little sweete hath many fowres Short hap immortall harmes Her louing lookes are murdring dartes Her songs bewitching charmes Like winter rose and sommer I se Her ioyes are still vntimely Before her hope behind remorse Faire first in fine vnseemely Moodes passions fancies iealous fits Attend vpon her traine She yeeldeth rest without repose A heau'n in hellish paine Her house is slouth her doore deceite And slipperie hope her staires Vnbashfull boldnesse bids her guests And euery vice repaires Her diet is of such delight As please till they be past But then the poyson kils the hart That did entise the tast Her sleepe in sinne doth end in wrath Remorse rings her awake Death cals her vp shame driues her out Dispaires her vp-shot make Plowe not the Seas sowe not the sands Leaue off your idle paine Seeke other mistres for your minds Loues seruice is in vaine Life is but losse BY force I liue in will I wish to dye In plaint I passe the length of lingring dayes Free would my soule from mortall body flye And tread the tracke of deaths desired wayes Life is but losse where death is deemed gaine And loathed pleasures breede displeasing paine VVho would not dye to kill all murdering greeues Or who would liue in neuer dying feares VVho would not wish his treasure safe from theeues And quit his hart from pangues his eyes from teares Death parteth but two euer fighting foes VVhose ciuill strife doth worke our endlesse woes Life is a wandring course to doubtfull rest As oft a cursed ryse to damning leape As happie race to winne a heauenly crest None being sure what finall fruites to reape And who can like in such a life to dwell VVhose wayes are straite to heau'n but wyde to hell Come cruell death why lingrest thou so long VVhat doth withhold thy dint from fatall stroke Now prest I am alas thou doest me wrong To let me liue more anger to prouoke Thy right is had when thou hast stopt my breath VVhy should'st thou stay to worke my double death If Saules attempt in falling on his blade As lawfull were as ethe to put in vre If Sampsons leaue a common law were made Of Abels lot if all that would were sure Then cruell death thou should'st the tyrant play VVith none but such as wished for delay VVhere life is lou'd thou ready art to kill And to abridge with sodaine pangues their ioy VVhere life is loath'd thou wilt not worke their will But dost adiourne their death to their annoy To some thou art a fierce vnbidden guest But those that craue thy helpe thou helpest least Auant ô viper I thy spight defie There is a God that ouer-rules thy force VVho can thy weapons to his will apply And shorten or prolong our brittle course I on his mercie not thy might relye To him I liue for him I hope to dye I dye aliue O Life what lets thee from a quicke decease O death what drawes thee from a present pray My feast is done my soule would beat ease My grace is said ô death come take away I liue but such a life as euer dies I die but such a death as neuer ends My death to end my dying life denies And life my liuing death no whit amends Thus still I dye yet still I do reuiue My liuing death by dying life is fed Grace more then nature keepes my hart aliue VVhose idle hopes and vaine desires are dead Not where I breath but where I loue I liue Not where I loue but where I am I dye The life I wish must future glory giue The deathes I feele in present dangers lye What ioy to line I wage no warre yet peace I none enioy I hope I feare I fry in freezing cold I mount in mirth still prostrate in annoy I all the world embrace yet nothing hold All wealth is want where chiefest wishes faile Yea life is loath'd where loue may not preuaile For that I loue I long but that I lack That others loue I loath and that I haue All worldly fraights to me are deadly wrack Men present hap I future hopes doe craue They louing where they liue long life require To liue where best I loue death I desire Heere loue is lent for loane of filthy gaine Most friends befriend thēselues with friendships shew Heere plentie perril want doth breed disdaine Cares common are ioyes faulty short few Here honour enuide meanenes is dispis'd Sinne deemed solace vertue little pris'd Heere beauty is a baite that swallowed choakes A treasure sought still to the owners harmes A light that eyes to murdring sighs prouokes A grace that soules enchant with mortall charmes A luring ayme to Cupids fiery flights A balefull blisse that damnes where it delights O who would liue so many deaths to try VVhere will doth wish that wisedome doth reproue VVhere nature craues that grace must needs denie VVhere sence doth like that reason cannot loue VVhere best in shew in finall proofe is worst VVhere pleasures vpshot is to die accurst Lifes death loues life WHo liues in loue loues least to liue And long delayes doth rue If him he loue by whom he liues To whom all loue is due VVho for our loue did choose to liue And was content to die VVho lou'd our loue more then his life And loue with life did buy Let vs in life