and kisse your neighb'ring floods Let peace and love exalt your key of mirth For now there 's peace in heav'n there 's peace on earth You holy Temples of the highest Kingâ— Triumph with joy Your sacred Anthemes sing Chant forth your Hymns heav'nly roundelaies And touch your Organs on their louder keyes For Haman's dead that daÌ„ted al your myrth And now there 's peace in heav'n there 's peace on earth Proud Haman's dead whose life disturb'd thy rest Who sought to cut and seare thy Lilly brest The rav'nous Fox that did annoyance bring Vnto the Vineyard â—s taken in a Spring ¶ Seem'd not thy Spouse unkind to hear thee weep And not redresse thee Seem'd he not asleepe No Sion no he heard thy bitter pray'r But let thee weepe for weeping makes thee faire The morning Sun reflects and shines most bright When Pilgrims grope in darknesse all the night The Church must conquer e're she gets he prize But there 's no conquest where 's no enemies The day is thine In triumph make thy mirth For now there 's peace in heav'n there 's peace on earth What man 's so dull or in his brains undone To say because he sees not There 's no Sun Weake is the faith upon a sudden griefe That sayes because not now There 's no reliefe God's bound to helpe but loves to see men sue Though datelesse yet the bond 's not present due ¶ Like to the sorrowes of our child-bed wives Is the sad pilgrimage of humane lives But when by throes God sends a joyfull birth Then find we peace in heav'n peace on earthâ— THE ARGVMENT Vpon the Queene and Mordecai Dead Hamans wealth and dignity The King bestowes to their discretion Referres the Iewes decreed oppression Sect. 15. THat very day the King did freely adde More bounty to his gift What Haman had Borrow'd of smiling Fortune he repaid To Esters hand and to her use convaid And Mordecai found favour with the King Vpon his hand he put his Royall Ring Whose Princely pow'r proud Haman did abuse In late betraying of the guiltlesse Iewes For now had Ester to the King descry'd Her Iewish kin how neere she was ally'd To Mardocheus whom her father dead His love did foster in her fathers ' stead Once more the Queene prefers an earnest suit Her humble body lowly prostitute Before his Royall feet her cheekes o'reflowne With marish teares and thus her plain'full mone Commix't with bitter singults she exprest If in he Cabin of thy Prinâ—ely brest Thy loyall servant undeserv'd hath found A plâ—ce wherein her wishes might be crown'd With faire successe If in thy gracious â—ight I pleasing or my cause seeme just and right Be speedy letters written to reverse Those bloody Writs which Haman did disperse Throughout thy Provinces whose sad content Was the subversion of my innocent And faithfull people Helpe my gracious Lord The time 's prefixt wherein th' impartiall Sword Must make this massacre the day 's at hand Vnlesse thy speedy Grace send countermand How can I brooke within my tender brest To breake the bonds of Natures high behest And see my peoplâ— for whose sake I breath Like stalled Oxen bought and sould for death How can I see such mischiefe how can I Survive to see my kin and people dye Said then the King Lo cursed Haman hath The execution of our highest wrath The equall hire of his malicious pride His welth to thee I gave my fairest Bride His honour better plac'd I have bestow'd On him to whom my borrow'd life hath owâ—d Her five yeares breath the trusty Mordecai Our loyall kinsman Let his hand pourtray Our pleasure as best liketh him and thâ—e Let him set downe and be it our Dâ—cree Let him confirme it with our Royall Ring And we shall signe it with the name of King For none may alter or reverse the same That 's seal'd and written in our Princely name Medita 15. TO breathe 's a necessary gift of nature Whereby we may discerne a living Creature From plants or stones 'T is but a meere degree From Vegetation and this hath shee Like equally shar'd out to brutish beasts With man who lesse observes her due behests Sometimes than they and oft by accident Doe lesse improve the gift in the event But man whose organs are more fairely drest To entertaine a farre more noble Guest Hath through the excellence of his Creation A Soule Divine Divine by inspiration Divine through likenesse to that pow'r Divine That made and plac'd her in her fleshly shrine From hence we challenge lifes prerogative Beasts onely breath 'T is man alone doth live One end of mans Creation was Societie Mutuall Communion and friendly Piety The man that lives unto himselfe alone Subsists and breaths but lives not Never one Deserv'd the moity of himselfe for hee That 's borne may challenge but one part of three Triparted thus his Country clames the best The next his Parents and himselfe the least He husbands best his life that freely gives It for the publike good he rightly lives That nobly dyes 't is greatest mastery Not to be fond to live nor feare to dye On just occasion He that in case despises Life earnes it best but he that over-prizes His dearest blood when honour bids him die Steales but a life and lives by Robbery ¶ O sweet Redeemer of the world whose death Deserv'd a world of lives Had Thy deare breath Beone deare to Thee Oh had'st Thou but deny'd Thy precious Blood the world for e'r had dy'd O spoile my life when I desire to save it By keeping it from Thee that freely gave it THE ARGVMENT Letters are sent by Mordecai That all the Iewes upon the day Appointed for their death withstand The fury of their â—oe-mens hand Sect. 16. FOrthwith the scribes were summon'd to appear To ev'ry Province and to ev'ry Shire Letters they wrote as Mordecai directed To all the Iewes the Iewes so much dejected To all Liev-tenants Captains of the Band To all the States and Princes of the Land According to the phrase and divers fashion Of Dialect and speech of ev'ry Nation All which was stiled in the name of King Sign'd with his hand seal'd with his Royall Ring Loe here the tenour of the Kings Commission Whereas of late at Hamans urg'd petition Decrees were sent and spred throughout the Land To spoile the Iewes and with impartiall hand Vpon a day prefixt to kill and slay We likewise grant upon that very day Full power to the Iewes to make defence And quit their lives and for a Recompence To take the spoiles of those they shall suppresse Shewing like mercy to the mercilesse By posts as swift as Time was this Decree Commanded forth As fast as Day they flee Spurr'd on and hast'ned with the Kings Command Which straight was noys'd publisht through the Land As warning to the Iewes to make provision To entertaine so great an opposition So Mordecai disburthned of his griefe Which now found
Can render to a dying man his health Our life on earth is like a thred of flax That all may touch and being roucht it craks ¶ As when an Archer shooteth for his sport Sometimes his shaft is gone sometimes 't is short Somtimes o' th left haÌ„d wide sometimes o' th right At last through often tryall hits the White So death sometimes with her uncertaine Rover Hits our Superiours and so shoots over Sometimes for change shee strikes the meaner sort Strikes our Inferiours and then comes short Sometimes upon the left hand wide shee goes And so still wounding some shee strikes our foes And sometimes wide upon the right hand bends There with Imperiall shafts she strikes our friends At length through often triall hits the White And so strikes us into Eternall night ¶ Death is a Kalender compos'd by Fate Concerning all men never out of Date Her dayes Dominicall are writ in blood She shewes more bad daies than she sheweth good She tels when dayes monthes termes expire Meas'ring the lives of mortals by her squire ¶ Death is a Pursivant with Eagles wings That knocks at poore mens door gates of Kings Worldling beware betime death sculks behind thee And as she leaves thee so will Iudgement find thee THE ARGVMENT Within the bowels of the Fish Ionah laments in great anguish God heard his pray'r at whose command The Fish disgorg'd him on the Land Sect 7. THen Ionah turn'd his face to heav'n and pray'd Within the bowels of the Whale and said I cry'd out of my balefull misery Vnto my God and he hath heard my cry From out the paunch of hell I made a noyse And thou hast answer'd me and heard my voyce Into the Deeps and bottome thou hast throwne me Thy Surges and thy Waves have past upon me Then Lord aid I from thy refulgent sight I am expell'd I am forsaken quite Nay'thelesse while these my wretched eyes remaine Vnto thy Temple will I looke againe The boystrous Waters compast me about My body threats to let her pris'ner out The boundlesse depth enclosed me almost dead The weeds are wrapt about my fainting head I liv'd on earth rejected at thine hand And a perpetuall pris'ner in the Land Yet thou wilt cause my life t' ascend at length From out this pit O Lord my God my Strength When as my soule was over-whelm'd and faint I had recourse to thee did thee acquaint With the condition of my woefull case My cry came to thee in thine holy Place Who so to Vanities themselves betake Renounce thy mercies and thy love for sake To thee I 'le sacrifice in endlesse dayes With voyce of thankes and ever-sounding praise I 'le pay my vowes for all the world records With one consent Salvation is the Lords But he whose word 's a deed whose breath 's a law Whose just command implies a dreadfull awe Whose Word prepar'd a Whale upon the Deepe To tend and wait for Ionah's fall and keepe His out-cast body safe and soule secure This very God whose mercy must endure When heaven earth when sea all things faile Disclos'd his purpose and bespake the Whale To redeliver Ionah to his hand Whereat the Whale disgorg'd him on the land Medita 7. I Well record a holy Father sayes He teaches to deny that faintly prayes The suit surceases when desire failes But whoso prayes with fervency prevailes For Prayr's the key that opes th' eternall gate And findes admittance whether earl ' or late It forces audience it unlockes the eare Of heavens great God though deafe it makes him heare Vpon a time Babel the worlds faire Queene Made drunk with choller and enrag'd with spleen Through fell disdaine derraigned war 'gainst them That tender homage to Ierusalem A maiden-fight it was yet they were strong As men of Warre The Battaile lasted long Much blood was shed an spilt on either side That all the ground with purple gore was dyde In fine a Souldier of Ierusalem Châ—â—â—ssa hight the Almner of the Realme Chill'd with an ague and unapt to fight Into Iustitia's Castle too her flight Whereat great Babets Queene commanded all To lay their siege against the Castle wall But poore Tymissa not with warr acquainted Fearing Charissa's death fell downe and fainted Dauntlesse Prudentia rear'd her from the ground Where she lay pale and senselesse in a swound She rub'd her temples and at length awaking She gave her water of Fidissa's making And said Cheare up deare sister though our foe Hath tane us Captives thus besieg'd with woe We have a King puissant and of might Will see us take no wrong and doe us right If we possesse him with our sad complaint Cheare up wee 'l send to him and him acquaint Tymissa new awak'd from swound replies Our Castle is begirt with enemies And troops of armed men besiege our walls Then suer Death or worse than death befalls To her who ere she be that stirs a foote Or rashly dares attempt to venture out Alas what hope have wee to finde reliefe And want the meanes that may divulge our griefe Within that place a jolly Matron dwell'd Whose lookes were fixt and sad her left hand held A paire of equall ballances her right A two-edg'd sword her eyes were quicke bright Not apt to squint but nimble to discerne Her visage lovely was yet bold and sterne â—â—r name Iustitia to her they make Their moane who well advis'd them thus bespake Faire Maidens more beloved then the light â—rue the suffrance of your wofull plight â—ut pitty's fond alone recures no griefe â—ut fruitlesse fals unlesse it yeeld reliefe Cheare up I have a Messenger in store Whose speed is much but faithfull trust is more Whose nimble wings shall cleave the flitting skies And scorne the terrour of your enemies â—ratio hight well knowne unto your King Your message she shall doe and tydings bring Provided that Fidissa travaile with her And so on Christs name let them goe together With that Fidissa having ta'ne her errant And good Oratio with Iustitia's Warrant In silence of the midnight tooke her flight Arriving at the Court that very night But they were both as flames of fier hot For they did fly as swift as Cannon shot But they left sudden cold should do them harme Together clung and kept each other warme But now the kingly gates were sparr'd and lockt They call'd but none made answer theÌ„ they knockt Together jâ—yning both their force in one They knockt againe Yet answer there was none But they that never learn'd to take deniall With importunity made further triall The King heard well although he list not speake Till they with strokes the gate did wel-nie breake In fine the brazen gates flew open wide Oratio moov'd her suit The King replide â—ratio was a faire and welcome guest So heard her suit so granted her request Fraile man observe In thee the practice lies Let sacred Meditation moralize Let Pray'r bee servent and thy Faith intire And
on his fainting head He strowed Dust and from his showring eyes Ran floods of sorrow and with bitter cryes His griefe saluted heaven his groanes did borrow No Art to draw the true pourtraict of sorrow Nor yet within his troubled brest alone Too small a stage for griefe to trample on Did Tyrant sorrow act her lively Sceane But did inlarge such griefe admits no meane The lawlesse limits of her Theater i th' hearts of all the Iewish Nation where With no dissembled Action she exprest The lively Passion of a pensive brest Forthwith he posteth to the Palace gate T' acquaint Queene Ester with his sad estate But found no entrance for the Persian Court Gave welcome to delights and youthly sport To jolly mirth and such delightfull things Soft rayment best befits the Courts of Kings There lyes no welcome for a whining face A mourning habit suits no Princely Place Which when the Maids and Eunuchs of the Queen Vnable of themselves to helpe had seene Their Royall Mistresse straight they did acquaint With the dumb-shew of her sad Cousins plaint Whereat till now a stranger to the cause Perplext and forced by the tender Lawes Of deare affection her gentle heart Did sympathize with his conceived smart She sent him change of rayment to put on To vaile his griefe But he received none Then sore dismai'd impatient to forbeare The knowledge of the thing she fear'd to heare She sent her servant to him to importune What sudden Chance or what disast'rous fortune Had caus'd this strange and ill-apparell'd griefe That she if in her lyes may send reliefe To whom his sorrowes made this sad Relation And this the tenor of his Declaration Hamans that cursed Hamans haughty pride Because my 〈◊〉 deservedly denyde To make 〈◊〉 Idoll of his greatnesse hath Incenst the fury of his jealous wrath And profer'd lavish bribes to buy the blood Of me and all the faithfull Iewish brood In here the copy granted by the King Sul'd in his name confirmed with his Ring 〈◊〉 of the which into his hands 〈◊〉 Haman hath ingrost our lives our lands 〈◊〉 tell the Queene it resteth in her powers To helpe the case is â—ers as well as Ours 〈◊〉 tell my cousin Queene it is her charge To use the meanes whereby she may inlarge Hâ—â— aged kinsmans life and all her Nation Preferring to the King her supplication Meditat. 9. WHo hopes t' attain the sweet Elysian Layes To reap the harvest of his wel-spent daies Must passe the joylesse streames of Acaron The scorching waves of burning Phlegeton And sable billowes of the Stygian Lake Thus sweet with sowre each mortall must partake What joyfull Harvester did ere obtaine The sweet fruition of his hopefull gaine Vntill his hardy labours first had past The Summers heat and stormy Winters blast A sable night returnes a shining morrow And dayes of joy ensue sad nights of sorrow The way to blisse lyes not on beds of Downe And he that had no Crosse deserves no Crowne There 's but one Heav'n one place of perfect ease In man it lies to take it where he please Above or here below And few men doe Injoy the one and tast the other too Sweating and constant labour wins the Goale Of Rest Afflictions clarifie the soule And like hard Masters give more hard directionâ— Tut'ring the nonage of uncurb'd affections Wisedome the Antidote of sad despayre Makes sharpe Afflictions seeme not as they are Through patient sufferance and doth apprehend Not as they seeming are but as they end To beare Affliction with a bended brow Or stubborne heart is but to disallow The speedy meanes to health salve heales no sore If mis-apply'd but makes the griefe the more Who sends Affliction sends an end and He Best knows what 's best for him what 's best for me 'T is not for me to carve me where I like Him pleases when he list to stroke or strike I le neither wish nor yet avoid Tentation But still expect it and make preparation If he thinke best my Faith shall not be tryde Lord keep me spotless from presumptuous pride If otherwise with tryall give me care By thankfull patience to prevent Despaire Fit me to beare what e're thou shalt assigne I kisse the Rod because the Rod is thine How-ere let me not boast nor yet repine With tryall or without Lord make me thinâ— THE ARGVMENT Her ayd implor'd the Queene refuses To helpe them and her selfe excuses But urg'd by Mordecai consents To die or crosse their foes intents Sect. 10. NOw when the servant had returrn'd the words Of wretched Mordecai like pointed swords They neere impierc't Queene Esters tender heart That well could pity but no helpe impart â—allac'd with griefe and with the burthen foyld Like Ordnance over-charg'd she thus recoyl'd Gâ—â— Hatach tell my wretched kinsman thus The case concernes not you alone but us 〈◊〉 the subject of proud Hamans hate As well as you our life is pointed at As well as yours or as the meanest Iew Nâ—â— can I helpe my selfe nor them nor you You know the Custome of the Persian State No King may breake no subject violate How may I then presume to make accesse â—â—fore th' offended King or rudely presse Vâ—call'd into his presence How can I Expect my suit and have deserâ—'d to dye May my desiers hope to find successe When to â—ffect them I the Law transgresse Thâ—se thirty dayes uncall'd for have I bin 〈◊〉 my Lord How dare I now goe in Gâ—â— Hatach aâ—d returne this heavy newes 〈…〉 the truth of my vnforc'd excuse Whereof when Mordecai was full possest His troubled Soule he boldly thus exprest Goe tell the fearfull Queene too great 's her feare Too small her zeale her life she rates too deare How poore's th' adventure to ingage thy blood To save thy peoples life and Churches good To what advantage canst thou more expose Thy life than this Th' ast but a life to lose Thinke not thy Greatnesse can excuse our death Or save thy life thy life is but a breath As well as ours Great Queene thou hop'st in raine In saving of a life a life to gaine Who knowes if God on purpose did intend Thy high preferment for this happy end If at this needfull time thou spare to speake Our speedy helpe shall like the morning breake From heaven together with thy woes and he That succours us shall heape his plagues on thee Which when Queen Ester had right well perus'd And on each wounding word had sadly mus'd Startled with zeale not daring to deny She rouz'd her faith and sent this meeke reply Since heaven it is endowes each enterprize With good successe and onely in us lies To plant and water let us first obtaine Heavens high assistance lest the worke be vaine Let all the Iewes in Susa summon'd â—e And keepe a solemne three dayes Fast and we With all our servants and our maiden traine Shall fast as long and from our thoughts abstaine Then to the King
