Cap. 'T is their Acclamations still for the Arivall Of their Fellowes with whom they have now joyn'd Campes Poly. I am glad of 't I hope we shall have Command to trie the Fortune Of the Field to morrow Would the Whole Knot Of them were there that we might make quick Work And like Alexander untie it with a Blow Com. I and a Wall round about 'em to keep Them to the Slaughter that we may not be Troubl'd to kill a Thousand in a Thousand Places I like not this pursuing 't is The greatest Evill next to the being Pursued the Wine nere tasts well when 't is so Jumbl'd Give me a Standing-Camp that Flourishes like a Peacefull City and wants No Necessaries Here stand your Engins There Victuall on this hand a Palesado Defends you on the other a Barecado Of Pork-tubs as impregnable before A Fose is cut of some two hundred paces And the Souldiers tipling in 't behind a Coop Runs out of the same length and the Poultrie Tipling in their Trenches whose bodies are Too delicate and tender to bear travell Here a Man may even among the Tents forget To be a Souldier Poly. Ha ha ha On my Conscience Comastes thou art wearie Of the Camp alreadie Com. Yes faith As your Selves are if you 'd confesse the truth Poly. Why me thinks there 's no Pleasure like the Souldiers Who takes his Swing in all Delights and sates Himself with 'em as if he were near to Tast 'em more and if Fortune be so kind To grant him a second and a third Fruition Like Friends which parted in the Morn two Dangerous And Hopeless wayes of ever seeing they Meet With a Multiply'd and Unexpected Joy His very Wounds are Pleasures and Elizium Comesfaster on him than his Death Com. When Honour is the Prize and wrong'd Justice The Cause that thrust him on he throws off One That he may gain a Better Life a Life Of Fame which is Eternal even in Death That he enjoy'd before was Fading Sustain'd onely by the Infirmities Of One Weak Body now 't is supported By the Memories of All the Charge of it Is committed unto a World of Men Nor is 't Extinguish'd before the Frame o' th' Whole Universe None are so surviving As the Sons of Glorious War Jove gave Life to Hercules and Theseus but Mars Eternity they breath'd from one but gain'd Heaven by the other These were the great Thoughts Which when I was yet Young and not able To effect 'em did dwell in me they did Suggest unto my soul that I ought to raise my hand Against the Gods if they slept at Perjury And favour'd Injustice Poly. Holloe Comastes What Rapture 's this Com. To shew you how easie A thing it is to talk like a Souldier And be as brave a fellow as either of you Omnes Ha ha ha Mene. Thou wouldst make an excellent Run-away-Souldier Such a speech on the High-way Were greater Violence than Bidding-stand A long staff would not get an Almes so soon Poly. What saist thou now Comastes to a jovial Round Or two beyond the Court-Healths Those at the Kings Own Table Com. I believe I shall say more Than you at this as well as at the Other Poly. Captain command 'em to bring some VVine in Exit Captain Come in the mean time le ts sit Enter to 'em one of the Guard that was present at the Kings Death Guard My Lords stand upon your Guard The King 's slain Omnes The King They all start up upon the Newes and draw their Swords Poly. Thou look'st distractedly speak it again Guard He 's slain My self was present at his Death Poly. By what accursed Hand Guard That Devil that Awhile since wounded the Prince has Murder'd him But my Lords I lose the time and Betray you In it The Prince is come into the Camp And commands you strait to repair to him He finds the Army wavering in their Faith The City Bands are already Revolted And others begin to draw off The Kings death And a Declaration from the Enemy Pretending that a Son of the former King 's Preserv'd by Aratus heads their Forces Has almost gain'd them a Victory
Ruine of Greatness in this The Ruine of my Name A Rape were a Glory To thy Affection and though it had Lost It would have Got me Fame the Honour of A Ravish'd Virgin Did'st thou Woe me with the Highest Services as thou com'st in my Fathers Blood I could Reward thee but could Never yeeld thee Love I was too long A Princess and lost the name too Late To entertain so low a thought Pall The World Of Causes that part me and Happyness Eud. Love is soft and full of Curtesie A greater Opposite to Lust than Hate The Flames thou feel'st are more preposterous Than those which burn the Brests of Satyrs or Of Beasts which kill the Young and in that blood Enjoy the Dam. Think'st thou that any is So bold in Lust to imbrance the Fears thy Love Brings with it Pall My Youth and Comliness how Are you obscur'd Eudo. My Miseries have put A new Nature in me chang'd that Calmness I had wont enjoy into the Looks and Language of a Fury How ill does Rage Become a Virgins brest I will suppress it And if it must break forth dissolve it into Tears An Age worn out in thought cannot present One Comfort to me I am so Wretched Oh! My soul 's more Earthy than my body This War that is within me I hope will Gain a Victory o'er my Life at last Pall Accursed that I was to be the Authour Of so much Miserie Is there no way to restore That Peace which you have lost If there be any Despair not of it though it be held within The jawes of Death I 'll snatch it for you Though it were lost in the Darkest Mass of things