yea with our life Requite his liuing loue For best we liue when least we liue If loue our life remoue VVhere loue is hote life hatefull is Their grounds doe not agree Loue where it loues life where it liues Desireth most to be And sith loue is not where it liues Nor liueth where it loues Loue hateth life that holdes it backe And death it best approues For seldome is he wonne in life VVhom loue doth most desire If wonne by loue yet not inioyde Till mortall life expire Life out of earth hath not aboad In earth loue hath no place Loue setled hath her ioyes in heau'n In earth life all her grace Mourne therefore no true louers death Life onely him annoyes And when he taketh leaue of life Then loue beginnes his ioyes At home in Heauen FAire soule how long shall veyles thy graces shroud How long shall this exile with-hold thy right VVhen will thy sunne disperse this mortall cloud And giue thy glories scope to blaze their light O that a Starre more fit for Angels eyes Should pyne in earth not shyne aboue the skyes Thy ghostly beautie offred force to God It cheyn'd him in the linkes of tender loue It woon his will with man to make abode It stai'd his Sword and did his wrath remoue It made the rigor of his iustice yeeld And Crowned mercie Empresse of the feeld This lull'd our heauenly Sampson fast a sleepe And laid him in our feeble natures lap This made him vnder mortall load to creep And in our flesh his god-head to enwrap This made him soiourne with vs in exile And not disdayne our tytles in his
abiure Could seruile feare of rendring natures due VVhich growth in yeeres was shortly like to claime So thrall my loue that I should thus eschue A vowed death and misse so faire an ayme Die die disloyall wretch thy life detest For sauing thine thou hast forsworne the best Ah life sweet drop drownd in a sea of sowers A flying good posting to doubtfull end Still loosing months and yeeres to gaine new howers Faine time to haue and spare yet forst to spend Thy growth decrease a moment all thou hast That gone ere knowne the rest to come or past Ah life the maze of countlesse straying waies Open to erring steps and strow'd with baits To winde weake sences into endlesse strayes A loofe from vertues rough vnbeaten straights A flower a play a blast a shade a dreame A liuing death a neuer turning streame And could I rate so high a life so base Did feare with loue cast so vneuen account That for this goale I should runne Iudas race And Caiphas rage in crueltie surmount Yet they esteemed thirtie pence his price I worse then both for nought deny'd him thrise The mother sea from ouerflowing deepes Sends forth her issue by diuided vaines Yet backe her of-spring to theyr mother creepes To pay theyr purest streames with added gaines But I that drunke the drops of heauenly flud Bemyr'd the gyuer with returning mud Is this the haruest of his sowing toyle Did Christ manure thy hart to breed him bryers Or doth it need this vnaccustomd soyle VVith hellish dunge to fertile heauens desires No no the Marle that periuries doth yeeld May spoyle a good not fat a barraine field VVas this for best deserts the duest meede Are highest worthes well wag'de with spitefull hire Are stoutest vowes repeal'd in greatest neede Should friendship at the first affront retire Blush crauen sott lurke in eternall night Crouch in the darkest caues from loathed light Ah wretch why was I nam'd sonne of a doue VVhose speeches voyded spight and breathed gall No kin I am vnto the bird of loue My stony name much better sutes my fall My othes were stones my cruell tongue the sling My God the marke at which my spight did fling VVere all the Iewish tiranies too few To glut thy hungry lookes with his disgrace That thou more hatefull tirannies must shew And spit thy poyson in thy Makers face Didst thou to spare his foes put vp thy sword To brandish now thy tongue against thy Lord Ah tongue that didst his prayse and Godhead sound How wert thou stain'd with such detesting words That euery word was to his hart a wound And launst him deeper then a thousand swordes VVhat rage of man yea what infernall spirite Could haue disgorg'd more loathsome dregs of spite VVhy did the yeelding sea like marble way Support a wretch more wauering then the waues VVhom doubt did plunge why did the water stay Vnkind in kindnesse murthering while it saues O that this toung had then been fishes food And I deuour'd before this cursing moode Their surges depthes and seas vnfirme by kinde Rough gusts and distance both from ship and shoare VVere titles to excuse my staggering minde Stout feete might falter on that liquid floare But here no seas no blastes no billowes were A puffe of womans winde bred all my feare O coward troupes far better arm'd then harted VVhom angry words whom blowes could not prouok VVhom though I taught how sore my weapon smarted Yet none repaide me with a wounding stroke O no that stroke could but one moitie kill I was reseru'd both halfes at once to spill Ah whether was forgotten loue