O strange Divinity but sung by rote Sweete is the tune but in a wider note The Morall sayes All Wisedome that is given To hood-wink't mortals first proceeds from heaveÌ„ Truth 's errour Wisedom's but wise insolence And light 's but darknesse not deriv'd from thence Wisedom's a straine transcends Morality No Vertu 's absent Wisedome being by Vertue by constant practice is acquir'd This this by sweat unpurchas't is inspir'd The master-piece of knowledge is to know But what is good from what is good in show And there it rests Wisedome proceeds and chuses The seeming evill th' apparent good refuses Knowledge descries alone Wisedome applies That makes some fooles this maketh none but wise The curious hand of knowledge doth but picke â—are simples wisdome pounds them for the sicke In my afflictions knowledge apprehends Who is the Author what the Cause and Ends It findes that Patience is my sad reliefe And that the hand that caus'd can cure my griefe To rest contented here is but to bring Cloudes without raine and heat without a Spring What hope arises hence The Devils doe The very same They know and tremble too But sacred Wisdome doth apply that good Which simple knowledge barely understood Wisedome concludes and in conclusion proves That wheresoever God corrects he loves Wisedome digests what knowledge did but tast That deales in futures this in things are past Wisdome's the Card of knowledge which without That Guide at random's wreck't on every doubt Knowledge when wisdome is too weak to guide her Is like a head-strong horse that throwes the rider Which made that great Philosopher avow He knew so much that he did nothing know Lord give me Wisedome to direct my wayes I beg nor riches nor yet length of dayes O grant thy servant Wisedome and with it I shall receive such knowledge as will fit To serve my turne I wish not Phoebus waine Without his skill to drive it lest I gaine Too deare an Honour Lord I will not stay To picke more Manna then will serve to day THE ARGVMENT Bildad the whil'st he makes a show To strike the wicked gives the blow To Iob Iobs misery and faith Zophar makes good what Bildad saith Sect. 12. SAid Bildad then When will yee bring to end The speeches whereabout ye so contend Waigh eithers words lest ignorant confusion Debarre them of their purposed conclusion We came to comfort fits it then that wee Be thought as beasts or fooles accounted bee But thou Iob like a madman would'st thou force God to desist his order and set course Of Iustice shall the wicked for thy sake That would'st not taste of evill in good partake No no his Lampe shall blaze and dye his strength Shall faile and shall confound it selfe at length He shall be hampred with close hidden snares And dog'd where e're he starts with troops of fears Hunger shall bite destruction shall attend him His skin shall rot the worst of deaths shal end him His feare shall bee a thousand linkt together His branch above his roote beneath shall wither His name shall sleepe in dust in dust decay Odious to all by all men chas't away No Son shall keepe alive his House his Name And none shall thrive that can alliance clame The after-age shall stand amaz'd to heare His fall and they that see 't shall shake for feare Thus stands the state of hâ—m that doth amisse And Iob what other is thy case then this But Iob reply'd how long as with sharp swords Will ye torment me with your pointed words How often have your biting tongues defam'd My simple Innocence and yet unshamâ—d Had I deserv'd these plagues yet let my gâ—iefe Expresse it selfe though it find no reliefe But if you needs must weare your tongues upon me Know 'T is the hand of God hath overthrowne me I roare unheard his hand will not release me The more I grieve the more my griefs oppress me He hath despoyl'd my joyes and goes about My branches being lopt to story the Root His plagues like souldiers trench within my bones My friends my kinred flye me all at once My neighbors my â—amiliars have forgone me My houshold stares with strangers eyes upon me I call my servant but his lips are dumbe I humbly begg his helpe but hee 'l not come My own wife loaths my breath though I did make â—y solemne suit for our dead childrens sake The poor whose wants I have supply'd despise me And he that liv'd within my brest denyes me My bones are hide-bound there cannot be found One piece of skin vnlesse my gums that 's sound Alas complaints are barren shadowes to Expresse or cure the substance of my woe Have pity oh my friends have pitty on me 'T is your Gods hand and mine that lyes upon me Vexe me no more O let your anger be If I have wrong'd you calm'd with what yee see O! that my speeches were ingraven then In Marble Tablets with an yron Pen For sure I am that my Redeemer lives And though pale death consume my flesh and gives My Carkas to the wormes yet am I sure Clad with this self-same flesh but made more pure I shall behold His glory These sad eyes Shall see his Face how-e're my body lyes Mouldred in dust These fleshly eyes that doe Behold these Sores shall see my Maker too Vnequall hearers of unequall griefe Y' are all ingag'd to the selfeâ—same beliefe Know there 's a Iudge whose voyce will be as free To judge your words as you have judged me Said Zophâ—r then I purpos'd to refraine From speaking but thou mov'st me backe againe For having heard thy haughty spirit breake Such hasty termes my spirit bids me speake Hath not the change of Ages and of Climes Taught us as we shall our succeeding times How vain 's the triumph and how short the blaze Wherein the wicked sweeten out their dayes Though for a while his Palmes of glory flourish Yet in conclusion they grow sere and perish His life is like a Dreame that passes o're The eye that saw him ne're shall see him more The Sonne shall flattter whom the Syre opprest And poore he shall returne what he did wrest He shall be bayted with the sinnes that have So smil'd upon his Child-hood to his Grave His plenty purchas 't by oppression shall Be honey tasted but digested Gall It shall not blesse him with prolonged stay But evilly come it soone shall passe away The Man whose griping hath the poore opprest Shall neither thrive in state nor yet find rest In soule nought of his fulnesse shall remaine His greedy Heire shall long expect in vaine Soak't with extorted plenty others shall Squeeze him and leave him dispossest of all And when his joyes doe in their height a bound Vengeance shall strike him groaning to the ground If Swords forbeare to wound him Arrowes shall Returning forth anoynted with his Gall No shade shall hide him and an unblowne Fyer Shall burne both him and his Heav'n like a Cryer
all other things assisting Divided yet without division A perfect three yet Three entirely one Both One in Three and Three in One together Begetting and begotten and yet neither The Fountaine of all Arts confounding Art Both all in All and all in every part Still seeking Glory and still wanting none Though just yet reaping where thou ne'r hast 〈◊〉 Great Majestie since Thou art every where O Why should I misdoubt thy Presence here I long have sought thee but my ranging heart Ne'r quests and cannot see thee where thou art There 's no Defect in thee thy light hath shin'd Nor can be â—id great God but I am blind O cleare mine eyes and with thy holy fire Inflame my brest and edge my dull desire Wash me with Hysope clense my stained thoughts Renew my spirit blurre forth my secret faults Thou tak'st no pleasure in a Sinners death For thou art Life thy Mercy 's not beneath Thy sacred Iustice Give thy servant power To seeke aright and having sought discover Thy glorious Presence Let my blemisht Eye See my Salvation yet before I die O then my Dust that 's bowell'd in the ground Shall rise with Triumph at the welcome sound Of my Redeemers earth-awaking Trumpe Vnfrighted at the noyse no sullen Dumpe Of selfe-confounding Conscience shall affright me For he 's my Iudge whose dying blood shal quite me THE ARGVMENT God speaks to Iob the second time Iob yeelds his sin repents his crime God checks his friends restores his health Gives him new issue double wealth Sect. 19. ONce more the mouth of Heav'n rapt forth a voice The troubled Firmament was fill'd with noise The Rafters of the darkned Skie did shake For the Eternall thundred thus and spake Collect thy scattered senses and advise Rouze up fond man and answer my replies Wilt thou make Comments on my Text must I be unrighteous to conclude thee just Shall my Decrees be licenced by thee What canst thou thunder with a voyce like Me Put on thy Robes of Majestie Be clad With as bright glory Iob as can be had Make fierce thy frownes and with an angry face Confound the Proud and his high thoughts abase Pound him to Dust Doe this and I will yeeld Thou art a God and need'st no other sheild Behold the Castle-bearing Elephant That wants no bulke nor doth his greatnesse want An equall strength Behold his massie bones Like barres of Yron like congealed stones His knottie sinewes are Him have I made And given him naturall weapons for his ayde High mountaines beare his food the shady boughes His Covers are Great Rivers are his Troughes Whose deepe Carouses would to standers-by Seeme at a watring to draw Iordan dry What skilfull huntsman can with strength out-dare him Or with what engines can a man ensnare him Hast thou beheld the huge Leviathan That swarthy Tyrant of the Ocean Can Thy bearded hooke impierce his Gils or make him Thy landed Prisner Can thy angles take him Will he make suit for favour from thy hands Or be enthralled to thy fierce commands Will he be handled as a bird or may Thy fingers bind him for thy childrens play Let men be wise for in his lookes he hath Displayed Banners of untimely death If Creatures be so dreadfull how is he More bold then wise that dares encounter Me What hand of Man can hinder my designe Are not the Heavens and all beneath them mine Diffect the greatnesse of so vast a Creature By view of severall parts summe up his feature Like Shields his scales are plac't which neither art Knowes how to sunder nor yet force can part His belching rucks forth flames his moving Eye Shines like the glory of the morning skie His craggâ—e sinewes are like wreaths of brasse And from his mouth quicke flames of fier passe As from an Oven the temper of his heart Is like a Nether-milstone which no Dart Can pierce secured from the threatning Speare Affraid of none he strikes the world with feare The Bow-mans brawny arme sends shafts in vaine They fall like stubble or bound backe againe Stones are his pillow and the Mud his Downe In earth none greater is nor equall none Compar'd with him all things he doth deride And well may challenge to be King of Pride So said th' amazed Iob bent downe his eyes Vpon the ground and sadly thus replyes I know great God there 's nothing hard to Thee Thy thoughts are pure and too too deepe for me I am a foole and my distempered wits Longer out-stray'd my Tongue than well befits My knowledge slumbred while my lips did chat And like a Foole I spake I knew not what Lord teach me Wisedome lest my proud Desire Singe her bold feathers in thy Sacred fire Mine eare hath oft beene rounded with thy Story But now these very eyes have seene thy glory My sinfull words I not alone lament But in the horror of my soule repent Repent with Teares in sack-cloth mourne in Dust I am a sinfull man and Thou art just Thou Eliphaz that makst my sacred Word An Engine of Despaire said then the Lord Behold full Vyolls of my wrath attends On thee and on thy two too-partiall Friends For you have judg'd amisse and have abus'd My Word to worke your ends falsly accus'd My righteous Servant Of you all there 's none Hath spoke uprightly as my Iob hath done Haste then before my kindling fire begin To flame and each man offer for his sin A sacrifice by Iob my servants hand And for his sake your Offrings shall withstand The wages of your sinnes for what can I If Iob my servant make request deny So straight they went and after speedy pardon Desir'd and had the righteous Iob for guerdon Of his so tedious Griefe obtain'd the health Of a sound body and encrease of wealth So that the second Harvest of his store Was double that which he enjoy'd before Ere this was blazed in the Worlds wide Eares The frozen brests of his familiars And cold Allyes being now dissolv'd in Griefe His backward friends came to him with reliefe To feed his wants and with sad shouring eyes To moane his yet supposed Miseries Some brought him sheepe to blesse his empty Fold Some precious Earings others Rings of Gold God blest his loyns froÌ„ whence there sprang again The number of his children that were slaine Nor was there any in the Land so rare In vertue as his daughters or so faire Long after this he liv'd in peace to see His childrens children to the fourth degree Till at the lenth cut short by Him that stayes For none he dy'd in peace and full of Dayes Meditat. 19. EVill's the defect of Good and as a shade That 's but the ruines of the light decay'd It hath no being nor is understood But by the opposition of Good What then is man whose purest thoughts are prest For Satans warre which from the tender brest With Infant silence have consented to Such sinfull Deeds as babes they could
so foule Not to encrease the Tribe of Dan one soule LoÌ„g had she doubtles stroven with heaveÌ„ by prair's Made strong with teares sighs hopes despaires No doubt had often tortur'd her desire Vpon a Rack compos'd of frost and fire But Heaven was pleas'd to turne his deafned eares Against those prai'rs made stroÌ„g with sighs tears She often pray'd but pray'rs could not obtaine Alas she pray'd she wept she sigh'd in vaine She pray'd no doubt but pray'rs could finde no roome They prov'd alas as barren as her wombe Vpon a time when her unanswer'd pray'r Had now given just occasion of despaiâ—e Even when her bed-rid faith was grown so fraile That very Hope grew hartlesse to prevaile Appear'd an Angel to her In his face Terrour and sweetnesse labour'd for the place Sometimes his Sunbright eies would shine so fierce As if their pointed beames would even pierce Her soule and strike th' amaz'd beholder dead Sometimes their glory would disperse and spread More easie flames and like the Starre that stood O're Bethlem promise and portend some good Mixt was his bright aspect as if his breath Had equall errands both of life and death Glory and Mildnesse seemed to contend In his faire eyes so long till in the end In glorious mildnesse and in milder glory He thus salutes her with this pleasing story Woman Heaven greets thee well Rise up and feare 〈◊〉 Forbeare thy faithlesse tremblings I appeare not Clad in the vestments of consuming fire Cheare up I have no warrant to enquire Into thy sinnes I have no Vyals here Nor dreadfull Thunderbolts to make thee feare I have no plagues t' inflict nor is my breath Charg'd with destruction 〈◊〉 my hand with death No no cheare up I come not to destroy I come to bring thee tidings of great joy Rowze up thy duâ— beliefeâ— for I apâ—eare To exercise thy Faith and not thy Feare The Gâ—iae and great Creator of all things Chiefe Lord of Lords and supreme King of Kings To whom an Host of men are but a swarme Of â—urm'â—ing Guats whose high prevailing arme Can crush ten thousand worldâ— and at one blow Can strike the earth to nothing and ore-throw The Lofts of Heaven He that hath the Keyes Of 〈◊〉 to shut and ope them when he please He that can all things that he will this day Is pleas'd to take thy long reproach away Behold thy womb 's inlarg'd and thy desires Shall finde successe Before long time expires Thou shâ—lâ— conceive Ere twise five months be runne Be thou the joyfull mother of a sonne But see thy wary palate doe forbeare The juice of the bewitching Grape Beware Leâ—â— thy defiers tempt thy lips to wine Which must be faithfull strangers to the Vine Strong drinke thou must not taste and all such meate The Law proclaimes uncleane refraine to eate And when the fruit of thy restored wombe Sâ—â—ll see the light take heed no Rasor come 〈◊〉 his fruitfull head for from his birth 〈◊〉 as the wombe entrusts him on the earth The child shall be a Nazarite to God 〈◊〉 whose appointment be shall prove a Rod To scourge the proud Philistians and recall Pâ—re suffring Israel from their slavish thrall Meditat. 