My Love would distinguish 't in a Chaos If it have no Being but what your Thought Gives Life to I 'll Wish it for you so strong My Phansie is to serve you Let it be Any thing to be done I 'll do it Can I The wretched Cause removed bring ease unto You Sufferings Here on my Knee I yeeld my Life Unto your taking or if you had rather I 'll offer 't up my self Eudo. No and yet There is a way and thou may'st do it Pall Is there a way O my joyes The Gods are Merciful Name it name it to me Eudo. If thou wilt vow to do it presently Pall Need I an Oath to confirm I would be Happy 'T is my own Happyness I thus Eagerly pursue in yours Ev'ry sigh You give doth make me breathless and ev'ry Tear which you let fall doth bow me nearer To the Earth than all the years and Wounds that I have suffer'd Yet I will swear By all things Holy all that I fear and reverence To refuse no Labours Death to gain your Ease And restore joy unto your Life again Eudo. Now thou can'st not thy last words have render'd Thee Unable The Ease was Death which yet I beg from thee Pall From what a Heaven of happyness Am I fallen Eud. Assist me all my strength Ye Gods this way ye have ordained I should Come to you pardon that Fate then which your selves Did give me She makes an offer to stab her self Rod O my Lady Pall Stay O stay that hand Let that Goodness in you which would spare Things Fair and Holy preserve the Fairest and The Holiest The Angells would be proud to take Such Shape upon them when they Visit Earth 'T is such as Your self ought to look with Reverence on Eudor Ther 's a Weapon hid within my Heart which None can take away it wounds deeply now Death thou art a Lover and dost Court me mildly Ladies O my Lady help help O my Lady She faints Rod Give her more air Pall She 's gone my time 's no longer Our Lives were woven on the same Web the Destinies condemn ' me to see her Death And then to follow He prepares to fall upon his Sword Rod She breaths stand off Eud. My Brother O my Father Rod How doe you Madam Eud. Too well my strength returnes to fast unto me Pall Were my Soul fled that Voyce would call it back Again it self would return and choose this Paradise on Earth I 'le not disturbe her With my Longer stay Fair One if your Lady Shall need any thing you may have it with A thought No lesse respect shall wait on her Than if her Father still Rul'd all The Guard Shall be at your Command and attend onely For your Quiet and your Safety Rod Souldier Th' art Noble The Gods reward thy goodnesse Exit Pallantus at one door and Eudora led off by the Ladies at the other CHORUS HE who Unjustly sway'd the State Lives no where now but in their Hate There 's Nothing left of him but Shame Which both Preserves and Clouds his Name When Civill-Beasts fall let it be Call'd Slaughter and not Victory When that He dyes that lived a Shade His Sleep's Continu'd then not Made Arise thou Starre of Honour here And in his Stead shine round our Sphear Grace thou the Throne and let us see Thy Father once more Raign in thee We 'l now in nought but Love Conspire And no brest burn but with True Fire While that such manners rule the Throne Live all by his he by his Own ACTUS 5. SCENA 1. Enter Eudora and Rodia Eud. THis Quiet we enjoy does strike Amazement In me Sure they have Slain the Body with The Head which makes this Generall Calm Rod Madam 'T is much more Innocent And though that part Of it we find by particular Command Be Order'd so yet 't is but an Image Of the Universall Peace that Blesses All the Isle No Noise of Armes Rapine of Souldiers Tumults Slaughters are seen in any Place but Securitie and Joy doe reign As in a long and Setl'd Peace The Conspirators Having brought about their Great Design Desire to have it seen to all the World They Sought a Change but not a Desolation Eud. Their Moderation is too Late nor will It satisfie the Gods when they have spilt So much Bloud that they will Spill no more Rod O Madam how farre you wander and are lost In Error and to all your other Miseries Is added this your Mistaking of the Ground On which you Suffer and whether with my Duty It will stand to inform you of the Right I know not Yet while there is a Charitie In the Rudenesse I shall be bold to tell you This Last Alteration the State has suffer d This wresting of the Scepter from your Name Together with your Fathers Life has not Befallen through the Impious and black Contrivance of a few bloudie and ambitious Lords greedie to assume the Royall Ensignes To themselves but in the Name of Justice And the Owner they have made this Seizure And there stands up a King to Countenance And Justifie the Fact a King not known Unto the Latter Age a Son of Him From whom with the like violence but more Injustice pardon what I say your Father Formerlie did tear the Diadem O Madam Your
