with your rich fragrant favours Nor may nor ever shall those honour'd flowers Be spoil'd by summers heat or winters showers But last when eating time shal gnaw the proudest towers 16 Happy thrice happy times in silver age When generous plants advanc't their lofty crest When honour stoopt to be learn'd wisdomes page When baser weeds starv'd in their frozen nest When th' highest flying Muse still highest climbes And vertues rise keeps down all rising crimes Happy thrice happy age happy thrice happy times 17 But wretched we to whom these iron daies Hard daies afford nor matter nor reward Sings Maro men deride high Maro's layes Their hearts with lead with steel their sense is barr'd Sing Linus or his father as he uses Our Midas eares their well tun'd verse refuses What cares an asse for arts he brayes at sacred Muses 18 But if fond Bavius vent his clowted song Or Maevius chaunt his thoughts in brothell charm The witlesse vulgar in a numerous throng Like summer flies about their dunghills swarm They sneer they grinne Like to his like will move Yet never let them greater mischief prove Then this Who hates not one may he the other love 19 Witnesse our Colin whom though all the Graces And all the Muses nurst whose well taught song Parnassus self and Glorian embraces And all the learn'd and all the shepherds throng Yet all his hopes were crost all suits deni'd Discourag'd scorn'd his writings vilifi'd Poorly poore man he liv'd poorly poore man he di'd 20 And had not that great Hart whose honour'd head Ah lies full low piti'd thy wofull plight There hadst thou lien unwept unburied Unblest nor grac't with any common rite Yet shalt thou live when thy great foe shall sink Beneath his mountain tombe whose fame shall stink And time his blacker name shall blurre with blackest ink 21 O let th' Iambick Muse revenge that wrong Which cannot slumber in thy sheets of lead Let thy abused honour crie as long As there be quills to write or eyes to reade On his rank name let thine own votes be turn'd Oh may that man that hath the Muses scorn'd Alive nor dead be ever of a Muse adorn'd 22 Oft therefore have I chid my tender Muse Oft my chill breast beats off her fluttering wing Yet when new spring her gentle rayes infuse All storms are laid I 'gin to chirp and sing At length soft fires disperst in every vein Yeeld open passage to the thronging train And swelling numbers tide rolls like the surging main 23 So where fair Thames and crooked Isis sonne Payes tribute to his King the mantling stream Encounter'd by the tides now rushing on With equall force of 's way doth doubtfull seem At length the full-grown sea and waters King Chide the bold waves with hollow murmuring Back flie the streams to shroud them in their mother spring 24 Yet thou sweet numerous Muse why should'st thou droop That every vulgar eare thy musick scorns Nor can they rise nor thou so low canst stoop No seed of heav'n takes root in mud or thorns When owls or crows imping their flaggy wing With thy stoln plumes their notes through th' ayer fling Oh shame They howl croke while fond they strain to sing 25 Enough for thee in heav'n to build thy nest Farre be dull thoughts of winning dunghill praise Enough if Kings enthrone thee in their breast And crown their golden crowns with higher baies Enough that those who weare the crown of Kings Great Israels Princes strike thy sweetest strings Heav'ns Dove when high'st he flies flies with thy heav'nly wings 26 Let others trust the seas dare death and hell Search either Inde vaunt of their scarres and wounds Let others their deare breath nay silence sell To fools and swoln not rich stretch out their bounds By spoiling those that live and wronging dead That they may drink in pearl and couch their head In soft but sleeplesse down in rich but restlesse bed 27 Oh let them in their gold quaffe dropsies down Oh let them surfets feast in silver bright While sugar hires the taste the brain to drown And bribes of sauce corrupt false appetite His masters rest health heart life soul to sell. Thus plentie fulnesse sicknesse ring their knell Death weds and beds them first in grave and then in hell 28 But ah let me under some Kentish hill Neare rowling Medway 'mong my shepherd peers With fearlesse merrie-make and piping still Securely passe my few and slow-pac'd yeares While yet the great Augustus of our nation Shuts up old Ianus in this long cessation Strength'ning our pleasing ease and gives