2. HOw impudent is Nature to account Those acts her own that doe so farre surmoâ—â—â— Her easie reach How purblinde are those eyes Of stupid mortals that have power to rise No higher then her lawes who takes upon her The worke and robs the Author of his honour Seest thou the fruitfull Wombe How every yeare It moves thy Cradle to thy slender cheare Invites another Ghest and makes thee Father To a new Sonne who now perchance hadst rather Bring up the old esteeming propagation A thanklesse worke of Supererogation Perchance the formall Mid-wife seemes to thee Lesse welcome now than she was wont to bee Thou standst amaz'd to heare such needlesse Ioy And car'st as little for it as the Boy That 's newly borne into the world Nay worse Perchance thou grumblest counting it a curse Vnto thy faint estate which is not able T' encrease the bounty of thy slender Table Poore miserable man what ere thou bee I suffer for thy crooked thoughts not thee Thou tak'st thy children to be gifts of nature Their wit their flowring beauty comely stature Their perfect health their dainty disposition Their vertues and their easie acquisition Of curious Arts their strengths attain'd perfection You attribute to that benigne complexion Wherewith your Goddesse Nature hath endow'd Their well-disposed Organs and are proud And here your Goddesse leaves you to deplore That such admir'd perfections should be poore Advance thine eyes no lesse then wilfull blinde And with thine eyes advance thy drooping minde Correct thy thoughts Let not thy wondring eye Adore the servant when the Master 's by Looke on the God of Nature From him come These underprized blessings of the wombe He makes thee rich in childreÌ„ wheÌ„ his store Crowns thee with wealth why mak'st thou thy self poor He opes the womb why then should'st thou repine They are his children mortall and not thine We are but Keepers And the more he lends To our tuition he the more commends Our faithfull trust It is not every one Deserves that honour to command his Son She counts it as a fortune that 's allow'd To nurse a Prince What nurse would not be proud Of such a Fortune And shall we repine Great God to foster any Babe of thine But 't is the Charge we feare our stock 's but small If heaven with Children send us wherewithall To stop their craving stomacks then we care not Great God! How hast thou crackt thy credit that we dare Trust thee for bread How is 't we dare not venture To keepe thy Babes unlesse thou please to enter In bond for paiment Art thou growne so poore To leave thy famisht Infants at our doore And not allow them food Canst thou supply The empty Ravens and let thy children die Send me that stint thy wisedome shall thinke fie Thy pleasure is my will and I submit Make me deserve that honour thou hast lent To my fraile trust and I will rest content THE ARGVMENTâ— Thâ— wife â— Manoah attended with fearfull Hope and hâ—pefull Feare The joyfull tydings recommended to her amazed Husbands care Sect. 2. THus when the great Embassadour of Heaven Had done that sacred service which was given And trusted to his faithfull charge he spred His ayre dividing pinions and fled But now th' affrighted woman apprehends The strangenesse of the Message recommends Both it and him that did it to her feares The newes was welcome to her gratefull eares But what the newesman was did so encreaâ—e Her doubts that her strange hopes could finde no peace For when her hopes would build a Tower of joy O then her feares would shake it and destroy The maine foundation what her hopes in vaine Did raise her feares would ruinate againe One while she thought It was an Angel sent And then
the God of Love's as blinde as hee 〈◊〉 that they brought poore Samson to the Hall 〈◊〉 as he past he gropes to finde the wall 〈◊〉 paâ—â— was slow His feet were lifted high 〈◊〉 tongue would taunt him Every scornfull eye 〈◊〉 filld with laughter Some would cry aloud 〈◊〉 in state His Lordship is growne proud 〈◊〉 bid his honour â—asle whilst others cast â—prochfull termes upon him as he past 〈◊〉 would salute him fairely and embrace 〈◊〉 wounded sides then spit upon his face 〈◊〉 would cry For shame for heare t' abuse 〈◊〉 high and great redeemer of the Iewes 〈◊〉 gibe and flout him with their taunts quip◠〈◊〉 others flurt him on the starting lips 〈◊〉 that poore Samson whose abundant griefe 〈…〉 hopes of comfort or reliefe Resolv'd for patience Turning round he made Some shift to feele his Keeper out and said Good Sir my painfull labour in the Mill Hath made me bold although against my will To crave some little rest If you will please To let the Pillour but afford some ease To my worne limmes your mercy should relieve A soule that has no more but thanks to give The keeper yeelded Now the Hall was filld With Princes and their People that beheld Abused Samson whilst the Roofe retain'd A leash of thousands more whose eyes were chainâ—â— To this sad Object with a full delight To see this flesh-and-blood-relenting sight With that the pris'ner turnd himselfe and pray'd So soft that none but heaven could heare and saidâ— My God my God Although my sinnes doe cry For greater vengeance yet thy gratious eye Is full of mercy O remember now The gentle promise and that sacred vow Thou mad'st to faithfull Abram and his seed O heare my wounded soule that has lesse need Of life then mercy Let thy tender eare Make good thy plenteous promise now and heare See how thy cursed enemies prevaile Above my strength Behold how poore and fraile My native power is and wanting thee What is there Oh what is there Lord in me Nor is it I that suffer My desert May challenge greater vengeance if thou wert â—xtreme to punish Lord the wrong is thine The punishment is just and onely mine I am thy Champion Lord It is not me They strike at Through my sides they thrust at thee 〈◊〉 thy Glory 't is their Malice lies 〈◊〉 at that when they put out these eyes 〈◊〉 their blood-bâ—dabl'd hands would flie 〈…〉 thou but cloth'd in flesh as I 〈◊〉 thy wrongs great God O let thy hand 〈◊〉 thy suffring honour and this land 〈◊〉 â—e thy power Renew my wasted strength 〈…〉 fight thy bâ—ttels and at length 〈◊〉 thy glory that my hands may do 〈◊〉 faithfull service they were borne unto 〈…〉 thy power that I may restore 〈◊〉 and I will never urge thee more 〈◊〉 having ended both his armes he laid 〈◊〉 the pillours of the Hall and said 〈◊〉 with the Philistines I resigne my breath 〈◊〉 let my God finde Glory in my death 〈◊〉 having spoke his yeelding body strain'd 〈◊〉 those Marble pillours that sustain'd 〈◊〉 pondrous Roofe They cracket and with their fall 〈◊〉 fell the Battlements and Roofe and all 〈◊〉 with their ruines slaughter'd at a blow 〈◊〉 whole Assembly They that were below 〈◊〉 their sudden deaths from those that fell 〈◊〉 off the top whilst none was left to tell 〈◊〉 horrid shreckes that filld the spatious Hall 〈◊〉 ruines were impartiall and slew all 〈◊〉 fell and with an unexpected blow 〈◊〉 every one his death and buriall too Thus di'd our Samson whose brave death has won 〈◊〉 honour then his honourd life had done 〈◊〉 di'd our Conquerour whose latest breath 〈◊〉 crown'd with Conquest triumph'd over death 〈◊〉 di'd our Sampson whose last drop of blood â—deem'd heavn's glory and his Kingdome 's good Thus di'd heavens Champion and the earths bright Glory The heavenly subject of this sacred Story And thus th' impartiall hand of death that gathers All to the Grave repos'd him with his fathers Whose name shall flourish and be still in prime In spight of ruine or the teeth of Time Whose fame shal last till heaven shal please to free This Earth from Sinne and Time shall cease to be Medita 23. WAges of sinne is death The day must come Wherin the equall hand of death must sum The severall Items of mans fading glory Into the easie totall of one Story The browes that sweat for Kingdomes and renown To glorifie their Temples with a Crowne At length grow cold and leave their honourd name To flourish in th' uncertaine blast of Fame This is the heighth that glorious Mortalls can Attaine This is the highest pitch of Man The quilted Quarters of the Earths great Ball Whose unconfined limits were too small For his extreame Ambition to deserve Six foote of length and three of bredth must serve This is the highest pitch that Man can flie And after all his Triumph he must die Lives he in Wealth Does well deserved store Limit his wish that he can wish no more And does the fairest bounty of encrease Crown him with plenty and his dayes with peaceâ— It is a right hand blessing But supply Of wealth cannot secure him He must die Lives he in Pleasure Does perpetuall mirth 〈◊〉 him a little Heaven upon his earth â—eets he no sullen care no sudden losse 〈◊〉 coole his joyes Breathes hee without a crosse â—ants he no pleasure that his wanton eye 〈◊〉 crave or hope from fortune He must dye 〈◊〉 he in Honour Hath his faire desart â—â—tain'd the freedome of his Princes heart 〈◊〉 may his more familiar hands disburse 〈◊〉 liberall favors from the royall purse 〈◊〉 his Honour cannot soare too high 〈◊〉 palefac'd death to follow He must dye Lives he a Conqu'rour And doth heaven blesse 〈◊〉 heart with spirit that spirit with successe Successe with Glory Glory with a name To live with the Eternitie of Fame The progresse of his lasting fame may vye With time But yet the Conquerour must dye Great and good God Thou Lord of life and deth 〈◊〉 whom the Creature hath his being breath Teach me to underprize this life and I Shall finde my losse the easier when I dye So raise my feeble thoughts and dull desire That when these vaine and weary dayes expire I may discard my flesh with joy and quit My better part of this false earth and it Of some more sinne and for this transitory And tedious life enjoy a life of Glory The end SIONS SONETS Sung By SOLOMON the KING And PERIPHRAS'D By Fra. Quarles LONDON Printed by MILES FLESHER 1632. To the READERS REaders now you have them May the end of my paines be the beginâ—ing of your pleasures Excuse me for â—haring so high else give me leave to excuse my selfe Indeed I flew with Eagles feathers otherwise I had not flowne or falne It is the Song of Songs There present you with The Author King SOLOMON the wisest of Kings The matter mysticall the divinest of subjects
Charity be wanting nought a vailes me ¶ Lord in my Soule a spirit of Love create me And I will love my Brother if he hate me In nought but love let me envy my betters And then Forgive my debts as I my detters 8. ¶ I Finde a true resemblance in the growth Of Sin and Man A like in breeding both The Soul 's the Mother and the Devill Syer Who lusting long in mutuall desier Enjoy their Wils and joyne in Copulation The Seed that fils her wombe is foule Tentation The sinnes Conception is the Soules coâ—sent And then it quickens when it breeds content The birth of Sin is finisht in the action And Custome brings it to its full perfection ¶ O let my fruitlesse Soule be barren rather Then bring forth such a Child for such a Father Or if my Soule breed Sinne not being wary Let not her wombe bring forth or else miscarry She is thy Spouse O Lord doe thou advise her Keepe thou her chast Let not the Fiend entice her Try thou my heart Thy Trials bring Salvation But let me not be led into temptation 9. ¶ FOrtune that blinde supposed Goddesse is Still rated at if ought suceed amisse 'T is shee the vaine abuse of Providence That beares the blame wheÌ„ others make th' offence When this mans barne finds not her wonted store Fortun 's condâ—mn'd because she sent no more If this man dye or that man live too long Fortun 's accus'd and she hath done the wrong Ah foolish Dolls and like â—our Goddesse blinde You make the fault and call your Saint unkinde For when the cause of Ev'll begins in Man Th' effect ensues from whence the cause began Then know the reason of thy discontent Thy ev'll of Sinne makes the Ev'll of punishment ¶ Lord hold me up or spurre mee when I fall So shall my Ev'll bee just or not at all Defend me from the World the Flesh the Devill And so thou shalt deliver me from Evill 10. ¶ THe Priestly Skirts of A'rons holy coate I kisse and to my morning Muse devote Had never King in any age or Nation Such glorious Robes set forth in such a fashion With Gold and Gemmes and Silks of Princely Dye And Stones befitting more than Majesty The Persian Sophies and rich Shaeba's Queene Had n'er the like nor e'r the like had seene Vpon the Skirts in order as they fell First a Pomegranat was and then a Bell By each Pomegranat did a Bell appeare Many Pomegranats many Bels there were Pomegranats nourish Bels doe make a sound As blessings fall Thanksgiving must rebound ¶ If thou wilt cloth my heart with A'rons tyer My tongue shall praise as well as heart desier My tongue and pen shall dwell upon thy Story Great God for thine is Kingdome Power Glory 11. ¶ THe Ancient Sophists that were so precise and oftentimes perchance too curious nice Averre that Nature hath bestow'd on Man Three perfect Soules When this I truly scan Me thinks their Learning swath'd in Errour lyes They were not wise enough and yet too wise Too curious wise because they mention more Then one Not wise enough because not foure Nature not Grace is Mistris of their Schooles Grace counts them wisest that are veriest Fooles Three Soules in man Grace doth a fourth allow The Soule of Faith But this is Greeke to you 'T is Faith that makes man truly wise 'T is Faith Makes him possesse that thing he never hath ¶ This Glorious Soule of Faith bestow on me O Lord or else take thou the other three Faith makes men lesse then Children more then Men It makes the Soule cry Abba and Amen The End PENTELOGIA Morstua Mors Christi Fraus Mundi Gloria Coeli Et Dâ—lor Inferni sunt meditanda tibi Thy death the death of Christ the worlds teÌ„tation Heavens joy hels torment be thy meditation LONDON Printed for IOHN MARRIOT 1632. Mors tua 1. ¶ ME thinkes I see the nimble-aged Sire Passe swiftly by with feet unapt to tire Vpon his head an Hower-glasse he weares And in his wrinkled hand a Sythe he beares Both Instruments to take the lives from Men Th' one shewes with what the other sheweth when Me thinkes I heare the dolefull Passing-bell Setting an onset on his louder knell This moody musick of impartiall Death Who dances after dances out of breath Me thinkes I see my dearest friends lament With sighs and teares and wofull dryriment My tender Wife and Children standing by Dewing the Death-bed whereupon I lie Me thinkes I heare a voyce in secret say Thy glasse is runne and thou must die to day Mors Christi 2. ¶ ANd am I here and my Redeemer gone Can He be dead and is not my life done Was he tormented in excesse of measure And doe I live yet and yet live in pleasure Alas could Sinners finde out ne're a one More fit than Thee for them to spit upon Did thy cheekes entertaine a Traylors lips Was thy deare body scourg'd and torne with whips So that the guiltlesse blood came trickling after And did thy fainting browes sweat blood and water Wert thou Lord hang'd upon the Cursed Tree O world of griefe And was all this for me ¶ Burst forth my teares into a world of sorrow And let my nights of griefe finde ne're a morrow Since thou art dead Lord grant thy servant roome Within his heart to build thy heart a Tombe Fraus Mundi 3. ¶ WHat is the World a great exchange of warâ— Wherein all sorts sexes cheapning art The Flesh the Devill sit and cry What lacke ye When most they fawn they most intend to rack ye The wares are cups of Ioy and beds of Pleasure Ther 's goodly choice down weight flowing meâ—sure A soul 's the price but they give time to pay Vpon the Death-bed on the dying day ¶ Hard is the bargaine and unjust the measure When as the price so much out-lasts the pleasure The joyes that are on earth are counterfaits If ought be true 't is this Th' are true deceits They flatter fawne and like the Crocodile Kill where they laugh and murther where they smile They daily dip within thy Dish and cry Who hath betraid thee Master Is it I Gloria Coeli 4. ¶ VVHen I behold and well advise upon The Wisemans speech There 's nought beneath the Sun But vanity my soule rebels within And lothes the dunghill prison she is in But when I looke to new Ierusalem Wherein 's reserv'd my Crown my Diadem O what a Heaven of blisse my Soule enjoyes On sudden rapt into that heaven of Ioyes Where ravisht in the depth of meditation She well discernes with eye of contemplation The glory ' of God in his Imperiall Seat Full strong in Might in Majesty compleat Where troops of Powers Vertues Cherubims Angels Archangels Saints and Seraphims Are chaunting prayses to their heavenly King Where Hallelujah they for ever sing Dolor Inferni 5. ¶ LEt Poets please to torture Tanialus Let griping Vultures