exilde VVhere did the truth of pledged promise sleepe VVhat in my thoughts begat this ougly child That could through rented soule thus fircely creepe O viper feare their death by whom thou liuest All good thy ruynes wrecke all euels thou giuest Threats threw me not torments I none assayde My fray with shades conceits dyd make me yeeld VVounding my thoughts with feares selfely dismayd I neyther fought nor lost I gaue the field Infamous foyle a Maidens easie breath Dyd blow me downe and blast my soule to death Titles I make vntruths am I a rocke That with so soft a gale was ouer-throwne Am I fit Pastor for the faithfull flocke To guide theyr soules that murdred thus mine owne A rock of ruine not a rest to stay A Pastor not to feed but to betray Fidelitie was flowne when feare was hatched Incompatible brood in vertues nest Courage can lesse with cowardise be matched Prowesse nor loue lodg'd in deuided brest O Adams child cast by a sillie Eue Heire to thy Fathers foyles and borne to greeue In Thabors ioyes I eger was to dwell An earnest friend while pleasures light did shine But when ecclipsed glory prostrate fell These zealous heates to sleepe I did resigne And now my mouth hath thrise his name defil'd That cry'd so loud three dwellings there to build VVhen Christ attending the distressefull hower VVith his surcharged brest did blesse the ground Prostrate in pangs rayning a bleeding shower Me like my selfe a drowsie friend he found Thrise in his care sleepe closde my carelesse eye Presage how him my tongue should thrise deny Parting from Christ my fainting force declin'd VVith lingring foote I followed him a loofe Base feare out of my hart his loue vnshrind Huge in high words but impotent in proofe My vaunts did seeme hatcht vnder Sampsons locks Yet womans wordes did giue me murdring knocks So farre luke warme desires in crasie loue Farre off in neede with feeble foote they trayne In tydes they swimme low ebbes they scorne to proue They seeke their friends delights but shun their paine Hire of a hireling minde is earned shame Take now thy due beare thy begotten blame Ah coole remisnes vertues quartane feuer Pyning of loue consumption of grace Old in the cradle languor dying euer Soules wilfull famine sinnes soft stealing pace The vndermining euill of zealous thought Seeming to bring no harmes till all be brought O portresse of the doore of my disgrace VVhose toung vnlockt the truth of vowed minde VVhose wordes from cowardes hart did courage chase And let in death-full feares my soule to blinde O hadst thou been the portresse to my tombe VVhen thou wert portresse to that cursed roome Yet loue was loath to part feare loath to die Stay daunger life did counterplead their causes I fauouring stay and life bad daunger flie But daunger did except against these clauses Yet stay and liue I would and daunger shunne And lost my selfe while I my verdict wonne I stayde yet did my staying farthest part I liu'd but so that sauing life I lost it Daunger I shun'd but to my sorer smart I gayned nought but deeper domage crost it VVhat daunger distance death is worse then this That runnes from God and spoyles his soule of blisse O Iohn my guide into this earthly hell Too well acquainted in so ill a court VVhere rayling mouthes with
Ah not my sonne my soule it is that dyes It dyes for drought yet had a spring in sight VVorthy to dye that would not liue and might Faire Absolons foule faults compard with mine Are brightest sands to mud of Sodome lakes High aymes yong spirits birth of royall line Made him play false where kingdomes were the stakes He gazd on golden hopes whose lustre winnes Sometime the grauest wittes to grieuous sinnes But I whose crime cuts off the least excuse A kingdome lost but hop'd no mite of gaine My highest marke was but the worthlesse vse Of some few lingring howres of longer paine Vngratefull child his parent he pursude I Gyants warre with God himselfe renude Ioy infant Saints whom in the tender flower A happy storme did free from feare of sinne Long is their life that die in blisfull hower Ioyfull such ends as endles ioyes begin Too long they liue that lyue till they be nought Life sau'd by sinne base purchase deerely bought This lot was mine your fate was not so fearce VVhom spotlesse death in cradle rockt a sleepe Sweet Roses mixt with Lillies strow'd your hearce Death virgin white in martirs red did steepe Your downy heads both pearles and rubies crownd My hoary locks did femall feares confound You bleating Ewes that waile thys vvoluish spoyle Of sucking Lambes new bought with bitter throwes To balme your babes your eyes distill theyr oyle Each hart to tombe her child wide rupture showes Rue not theyr death whom death did but reuiue Yeeld ruth to me that liu'd to die aliue VVith easie losse sharpe wreacks dyd he eschew That Sindonles aside did naked slyp Once naked grace no outward garment knew Rich are his robes whom sinne did neuer stryp I that in vaunts displaid prides fayrest flags Disrob'd of