Bloud Within me Pal. O say not so Forbeare at length To prophane the Divine Goodnesse that dwels In you It is a Sin though You Your self Commit it Shall Self-Slaughter be held a Sin A Self-Slander not be Noted as a Greater Crime If the first be Murder So much the Soul 's more Excellent than the Body That the Last must be held a Sacriledge a kind of Blaspheming of the Deity dwels in us Take heed while you would rather Dye than bear A Staine you pull not the Greatest on you By avoiding it Eud. They that will preserve A pure and Spotlesse Soul must punish even The least Affinity in themselves to Sin Pal. Be yet advised They that too Nicely Create Sin where t is not Condemn their Innocence When their Judgment 's Faulty Eud. Why do you thus Reward me Good for Evill VVhy would you VVith-hold me from Perishing Justly That sought to sink you in all your Innocence Could my Imprecations have drove you To Destruction I had had but the End I aimd at Pal. Y' are still a Judge too Cruell To your Self All those Imprecations I deserv'd as I then shew'd to you But doe you Ask Why I would save you from Destruction O you have set too High a Prize Happinesse in That your Question unlesse Your Bountie too would shew the Way that we Might Hope to Effect it How should I despise The proudest Honours that attend the Sword In which Robbers and Ruffians may be Sharers With me to win a Glory so perfectlie Illustrious And could I bestow So Matchlesse and Divine a Benefit As Your Preservation on the World People would stile me God! And though from the Earth I took my Being with the Noblest of The Ancient Heroes they 'd fix my Name in Heaven Invest me with Diadem of Starres And Robe of Immortallitie And what is it That Obstructs this Blessing to the World and Me If I look upon your Innocence I read a Book in which not onely a Few Finite Yeares are writ but see an Age Drawn out to all Eternitie If on your Losse of State no Injurie of the World No Shock of Fortune can diminish A True Greatnesse That which was your Own Is still On you and sets you forth th' Example And Adoration both of the Present And the Future World Is it then last Your Losse of Friends or all these joyn'd together That withholds this Blessing we would so Dearly Purchase What is there in your Condition That is not to be paralleld in Others Look upon my Misfortunes and you shall find A perfect Sceme of all your Saddest Evils I lost as you have done a Father a King The Second Hopes unto a Crown the Joyes And Glory which doe wait on these Nay more By you I lost them Remember what your Righ Hand your Father and your Brother did Take from me what your Left their Ministers And Servants Learn then a Strength of me that Is the Worst Name for it to bear a Change Of Fortune And pardon a Fathers Death Let the Innocence of Mine excuse my Violence to yours We are the Wretched'st Two Alive made so by Our Selves and can be Onely Happy in Our Selves No Beam of Joy yet No breaking of a Raie of Comfort From these Clouds of Sadnesse No Dancing After this Long Night of Sorrow Madam Yet look up Though hitherto my Comforts Have been Air and unable to remove The weight of Grief oppresses you yet here 's One remaining I dare pronounce will prove Successfull Vouchsafe to cast an Eye upon this Paper That beares the Characters of your Living Brother and other Friends He gives Her a Paper Eud. It is not so It cannot it must not be Your Safeties Will not Suffer this if the Sword of Warre Have spar'd him That of Policie hath Cut him off Forbear to Mock me thus such Delusions Drive my Sorrowes to Distraction Pall Madam He lives and with him all the Rest whose Names Are there Subscrib'd nor is there more than One Could you but pardon that of any Note Has lost a Life by these Late Troubles Think not I have mock'd you with a Deceitfull Shew I know to have given you Happinesse As you imagine had been Twice onely To have Snatch'd it from you I shall say no more To you But Live as you find the Hopes true I have promist you And believe when I Spoken this my Life my Honour all that I possesse and all that can be added To me are a Gage Short to that I have given you And till I present your Brother in Safetie To you I 'le never presse to enjoy again The Heaven of Looking on you Rod Madam clear Exit Pallantus Your Spirits yet at last from these Clouds Of Discontent Many Noble Comforts Court you on ev'ry Side make a Truce With Your Sorrowes but till you see the Issue Of 'em Eud. I shall at least so far as till I have prov'd this One that 's promist me Exeunt Omnes Enter Cleander Hianthe Clearchus Aratus Haimantus Phronimus and Eurilochus Shouts of the People as they Enter People Jove Neptune Apollo all the Powers That favour Crete preserve and blesse the King Clean Through the Happinesse of my People May I know no other Joy or Blisse but what First passes you the Middle-Way of Blessings Between the Gods and Me People The Gods preserve Your Majestie Enter Pallantus and Kneeles and kisses the Kings Hand Pall Sir I humbly crave your Pardon That thus tardily after the People And your Enemies I present my Dutie To you and wish you Happinesse King I cannot Be deceiv'd thou must be th' Inimitable Matchlesse not to be Counterfeited or Resembl'd Great Pallantus Whom as none Can Reach to in a Noble Action so none Can Equall in a Gallant Presence Nor Doe I wonder to see the Change wrought in thee Thy Deed hath thus Transform'd thee It sits upon Thy Brow and casts a Glorie round about Thy Face Ara. Me thinks till this Day the Times had Likewise a Vizor on a Look'd not with A True Face before Sir you shall hourly see New Graces and New Glories break forth from him Pall My Lord you promise too Highlie for me Ara. Thou look'st sadlie after all thy Honours King So my-thoughts What can be the Cause Can He That has given a Nation Happinesse want it Himself Speak thy Discontent If it lie not In my own Power to Remedie I 'le Sacrifice In thy behalf Pall Sir low as the Earth I bow To you But that which is my Grief will be No longer mine alone than while I doe Conceal it 't is a Disease that all Good Men Will catch with the first Fancie and Conceit Justice could never yet with all her Care So carve out her Punishment but that the Innocent Were Wounded with the Stroke and felt the Judgement Of anothers Sin While with her Sword She Cuts off the Offending Parent the Child Is made an Orphan in the Cradle and mourns In after daies the Crime he