leaves it undecided The fleshly eye that lends a feeble sight Failes in extent and hath no further might Than to attaine the object and there ends His office and of what it apprehends Acquaints the understanding which conceives And descants on that thing the sight perceives Or good or bad unable to project The just occasion or the true effect Man sees like man and can but comprehend Things as they present are not as they end God sees a Kings heart in a shepheards brest And in a mighty King he sees a Beast 'T is not the spring tyde of an high estate Creates a man though seeming Fortunate The blaze of Honour Fortunes sweet excesse Doe undeserve the name of Happinesse The frownes of indisposed Fortune makes Man poore but not unhappy He that takes Her checks with patience leaves the name of poor And lets in Fortune at a backer doore ¶ Lord let my fortunes be or rich or poore If small the lesse account if great the more THE ARGVMENT Vnto the King proud Haman sues For the destruction of the Iewes The King consents and in his name Decrees were sent t' effect the same Sect. 8. NOw when the year had turn'd his course about And fully worne his weary howers out And left his circling travell to his heire That now sets onset to th' ensuing yeare Proud Haman pain'd with travell in the birth Till after-time could bring his mischiefe forth Casts Lots from month to month from day to day To picke the choycest time when Fortune may Be most propitious to his damned plot Till on the last month fell th' unwilling Lot So Haman guided by his Idoll Fate Cloaking with publike good his private Hate In plaintiffe tearmes where Reason forg'd a rellish Vnto the King his speech did thus imbellish Vpâ—â— the limits of this happy Nation There flotes a skumâ—e an off-cast Generation Disperst despis'd and noysome to the Land And Refractory to the Lawes to thy Command Not stooping to thy Power but despising All Government but of their owne devising Which stirs the glowing embers of division The hatefull mother of a States perdition The which not soone redrest by Reformation Will ruine-breed to thee and to thy Nation Begetting Rebels and seditioâ—s broyles And fill thy peacefull Land with bloody spoyles Now therefore if it please my gracious Lord To right this grievance with his Princely sword That Death and equall Iustice may o'rewhelme The secret Ruiners of thy sacred Realme Vnto the Royall Treasure of the King Ten thousand silver Talents wâ—ll I bring Then gave the King from off his heedlesse hand His Ring to Haman with that Ring command And said Thy proffer'd wealth possesse Yet â—e thy just Petition ne'rthelesse Entirely granted Lâ—e before thy face Thy vassals lye with all their rebell race Thine be the people and the power thine T' allot these Rebels their deserved Fine Forthwith the Scribes were summon'd to appeare Decrees were written sent to every Shire To all Lieutenants Captaines of the Band And all the Provinces throughout the Land Stil'd in the name and person of the King And made authentick with his Royall Ring By speedy Post men were the Letters sent And this the summe is of their sad content ASSVERVS REX Let ev'ry Province in the Persian Land Vpon the Day prefixt prepare his hand To make the Channels flow with Rebels blood And from the earth to roote the Iewish brood And let the sâ—finesse of no partiall heart Through melting pitie love or false desert Spare either young or old or man or woman But like their faults so let their plagues be common Dicreed and signed by our Princely Grace And given at Sushan from our Royall Place So Haman fill'd with joy his fortunes blest With faire successe of his so foule request Laid care aside to sleepe and with the King Consum'd the time in jolly banquetting Meane while the Iewes the poore afflicted Iewes Perplext and startl'd with the new-bred newes With drooping heads and selfe-imbracing armes Wept forth the Dirge of their ensuing harmes Medita 8. OF all diseases in a publike weale No one more dangerous and hard to heale Except a tyrant King then when great might Is trusted to the hands that take delight To bathe and paddle in the blood of those Whoâ— jealousies and not just cause oppose 〈…〉 as haughty power is conjoynd Vnto 〈◊〉 will of a distemper'd mind What â—â—re it can it will and what it will It in it 〈◊〉 hath power to fulfill What! 〈◊〉 then can linger unattemted What base attempts can happen unprevented Statutes must breake good Lawes must go to wracâ— And like a Bow that 's overbent must cracke Iustice the life of Law becomes so furious That over-doing right it proves injurious Mercy the Steare of Iustice flyes the City And falsly must be term'd a foolish Pity Meane while the gracious Princes tender brest Gently possest with nothing but the best Of the disguis'd dissembler is abus'd And made the cloke wherewith his fault 's excus'd The radient beames that warme shine so bright Comfort this lower world with heat and light But drawne and recollected in a glasse They burne and their appointed limits passe Even so the power from the Princes hand Directs the subject with a sweet command But to perverse fantasticks if confer'd Whom wealth or blinded Fortune hath prefer'd It spurres on wrong and makes the right retire And sets the grumbling Common-wealth on fire Their foule intent the Common good pretends And with that good they maske their private ends Their glorie 's dimme and cannot b'understood Vnlesse it shine in pride or swimme in blood Their will 's a Law their mischiefe Policy Their frownes are Death their power Tyranny Ill thrives the State that harbours such a man That can what e're he wills wills what he can May my ungarnisht quill presume so much To glorifie it selfe and give a touch Vpon the Iland of my Soveraigne Lord What language shall I use what new-founâ—â—ord T' abridge the mighty volume of of his worth And keepe me blamelesse from th' untimely birth Of false reputed flattery He lends No cursed Haman pow'r to worke his Ends Vpon our ruine but transferres his grace On just desert which in the ugly face Of foule detraction untouch't can dare And smile till black-mouth'd Envy blush and tare Her Snaky fleece Thus thus in happy peace He rules to make our happinesse increase Directs with love commands with Princely awe And in his brest he beares a living Law Defend us thou and heavens thee defend And let proud Haman have proud Hamans end THE ARGVMENT The Iewes and Mordecai lament And waile the height of their distresses But Mordecai the Queene possesses With cruell Hamans foule intent Sect 3. NOw when as 〈◊〉 the daughter of the earth Newly dis-burthen'd of her plumed birth From off her Turrets did her wings display And pearcht in the sad cares of Mordecai He rent his garments wearing in their stead Distressed sack-cloth
have still conspir'd to blesse That faithfull seed and with a faire successe Have crown'd their just designes If Mordecai Descend from thence thy hopes shall soone decay And melt like waxe before the mid-day Sun So said her broken speech not fully done Haman was hasted to Queene Esters Feast To mirth and joy an indisposed Guest Medita 13. THere 's nothing under heaven more glorifies The name of King or in a subjects eyes Winnes more observance or true loyalty Than sacred Iustice shared equally No greater glory can belong to Might Than to defend the feeble in their right To helpe the helplesse and their wrongs redresse To curbe the haughty-hearted and suppresse The proud requiting ev'ry speciall deed With punishment or honourable meed Herein Kings aptly may deserve the name Of gods enshrined in an earthly frame Nor can they any way approach more nye The full perfection of a Deity Than by true Iustice imitating heaven In nothing more than in the poizing eaven Their righteous ballance Iustice is not blinde As Poets feigne but with a sight refin'd Her Lyncian eyes are clear'd and shine as bright As doe their errours that denie her sight The soule of Iustice resteth in her eye Her contemplation's chiefly to descry True worth from painted showes and loyalty From false and deepe dissembled trechery A noble Statesman from a Paraâ—ite And good from what is meerely good in sight Such hidden things her piercing eye can see If Iustice then be blinde how blinde are we ¶ Right fondly have the Poets pleas'd to say From earth the faire Astraea's fled away And in the shining Baudrike takes her seat To make the number of the Signes compleat For why Astraea doth repose and rest Within the Zodiake of my Sov'raignes brest And from the Cradle of his infancy Hath train'd his Royall heart with industry In depth of righteous lore and sacred thewes Of Iustice Schoole that this my Haggard Muse Cannot containe the freenesse of her spright But make a Mounty at so faire a flight Perchance though like a bastard Eagle daz'd With too great light she winke and fall amaz'd ¶ Heav'n make my heart more thankfull in confessing So high a blisse than skilfull in expressing THE ARGVMENT The Quene brings Hamans accusation The King 's displeas'd and growes in possion Proud Hamans trechery descry'd The shamefull end of shamelesse pride Sect. 14. FOrthwith to satisfie the Queenes request The King and Haman came unto her Feast Whereat the King what then can hap amisse Became her suitor that was humbly his And fairely thus intreating this bespake What is 't Queene Ester would and for her sake What is 't the King would not preferre thy suit Faire Queene Those that despaire let them be mute Cleare up those clouded beames my fairest Bride My Kingdomes halfe requested I 'le divide Whereat the Queene halfe hoping halfe afraid Disclos'd her trembling lips and thus she said If in the bounty of thy Princely Grace Thy sad Petitioner may finde a place To shrow â—her most unutterable griefe Which if not there may hope for no reliefe If in the treasure of thy gracious eyes Where mercy and relenting pity lies Thy hand-â—aid hath found favour let my Lord Grant me my life my life so much abbord To doe him service and my peoples life Which now lye open to a Tyrants knife Our lives are sold 't is I t is guiltlesse I Thy loyall Spouse thy Queene and â—ers must dye The spotlesse blood of me thy faithfull Bride Must swage the swelling of a Tyrants pride Had we beene sold for drudges to attend The busie Spindle or for slaves to spend Our weary howers to deserve our bread So as the gaine stood but my Lord in stead I had beene silent and ne're spent my breath But neither he that seekes it nor my death Can to himselfe the least advantage bring Except revenge nor to my Lord the King Like to a Lyon rouzed from his rest Rag'd then the King and thus his rage exprestâ— Who is the man that dares attempt this thing Where is the Traitor What am I a King May not our subjects serve but must our Queene Be made the subject of a visâ—aines spleene Is not Queene Ester bosom'd in our heart What Traitor then dares be so bold to part Our heart and us Who dares attempt this thing Can Ester then be slaine and not the King Reply'd the Queene The man that hath done this That cursed Haman wicked Haman is Like as a Felon shakes before the Bench Whose troubled silence proves the Evidence So Haman trembled when Queene Ester spake Nor answer nor excuse his guilt could make The King no longer able to digest So foule a trechery forsooke the Feast Walk'd in the Garden where consuming rage Boil'd in his heart with fire unapt t' asswage So Haman pleading guilty to the fault Besought his life of her whose life he sought When as the King had walk'd a little space So rage and choller often shift their place In he return'd where Haman fallen flat Was on the bed whereon Queene Ester sate Whereat the King new cause of rage debares Apt to suppose the worst of whom he hates New passion addes new fuell to his fire And faines a cause to make it blaze the higher Is 't not enough for him to seeke her death Said hee but with a Letchers tainted breath Will be inforce my Queene before my face And make his Brothell in our Royall Place So said they veiled Hamans face as he Vnfit were to be seene or yet to see Then said an Eunuch sadly standing by In Hamans Garden fifty Cubits high There stands a Gibbet built but yesterday Made for thy loyall servant Mordecai Whose faithfull lips thy life from danger freed And merit leads him to a fairer meed Said then the King It seemeth just and good To shed his blood that thirsted after blood Who plants the tree deserves the fruit 't is fit That he that bought the purchase hansell it Hang Haman there It is his proper good So let the Horseleach burst himselfe with blood They straight obeyd Lo here the end of Pride Now rests the King appeas'd and satisfi'd Meditat. 14. CHeere up and caroll forth your silver ditie Heavens winged quiristers and fil your City earth The new Ierusalem with jolly mirth The Church hath peace in heaven hath peace on Spread forth your golden pinions and cleave The flâ—tting skies dismount and quite bereave Our stupid senses with your heavenly mirth For loe there 's peace in heav'n there 's peace on earth Let Hallelujah fill your warbling tongues And let the ayre compos'd of saintly songs Breathe such celestiall Sonnets in our eares That whosoe're this heav'nly musicke heares May stand amaz'd ravisht at the mirth ChaÌ„t forth there 's peace in heav'n there 's peace on earth Let mountaines clap their joyfull joyfull hands And let the lesser hils trace o're the lands In equall measure and resounding woods Bow downe your heads
Grave is quiet from the feare Of Tyrants Tyrants are appeased there The grinded Prisner heares not there the noyse Nor harder threatnings of th'Oppressors voyce â—oth rich and poore are equal'd in the Grave Servants no Lords and Lords no Servants have What needs there light to him that 's comfortlesse Or life to such as languish in distresse 〈◊〉 long for death which if it come by leysure They ransack for it as a hidden treasure What needs there Life to him that cannot have A Bâ—â—ne more gracious then a quiet Grave Or else to him whom God hath wall'd about That would but cannot finde a passage out When I but taste my sighes returne my food The flowing of my teares have rais'd a flood When my estate was prosperous I did feare Leâ—t by some heedlesse slip or want of care I might be brought to Misery and alas What I did then so feare is come to passe But though secure my soule did never slumber Yet doe my Woes exceed both Waight and Number Meditat. 6. SO poore a thing is Man No Flesh and blood Deserves the stile of Absolutely Good The righteous man sins oft whose power 's such To sin the least sins at the least too much The man whose Faith disdain'd his Isaacks life Dissembled once a Sister for a Wife The righteous Lot being drunk did make at once His Daughters both halfe sisters to their sonnes The royall Favorite of heaven stood Not guiltlesse of Adultery and Blood And he whose hands did build the Temple doth Bow downe his lustfull knees to Ashtaroth The sinfull Woman was accus'd but none Was found that could begin to fling a stone From mudled Springs can Christall water come In some things all men sin in all things some Even as the soyle which Aprils gentle showers Have fild with sweetnesse and inricht with flowers Reares up her suckling plants still shooting forth The tender blossomes of her timely Birth But if deny'd the beames of cheerly May They hang their withered heads and fade away So man assisted by th' Almighties Hand His Faith doth flourish and securely stand But left a while forsooke as in a shade It â—â—nguishes and nipt with sin doth fade No Gold is pure from Drosse though oft refin'd The strongest Cedar's shaken with the wind The fairest Rose hath no prerogative Against the fretting Canker-worme The Hive No honey yeeldâ— unblended with the wax The finest Linnen hath both soyle and bracks The best of men have sins None lives secure In Nature nothing's perfect nothing pure Lord since I needs must sin yet grant that I Forge no advantage by infirmity Since that my Vesture cannot want a staine Assist me lest the tincture be in Graine To thee my great Redeemer doe I flye It is thy Death alone can change my Dye Teares mingled with the Blood can scower so That Scarlet sinnes shall turne as white as Snow THE ARGVMENT Rash Eliphaz reproves and rates And falsly censures Iob Relates His Vision shewes him the event Of wicked men Bids him repent Sect. 7. THen Eliphas his pounded tongue repliev'd And said shold I conteÌ„d thou wold'st be grievd Yet what man can refraine but he must breake His angry silence having heard thee speake O sudden change many hast thou directed And strengthned those whose minds have bin dejected Thy sacred Thewes and sweet Instructions did Helpe those were falling rais'd up such as slid But now it is thy case thy soule is vext And canst not help thy selfe thy selfe perplext Thou lov'st thy God but basely for thy profit Fear'st him in further expectation of it Iudge then Did Record ever round thine eare That God forsooke the heart that was sincere But often have we seene that such as plow Lewdnesse and mischiefe reape the same they sow So have proud Tyrants from their thrones bin cast With all their off-spring by th' Almighties Blast And they whose hands have bin imbrew'd in blood Have with their Issue dyed for want of Food A Vision lately appear'd before my sight In depth of darknesse and the dead of night Vnwonted feare usurpt me round about My trembling bones were sore from head to foot Forthwith a Spirit glanc'd before mine eyes My browes did sweat my moistned haire did rise The face I knew not but a while it staid And in the depth of silence thus it said Is man more just more pure then his Creator Amongst his Angels more upright by nature Then man he hath found Weaknesse how much more Shall he expect in him that 's walled ore With mortall flesh and blood founded and floor'd With Dust and with the Wormes to be devour'd They rise securely with the Morning Sunne And unregarded dye ere Day be done Their glory passes with them as a breath They die like Fooles before they think of death Rage then and see who will approve thy rage What Saint will give thy railing Patronage Anger destroyes the Foole and he that hath A wrathfull heart is slaine with his owne wrath Yet have I seene that Fooles have oft beene able To boast with Babel but have falne with Babel Their sons despairing roare without reliefe In open ruine on the Rocks of Griefe Their harvest though but small the hungry eate And robbers seize their wealth thogh ne'r so great But wretched man were thy Condition mine I 'de not despaire as thou dost nor repine But offer up the broken Sacrifice Of a sad soule before his angry eyes Whose workes are Miracles of admiration He mounts the meeke amidst their Desolation Confounds the worldly wise that blindfold they Grope all in darknesse at the noone of day But guards the humble from reproach of wrong And stops the current of the crafty Tongue Thrice happy is the man his hands correct Beware lest Fury force thee to reject Th' Almighties Tryall He that made thy wound In Iustice can in Mercy make it sound Feare not though multiply'd afflictions shall Besiege thee He at length will rid them all In Famine he shall feed in Warre defend thee Shield thee from slander in griefes attend thee The Beasts shall strike with thee eternall Peace The Stones shall not disturbe thy fields Encrease Thy House shall thrive replenisht with Content Which thou shalt rule in prosp'rous Government The number of thy Of-spring shall abound Like Summers Grasse upon a fruitfull Ground Like timely Corne well ripened in her Eares Thou shalt depart thy life strucke full of yeeres All this Experience teâ—ls Then Iob advise Thou hast taught many now thy selfe be wise Meditat. 7. THe perfect Modell of true Friendship 's this A rare affection of the soule which is Begun with ripened judgement doth persever With simple Wisedome concludes with Never 'T is pure in substance as refined Gold That buyeth all things but is never sold It is a Coyne and most men walke without it True Love 's the Stamp Iâ—hovah's writ about it It rusts unus'd but using makes it brighter 'Gainst Heav'n high treason 't is to make