us sure vacation 29 There may I master of a little flock Feed my poore lambes and often change their fare My lovely mate shall tend my sparing stock And nurse my little ones with pleasing care Whose love and look shall speak their father plain Health be my feast heav'n hope content my gain So in my little house my lesser heart shall reigne 30 The beech shall yeeld a cool safe canopie While down I fit and chaunt to th' echoing wood Ah singing might I live and singing die So by fair Thames or silver Medwayes floud The dying swan when yeares her temples pierce In musick strains breathes out her life and verse And chaunting her own dirge tides on her watry herse 31 What shall I then need seek a patron out Or begge a favour from a mistris eyes To fence my song against the vulgar rout Or shine upon me with her Geminies What care I if they praise my slender song Or reck I if they do me right or wrong A shepherds blisse nor stands nor falls to ev'ry tongue 32 Great prince of shepherds then thy heav'ns more high Low as our earth here serving ruling there Who taught'st our death to live thy life to die Who when we broke thy bonds our bonds would'st bear Who reignedst in thy heav'n yet felt'st our hell Who God bought'st man whom man though God did sell Who in our flesh our graves and worse our hearts would'st dwell 33 Great Prince of shepherds thou who late didst deigne To lodge thy self within this wretched breast Most wretched breast such guest to entertain Yet oh most happy lodge in such a guest Thou first and last inspire thy sacred skill Guide thou my hand grace thou my artlesse quill So shall I first begin so last shall end thy will 54 Heark then ah heark you gentle shepheard-crue An Isle I fain would sing an Island fair A place too seldome view'd yet still in view Neare as our selves yet farthest from our care Which we by leaving finde by seeking lost A forrain home a strange though native coast Most obvious to all yet most unkown to most 35 Coëvall with the world in her nativitie Which though it now hath pass'd through many ages And still retain'd a naturall proclivitie To ruine compast with a thousand rages Of foe-mens spite which still this Island tosses Yet ever grows more prosp'rous by her
'gins his life when he 's of life bereaven Ah blessed soul that here begins his heaven Upon the Contemplations of the B. of Excester given to the Ladie E. W. at New-yeares-tide THis little worlds two little starres are eyes And he that all eyes framed fram'd all others Downward to fall but these to climbe the skies There to acquaint them with their starrie brothers Planets fixt in the head their spheare of sense Yet wandring still through heav'ns circumference The Intellect being their Intelligence Dull then that heavie soul which ever bent On earth and earthly toyes his heav'n neglects Content with that which cannot give content What thy foot scorning kicks thy soul respects Fond soul thy eye will up to heav'n erect thee Thou it direct'st and must it now direct thee Dull heavie soul thy scholar must correct thee Thrice happie soul that guided by thine eyes Art mounted up unto that starrie nation And leaving there thy sense entrest the skies Enshrin'd and sainted there by contemplation Heav'n thou enjoy'st on earth and now bereaven Of life a new life to thy soul is given Thrice happie soul that hast a double heaven That sacred hand which to this yeare hath brought you Perfect your yeares and with your yeares his graces And when his will unto his will hath wrought you Conduct your soul unto those happie places Where thousand joyes and pleasures ever new And blessings thicker then the morning dew With endlesse sweets rain on that heav'nly crue These Asclepiads of Mr. H. S. translated and enlarged Nè Verbum mihi sit mortua Litera Nec Christi Meritum Gratia vanida Sed Verbum fatuo sola Scientia Et Christus misero sola Redemptio UNletter'd Word which never eare could heare Unwritten Word which never eye could see Yet syllabled in flesh-spell'd character That so to senses thou might'st subject be Since thou in bread art stampt in print art read Let not thy print-stampt Word to me be dead Thou all-contriving all-deserving Spirit Made flesh to die that so thou might'st be mine That thou in us and we in thee might merit We thine thou ours thou humane we divine Let not my dead lifes merit my dead heart Forfeit so deare a purchas'd deaths desert Thou Sunne of wisdome knowledge