In this offer of your Company Victory I know will follow which way so e'er you Turn you I shall be proud to serve my self Under so Brave a Conduct Clean This Accession Likewise my Lord I shall be willing to grant Unto your Voyage but still that your Return May be more Speedie Yet I hope we have A Gage in this Lady more powerfull than All Others One that will put an Edge unto Your Sword and Sailes unto you Vessels Clear Sir in Her Name alone I doe pursue This Voyage and in Her Name alone Shall hope a prosperous and speedie Issue Pall Madam though a Hard Fate or Fortune no lesse Cruell has set me for ever at a Hated Distance to you Yet another power No whit Inferior to the Former Commands me To direct all my Actions to your Service And however Unaccepted nay Unknown To you I pay these Devotions yet Constantlie to pay them still In Obedience To this Power I have engag'd my self unto This present Voyage an Undertaking To me without Design without all Fruit But either as I hope by some Fam'd Action To adde a Glory more unto your Name Or by my Seasonable Destruction For ever to remove a Hated Object From your Sight Eud. My Lord while you strive to conferre More Glory on me than I dare Assume You take some from me which I may justly Claim And Blast my Honour while you seek to Raise it Wrongfullie you Charge both my Innocence And Clearnesse when you say I Hate you Or can be pleas'd with your Destruction I have alreadie Acknowledg'd the Highest Benefits receiv'd from you offer'd my Vowes to Heaven In your behalf and though when these are once paid They doe not there take End Yet to repeat them Oft unto Your Self would ill become Eudoras tongue and lesse the greatnesse of Pallantus Eares But if what 's alredie past Be too little to assure you your Ruine 's No Part of my desires by this Double Sute I shall seek to confirm you further First That you will be pleas'd to take my Brother This Voyage with you And let this perswade you I seek not your Destruction Next that you will Obtain me leave to retire from Court to pay That Debt ofteares in quiet I have so long Ow'd unto the Dead And this no lesse ought To assure you I cannot Hate that person By whom I seek so farre to be Dispos'd of Pall Madam you have given me a Happinesse Which neither Envie Malice nor the worst Of Fortune can take from me You have set me the Onely man above The Stroak of Fate Whatever you desire After your Own manner and in your own Time Will be permitted to you and you may command Not onely for your self but in the behalf Of Others And may I hope after these Dayes Of Mourning are expir'd to see again That Joy return into your Face which I Was never yet so bless'd as to behold And shall in that Day a Servants Humblest Sute Take place which now his High Respects forbid him Even to Name to you Eud. Now first My Lord I have seen a Weaknesse in you but yet I shall thus farre Remember you That the Gallant Ask not their Fortunes but they Make 'em A more Direct Answer I must not give you And if it appear hard to you that I refuse To Prophesie in that I may seem so well To Know my Resolutions ask the same Question Of those that have been held the most Allowable And wise Diviners in your present Case Your Vertue Honour Obligations to me And hear what they will say Perhaps they 'l Doubt Or Hide their Skill if they doe Excuse a Virgins Silence when such bolder Oracles make no Reply Pall Madam let me kisse your hand I beg your pardon No further shall I provoke you with my Disorder'd Passion though I know nothing But my Wonder can be encreas'd by your Replies Your Wisdome Honour Beauty All Incomparable shall be the Incitements Of my Actions unto Glory in hope They may hereafter prove their Crown and Ornament In the mean time I shall seek to know no other thing But this How most Worthilie I may approve My Self your Servant Clean And Madam Cleander when he speaks takes Eudora in one hand and Pallantus in the other If favourablie you shall admit him In that qualitie we All will glory To wear the same Title And think not that A Single Person Courts you but in a Single Person th' Interest of the Kingdome Even thus Divided I acknowledge Yee Both To be the Chiefest Glory of your Country But when Yee shall be joyn'd Yee 'l adde yet more Unto her Happinesse and be no lesse Her Peace and her Securitie But I Anticipate the Blessings of another Day When my Dutie commands me to give thankes For those I have receiv'd on this And hitherto Our Kingdome hath been like the Kingdome of The Gods Felicitie has succeeded To Felicitie and Joyes have Crowned Joyes And should this Day Conclude what it hath Begun I have yet reign'd a Perfect Reign having Beheld in Few Houres the Strange and Various Changes of an Age Exeunt Omnes This Play being Design'd for an etertainment of the