it lighter 'T is a Gold Chain links soule and soule together In perfect Vnity tyes God to either Affliction is the touch whereby we prove Whether 't be Gold or gilt with fained Love The wisest Moralist that ever div'd Into the depth of Natures bowels striv'd With th' Augur of Experience to bore Mens hearts so farre till he had found the Ore Of Friendship but despairing of his end My friends said he there is no perfect Friend Friendship 's like Musicke two strings tun'd alike Will both stirre though but onely one you strike It is the quintessence of all perfection Extracted into one A sweet connexion Of all the Vertues Morall and Divine Abstracted into one It is a Mine Whose nature is not rich unlesse in making The state of others wealthy by partaking It bloomes and blossomes both in Sun and shade Doth like the Bay in winter never fade It loveth all and yet suspecteth none Is provident yet seeketh not her owne 'T is rare it selfe yet maketh all things common And is judicious yet it judgeth no man The noble Theban being asked which Of three propounded he suppos'd most rich In vertues sacred treasure thus reply'd Till they be dead that doubt cannot be tryde It is no wisemâ—ns part to weigh a Friend Without the glosse and goodnesse of his End For Life without the death considered can Afford but halfe a Story of the Man 'T is not my friends affliction that shall make Me either Wonder Censure or Forsake Iudgement belongs to Fooles enough that I Find he 's afflicted not enquier why It is the hand of Heaven that selfe-same sorrow Grieves him to day may make me grone to morrow Heaven be my comfort In my highest griefe I will not trust to Mans but Thy reliefe THE ARGVMENT Iob counts his sorrowes and from thence Excuses his impatience Describes the shortnesse of Mans Time And makes confession of his Crime Sect. 8. BVt wretched Iob sigh't forth these words said Ah me that my Impatience were weigh'd With all my Sorrowes by an equall hand They would be found more pondrous then the sand That lies upon the new-forsaken shore My griefes want utterance haue stopt their dore And woÌ„der not heav'ns shafts have struck me dead And God hath heapt all mischiefes on my head Will Asses bray when they have grasse to eate Or lowes the Oxe when as hee wants no meat Can palates finde a relish in distast Or can the whites of Egges well please the tast My vexed soule is dayly fed with such Corruptions as my hands disdaine to touch Alas that Heav'n would heare my hearts request And strike me dead that I may find some rest What hopes have I to see my end of griefe And to what end should I prolong my life Why should not I wish Death My strength alas Is it like Marble or my flesh like Brasse What power have I to mitigate my paine If e're I had that power now is vaine My friends are like the Rivers that are dry In heat of Summer when necessity Requireth water They amazed stand To see my griefe but lend no helping hand Friends beg I succour from you Craved I Your Goods to ransome my Captivity Shew me my faults and wherein I did wrong My Patience and I will hold my tongue The force of reasonable words may moove But what can Rage or Lunacie reproove Rebuke you then my words to have it thought My speech is franticke with my griefe distraught You take a pleasure in your friends distresse That is more wretched than the fatherlesse Behold these sores Be judg'd by your owne eyes If these be counterfeited miseries Ballance my words and you shall finde me free From these foule crimes wherewith ye branded me And that my speech was not distain'd with sin Onely the language sorrow treated in Is not mans day prefixt which when expir'd Sleepes â—e not quiet as a servant hir'd A servants labour doth at length surcease His Day of travell findes a Night of peace But wretched I with woes am still oprest My mid-day torments see no Even of Rest My nights ordain'd for sleep are fill'd with griefe I looke in vaine for the next dayes reliefe With dust and wormes my flesh is hid my sorrowes Have plow'd my skin and filth lyes in her furrows My dayes of ioy are in a moment gone And hopelesse of returning spent and done Remember Lord my life is but a puffe I but a man that 's misery enough And when pale death hath once seald up my sight I ne're shall see the pleasures of the light The eye of Man shall not discover me No nor thine Lord for I shall cease to be When mortalls dye they passe like clouds before The Sun and backe returne they never more T' his earthly house he ne're shall come agin And then shall be as if he ne're had bin Therfore my tongue shal speak while it hath breath Prompted with griefe and with the pangs of death Am I not weake and faint what needst thou stretch Thy direfull hand upon so poore a wretch When as I thinke that night shall stop the streames Of my distress thou frightst me then with dreams So that my soule doth rather choose to dye Than be involved in such misery My life 's a burthen and will end O grieve No longer him that would no longer live Ah! what is Man thaâ— thou should'st raise him so High at the first then sinke him downe so low What 's man thy glory 's great enough without him Why dost thou thus disturb thy mind about him Lord I have sinn'd Great Helper of Mankind I am but Dust and Ashes I have sinn'd Against theâ— as a marke why hast thou fixt me How have I trespast that thou thus afflict'st mo Why rather didst thou not remoue my sin And salve the sorrowes that I raved in For thou hast heapt such vengeance on my head That when thou seekst me thou wilt find me dead Meditat. 8. TH'Egyptians amidst their sollemne Feasts Vsed to welcome and present their Guests With the sad sight of Mans Anatomy Serv'd in with this loud Motto All must dye Fooles often goe about when as they may Take better vantage of a neerer way Looke well into your bosomes doe not flatter Your knowne infirmities Behold what matter Your flesh was made of Man cast back thine eye Vpon the weaknesse of thine Infancye See how thy lips hang on thy mothers Brest Bawling for helpe more helplesse then a Beast Liv'st thou to childhood then behold what toies Doe mocke the sense how shallow are thy joyes Com'st thou to downy yeares see how deceits Gull thee with golden fruit and with false baits Slily beguile the prime of thy affection Art thou attain'd at length to full perfection Of ripened yeares Ambition hath now sent Thee on her frothy errand Discontent Payes thee thy wages Doe thy grizly haires Begin to cast account of many cares Vpon thy head The sacred lust of gold Now fits
Shal blaze his shame and Earth shall stand his foe His wandring Children shall no dwelling know Behold the mans estate whom God denyes Behold thine owne pourtraicted to thine Eyes Meditat. 12. CAn mercy come from bloody Câ—in Or hath His angry Brow a smile or can his wrath Be quencht with ought but righteous Abels blood Can guilty Pris'ners hope for any good From the severer Iudge whose dismall breath Dooms them to die breaths nothing else but death Ah righteous Iudge wherein hath Man to trust Man hath offended and thy Lawes are just Thou frownest like a Iudge but I had rather That thou would'st smile upon me like a Father What if thy Esau be austere and rough Thou hast a Iacob that is smooth enough Thy Iacobs tender Kid brings forth a blessing While Esaus tedious Ven'zon is a dressing Thy face hath smiles as well as frownes by turnes Thy fier giveth light as well as burnes What if the Serpent stung old Adam dead Young Adam lives to breake that Serpents head Iustice hath struck me with a bleeding wound But Mercy poures in Oyle to make it sound The milk-white Lamb confounds the roaring Lion Blasted by Sinah I am heal'd by Sion The Law finds guilty and Death Iudgement gives But sure I am that my Redeemer lives How wretched was mans case in those dark dayes When Law was only read Which Law dismayes And taking vantage through the breach of it The Letter kills and can no way admit Release by pardon for by Law we dye Why then hop'd man without a reason Why Although there was no Sun their Morning eyes Saw by the Twilight that the Sun would rise The Law was like a mistie Looking-Glasse Wherein the shadow of a Saviour was Treats in a darker straine by Types and Signes And what should passe in after-dayes divines The Gospell sayes that he is come and dead And thus the Riddle of the Law is read Gospell is Law the Myst'ry being seal'd And Law is Gospell being once reveal'd Experience tells us when as birth denyes To man through Natures oversight his eyes Nature whose curious workes are never vaine Supplyes them in the power of his Braine So they whose eyes were barr'd that glorious sight Of the Messiah's day receiv'd more Light Inspired by the breath of Heaven then they That heard the tydings of that happy day The man that with a sharpe contracted eye Lookes in a cleere Perspective-Glasse doth spiâ— Objects remote which to the sense appeare Through help of the Perspective seeming neere So they that liv'd within the Lawes Dominion Did heare farre off a bruit and buzz'd Opinion A Saviour one day should be borne but he That had a Perspective of Faith might see That long-expected day of joy as cleere As if the triumph had beene then kept there Lord so direct me in thy perfect Way That I may looke and smile upon that Day O! bathe me in his blood spunge every staine That I may boldly sue my Counter-paine O! make me glorious in the doome he gives For sure I am that my Redeemer lives THE ARGVMENT Earths happinesse is not Heavens brand A rash recounting of Iob's crimes Iob trusts him to th' Almighties hand God ties his Iudgements not to Times Sect. 31. THen Iob replyde O let your patience prove You came not to afflict me but in Love O! beare with me and heare me speake at leysure My speech once ended mock scoffe your pleasure Myst'ries I treat not Toyes If then I range A thought beyond my selfe it is not strange Behold my case and stand amaz'd forbeare me Be still and in your deeper silence heare me Search you the hearts of men my Friends or can You judge the Inward by the Outward Man How haps the wicked then so sound in health So ripe in yeeres so prosperous in wealth They multiply their house is fill'd with Peace They passe unplagu'd their fruitfull flocks increase Their children thrive in joyfull melody Prosperous they live and peacefully they dye Renounce us God say they if God there be What need we knowledge of thy Word or Thee What is th' Almighty that we should adore him What hoots our prayer or us to fall before him 'T is not by chance their vaine Prosperity Crownes them with store or Heav'n not knowing why But you affirme That in conclusion they Shall fall But not so sudden as you say But can ye limit forth the space confine How long or when their lamps shal cease to shine Will any of you undertake to teach Your Maker things so farre above your reach The bad man lives in plenty dyes in peace The good as doe his houres his griefes increase Yet both the good and bad alike shall haue Though lives much differing yet one coÌ„mon grave I know your mining thoughts You will demand Where is the wickeds power And where stand Their lofâ—y buildings Are they to be seene Enquire of wandring Pilgrims that have beene Experienc'd in the Roade and they ' lrelate The Princely greatnesse of their Towâ—'s and State Live any more secure then they Or who Dare once reprove them for the deeds thy doe He lives in power and in peace he dyes Attended in his pompeous Obsequies How vaine are then the comforts of your breath That censure goodnesse or by Life or Death Said Eliphâ—z What then remaines Thy tongue Hath quit thy selfe accus'd thy God of wrong Gaines he by mans uprightnesse Can man adde To his perfection what he never had Fears he the strength of Man doth he torment him Lest that his untam'd power should prevent him What need I wast this breath Recall thy senses And take the Inventory of thy ' offences Thou tookst the poore mans Pawne nor hast thou fed Thy needy Brother with thy prosp'rous Bread Thy hands perverted Iustice and have spoyl'd The hopelesse Widow with her helplesse child Hence spring thy sorrowes Iob 'T is Iustice then Thou shouldst-bee plagu'd that thus plagu'd other men Is heaven just Can heavens just Creator Let passe unpunisht Sinnes of so high nature Hath not experience taught that for a while The Wicked may exalt their Crests and smile Blowne up with Insolence But in conclusion They fall and good men laugh at their confusion Iob adde not sinne to sinne cease to beguile Thy selfe thinking to quench thy fire with Oyle Returne thee to thy God confesse thy crimes Returne and he will crowne thy after times With former Blessings and thy Riches shall Be as the Sand for God is all in all His face shall welcome thee and smile upon thee And cease that mischief his just haÌ„d hath done thee He shall be pleased with thy holy Fires And grant the issue of thy best Desires Iob answer'd then Although my soule be faint And griefes weigh down the scale of my complaint Yet would I plead my cause which you defam'd Before my Maker and would plead unsham'd Could I but find him I would take upon me To quite the censures you have
try'd Yet hath his boldnesse termâ—d himselfe upright And tax't th' Almighty for not doing right His Innocence with Heaven doth he plead And that unjustly he was punished O Purity by Impudence suborn'd He scorn'd his Maker and is justly scorn'd Farre be it from the heart of man that He Who is all Iustice yet unjust should be Each one shall reape the harvest he hath sowne His meed shall measure what his hands hath done Who is 't can claim the Worlds great Soveraignty Who rais'd the Rafters of the Heavens but He If God should breathe on man or take away The breath he gave him what were man but Clay O let thy heart th' unbridled tongue conuince Say Dare thy lips defame an earthly Prince How darst thou then maligne the King of Kings To whom great Princes are but poorest things He kicks down kingdoms spurns th'emperial crown And with his blast puffes mighty Monarchs down 'T is vaine to strive with him and if he strike Our part 's to beare not fondly to mislike Misconstruing the nature of his drift But husband his corrections to our thrift If he afflict our best is to implore His â—lessing with his Rod and sin no more What if our torments passe the bounds of measure It unbefits our wils to stint his pleasure Iudge then and let th' impartiall world advise How farre poore Iob thy judgement is from wise Nor are these speeches kindled with the fire Of a distempred spleene but with desire T' inrich thy wisdome lest thy fury tye Presumption to thy rash infirmity Meditat. 16. FOr mortals to be borne waxe old and dye Lyes not in Will but bare Necessity Common to beasts which in the selfe degree Hold by the selfe-same Patient even as we But to be wiâ—e is a diviner action Of the discursive Soule a pure abstraction Of all her powers united in the Will Ayming at Good rejecting what is Ill It is an Influence of inspired breath Vnpurchased by birth unlost by death Entail'd to no man no not free to all Yet gently answers to the eager cal Of those that with inflam'd affections seeke Respecting tender youth and age alike In depth of dayes her spirit not alway lyes Yeeres make man Old but heaven returnes him Wise Youths Innocence nor riper ages strength Can challenge her as due Desired length Of dayes produced to decrepit yeeres Fill'd with experience and grizly hayres Can claime no right th' Almighty ne're engages His gifts to times nor is he bound to Ages His quickning Spirit to sucklings oft reveales What to their doting Grandsires he conceales The vertue of his breath can unbenumme The frozen lips and strike the speaker dumme Who put that moving power into his tongue Whose lips did right the chast Susanna's wrong Vpon her wanton false Accusers death What secret fire inflam'd that fainting breath That blasted Pharo Or those ruder tongues That schoold the faithlesse Prophet for the wrongs He did to sacred Iustice matters not How sleight the meane be in it selfe or what In our esteemes so wisedome be the message Embassadours are worthied in th'Embassage God sowes his harvest to his best increase And glorifies himselfe how e're he please Lord if thou wilt for what is hard to thee I may a Factour for thy glory bee Then grant that like a faithfull servant I May render backe thy stocke with Vsury THE ARGVMENT God reapes no gaine by mans best deeds Mans misery from himselfe proceeds Gods Mercy and Iustice are unbounded In workes of Nature man is grounded Sect. 17. ELihu thus his pausing lips againe Disclos'd said rash Ioâ— dost thou maintaine A rightfull cause which in conclusion must A vow thee blamelesse and thy God unjust Thy lawlesse words implying that it can Advantage none to live an upright man My tongue shall schoole thee and thy friends that would Perchance refell thy reasons if they could Behold thy glorious Makers greatnesse see The power of his hand say then can He Be damag'd by thy sinne or can He raise Advantage by the uprightnesse of thy wayes True the afflicted languish oft in griefe And roare to heaven unanswer'd for reliefe Yet is not Heaven unjust for their fond cry Their sinne bewailes not but their misery Cease then to make him guilty of thy crimes And waite his pleasure that 's not bound to times Nor heares vaine words The sorrowes thou art in Are sleight or nothing ballanc'd with thy sin Thy lips accuse thee and thy foolish tongue To right thy selfe hath done th' Almighty wrong Hold back thine answer let thy flowing streame Find passage to surround my fruitfull Theame I 'le raise my thoughts to plead my Makers case And speake as shall befit so high a place Behold th' Almighitie's meeke as well as strong Destroyes the wicked rights the just mans wrong Mounts him to honour If by chance he stray Instructs and shewes him where he lost his way If he returne his blessing shall encrease Crowning his joyes with plenty and sweet peace If not th' intailed sword shall ne're depart His stained house but pierce his hardned heart Ah sinfull Iob these plagues had never bin Had'st thou beene guiltlesse as thou boasts of sin But thy proud lips against their Maker plead And draw downe heapes of vengeance on thy head Looke to thy selfe seek not to understand The secret causes of th' Eternals hand Let wisdome make the best of misery Know who inflicts it aske no reason why He will's beyond thy reach and his Divine And sacred knowledge farre surpasseth thine Ah! rather praise him in his workes that lye Wide open to the world before thine eye His meaner Acts our highest thoughts o'retops He pricks the clouds stils down the raine by drops Who comprehends the lightning or the thunder Who sees who heares theÌ„ unamaz'd with wonder My troubled heart chils in my quivering brest To relish these things and is dispossest Of all her powers who ever heard the voyce Of th' angry heavens unfrighted at the noyse The beast by nature daz'd with sudden dread Seekes out for covert to secure his head If God command the dusky clouds march forth Into a Tempest From the freezing North He beckens Frost and Snow and from the South He bloweth Whirlewinds with his angry Mouth Presumptuous Ioâ— if thou canst not aspire So high to comprehend these things admire Know'st thou the progresse of the rambling clouds From mortal eyes when gloomy darkness shrouds The lamps of heaven know'st thou the reason why Can'st thou unriddle heavens Philosophy Know'st thou th' unconstant nature of the weather Or whence so many Winds proceed and whither Wer 't thou made privy or a standerâ—by When God stretcht forth his spangled Canopy Submit thy selfe and let these secâ—ets teach How farre his Myst'ries doe surmount thy reach For Hee 's Almighty and his sacred will Is just nor renders an unearned ill His workes are objects for no soaring eyes But wheresoe're he lookes he findes none wise Meditat. 17. THe World