infinite Made folly to the wise night to prophane Be I thy Moon oh let thy sacred light Increase to th' full and never never wane Wise folly set in me fond wisdome rise Make me renounce my wisdome to be wise Thou Life eternall purest blessednesse Made mortal wretched sinne it self for me Shew me my death my sin my wretchednesse That I may flourish shine and live in thee So I with praise shall sing thy life deaths storie O thou my Merit Life my Wisdome Glorie Certain of the royal Prophets Psalmes metaphrased Psalm 42. which agrees with the tune of Like the Hermite poore LOok as an hart with sweat and bloud embrued Chas'd and embost thirsts in the soil to be So my poore soul with eager foes pursued Looks longs O Lord pines pants and faints for thee When O my God when shall I come in place To see thy light and view thy glorious face I dine and sup with sighs with grones and teares While all thy foes mine eares with taunting load Who now thy cries who now thy prayer heares Where is say they where is thy boasted God My molten heart deep plung'd in sad despairs Runnes forth to thee in streams of teares and prayers With grief I think on those sweet now past dayes When to thy house my troops with joy I led We sang we danc'd we chanted sacred layes No men so haste to wine no bride to bed Why droop'st my soul why faint'st thou in my breast Wait still with praise his presence is thy rest My famisht soul driv'n from thy sweetest word From Hermon hill and Jordans swelling brook To thee laments sighs deep to thee O Lord To thee sends back her hungrie longing look Flouds of thy wrath breed flouds of grief and fears And flouds of griefbreed flouds of plaints and teares His early light with morn these clouds shall clear These drearie clouds and storms of sad despairs Sure am I in the night his songs to heare Sweet songs of joy as well as he my prayers I 'le say My God why slight'st thou my distresse While all my foes my wearie soul oppresse My cruel foes both thee and me upbraid They cut my heart they vant that bitter word Where is thy trust where is thy hope they said Where is thy God where is thy boasted Lord Why droop'st my soul why faint'st thou in my breast Wait still with praise his presence is thy rest Psal. 63. which may be sung as The widow or mock-widow O Lord before the morning Gives heav'n warning To let out the day My wakefull eyes Look for thy rise And wait to let in thy joyfull ray Lank hunger here peoples the desert cells Here thirst fills up the emptie wells How longs my flesh for that bread without leaven How thirsts my soul for that wine of heaven Such oh to taste thy ravishing grace Such in thy house to view thy glorious face Thy love thy light thy faces Bright-shining graces Whose unchanged ray Knows nor morns dawn Nor evenings wane How farre surmount they lifes winter day My heart to thy glorie tunes all his strings My tongue thy praises cheerly sings And till I slumber and death shall undresse me Thus will I sing thus will I blesse thee Fill me with love oh fill me with praise So shall I vent due thanks in joyfull layes When night all eyes hath quenched And thoughts lie drenched In silence and rest Then will I all Thy waies recall And look on thy light in darknesse best When my poore soul wounded had lost the field Thou wast my fort thou wast my shield Safe in thy trenches I boldly will vant me There will I sing there will I chant thee There I 'le triumph in thy banner of grace My conqu'ring arms shall be thy arms embrace My foes from deeps ascending In rage transcending Assaulting me sore Into their hell Are headlong fell There shall they lie there howl and roare There let deserv'd torments their spirits tear Feel they worst ills and worse yet fear But with his spouse thine anointed in pleasure Shall reigne and joy past time or measure There new delights new pleasures still spring Haste there oh haste my soul to dance and sing PSAL. 127. To the tune of that Psalme IF God build not the house and lay The ground-work sure who ever build It cannot stand one stormie day If God be not the cities shield If he be not their barres and wall In vain is watch-tower men and all Though then thou wak'st when others rest Though rising thou prevent'st the Sunne Though with lean care thou daily feast Thy labour 's lost and thou undone But God his childe will feed and keep And draw the curtains to