King and Queen at York-House at the Nuptials of the Ladie Mary Villers and the Lord Charles Herbert had Scenes fitted to evety Passage of it throughout and the last in this place was a Funerall Pile bearing on the top the body of the Dead Tyrant and set out with all the Pomp the Ancients us'd in those Ceremonies This Seene consisted onely of Musick and shew on the one side of the Pile stands a Consort of Musitians representing the Priests of the Land and on the other side of it another representing the People People Sacred Peans to Mars sing Notes of Triumph not of Woe Hence your Ewe and Cipresse fling Who adornes a Trophy so These are the Spoyles of our Great Enemy Hang Garlands on them of the Lawrell Tree 1. Priest Hence impure and bloudy Voyce Far be from our Mysteries Bidentals are Joves proper Choyce Holier than the Sacrifice Each Unskilfull Hand and Rude At his Alter dares obtrude Here all the Principall Persons of the Play enter in Mourning 2. Priest Touch not then with Lips prophane What Heav'ns Fire hath purified Teares have washt away his Stain His Black Deeds his Bloud hath died He for his Sinnes hath paid with Death and Sorrow His Credit 's more that Payes than doth not Borrow Chor. He for his Sinnes hath paid with Death and Sorrow His Credit 's more c. People Yet still you must allow a Fault And that by Death his Body ought To Expiate Offences Higher Then purge if Sulphur Salt and Fire Least your too partiall Favour this way bent Excuse the Ill and Blame the Innocent Chor. Least your too partiall Favour this way bent Excuse the Ill c. About the middle of the last Stanzo Timeus puts a lighted Torch to the bottome of the Pile which gives fire to some
Perfumes laid there on purpose the which wraps the Pile in smoak and smells ore all the Roome At the End of the Song the Curtain falls and shuts both the Scene and Actors from the Beholders Sight FINIS Mid-night and Daily THOUGHTS To a careless Sinner THou dost not sure believe that thou shalt die Or never think'st upon it seriously Because thou liv'st as if thou didst disdain After this life ever to rise again Else thou wouldst set a higher price upon The Glories of thy Resurrection For 't is not possible a Man of sense Can always hold so ill intelligence With Heaven as not to wish or not to fear He never may or never would come there Some Caveats WHen petty Pleasures are procur'd with Gold When youth is gone and we decrpeid old There 's no more Gusto than a Tale twice told The greatest Monarchs while they flourished Were honour'd and ador'd but being dead Were soon forgot and only pitied So that whatever Marble Tombs pretend All their gay glories never can defend Their pamper'd bodies from the Beggar 's end Caesar and Alexander both became The highest splendor of a glorious Name And yet in some things both deserved blame So that when Men have all the World subdu'd They may themselves and all their Fame delude Unless they do in Piety conclude Those mighty Hero's car'd not to be good But brave because they never understood The sacred Sanction of our Saviour's Blood But those who saw the Miracles he did And heard how boldly he their Crimes forbid Are justly scourg'd instead of being chid What 's our due then who do believe yet run The course which that accursed Crew begun To slight God and re-crucifie his Son Which shews Men want some Caveats to restrain The idle Fancies of a busie Brain That frequent losses bring instead of gain These serious Thoughts are Caveats to despise Such Crimes as from our idle hours may rise And captivate our Senses in disguise Till by a power divine we can obtain Such bright serener joys as will sustain Our Souls and to eternity remain For we are born to learn and to express By daily actions what we do profess To purchase everlasting happiness On Poverty PUre honest Poverty in former times Was no disgrace but now our latter Crimes Have introduc'd new kinds of punishments To expiate our sins for old Contempts In luxury and such profuse expence That we are now chastiz'd for that offence With Penury to make us own our shame And free all present accidents from blame Which from God's mercy now to us is sent To make our most obdurate hearts repent And yet there may such poverty proceed From wicked Men whose malice have decreed Our ruine to get wealth for their support In spight of right or their damnation for 't And such absurd base scandals do invent That no man's innocence can e'er prevent From such Devils good Lord deliver me As hate all those who truly worship thee And with profound repentance do submit To all the judgments that our God thinks fit And make the poverty I now endure For all excesses past a perfect cure On Pride OF all the Vanities I know 't is Pride Which all the World most justly may deride That like an Ass with golden Trappings dress'd Thinks himself 'bove all other Beasts the best And when he brays does all that hear him fright Mistaking their amazement for delight Like gilded Fools that only learn of late To strut and make loud noise when they do prate For Pride did ne'er the greatest man adorn Nor free him from God's hate and wise Men's scorn Satan for Pride and for Ambition fell With his accursed Crew from Heav'n to Hell On Pride's Kindred PRide 's next of kin are such as do despise Their Neighbours for the Motes in their dark Eyes Who first their own Beams should remove then learn That Rule by which they may such Motes discern And by this caution constantly prevent Such rash Censures that do raise discontent Between good Friends who seldom will endure A blind Man's Precepts till himself he cure Septemb. 