not doe What then is man but Nothing being Evill His Lunatike affections doe unlevell What Heaven created by just Waight and measure In pleasures sinke he takes a swine like Pleasure His span of life and beauties like a Flower Faire flourishing and fading in an hower He breakes into the world with teares and then Departs with Griefe not knowing how nor when His life 's a Bubble full of seeming Blisse The more it lengthens the more short it is Begot in darknesse he 's brought forth and cries For succour passes ore the stage and dyes Yet like a Moale the earth he undermines Making the World the Forge of his designes He plots complots for esees prevents directs Hee hopes he feares he doubts pursues effects Each hath his plot each one his course doth bend Each hath his project and each one his end Thus restlesse man doth still his soule molest To finde out that which hath no being Rest Thus travels sinfull man in endlesse toyle Taking a pleasure in his owne turmoyle Fond man first seeke to purchase that divine And sacred prize and all the world is thine Great Salomon made suit for Wisdome and he found Not barely Wisdome but that Wisdome crown'd With Diadems of wealth and faire encrease Of Princely Honour with long dayes of Peace With safe respect and awfull reverence To Myst'ries Meditation doth commence An earnest doubt Was Iobs dispoiled Flock Restored double Was his former Stock Renew'd with double vantage Did heaven adde To all his fortunes double what he had Yet those sweet Emblemes of his dearest love His sonnes whom death untimely did remove From off the face of the unthankfull earth Why likewise sprang not they in double birth Bruit beasts that perish once are lost for ever Their substance and their All consumes together Once having given a farewell to the light They dye and with them is perpetuall night But man unorgan'd by the hand of Death Dyes not is but transplanted from beneath Into a fairer soyle or as a stranger Brought home secure from the worlds pleasing danger Iobs flocks were lost and therefore double given His Issue 's equall shar'd 'twixt Earth and Heaven One halfe in heav'n are glorious in their doome Ingag'd as Pledges till the other come Great God! my Time 's but short and long my way My Heart hath lost her Path and gone astray My spirit 's faint and fraile my soule 's imbost If thou helpe not I am for ever lost Though Dust and Ashes yet I am thy Creature Howe're my sinnes are great thy Mercie 's greater Of nothing didst thou make me and my sinne Hath turn'd me back to nothing once agin Create me a new heart great God inspire My cold affections with thy sacred fire Instruct my Will and rectifie my Wayes O teach me Lord to number out my Dayes The Digestion of the whole HISTORY 1 In Prosperity THou whose lank fortunes heav'n hath swel'd with store Make not thy selfe by over-wishing poore Husband that good which else abuse makes bad Abstracting where thy base desire would adde Lines flowing from a Sophoclean quill Deserve no Plaudit being acted ill 2 In Adversity Hath heav'n withdrawn the talent he hath giv'n thee Hath envious Death of all thy Sons bereaven thee Have soule Diseases foil'd thee on the floore He earnes no sweet that never tasted sowre Thou art a Scholler if thy Tutor doe Pose thee too hard he will instruct thee too 3 In Tentation Art thou oppos'd to thine unequall Foe March bravely on thy Gen'rall bids thee goe Thou art heav'ns Champion to maintain his right Who cals thee forth wil give thee strength to fight God seekes by conquest thy renowne for He Will win enough Fight thou or Faint or Flee 4 In Slander If Winter fortunes nip thy Summer Friends And tip their tongues with Censure that offends Thy tender Name despaire not but be wise Know Heaven selecteth whom the world denies Thou hast a milke-white Thisâ—y that's within 〈◊〉 Will take thy part when all the world's â—giâ— thee 5 In Re-advancement Art thou advanc'd to thy supreme desier Be still the same Feare Lower aime no higher Mans Play hath many Sceanes but in the last Heaven knits up all to sweeten all that 's past Affliction is a Rod to scourge us home An 'a painfull earnest of a Heaven to come The end THE HISTORIE OF SAMSON By Fra. Quarles LONDON Printed by MILES FLESHER for I. MARRIOTT in S. Dunstans Church-yard in Fleet-street 1632. To the READER THe tyranny of my affaires was never yet so imperious but I could steale some howers to my private Meditations the fruits of which stolne time I here present thee with in the History of Samson Wherein if thy extreme severity check at any thing which thou conceivest may not stand with the Majesty of this sacred Subject know that my intention was not to offend my brother The wisest of Kings inspired by the King of Wisdome thought it no detraction from the gravity of his Holy Proverbs to describe a Harlot like a Harlot Her whorish Attire her immodest Gesture her bold Countenance her flattering Tongue her lascivious Embraces her unchast Kisses her impudent Invitations If my descriptions in the like kinde offend I make no question but the validitie of my Warrant will give a reasonable satisfaction He that lifts not his feet high enough may easily stumble But on the contrary if any be whose worse then sacrilegious minds shall prophane our harmles intentions with wanton conceits to such I heartily wish a Procul Ite Let none such looke farther then this Epistle at their own perils If they doe let them put off their shoos for this is holy Ground Foule hands will muddle the clearest waters base minds will corrupt the purest Text If any offence be taken it is by way of stealth for there is none willingly given I write to Bees and not to Spiders They will sucke pleasing honey from such flowers These may burst with their owne poyson But you whose well-seasond hearts are not distempered with either of these extremities but have the better relish of a Sacred understanding draw neere and reade I Sing th' illustrious and renowned Story Of mighty Samson The eternall glory Of his Heroicke acts His life His death Quicken my Muse with thy diviner breath Great God of Muses that my prosp'rous Riâ—es May live and last to everlasting times That they unborne may in this sacred Story Admire thy goodnes and advance thy glory THE HISTORIE OF SAMSON THE ARGVMENT A holy Angell doth salute The wife of Manoah and inlarge Her barren wombe with promis'd fruit Of both their loynes The Angles charge Sect. 1. WIthin the Tents of Zorah dwelt a man Of Iacobs seed and of the Tribe of Dâ—n Knowne by the name of Maenoah to whom Heaven had deny'd the treasure of the wombe His Wife was barren And her prayers could not Remove that great reproach or clense that blot Which on her fruitlesse name appear'd
and what must then be done When time shal bring to light this promis'd sonne About that time when the declining Lampe Trebles each shadow when the evening dampe Begins to moisten and refresh the land The Wife of Manoah under whose command The weaned Lambes did feed being lowly seated Vpon a Shrubbe where often she repeated That pleasing newes the subject of her thought Appear'd the Angell he that lately brought Those blessed tidings to her up she rose Her second feare had warrant to dispose Her nimble foot-steps to unwonted haste She runnes with speed she cannot runne too fast At length she findes her husband In her eyes Were Ioy and Feare whilst her lost breath denies Her speech to him her trembling hands make signs She puffes and pants her breathlesse tongue disjoynes Her broken words Behold behold said she The man of God if man of God he be Appear'd againe These very eyes beheld The man of God I left him in our field Meditat. 3. HEav'n is Gods Magazen wherein he hath Stor'd up his Vials both of love and wrath Iustice and Mercy waite upon his Throne Favours and Thunderbolts attend upon His sacred Will and Pleasure Life and Death Doe both receive their influence from his breath Iudgements attend his left at his right hand Blessings and everlasting Pleasures stand Heav'n is the Magazen wherein he puts Both good and evill Pray'r is the key that shuts And opens this great Treasure T is a key Whose wards are Faith and Hope and Charity Wouldst thou prevent a judgement due to sinne Turne but the key and thou maist locke it in Or wouldst thou have a Blessing fall upon thee Open the doore and it will shower on thee Can Heav'n be false or can th' Almighties tongue That is all very truth doe truth that wrong Not to performe a vow His lips have sworne Sworne by himselfe that if a Sinner turne To him by pray'r his pray'r shall not be lost For want of eare nor his desier crost How is it then we often aske and have not We aske and often misse because we crave noâ— The things we should his wisdome can foresee Those blessings better that we want than weâ— Hast thou not heard a peevish Infant baule To gaine possession of a knife And shall Th' indulgent nurse bee counted wisely kinde If she be mov'd to please his childish minde Is it not greater wisdome to deny The sharp-edg'd knife and to present his eye With a fine harmlesse Puppit We require Things oft unfit and our too fond desire Fastens on goods that are but glorious ills Whilst Heav'ns high wisdome contradicts our wils With more advantage for we oft receive Things that are farre more fit for us to have Experience tels we seeke and cannot finde We seeke and often want because we binde The Giver to our times He knows we want Patience and therefore he suspends his grant T' encrease our faith that so we may depend Vpon his hand he loves to heare us spend Our childish mouthes Things easily obtain'd Are lowly priz'd but what our prayers have gain'd By teares and groanes that cannot be exprest Are farre more deare and sweeter when possest Great God! whose power hath so oft prevail'd Against the strength of Princes and hast quail'd Their prouder stomaks with thy breath discrown'd Their heads thrown their Scepters to the grouÌ„d Striking their swelling hearts with cold despaire How art thou conquer'd and o'recome by Pray'r Infuse that Spirit Great God into my heart And I will have a blessing ere we part THE ARGVMENT Manoah desires to know the fashion And breeding of his promis'd sonne To whom the Angel makes relation Of all things needfull to be done Sect. 4. WIth that the Danite rose and being guided By his perplexed wife they both divided Their heedlesse paces â—ill they had attain'd The field 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of God remain'd And drawing â—eerer to hâ—s presence stai'd His weary steps and with obeysance said Art thou the 〈…〉 blessed lips â—oretold Those joyfull 〈◊〉 Shall my tongue be bold Without the breach of manners to request This boone Art thoâ—â— that Prophet that possest This barren woman with a hope that She Shall beare a Sonne He answer'd I am He Said Manoah then Let not a word of thine Be lost let them continue to divine Our future happinesse let them be crown'd With truth and thou with honour to be found A holy Prophet Let performance blesse And speed thy speeches with a faire successe But tell me Sir when this great worke is done And time shall bring to light this promis'd Sonne What sacred Ceremonies shall we use What Rites What way of bleeding shall we chuse T' observe What holy course of life shall be Be trained in What shall his Office be Whereat th' attentive Angel did divide The portall of his lips and thus replide The Child that from thy fruitfull loynes shall come Shall be a holy Nazarite from the wombe Take heed that wombe that shall inclose this Childe In no case be polluted or defilde With Law-forbidden meates Let her forbeare To taste those things that are forbidden there The bunch-back Camell shall be no repast For her Her palate shall forbeare to taste The burrow haunting Cony and decline The swiftfoote-Hare and mire-delighting Swine The griping Goshauke and the towring Eagle The party-coloured Pye must not inveigle Her lips to move the brood-devouring Kite The croaking Raven th' Owle that hates the light The steele-digesting Bird the laste Snaile The Cuckow ever telling of one tale The fish-consuming Osprey and the Want That undermines the greedy Cormorant Th' indulgent Pellican the predictious Crow The chattring Storke and ravenous Vulter too The thorn-backt Hedgehogge and the prating lay The Lapwing flying still the other way The lofty-flying Falkon and the Mouse That findes no pleasure in a poore mans house The suck-egge Weasell and the winding Swallow From these she shall abstaine and not unhallow Her op'ned lips with their polluted flesh Strong drinke she must forbeare and to refresh Her lingring palate with luâ—-breeding Wine The Grape or what proceedeth from the Vine She must not taste for feare she be defilde And so pollute her wombe-enclosed Childe When time shall make her mother of a Sonne Beware no keen-edg'd Raisor come upon His bâ—llowed Crowne the haire upon his head Must not be cut His bountious lockes must spred On his broad shoulders From his first drawne breath The Childe shall be a Nazarite to his death Meditat. 4. WHat shallow judgment or what easie braine Can choose but laugh at those that strive in vaine To build a Tower whose ambitious Spire Should reach to heaven what foole would not admire To see their greater folly who would raise A Tower to perpetuate the praise And lasting Glory of their renowned Name What have they lâ—ft but Monuments of shame How poore and slender are the enterprises Of man that onely whispers and advises With heedlesse flesh and blood and never
makes His God of counsell where he undertakes How is our God and wee of late falne out We rather chuse to languish in our doubt Then be resolv'd by him We rather use The helpe of hell-bred wizzards that abuse The stile of wise menâ— then to have recourse To him that is the Fountaine and the sourse Of all good Counsels and from whom proceeds A living Spring to water all our needs How willing are his Angels to descend From off their throne of Glory and attend Vpon our wants How oft returne they back Mourning to heaven as if they griev'd for lack Of our imployment O how prone are they To be assistant to us every way Have wee just cause to joy They 'll come and sing About our beds Does any judgement bring Iust cause of griefe they 'll fall a grieving too Doe we triumph their joyfull mouthes will blow Their louder Trumpets Or doe feares affect us They 'l guard our heads from danger protect us Are we in prison or in Persecution They 'l fill our hearts with joy and resolution Or doe we languish in our sickly beds They 'l come pitch their Tents about our heads See they a sinner penitent and mourne For his bewail'd offences and returne They clap their hands and joyne their warbling voyces They sing and all the Quire of Heaven rejoyces What is in us poore Dust and Ashes Lord That thou should'st looke upon us and afford Thy precious favours to us and impart Thy gracious Counsels what is our desert But Death and Horror What can we more clame Then they that now are scorching in that flame That hath nor moderation rest nor end How does thy mercy above thought extend To theÌ„ thou lov'st Teach me great God to prize Thy sacred Counsels open my blinde eyes That I may see to walke the perfect way For as I am Lord I am apt to stray And wander to the gulph of endlesse woe Teach me what must be done and helpe to doe THE ARGVMENT Manoah desires to understand but is deny'd the Angels name He offers by the Angels hand the Angel vanishes in a flame Sect. 5. SO said The sonne of Israel easly apt To credit what his soule desir'd and rapt With better hepes which serv'd him as a guide To his beliefe o'rejoy'd he thus replide Let not the man of God whose Heavenly voyce Hath blest mine eare and made my soule rejoyce Beyond expression now refuse to come Within my Tent and honour my poore home With his desired presence there to taste His servants slender diet and repast Vpon his Rurall fare These hands shall take A tender Kidde from out the flockes and make Without long tarriance some delighfull meate Which may invite the man of God to eate Come come my Lord and what defect of food Shall be thy servants welcome shall make good Whereto the Angel who as yet had made Himselfe unknowne reanswer'd thus and said Excuse me Though thy hospitable love Prevaile to make me stay it cannot move My thankfull lips to taste thy liberall cheare Let not thy bounty urge in vaine Forbeare To strive with whom thy welcome cannot leade To eate thy Kid or tast thy profer'd bread Convert thy bounty to a better end And let thy undefiled hands commend A burnt oblation to the King of Kings 'T is he deserves the thanks his servant brings But that bare message which his lips enjoyne His be the glory of the Act not mine Said then the Israelite If my desire Be not too over-rash but may conspire With thy good pleasure let thy servants eare Be honourd with thy name that whensoere These blessed tidings that possesse my heart With firme beleefe shall in due time impart Their full perfection and desir'd successe To my expecting eye my soule may blesse The tongue that brought the message and proclaime An equall honour to his honour'd name To whom the Angell whose severer brow Sent forth a frowne made answere Doe not thou Trouble thy busie thoughts with things that are Above thy reach Enquier not too farre My name is cloath'd in mists 'T is not my taske To make it knowne to thee nor thine to aske With that the Danite tooke a tender Kid And said my Lord The Tribe of Dan's forbid To burne an offering Onely Levites may And holy Prophets If thou please to lay The sacrifice on yonder sacred Stone I 'le fetch thee fire for fier there is none Forheare thy needlesse paines the Angell said Heaven will supply that want With that he laid The offering on and from the stone there came A sudden fire whose high ascending flame Burnt and consum'd th'accepted Sacrifice Now whilst th' amaz'd beholders wondring eyes Were taken Captives with so strange a sight And whilst the new-wrought miracle did affright Their treÌ„bling harts the Man of God whose name Must not b'inquired vanisht in the flame And left them both unable to expound Each others feares both groveling on the ground Meditat. 