his sleep Though th' hast a wife fir young and fair An heritage heirs to advance Yet canst thou not command an heir For heirs are Gods inheritance He gives the seed the bud the bloom He gives the harvest to the wombe And look as arrows by strong arm In a strong bow drawn to the head Where they are meant will surely harm And if they hit wound deep and dead Children of youth are even so As harmfull deadly to a foe That man shall live in blisse and peace Who fills his quiver with such shot Whose garners swell with such increase Terrour and shame assail him not And though his foes deep hatred bear Thus arm'd he shall not need to fear PSAL. 137. To be sung as See the building WHere Perah's flowers Perfume proud Babels bowers And paint her wall There we laid asteeping Our eyes in endlesse weeping For Sions fall Our feasts and songs we laid aside On forlorn willows By Perah's billows We hung our harps and mirth and joy defi'd That Sions ruines should build foul Babels pride Our conqu'rours vaunting With bitter scoffes and taunting Thus proudly jest Take down your harps and string them Recall your songs sing them For Sions feast Were our harps well tun'd in every string Our heart-strings broken Throats drown'd and soken With tears and sighs how can we praise and sing The King of heav'n under an heathen king In all my mourning Ierusalem thy burning If I forget Forget thy running My hand and all thy cunning To th' harp to set Let thy mouth my tongue be still thy grave Lie there asleeping For Sion weeping Oh let mine eyes in tears thy office have Nor rise nor set but in their brinie wave Proud Edoms raging Their hate with bloud asswaging And vengefull sword Their cursed joying In Sions walls destroying Remember Lord Forget not Lord their spightfull cry Fire and deface it Destroy and raze it Oh let the name of Sion ever die Thus did they roare and us and thee defie So shall thy towers And all thy princely bowers Proud Babel fall Him ever blessed Who th' oppressour hath oppressed Shall all men call Thrice blest that turns thy mirth to grones That burns to ashes Thy towers and dashes Thy brats 'gainst rocks to wash thy bloudie stones With thine own bloud and pave thee with thy bones PSAL. I. BLessed who walk'st not in the worldlings way Blessed who with foul sinners wilt not stand Blessed who with proud mockers dar'st not stay Nor sit thee down amongst that scornfull band Thrice blessed man who in that heav'nly light Walk'st stand'st and sitt'st rejoycing day and night Look as a thirstie Palm full Iordan drinks Whose leaf and fruit still live when winter dies With conqu'ring branches crowns the rivers brinks And summers fires and winters frosts defies All so the soul whom that clear light revives Still springs buds grows and dying time survives But as the dust of chaffe cast in the aire Sinks in the dirt and turns to dung and mire So sinners driv'n to hell by fierce despair Shall frie in ice and freez in hellish fire For he whose flaming eyes all actions turn Sees both to light the one the other burn PSAL. 130. FRom the deeps of grief and fear O Lord to thee my soul repairs From thy heav'n bow down thine eare Let thy mercie meet my prayers Oh if thou mark'st what 's done amisse What soul so pure can see thy blisse But with thee sweet mercie stands Sealing pardons working fear Wait my soul wait on his hands Wait mine eye oh wait mine eare If he his eye or tongue affords Watch all his looks catch all his words As a watchman waits for day And looks for light and looks again When the night grows old and gray To be reliev'd he calls amain So look so wait so long mine eyes To see my Lord my Sunne arise Wait ye saints wait on our Lord For from his tongue sweet mercie flows Wait on his crosse wait on his word Upon that tree redemption grows He will redeem his Israel From sinne and wrath from death and hell AN HYMNE WAke O my soul awake and raise Up every part to sing his praise Who from his spheare of glorie fell To raise thee up from death and hell See how his soul vext for thy sinne Weeps bloud without feels hell within See where he hangs heark how he cries Oh bitter pangs Now now he dies Wake O mine eyes awake and view Those two twin-lights whence heavens drew Their glorious beams whose gracious sight Fills you with joy with life and light See how with clouds of sorrow drown'd They wash with tears thy sinfull wound See how with streams of spit th' are drencht See how their beams with death are quencht Wake O mine eare awake and heare That