3. 1693. On this Day's Sacrament received LORD I Did believe but not such joy conceive As since I did thy Sacrament receive To ratifie thy mercy and my zeal By adding of thy Holy Spirit's Seal Upon my heart to manifest thy love And all my doubts and fears by faith remove Which made me shrink from death but now my voice Shall Hallelujah's sing and Soul rejoice To celebrate this Victory obtain'd O'er all my sins by thy bless'd Conduct gain'd How great then is my Obligation grown If thou wilt this day my Election own By adding joys on joys and grace on grace Till I in glory come to see thy face And now adore and worship thy great Name With warm addresses from this sacred flame On Adoption I Have read that he who lives in a constant uniform Obedience to the Gospel and performs the Conditions required in it departs sincerely from iniquity and shuts up the ways that lead him into temptation may give himself as strong and comfortable an assurance that he is an adopted Child of God as if a voice from the Clouds should tell him so and is a good argument for frequent Meditations How to know when our Sins are forgiven IT has been asked How a Soul may know when her Sins are forgiven and answered thus When she finds the same affection to God with his that said I hate iniquity and all false ways I utterly abhorr Yet David who said so did die and so must we Tho' our Souls may by the same grace become of the same temper with his and our sins be forgiven too yet we may consider how few Men do slip out of this World into eternity with a joyful hearty delight to be with God through divine Love which is the highest perfection of an holy life and is our greatest assurance to manifest our sins forgiven when our Souls are by faith so fixed on God as to know no joy so great as such spiritual Comforts do raise when we desire to be in Heaven which taught David to hate iniquity and to abhorr all false ways and so reduced him from all his sins to become a man after God's own Heart On Reconciliation before we die IF we fully consider our manifold sins and the horrid Punishment due unto us for them if not forgiven before we die 't will make us tremble at the approach of Death But if we do believe in Christ's plenteous Redemption with GOD's immense Mercy to deliver us from Hell's eternal Torments and exalt us unto Heaven's eternal Joy and Glory it may be justly said Happy is that Man who can obtain such a Reconciliation with GOD before he die as daily to delight in the Meditation of a sudden Death with inward assurance of his eternal Bliss the moment he expires which is the highest Exaltation of Joy on Earth and will be the greatest Comfort at the
hour of Death and ought to be the chief Business of all Men to live and die so who do march every moment from our Cradles dying towards our Graves On Heavenly Joy WHate'er we do on Earth we all pretend Heaven is our Home Heaven is our Journey's end That 's true Seraphick Joy when we do find Such elevated Bliss as fills the Mind With high transports of God's celestial Throne And all our meaner Objects we disown Yet sometimes spoil our bless'd angelick rest To rowl on Roses when on Thorns is best Vainly thinking some diviner Grace May smooth afflictions with a smiling face When sighs and tears if they come not too late More surely can our heavenly Joys create When God observes our Zeal to do our best To please we shall assuredly be bless'd And may expect to find more Penitents Encircling of God's Throne than Innocents Which shews sincere Repentance surely can With a fix'd Faith restore relapsed Man Thus may our high-rais'd warm addresses prove Bright Ecstasies of the divinest Love Then will our Souls from dross be clean refin'd And by our sacred Chymist be calcin'd Fit for a Choir of Angels to attend Such Saints and sing them to their Journey's end On taking heed of all our Ways WHen God reduces Sinners to take heed Of all their ways in thought in word and deed Repentance then will be of little use When all our actions will need no excuse We shall the World subdue and stoutly stand In full obedience unto God's Command And then will Death in glorious Robes descend To guide not fright us at our Journey's end So that if we take heed in all our ways We shall the Devil defeat and wear the Bays To a Friend My dear Friend I Have read in a divine Author That if God be with us he will make us see that he is with us and will not depart from our sight until he has brought us never to depart out of his Which is a Lesson of high concern to Men in this World for Thus to enjoy God here is to be in Heaven before we die When our Souls are thus transported with a continual divine Conversation with Almighty God we may taste and relish his celestial Joys to some degree so as to envite us to value his spiritual Comforts above all carnal Fruitions So that our great Business is to improve this Blessing to the highest reach of humane Fancy by a daily practice of holy Meditations to contemplate and observe how God doth infuse this joyful enjoying of Him into our Souls by the secret