grace am wrapt in Adams rags VVhen traytor to the Sonne in Mothers eyes I shall present my humble sute for grace VVhat blush can paint the shame that will arise Or write my inward feeling in my face Might she the sorrow with the sinner see Though I dispisde my griefe might pittyed bee But ah how can her eares my speech endure Or sent my breath still reeking hellish steeme Can Mother like what did the Sonne abiure Or hart deflowr'd a virgins loue redeeme The Mother nothing loues that Sonne doth loath Ah lothsome wretch detested of them both O sister Nymphes the sweet renowned payre That blesse Bethania bounds with your aboade Shall I infect that sanctified ayre Or staine those steps where Iesus breath'd and trode No let your prayers perfume that sweetned place Turne me with Tygers to the wildest chase Could I reuiued Lazarus behold The thyrd of that sweet Trinitie of Saints VVould not astonisht dread my sences hold Ah yes my hart euen with his naming faints I seeme to see a messenger from hell That my prepared torments comes to tell O Iohn ô Iames we made a triple corde Of three most louing and best loued friends My rotten twist was broken with a word Fit now to fuel fire among the fiends It is not euer true though often spoken That triple twisted corde is hardly broken The dispossessed deuils that out I threw In Iesus name now impiously forsworne Triumph to see mee caged in theyr mew Trampling my ruines with contempt and scorne My periuries were musick to their daunce And now they heape disdaines on my mischaunce Our rock say they is riuen ô welcome hower Our Eagles wings are clypt that wrought so hie Our thundering Cloude made noise but cast no shower He prostrate lyes that would haue scal'd the sky In womans tongue our runner found a rub Our Cedar now is shrunke into a shrub These scornefull wordes vpbraid my inward thought Proofes of their damned prompters neighbour voice Such vgly guests still wait vpon the nought Fiends swarm to soules that swarue from vertues choise For breach of plighted truth this true I trie Ah that my deede thus gaue my word the lie Once and but once too deere a once to twice it A heauen in earth Saints nere my selfe I saw Sweet was the sight but sweeter loues did spice it But sightes and loues did my misdeed with-draw From heauen and Saints to hell and diuels estrang'd Those sights to frights those loues to hates are chang'd Christ as my God was tempted in my thought As man he lent mine eyes their dearest light But sinne his temple hath to ruine brought And now he lightneth terrour from his sight Now of my lay vnconsecrate desires Prophaned wretch I tast the earned hires Ah sinne the nothing that doth all things file Out-cast from heauen earths curse the cause of hell Parent of death author of our exile The wrecke of soules the wares that fiends do sell. That men to monsters Angels turnes to diuels VVrong of all rights selfe ruine root of euils A thing most done yet more then God can doe Dayly new done yet euer done amisse Friended of all yet vnto all a foe Seeming a heauen yet banishing from blisse Serued with toyle yet paying nought but paines Mans deepest losse though false esteemed gaine Shot without noyse wound without present smart First seeming light prouing in fyne a lode Entring with ease not easily wonne to part Far in effects from that the showes abode Endorc'd with hope subscribed with dispaire Vgly in death though life did faine it faire O forfeiture of heauen eternall debt A moments ioy ending in endlesse fires Our natures scumme the worlds entangling Net Night of our thoughts death of all good desires VVorse then all this worse then all tongues can say VVhich man could owe but onely God defray This fawning viper dumme till he had wounded VVith many mouthes doth now vpbraid my harmes My sight was vaild till I my selfe confounded Then did I see the dissinchanted charmes Then could I cut the anotomy of sinne And search with Linxes eyes what lay within Bewitching euill that hides death in deceits Still borrowing lying shapes to maske thy face Novv know I the deciphring of thy sleights A cunning deerely bought with losse of grace Thy sugred poyson now hath wrought so well That thou hast made me to my selfe a hell My eye reades mournfull lessons to my hart My hart doth to my thought the griefes expound My thought the same doth to my tongue impart My tongue the message in the eares doth sound My eares back to my hart theyr sorrowes send Thus circkling griefes runne round without an end My guilty eye still seemes to see my sinne All things Charecters are to spell my fall VVhat eye doth reade without hart rues within VVhat hart doth rue to pensiue thought is gall VVhich when the thought would by the tongue disgest The eare conuayes it backe into the brest Thus gripes in all my parts do neuer fayle VVhose onely league is now in bartring paines VVhat I in grosse they traffique by retayle Making each others miseries theyr gaines All bound for euer prentizes to care VVhile I in