powerfull voice which stills thy fear And brings from heav'n those joyfull news Which heav'n commands which hell subdues Heark how his eares heav'ns mercie-seat Foul slanders with reproaches beat Heark how the knocks our ears resound Heark how their mocks his hearing wound Wake O my heart tune every string Wake O my tongue awake and sing Think not a thought in all thy layes Speak not a word but of his praise Tell how his sweetest tongue they drownd With gall think how his heart they wound That bloudie spout gagg'd for thy sinne His life lets out thy death lets in AN HYMNE DRop drop slow tears and bathe those beauteous feet Which brought from heav'n the news and Prince of peace Cease not wet eyes his mercies to intreat To crie for vengeance sinne doth never cease In your deep flouds drown all my faults and fears Nor let his eye see sinne but through my tears On my friends picture who died in travel THough now to heav'n thy travels are confin'd Thy wealth friends life and countrey all are lost Yet in this picture we thee living finde And thou with lesser travel lesser cost Hast found new life friends wealth and better coast So by thy death thou liv'st by losse thou gain'st And in thy absence present still remain'st Upon Doctor Playser WHo lives with death by death in death is lying But he who living dies best lives by dying Who life to truth who death to errour gives In life may die by death more surely lives My soul in heaven breathes in schools my fame Then on my tombe write nothing but my name Upon my brothers book called The grounds labour and reward of faith THis lamp fill'd up and fir'd by that blest Spirit Spent his last oyl in this pure heav'nly flame Laying the grounds walls roof of faith this frame With life he ends and now doth there inherit What here he built crown'd with his laurel merit Whose palms and triumphs once he loudly rang There now enjoyes what here he sweetly sang This is his monument on which he drew His spirits image that can never die But breathes in these ' live words and speaks to th' eye In these
didst spread On those dark waters thy all-opening light Thou who of late of thy great bounty head This nest of hellish fogges and Stygian night With thy bright orient Sunne hast fair renew'd And with unwonted day hast it endu'd Which late both day thee and most it self eschew'd 27 Dread Spirit do thou those severall bands unfold Both which thou sent'st a needfull supplement To this lost Isle and which with courage bold Hourely assail thy rightfull regiment And with strong hand oppresse keep them under Raise now my humble vein to lofty thunder That heav'n and earth may sound resound thy praises wonder 28 The Islands Prince of frame more then celestiall Is rightly call'd th' all-seeing Intellect All glorious bright such nothing is terrestriall Whose Sun-like face and most divine aspect No humane sight may ever hope descrie For when himself on 's self reflects his eye Dull and amaz'd he stands at so bright majestie 29 Look as the Sunne whose ray and searching light Here there and every where it self displayes No nook or corner flies his piercing sight Yet on himself when he reflects his rayes Soon back he flings the too bold vent'ring gleam Down to the earth the flames all broken stream Such is this famous Prince such his unpierced beam 30 His strangest body is not bodily But matter without matter never fill'd Nor filling though within his compasse high All heav'n and earth and all in both are held Yet thousand thousand heav'ns he could contain And still as empty as at first remain And when he takes in most readi'st to take again 31 Though travelling all places changing none Bid him soar up to heav'n and thence down throwing The centre search and Dis dark realm he 's gone Returns arrives before thou saw'st him going And while his weary kingdome safely sleeps All restlesse night he watch and warding keeps Never his carefull head on resting pillow steeps 32 In every quarter of this blessed Isle Himself both present is and President Nor once retires ah happy realm the while That by no Officers lewd lavishment With greedie lust and wrong consumed art He all in all and all in every part Does share to each his due and equall dole impart 33 He knows nor death nor yeares nor feeble age But as his time his strength and vigour grows And when his kingdome by intestine rage Lies broke and wasted open to his foes And batter'd sconce now flat and even