working of the Holy Ghost when we set our selves with zealous integrity to find him there to converse with us on this great lesson of his immense Mercy with our humble prayers to be enlightned from above to participate of such angelical Delights as far as our frail Nature will admit of which by frequent use will bring us to such an habit of holy living that God will manifest his presence ever with us by an inward Felicity of divine Comforts to such an assurance of our Election unto eternal Bliss as is ineffable to be described So that when we raise our Thoughts with a divine Desire to know as much of God as we can know and of his being with us he will add of his Grace to enlarge our Capacities to such heavenly Trances in Devotion that we shall be with him and he with us as we do wish with such a joy as will dread all diverting Occasions that shall obstruct those Emanations of his holy Spirit working in us And thus if we do entertain our selves by such frequent addresses to find God he will daily meet and ever dwell with us if we unfelgnedly desire to dwell with him and will give us such a glimpse of his eternal Bliss as may fix our hearts on Heaven and make us live every moment in a joyful Expectation of Death's quickest Summons thither and by this frequent entertainment of thy Soul with God Thou my Friend wilt find such a communication with God on Earth to be the highest Perfection of Piety and a felicity much more delightful than all other Diversions which can never reach such Seraphick Joys as I wish to thee my Friend On the Fear of Death IF we fully consider our manifold Sins and the horrid Judgment due unto us for them it may well be said Happy is that Man who can obtain such a Reconciliation with God before he die as daily to delight in the meditation of a sudden death with inward assurance of his eternal Bliss the moment that he expires Because all our Ideas of the divine Felicities above do seldom invite Men to welcome Death with cheerful Hearts Our fears are so much stronger than our Faith that too many Men do rather think than find they do believe that Christ's plenteous Redemption will cancel all their Crimes and bring them into Heaven and therefore dare not really rejoyce to look on death but start back from such angelick Happiness as he brings good Men to participate of in God's eternal Glory which natural infirmity of doubting can only by an illustrious Faith be removed and that Faith by frequent Prayers be obtained Then thus to live and so to die will make us live and die in great tranquility though not to reach St. Stephen's Faith who saw Heaven open to him yet to so great a degree of divine Raptures in Devotion as to be filled with elevations of an inward assurance of our Election which must come from God when the Soul is in such a blessed Trance of celestial Delight that is ineffable to be described How near such joy is to the joy we read of in Paradise when fervent Zeal is by a lively Faith so raised and sixed in God by frequent Meditations it is a wonder that such Men can fear to die or doubt togo to God with cheerful Hearts when thus invited and thus led by his holy Spirit with such bright illuminations of surprizing joys while those divine Flames last as cannot be related When Men's hearts are warmed with such Seraphick high Transports of Love and Mercy from Almighty God to give true Penitents some taste of their eternal Glory that being thus enlightned they may not fear to die but rather welcome death who comes to carry them to Heaven which is the highest Exaltation of the Soul's joy so to delight in God that the expectation of Heaven may be more pleasant than all the momentary Fruitions of this World are compared unto a blessed incomprehensible Eternity Which neither Wit nor Fancy can express When multiplying numbers make it less When neither first nor last can e'er be known Points so far distant yet so join'd in one That the eternal Circle shews us none But is a secret known to God alone 'T is such a sacred Riddle soâ— profound That humane Wisdom never can expound But leaves us still to wonder and adore What will be after and what was before On
and Rain soon tumbled down And if we mind those mighty Miracles of the first Ages they all relate unto Faith Our blessed Saviour also used to say Whosoever believeth in me shall never die Do you believe that I can do this and then Be it done according to your Faith Thy Faith has made thee whole The Woman with the bloody Issue had no other application for her Cure but Faith Without Faith what signifies our Creed And to what purpose did our Saviour bleed If we all Doubting could from Faith divide Pure Faith would then in greatest triumph ride God grant all those the Power of Faith that die In joyful Hopes of bless'd eternity When their departing Souls will gladly own By faith they rise from Dunghills to a Throne How to delight in GOD THe Text says Delight in the Lord and he will give thee thy hearts desire And no doubt but if we delight in him with the highest faculty of our Souls above all carnal appetites with contemplation of his glorious Essence and Attributes in frequent fervent Prayers with continual Gratitude for his daily Mercies To adore him as we might we should find such a rejoycing in God to be the most voluptuous felicity that the heart of Man is capable of But we