5. A Thankfull heart hath earnd one favour twice But he that is ungratefull wants no vice The beast that onely lives the life of Sense Prone to his severall actions and propense To what he does without th' advice of will Guided by nature that does nothing ill In practicke Maximes proves it a thing hatefull T' accept a Favoâ—r and to live ungratefull But man whose more diviner soule hath gain'd A higher step to reason nay attain'd A higher step then that the light of grace Comes short of them and in that point more base Then they most prompt and perfect in that rude Vnnaturall and high sinne Ingratitude The Stall-fed Oxe that is growne fat will know His carefull feeder and acknowledge too The prouder Stallion will at length espie His Masters bounty in his Keepers eye The ayre-dividing Faulkon will requite Her Faulkners paines with a well pleasing flight The generous Spaniell loves his Masters eye And licks his fingers though no meate be by But Man ungratefull Man that 's borne and bred By Heavens immediate pow'r maiâ—tain'd and fed By his providing hand observ'd attended By his indulgent grace preserv'd defended By his prevailing arme this Man I say Is more ungratefull more obdure than they By him we live and move from him we have What blessings he can give or we can crave Food for our hunger Dainties for our pleasure Trades for our buisnes Pastimes for our leasure In griefe he is our Ioy in want our Wealth In bondage Freedome and in sicknesse Health In peace our Counsell and in warre our Leader At Sea our Pilot and in Suites our Pleader In paine our Helpe in Triumph our Renowne In life our Comfort and in death our Crowne Yet Man O most ungratefull Man can ever Enjoy the Gift but never mindâ— the Giver And like the Swine though pamper'd with enough His eyes are never higher than the Trough We still receive our hearts we seldome lift To heaven but drowne the giver in the Gift We taste the
Skollops and returne the Shels Our sweet Pomgranats want their silver Bells We take the Gift the hand that did present it We oft reward forget the Friend that sent it A blessing given to those will not disburse Some thanks is little better then a curse Great giver of all blessings thou that art The Lord of Gifts give me a gratefull heart O give me that or keepe thy favours from me I wish no blessings with a Vengeance to me THE ARGVMENT Affrighted Manoah and his Wife Both prostrate on the naked earth Both rise The man despaires of life The woman cheares him Samsons birth Sect. 6. WHen time whose progresse mod'rates and out weares Th' extreamest passions of the highest fears By his benignant power had re-inlarg'd Their captive senses and at length discharg'd Their frighted thoughts the trembling couple rose From their unquiet and disturb'd repose Have you beheld a Tempest how the waves Whose unresisted Tyranny out-braves And threats to grapple with the darkned Skies How like to moving Mountaines they arise From their distempred Ocean and assaile Heav'ns Battlements nay when the windes dâ—e faile To breathe another blast with their owne motion They still are swelling and disturbe the Ocean Even so the Danite and his trembling wife Their yet confused thoughts are still at strife In their perplexed brests which entertain'd Continued feares too strong to be refrain'd Speechlesse they stood till Manoah that brake The silence first disclos'd his lips and spake What strange aspect was this that to our sight Appear'd so terrible and did affright Our scattering thoughts What did our eyes behold I feare our lavish tongues have bin too bold What speeches past betweene us Can'st recall The words we entertain'd the time withall It was no man It was no flesh and blood Me thought mine eares did â—ngle while he stood And commun'd with me At each word be spake Me thouâ—ht my heart recoil'd his voyce did shake My very Soule but when as he became So angry and so dainty of his name O how my wonder-smitteâ— heart began To faile O then I knâ—w it was no man No no It was the face of God Our eyes Have seene his face who ever saw 't but dies We are but dead Death dwells within his eye And we have seen 't and we shall surely die Where to the woman who did either hide Or else had overcome her feares replide Despairing Man take courage and forbeare These false predictions there 's no cause of feare Would Heaven accept our offerings and receive Our holy things and after that bereive His servants of their lives Can he be thus Pleas'd with our offerings unappeas'd with us Hath he not promis'd that the time shall come Wherein the fruits of my restored wombe Shall make thee father to a hopefull Sonne Can Heaven be false Or can these things be done When we are dead No no his holy breath Had spent in vaine if they had meant our death Recall thy needlesse feares Heaven cannot lye Although we saw his face we shall not dye So said they brake off their discourse and went He to the field and she into her Tent Thrice forty dayes not full compleat being come Within th'enclosure of her quickned wombe The Babe began to spring and with his motion Confirm'd the faith and quickned the devotion Of his beleeving parents whose devout And heaven-ascending Orizans no doubt Were turn'd to thanks and heart-rejoycing praise To holy Hymnes and heavenly Roundelaies The childe growes sturdy Every day gives strength Vnto his wombe-fed limmes till at the length Th'apparent mother having past the date Of her accompt does only now awaite The happy houre wherein she may obtaine Her greatest pleasure with her greatest paine When as the faire directresse of the night Had thrice three times repar'd her wained light Her wombe no longer able to retaine So great a guest betraid her to her paine And for the toilsome worke that she had done She found the wages of a new borne Sonne 〈◊〉 she call'd his name the childe encreast And hourely suckt a blessing with the brest Daily his strength did double He began To grow in favour both with God and Man His well attended Infancy was blest With sweetnesse in his Childhood he exprest True seeds of honour and his youth was crown'd With high and brave adventures which renown'd His honour'd name His courage was suppli'd With mighty strength His haughty spirit defide And hoast of men His power had the praise â—ove all that were before or since his dayes And to conclude Heav'n never yet conjoyn'd So strong a body with so stout a minde Meditat. 6. HOw pretious were those blessed dayes wherein Soules never startled at the name of Sin When as the voyce of death had never yet A mouth to open or to clame a debt When bashfull nakednesse forbare to call For needlesse skins to cover shame withall When as the fruit-encreasing earth obay'd The will of Man without the wound of spade Or helpe of Art When he that now remaines A cursed Captive to infernall chaines Sate singing Anthems in the heavenly Quire Among his fellow Angels When the Bryer The fruitlesse Bramble the fast growing weed And downy Thistle had as yet no seed When labour was not knowne and man did eate The earths faire fruits unearned with his sweate When wombs might have conceiv'd without the stain Of sin and brought forth children without paine When Heaven could speak to mans unfrighted eare Without the sense of Sin-begotten feare How golden were those dayes How happy than Was the condition and the State of man But Man obey'd not And his proud desire Cing'd her bold feathers in forbidden fire But Man transgrest And now his freedome feeles A sudden change Sinne followes at his heeles The voice calls Adam But poore Adam flees And trembling hides his face behind the trees The voice whilere that ravisht with delight His joyfull eare does now alas affright His wounded conscience with amaze and wonder And what of late was musicke now is Thunder How have our sinnes abus'd us and betrai'd Our desperate soules What strangenes have they made Betwixt the great Creator and the worke Of his owne hands How closely doe they lurke To our distempred soules and whisper feares And doubts into our frighted hearts and eares Our eyes cannot behold that glorious face Which is all life unruin'd in the place How is our nature chang'd That very breath Which gave us being is become our death Great God! O whither shall poore mortalls flie For comfort If they see thy face they dye And if thy life-restoring count'nance give Thy presence from us then we cannot live How necessary is the ruine than And misery of sin-beguiled Man On what foundation shall his hopes relie See wee thy face or see it not we dye O let thy Word great God instruct the youth And frailty of our faith Thy Word is truth And what our eyes want power to perceive O let our
woÌ„be that must not be defil'd With uncleane meates lest it pollute the child Is this the Nazarite May a Nazarite then Eâ—brue and paddle in the bloods of men Or may their vowes be so dispens'd withall That they who searce may see a funerall Whose holy foot-steps must beware to tread Vpon or touch the carkasse of the dead May these reveÌ„ge their wrongs by blood may these Have power to kill murther where they please T is true A holy Nazarite is forbid To doe such things as this our Nazarite did He may not touch the bodies of the dead Without pollution much lesse may shed The blood of man or touch it being spilt Without the danger of a double guilt But who art thou that art an undertaker To question with or plead against thy Maker May not that God that gave thee thy creation Turne thee to nothing by his dispensation He that hath made the Sabbath and commands It shall be kept with unpolluted hands Yet if he please to countermand agin Man may securely labour and not sin A Nazarite is not allow'd to shed The blood of man or once to touch the dead But if the God of Nazarites bids kill He may and be a holy Nazarite still But stay Is God like Man Or can he border Vpon confusion that 's the God of order The Persian Lawes no time may contradict And are the Lawes of God lesse firme and strict An earthly Parent wills his child to stand And waite within a while he gives command Finding the weaknesse of his sonne opprest With wearinesse that he sit downe and rest Is God unconstant then because he pleases To alter what he wild us for our eases Know likewise O ungratefull flesh and blood God limits his owne glory for our good He is the God of mercy and he prizes Thine Asses life above his Sacrifices His Sabbath is his glory and thy rest Hee 'l lose some honour ere thou lose a Beast Great God of mercy O how apt are wee To rob thee of thy due that art so free To give unaskt Teach me O God to know What portion I deserve and tremble too â—That heare the newes thus with himselfe besought It cannot be excus'd It was a fault It was a foule one too and at first sight 〈◊〉 greate for love or pardon to acquite â— â—ad it beene a stranger that betraid â—â—posed secrets I had onely laid The blame â—pon my unadvised tongue Or bad a common friend but done this wrong To besome trust my patience might out warne it I could endur'd I could have easily borne it 〈◊〉 this to be betraied by a wiâ—e The parâ—ner of my heart to whom my life 〈◊〉 very soule was not esteeâ—ed deare It 〈◊〉 than flesh is more than bloud can beare 〈◊〉 yet alas She was but greene and young And had not gain'd the conquest of her tongue â—â—season'd vessells wiâ—â— finde a leake At first but after hold She is but weake â—â—y cannot yet write woman which at best 〈◊〉 a fraile thing Alas young things will quest At every turne Indeed to say the truth Her yeares could make it but a fault of youth Samson returne and let that fault be set Vpoâ— the score of youth forgive forget 〈◊〉 is my wife Her love hath power to hide A fouler errour Why should I diuide My presence from her There 's no greater wrong 〈◊〉 love than to be silent over long 〈◊〉 poore soule No doubt her tender eye 〈◊〉 wept enough perchance she knowes not why 〈◊〉 turn'd so great a stranger to her bed And boord Nodoubt her empty eyes have shed A â—â—â—ld of teares perchance her 〈◊〉 thought 〈◊〉 my absence 〈◊〉 a greater fault Then that of late her harmlesse errour did I 'le goe and draw a reconciling Kid From the faire flocke My feet shall never rest Till I repose me in my Brides faire brest He went but ere his speedy lips obtain'd The merits of his haste darknesse had stain'd The cristall brow of day and gloomy night Had spoil'd and rifled heaven of all his light H' approacht the gates but being entred in His carelesse welcome seem'd so cold and thin As if that silence meant it should appeare He was no other than a stranger there In every servants looke he did espie An easie Copie of their Masters eye He call'd his wife but she was gone to rest Vnto her wonted chamber he addrest His doubtfull steps till by her father staid Who taking him aside a little said Sonne It was the late espousals that doe move My tongue to use that title not thy love 'T is true there was a Marriage lately past Betweene my childe and you The knot was fast And firmely tyed not subject to the force Of any power but death or else divorce For ought I saw a mutuall desire Kindled your likings and an equall fire Of strong affection joyned both your hands With the perpetuall knot of nuptiall bands Mutuall delight and equall joyes attended Your pleased hearts untill the feast was ended But then I know no ground you know it best As if your loves were measur'd by the Feast The building fell before the house did shake 〈◊〉 fire was quencht ere it began to slake All on a sudden were your ioyes disâ—eisâ—d Fâ—rsooke your Bride and went away displeas'd 〈◊〉 left my child to the opproâ—rions tongues Of open censure whose malitious wrongs Maligning her faire merits did defame Her wounded honour and unblemisht naâ—e I thought thy love which was so strong of late Had on a sudden turn'd to perfect hate At length when as your longer absence did Câ—â—firme my thoughts and time had quite forbid Our hopes t' expect a reacdesse of love Thinking some new affection didâ—â—emove Your heart and that some second choice might smother The first I matcht your Bride unto another If 〈◊〉 have done amisse the fault must be Imputed yours and not to her nor me But if your easie losse may be redeem'd With her faire Sister who you know's esteem'd More beautifull than she and younger too She shall be firmely joyn'd by nuptiall vow And by a present contract shall become Thy faithfull spouse in her lost sisters roome With that poorâ— Samson like a man entranc'd And newly wakened thus his voice advanc'd Presumptuus Philistine That dost proceed From the base loines of that accursed seed Blanded for slaughter and mark'd out for death And utter ruine this my threatning breath Shall blast thy nation This revenging hand Shall crush thy darkasse and thy cursed land â—â—le give thy flesh to Ravens and ravinous Swine Shall take that rancke and tainted bloud of thine For wash and swill to quench their eager thirst Which they shall sucke and guzzle till they burst I 'le burne your standing Corne with flames of fire That none shall quench I 'le drag ye in the mire Of your owne blouds which shall ore-flow the land And make your pasture barren as the sand This ruthlesse arme shall smite and never stay