lies Sooner then thought to that great Judge he flies Who weighs him just reward of good or injuries 34 For he the Judges Viceroy here is plac't Where if he live as knowing he may die He never dies but with fresh pleasures grac't Bathes his crown'd head in soft eternitie Where thousand joyes and pleasures ever new And blessings thicker then the morning dew With endlesse sweets rain down on that immortall crue 35 There golden starres set in the crystall snow There daintie joyes laugh at white-headed caring There day no night delight no end shall know Sweets without surfet fulnesse without sparing And by its spending growing happinesse There God himself in glories lavishnesse Diffus'd in all to all is all full blessednesse 36 But if he here neglect his Masters law And with those traitours 'gainst his Lord rebells Down to the deeps ten thousand fiends him draw Deeps where night death despair and horrour dwells And in worst ills still worse expecting fears Where fell despite for spite his bowels tears And still increasing grief and torment never wears 37 Prayers there are idle death is woo'd in vain In midst of death poore wretches long to die Night without day or rest still doubling pain Woes spending still yet still their end lesse nigh The soul there restlesse helplesse hopelesse lies The body frying roars and roaring fries There 's life that never lives there 's death that never dies 38 Hence while unsetled here he fighting reignes Shut in a Tower where thousand enemies Assault the fort with wary care and pains He guards all entrance and by divers spies Searches into his foes and friends designes For most he fears his subjects wavering mindes This Tower then onely falls when treason undermines 39 Therefore while yet he lurks in earthly tent Disguis'd in worthlesse robes and poore attire Trie we to view his glories wonderment And get a sight of what we so admire For when away from this sad place he flies And in the skies abides more bright then skies Too glorious is his sight for our dimme mortall eyes 40 So curl'd-head Thetis waters feared Queen But bound in cauls of sand yeelds not to sight And planets glorious King may best be seen When some thinne cloud dimmes his too piercing light And neither none nor all his face discloses For when his bright eye full our eye opposes None gains his glorious sight but his own sight he loses 41 Within the Castle sit eight Counsellers That help him in this tent to govern well Each in his room a severall office bears Three of his inmost private counsell deal In great affairs five of lesse dignitie Have outward Courts and in all actions prie But still referre the doom to Courts more fit and high 42 Those five fair brethren which I sung of late For their just number call'd the Pemptarchie The other three three pillars of the state The first in midst of that high Tower doth lie The chiefest mansion of this glorious King The Judge and Arbiter of every thing Which those five brethrens poasts in to his office bring 43 Of middle yeares and seemly personage Father of laws the rule of wrong and right Fountain of judgement therefore wondrous sage Discreet and wise of quick and nimble sight Not those seven Sages might him parallell Nor he whom Pythian Maid did whilome tell To be the wisest man that then on earth did dwell 44 As Neptunes cestern sucks in tribute tides Yet never full which every chanel brings And thirstie drinks and drinking thirstie bides For by some hidden way back to the springs It sends the streams in erring conduits spread Which with a circling dutie still are led So ever feeding them is by them ever fed 45 Ev'n so the first of these three Counsellers Gives to the five the power of all-descrying Which back to him with mutuall dutie bears All their informings and the causes trying For through strait waies the nimble Poast ascends Unto his hall there up his message sends Which to the next well scann'd he straightway recommends 46 The next that in the Castles front is plac't Phantastes hight his yeares are fresh and green His visage old his face too much defac't With ashes pale his eyes deep sunken been With often thoughts and never slackt intention Yet he the fount of speedy apprehension Father of wit the well of arts and quick invention 47 But in his private thoughts and busy brain Thousand thinne forms and idle fancies flit The three-shap't Sphinx and direfull