mock our selves too often with a belief of this Felicity by a careless searching short in our own Hearts for a clear proof of the divine Perfection of this delighting in God which every Man must find in himself for no Man can correct the unseen Errours of his Neighbour's heart So that it must be every Man's concern to examine his own Conscience how much he rejoyces in God more than in all worldly Fruitions and according to his proportion in excelling therein his peace of Conscience will prove the more exalted joyful Feast and will create in him the greatest hope of his heart 's promised desire and is the surest way to remove our natural Fear of Death who only can lead us to glory which all Men ought to think on more than all other affairs in this World For if we delight in God as we ought We should the clear intrinsick value find When Grace enriches a delighted Mind That trusts in God and by such bless'd converse Excells all pleasures of the Universe Which no Man's Faith nor Fancy can conceive Till that delightful practice gives him leave Then Souls enlightned by that holy fire Will pass to Paradise when they expire An higher Bliss can no Man's heart desire Though worldly joys may all our Senses please The Soul's joy makes them all but a disease But when God's glory in our Souls doth shine It shews those holy Raptures are divine Yet we ought not to think that every petty pleasing Object that assaults our Senses doth deserve the Name of a Delight more than little Children have for every new Baby they do see But when the Soul's supreme delight is so fixed on God that every address brings men as near to him as Souls can come while they are involved in Clay yet by a flaming Zeal and such high mounting Faith as doth believe that God is every-where and Heaven with him and them are altogether at that time there Where such joys may grow up to such a divine Delight in God as will come nearest unto his beatick sight tho' few Men seek it by such practice as we might and therefore cannot fansie such transcending Bliss on Earth as those her metick Livers have who daily do converse in Heaven with great delight in expectation of a quick Summons thither and such Piety may be truly called Delighting in God 'T is said my Book does need apology To beg a Pardon for tautology Which is a Crime I never understood If the repeated matter be all good David's Example as my Pattern may Excuse that Errour and for pardon pray On the Power of Divine Meditation DAvid says God requires no Sacrifice But Penitence and Faith he does despise The Blood of Beasts We are to thank and praise His holy Name and honour him always And if we trust him as we ought Mankind Will be by frequent Comforts so refin'd That we on Earth shall have a daily taste Of his eternal Peace and joys at last If David's Rules authentick be That God Had rather use his Mercy than his Rod And proffers Heaven at so cheap a rate T' invite us to become regenerate What labour less can mortal Men invent To gain God's favour and 'scape his punishment If thus our Duty may his Favour claim All Men will trust and honour his great Name Such Ecstasies in Meditation will Men's heads with glorious heavenly Visions fill And by degrees our Souls with joys advance To think that we are there in such a trance And find that such enlightning Zeal as this Is emanation for our future Bliss A Dream of Heaven THough Sleep Death's Image be I have been now I know not where convey'd I know not how Where something did appear so dazling bright I could not see its Glory for the Light My Soul supriz'd with Wonder and amaze Methought I pray'd and did forbear to gaze Frighted and pleased at what I lik'd and fear'd I found it was a Dream of Heaven appear'd Which waking fled but did my Fancy fill With blessed Ideas which abide there still With such transporting joy that I can weep To think of what I had and could not keep On a Dream of Hell STart not my Soul 't is but a Dream to show The dismal Terrors of eternal Woe Which unrepenting Sinners feel below Where Satan with his cursed Crue do dwell For their Ambition tumbled down to Hell While we rejoice on the Divine Presence Of our exalted Bliss by Penitence Those fiery Streams we seem to see May give us joy to find that we are free From that sad Doom where Torments never cease But rather to Eternity increase While our Conversion doth aloud proclaim What mighty Honour due to God's great Name Who will in Mercy save a Reprobate If his Repentance do not come too late On Death 'T Is very strange the World should still comply To think that Death is sent to make us dye By leading us to Immortality And the same moment does our sonls convoy From worldly slavery to eternal joy So that we ought to find some other Name For God's great Messenger that bears our blame Alone tho' Life and Death are both the same Moment our eternal Lot to end this strife We may treat Death as our first step to Life No terror find by our remove from hence When all our Happiness proceeds from thence The POSTSCRIPT IF Heaven be what we read or hear and see or do believe to be the glorious Habitation of the more glorious Trinity that we pretend to love to obey to trust worship and adore as one united God who has created Heaven and Earth the Sea and all therein and from whom we do expect eternal happiness when our Souls expire How