feares 'T is well But they that doe Attempt to ruine me will ransacke you First you shall firmely engage your plighted trâ—th By the acceptance of a sacred â—ath That when I shall be pris'ner to your bands I may not suffer violence by your hands With that they drawing nearer to him laid Their hands beneath his brawny thigh and said Then let the God of Iacob cease to blesse The tribe of Iudah with a faire successe In ought they put their cursed hand unto And raze their seed If we attempt to doe Bound Samson violence And if this curse Be not sufficient heaven contrive a worse With that the willing prisoner joyn'd his hands To he subjected to their stronger bands With treble twisted cords that never tried The twitch of strength their busie fingers tied His sinewy wrists which being often wound About his beating pulse they brought him bound To the forefront of the Philistian band And left him captive in their cursed hand Meditat. 17. O What a pearle is hidden in this field Whose orient luster and perfections yeeld So great a treasure that the Easterne Kings With all the wealth their colder Climate brings Nere saw the like It is a pearle whose glory Is the diviner subject of a story Pend by an Angels quill not understood By the too dull conceit of flesh and bloud Vnkinde Iudeans what have you presented Before your eyes O what have you attented He that was borne on purpose to release His life for yours to bring your Nation peace To turne your mournings into joyfull Songs To fight your Battells to revenge your wrongs Even him alas your cursed hands have made This day your prisoner Him have you betraid To death O he whose snowy arme had power To crush you all to nothing and to shower Downe strokes like thunderbolts whose blasting breath Might in a moment puft you all to death And made ye fall before his frowning Brow See how he goes away betraid by you Thou great Redeemer of the world whose bloud Hath power to save more worlds than Noahs floud Destroyed bodies thou O thou that art The Samson of our soules How can the heart Of man give thankes enough that does not know How much his death-redeemed soule does owe To thy deare merits We can apprehend No more than flesh and bloud does recommend To our confined thoughts Alas we can Conceive thy love but as the love of man We cannot tell the horror of that paine Thou bought us from nor can our hearts attaine Those joyes that thou hast purchas'd in our name Nor yet the price thou paidst our thoughts are laÌ„e And craz'd Alas things mortall have no might No meanes to comprehend an Infinite We can behold thee cradled in a Manger In a poore Stable We can see the danger The Tetrarch's fury made thee subject to We can conceive thy poverty We know Thy blessed hands that might bin freed were bouÌ„d We know alas thy bleeding browes were crown'd With pricking thorne Thy body torne with whips Thy palmes impeirc'd with ragged nailes Thy lips Saluted with a Traitors kisse Thy browes Sweating forth bloud Thy oft repeated blowes Thy fastning to the crosse Thy shamefull death These outward tortures all come underneath Our dull conceits But what thy blessed soule That bore the burden of our guilt and Scroule Of all our sinnes and horrid paines of Hell O what that soule endur'd what soule can tell THE ARGVMENT He breakes their bands And with a bone A thousand Philistians he slue Hee thirsted fainted made his moane To Heaven He drinkes his spirits renew Sect. 18. THus when the glad Philistians had obtain'd The summe of all their hopes they entertain'd The welcome pris'ner with a greater noise Of triumph than the greatnesse of their joyes Required Some with sudden death would greet The new come Guest whilst others more discreet With lingring paines and tortures more exact Would force him to discover in the Fact Who his Abettors were others gainsaid That course for feare a rescue may be made â—ome cry ' T is fittest that th' Offender bleed 〈◊〉 where his cursed hands had done the deed Others cryed No where Fortune hath consign'd him Wee 'le kill him Best to kill him where we finde him Thus variously they spent their doubtfull breath At last they all agreed on sudden death There 's no contention now but onely who Shall strike the first or give the speeding blow Have ye beheld a single thred of flax Touch'd by the fire how the fire crackes With ease and parts the slender twine in sunder Even so as the first arme began to thunder Vpon the Prisners life he burst the bands From his strong wrists freed his loosned hands He stoop'd from off the bloud-expecting grasse He snatcht the crooked jaw-bone of an Asse Wherewith his fury dealt such downe-right blowes So oft redoubled that it overthrowes Man after man And being ring'd about With the distracted and amazed rout Of rude Philistians turn'd his body round And in a circle dings them to the ground Each blow had proofe for where the jaw-bone mist The furious Champion wounded with his fist Betwixt them both his fury did uncase A thousand soules which in that fatall place Had left their ruin'd carkeises to feast The flesh-devouring fowle and rav'nous beast With that the Conquerour that now had fed And surfeited his eye upon the dead His hand had slaine sate downe and having flung His purple weapon by triumpht and sung SAmson rejoyce Be fill'd with mirth Let all Iudea know And tell the Princes of the earth How strong an arme hast thou How has thy dead enricht the land And purpled ore the grasse That hadst no weapon in thy hand But the jaw-bone of an Asse How does thy strength and high renowne The glory of men surpasse Thine arme has strucke a thousand downe With the jaw-bone of an Asse Let Samsons glorious name endure Till Time shall render One Whose greater glory shall obscure The glory thou hast wone His song being ended rising from the place Whereon he lay he turn'd his ruthlesse face Vpon those heapes his direfull hand had made And op'ning of his thirsty lips he said Great God of conquest thou by whose command The heart received courage and this hand Strength to revenge thy quarrels and fulfill The secret motion of thy sacred will That shall thy Champion perish now with thirst Thou knowst I have done nothing but what first Was warranted by thy command 'T was thou That gave my spirit boldnesse and my brow A resolution 'T is mine arme did doe No more than what thou didst enjoyne me to And shall I die for thirst O thou that sav'd Me from the Lyons rage that would have rav'd Vpon my life by whom I have subdu'd Thy cursed enemies and have imbru'd My heaven-commanded hands in a spring-tyde Of guilty bloud Lord shall I be denyde A draught of cooling water to allay The tyranny of my thirst I that this day Have
glorious Conquerour is now afraid His conscious heart is smitten with his sinne He cannot chuse but feare and feare agin He feares and now the terrible alarmes Of sinne doe call him from th'unlawfull armes And lips of his luxurious Concubine Bids him arise from dalliance and resigne The usurpation of his luke-warme place To some new sinner whose lesse dangerous case May lend more leisure to so soule a deed Samson with greater and vnwonted speed Leapes from his wanton bed his feares doe presse More haste to cloath than lust did to undresse He makes no tarryance but with winged hast Bestrides the streets and to the gates he past And through the armed troupes he makes his way Beares gates and barres and pillers all away So scap'd the rage of the Philistian band That still must owe his ruine to their land Medit. 19. HOw weake at strongest is poore flesh blood Samson the greatnes of whose power withstood A little world of armed men with death â—ust now be foyled with a womans breath The mother sometimes lets her infant fall To make it hold the surer by the wall God lets his servant often goe amisse That he may turne and see how weake he is David that found an overflowing measure Of heavens high favours and as great a treasure Of saving grace and portion of the Spirit As flesh and bloud was able to inherit Must have a fall to exercise his feares And make him drowne his restles couch with tears Wise Salomon within whose heart was planted The fruitfull stockes of heavenly wisdome wanted Not that whereby his weakenesse understood The perfect vanity of flesh and bloud Whose hand seem'd prodigall of his Isaacs life He durst not trust Gods providence with his wife The righteous Lâ—t had slidings Holy Paul He had his pricke and Peter had his fall The sacred Bride in whose faire face remaines The greatest earthly beauty hath her staines If man were perfect land entirely good He were not man he were not flesh and blood Or should he never fall he would at length Not see his weakenesse and presume in strength Ere children know the sharpnesse of the Edge They thinke their fingers have a priveledge Against a wound but having felt the knife A bleeding finger sometime saves a life Lord we are children our sharpe-edg'd knives Together with our bloud le ts out our lives Alas if we but draw them from the sheath They cut our fingers and they bleed to death Thou great Chirurgion of a bleeding soule Whose soveraigne baulme is able to make whole The deepest wound Thy sacred salve is sure We cannot bleed so fast as thou canst cure Heale thou our wounds that having salv'd the sore Our hearts may feare and learne to sinne no more And let our hands be strangers to those knives That wound not fingers onely but our lives THE ARGVMENT He falls in league with Delila The Nobles bribe her to discover Her Samsons strength and learne the way To binde her arme-prevailing Lover Sect. 20. NOt farre from Azza in a fruitfull Valley Close by a brooke whose silver streams did daâ—ley â—ith the smooth bosome of the wanton sands â—hose winding current parts the neighbring lands And often washes the beloved sides â—her delightfull bankes with gentle tydes â—â—re dwelt a Beauty in whose Sunne-bright eye 〈◊〉 sate in thron'd and full of Majestie 〈◊〉 forth such glorious eye-surprizing rayes 〈◊〉 she was thought the wonder of her dayes 〈◊〉 name was called Delila the faire â—â—ther did amorous Samson oft repaire 〈◊〉 with the piercing flame of her bright eye 〈◊〉 so long that like a wanton flye 〈◊〉 â—urnt his lustfull wings and so became 〈◊〉 slavish prisner to that conquering flame She askt and had There 's nothing was too high For her to beg or Samson to denie Who now but Delila What name can raise And crowne his drooping thoughts but Delila's All time 's mispent each houre is cast away That 's not imploy'd upon his Delila Gifts must be given to Delila No cost If sweetest Delila but smile is lost No ioy can please no happinesse can crowne His best desires if Delila but frowne No good can blesse his amorous heart but this Hee 's Delila's and Delila is his Now when the louder breath of fame had blowne Her newes-proclaiming Trumpet made knowne This Lovers passion to the joyfull eares Of the cow'd Philistines their nimble feates Advis'd their better hopes not to neglect So faire advantage which may bring t' effect Their best desires and right their wasted Land Of all her wrongs by a securer hand With that some few of the Philistian Lords Repaire to Delila with baited words They tempt the frailty of the simple maid And having sworne her to their counsell said Faire Delila Thou canst not chuse but know The miseries of our land whose ruines show The danger whereinto not we but all If thou deny they helpefull hand must fall Those fruitfull fields that offer'd but of late Their plenteous favours to our prosperous state See how they lie a ruinous heape and void Of all their plenty wasted and destroyde Our common foe hath sported with our lives Hath slaine our children and destroy'd our wives 〈…〉 poore distressed land doth grone Vnder that mischiefe that his hands have done â—â—dowes implore thee and poore Orphans tongues â—all to faire Delila to right their wrongs 〈◊〉 lies in thee to help Thy helpefull hand May haâ—e the Glory to revenge thy land For which our thankefull Nation shall allow Not onely honour but reward and thou From every hand that 's present here shall gaine 〈◊〉 a thousand Sicles for thy paine To whom faire Delila whom reward had tied To satisfie her owne desires replied My Lords My humble service I acknowledge due 〈◊〉 to my native country next to you If Heaven and Fortune have enricht my hand With so much power to relieve our Land When ere your honours please to call me to it 〈◊〉 Delila shall die or doe it Say then my Lords wherein my power may doe This willing Service to my land or you Thou knowest say they No forces can withstand The mighty strength of cursed Samsons hand 〈◊〉 ruines Armies and does overthrow 〈◊〉 greatest Bands nay kingdomes at a blow The limits of his more then manly powers Are not confin'd nor is his Arme like ours His strength is more then man his conquering Arme Hath sure th' assistance of some potent charme 〈◊〉 nothing but the glory of thine eyes Wherein a farre more strong enchantment lies 〈◊〉 overthrow He 's prisoner to thine eye 〈◊〉 canst thou aske what Samson can deny 〈◊〉 sweetnesse of thy language hath the Art To dive into the secrets of his heart Move Samson then unbarre his bolted brest And let his deafned eares attaine no rest Vntill his eye-inchanted tongue replyes And tells thee where his hidden power lyes Vrge him to whisper in thy private â—are And to repose his magicke mystr'y there How by what meanes
that Quire Of endlesse joy fill'd with coelestiall fire Pardon my teares that in their passion would Recall thee from thy Kingdome if they could Pardon O pardon my distracted zeale Which if condemn'd by reason must appeale To thee whose now lamented death whose end Confirm'd the deare affection of a friend Permit me then to offer at thy herse These fruitles teares which if they prove to fierce O pardon you that know the price of friends For teares are just that nature recommends ELEG 18. SO may the faire aspect of pleased heaven Conforme my noone of daies crowne their even So may the gladder smiles of earth present My fortunes with the height of joâ—s content As I lament with unaffected breath Our losse deare Ailmer in thy happy death May the false teare that 's forc'd or slides by Art That hath no warrant from the soule the heart Or that exceeds not natures faint commission Or dares unvented come to composition O may that teare in stricter judgement rise Against those false those faint those flattring eyes ELEG 19. THus to the world and to the spacious eares Of fame I bâ—azon my unboasted teares Thus to thy sacred dust thy Vrne thy Herse I consecrate my sighes my teares my verse Thus to thy soule thy name thy just desert I offer up my joy my love my heart That earth may know and every eare that heares True worth and griefe were parents to my teares That earth may know thy dust thy Vrne thy herse Brought forth bred my sighes my teares my verse And that thy soule thy name thy just desert Invites incites my joy my love my heart ELEG 20. VNconstant earth why doe not mortalls cease To build their hopes upon so short a lease Vncertaine lease whose terme but once begun Tells never when it ends till it be done We dote upon thy smiles not knowing why And whiles we but prepare to live we dye We spring like flowers for a daies delight At noone we flourish and we â—ade at night We toile for kingdomes conquer Crownes then We that were Gods but now now lesse than men If wisdome learning knowlege cannot dwell Secure from change vaine bubble earth farewell ELEG 21. WOuldst thou when death had done deserve a story Should staine the memory of great Pompeyes glory Conquer thy selfe example be thy guide Dye just as our selfe-conquering Ailmer dyde Woldst thou subdue more kingdoÌ„es gain mo crowns Than that brave Hero Caesar conquer'd townes Then conquer death Example be thy guide Die just as our death-conquering Ailmer dyde But woldst thou win more worlds than he had done Kingdomes that all the earth hath over-runne Then conquer heaven example be thy guide Die just as our heaven-conquering Ailmer dyde ELEG 22. YEares fully laden with their months attend Th' expired times acquitance and so end Months gone their dates of numbered daies require Bright Cynâ—â—ia's full discharge and so expire Dayes deepely ag'd with houres lose their light And having runne their stage conclude with night And howers chac'd with light-foot minutes flye Tending their labour to a new supply Yet Ailmers glory never shall diminish Though yeares and months though daies howers finish Yet Ailmers joyes for ever shall extend Though yeares months though daies and howers end FINIS Dâ—loris nullus His Epitaph ASke you why so many a teare Bursts forth I 'le tell you in your eare Compell me not to speake aloud Death would then be too too proud Eyes that cannot vye a teare Forbeare to aske you may not heare Gentle hearts that overflow Have onely priviledge to know In these sacred ashes then Know Reader that a man of men Lyes covered Fame and lasting glory Make deare mention of his story Nature when she gave him birth Op'd her treasure to the earth Put forth the modell of true merit Quickned with a higher spirit Rare was his life His latest breath Saw and scorn'd and conquer'd death Thanklesse Reader never more Vrge a why when teares runne ore When you saw so high a Tyde You might haue knowne 't was Ailmer dyde Obijt Ian. vj. MDCXXV Vivet post funera Virtus * Sensible graves * Pure in heart * The Kingdome of Heaven * Through apparant infirmities * Glorious in him * Weaknesse of the flesh * Afflictions * 〈◊〉 to Idolatrous superstitions * By reason of my â—â—â—â—nesse * Being seduced by false Prophets * Persecutions * By Idolatry * Thâ—ough my merits and thy sanctification * The Doctrine of the true Prophets * Teacher of my Congregations * Thy most visible parts * Sanctification * The riches of his holy Spirit * The holy Prophets * Thy holy Spirit * In giving grace and receiving glory * The Congregation of Saints * In inward graces * 〈◊〉 is outword glorie * The holy Scriptures * Thy sweet promises * 〈◊〉 imperfections of my present state * The weakenesse of my flesh * The Elect. * Angels * The Congregation of the faithfull * To offer up the first 〈◊〉 of obedience * â— Persecutions * The day of Iudgement * 〈◊〉 sanctification * 〈◊〉 my soule * By strict examination * Amongst the wisest worldlings * The Ministers of the word * At the resurrection * Through sanctification by my merits * â—y heavenly contemplation * Through the gifts of my spirit * The modestie and purity of thy judgement * Ornaments of necessary Ceremonies * Sincere Ministers * Doctrine of thy holy Prophets * Modest graces of the â—pirit * Magistrates * The old and new Testaments * The sanctified zealous Reader * The second death * I will withdraw my bodily presence * The day of judgement * Infirmities of the flesh * This vale of miserie * Thine eye of Faith * Divine Harmonie * The two Testaments * Riddles to prophane Readers * Celestiall comforts * â—he faithfull * The Sunne of righteousnesse * Obedience * Strong workes of Faith * The new fruits of the Spirit * Toâ— much securitie * My heart * The pleasures of the Flesh. * Thy hard-hearted unkindenesse * â—â—pented * The sweetnesse of his graces * False teachers * With their false doctrines * Divine Love * His Dietie * His Humanitie * His judgements and care of his Church * The discovery of him in his word * His promises * Those that die to sinne * That live to righteousnesse * His actins * With purenesse * His secret counsells * Inwardly glorious * His waies constant firme and pure * His whole carriage * The Church is the way to Christ. * Congregation of the faithfull * Giving graces * Receiving glory * Despairing soules * Not yet thorowly humbled * Strengthning the weake in spirit * The force of repentance * Sincere Ministers * Thy visible parts * Modestie and zeale * The pure in heaâ—t * My Spirit * Securitie * Worldly pleasures * Thy wayes * The girdle of truth * The precious gifts of the Spirit * Thereby there is a receipt of spirituall Conceptions * Increase of the faithfull * The old and new Testament * Magistrates * Teachers * Glorious in all parts * The Ceremonies of the Church * Despairing soules * Young Converts * Opposers of the Truth * Congregation of the faithfull * By affliction * Young Convers. * Assemblies * Faithfull * Faith and good workes * The universall Church * Teares and sorrowes * Not to vexe and grieve his holy Spirit * In humility * The Church of the Gentiles then uncalled * Vncall'd to the truth * In the great Congregation * The penitent * The presumptuous