gold in deepest centre dwells So sweetest violets trail on lowly ground So richest pearls ly clos'd in vilest shells So lowest dales we let at highest rates So creeping strawberries yeeld daintiest cates The Highest highly loves the low the loftie hates 17 Upon his shield was drawn that Shepherd lad Who with a sling threw down faint Israels fears And in his hand his spoils and trophies glad The Monsters sword and head he bravely bears Plain in his lovely face you might behold A blushing meeknesse met with courage bold Little not little worth was fairly wrote in gold 18 With him his kinsman both in birth and name Obedience taught by many bitter showers In humble bonds his passions proud to tame And low submit unto the higher powers But yet no servile yoke his forehead brands For ti'd in such an holy service bands In this obedience rules and serving thus commands 19 By them went Fido Marshal of the field Weak was his mother when she gave him day And he at first a sick and weakly childe As e're with tears welcom'd the sunnie ray Yet when more yeares afford more growth might A champion stout he was and puissant Knight As ever came in field or shone in armour bright 20 So may we see a little lionet When newly whelpt a weak and tender thing Despis'd by every beast but waxen great When fuller times full strength and courage bring The beasts all crouching low their King adore And dare not see what they contemn'd before The trembling forrest quakes at his affrighting roar 21 Mountains he flings in seas with mighty hand Stops and turns back the Sunnes impetuous course Nature breaks natures laws at his command No force of hell or heav'n withstands his force Events to come yet many ages hence He present makes by wondrous prescience Proving the senses blinde by being blinde to sense 22 His sky-like arms di'd all in blue and white And set with golden starres that flamed wide His shield invisible to mortall sight Yet he upon it easily descri'd The lively semblance of his dying Lord Whose bleeding side with wicked steel was gor'd Which to his fainting spirits new courage would afford 23 Strange was the force of that enchanted shield Which highest powers to it from heav'n impart For who could bear it well and rightly wield It sav'd from sword and spear and poison'd dart Well might he slip but yet not wholly fall No finall losse his courage might appall Growing more sound by wounds and rising by his fall 24 So some have feign'd that Tellus giant sonne Drew many new-born lives from his dead mother Another rose as soon as one was done And twentie lost yet still remain'd another For when he fell and kist the barren heath His parent straight inspir'd successive breath And though her self was dead yet ransom'd him from death 25 With him his Nurse went carefull Acoe Whose hands first from his mothers wombe did take him And ever since have foster'd tenderly She never might she never would forsake him And he her lov'd again with mutuall band For by her needfull help he oft did stand When else he soon would fail and fall in foemens hand 26 With both sweet Meditation ever pac't His Nurses daughter and his Foster-sister Deare as his soul he in his soul her plac't And oft embrac't and oft by stealth he kist her For she had taught him by her silent talk To tread the safe and dangerous wayes to balk And brought his God with him him with his God to walk 27 Behinde him Penitence did sadly go Whose cloudie dropping eyes were ever raining Her swelling tears which ev'n in ebbing flow Furrow her cheek the sinfull puddles draining Much seem'd she in her pensive thought molested And much the mocking world her soul infested More she the hatefull world and most her self detested 28 She was the object of lewd mens disgrace The squint-ey'd wrie-mouth'd scoffe of carnall hearts Yet smiling heav'n delights to kisse her face And with his bloud God bathes her painfull smarts Afflictions iron flail her soul had thrasht Sharp Circumcisions knife her heart had slasht Yet was it angels wine which in her eyes was masht 29 With her a troop of mournfull grooms abiding Help with their sullen blacks their Mistresse wo Amendment still but still his own faults chiding And Penance arm'd with smarting whips did go Then sad Remorse came sighing all the way Last Satisfaction giving all away Much surely did he owe much more he would repay 30 Next went Elpinus clad in skie-like blue And through his arms few starres did seem to peep Which there the workmans hand so finely drew That rockt in clouds they softly seem'd to sleep His rugged shield was like a rockie mold On which an anchour bit with surest hold I hold by being held was written round in gold 31 Nothing so cheerfull was his thoughtfull face As was his brother Fido's Fear seem'd dwell Close by his heart his colour chang'd apace And went and came that sure all was not well Therefore a comely Maid did oft sustain His fainting steps and fleeting life maintain Pollicita she hight which ne're could lie or feigne 32 Next to Elpinus marcht his brother Love Not that great Love which cloth'd his Godhead bright With rags of flesh and now again above Hath drest his flesh in heav'ns eternall light Much lesse the brat of that false Cyprian dame Begot by froth and fire in bed of shame And now burns idle hearts swelt'ring in lustfull flame 33 But this from heav'n brings his immortall race And nurst by Gratitude whose carefull arms Long held and hold him still in kinde embrace But train'd to daily warres and fierce alarms He grew to wondrous strength and beautie rare Next that God-Love from whom his off-springs are No match in earth or heav'n may with this Love compare 34 His Page who from his side might never move Remembrance on him waits in books reciting The famous passions of that highest Love His burning zeal to greater flames exciting Deep would he sigh and seem empassion'd sore And oft with tears his backward heart deplore That loving all he could he lov'd that Love no more 35 Yet sure he truely lov'd and honour'd deare That glorious name for when or where he spi'd Wrong'd or in hellish speech blasphem'd did heare Boldly the rash blasphemer he defi'd And forc't him eat the words he foully spake But if for him he grief or death did take That grief he counted joy and death life for his sake 36 His glitt'ring arms drest all with firie hearts Seem'd burn in chaste desire and heav'nly flame And on his shield kinde Ionathan imparts To his souls friend his robes and princely name And kingly throne which mortals so adore And round about was writ in golden ore Well might he give him all that gave his life before 37 These led the Vantguard and an hundred moe Fill'd up the emptie ranks with ord'red train But
either And both upon one poore heart ever feeding I hill cold despair most cold yet cooling neither In midst of fires his ycie frosts is breeding So fires and frosts to make a perfect hell Meet in one breast in one house friendly dwell Tir'd in this toylsome way my deep affection I ever forward runne and never ease me I dare not swerve her eye is my direction A heavie grief and weighty love oppresse me Desire and hope two spurres that forth compell'd me But awfull fear abridle still withheld me Twice have I plung'd and flung and strove to cast This double burden from my weary heart Fast though I runne and stop they sit as fast Her looks my bait which she doth seld ' impart Thus fainting still some inne I wish and crave Either her maiden bosome or my grave A vow BY hope and fear by grief and joy opprest With deadly hate more deadly love infected Without within in body soul distrest Little by all least by my self respected But most most there where most I lov'd neglected Hated and hating life to death I call Who scorns to take what is refus'd by all Whither ah whither then wilt thou betake thee Despised wretch of friends of all forlorn Since hope and love and life and death forsake thee Poore soul thy own tormenter others scorn Whither poore soul ah whither wilt thou turn What inne what host scorn'd wretch wilt thou now chuse thee The common host and inne death grave refuse thee To thee great Love to thee I prostrate fall That right'st in love the heart in false love swerved On thee true Love on thee I weeping call I who am scorn'd where with all truth I served On thee so wrong'd where thou hast so deserved Disdain'd where most I lov'd to thee I plain me Who truly lovest those who fools disdain thee Thou never-erring Way in thee direct me Thou Death of death oh in thy death engrave me Thou hated Love with thy firm love respect me Thou freest Servant from this yoke unslave me Glorious Salvation for thy glory save me So neither love nor hate scorn death shall move me But with thy love great Love I still shall love thee On womens lightnesse VVHo sowes the sand or ploughs the easie shore Or strives in nets to prison in the winde Yet I fond I more fond and senselesse more Thought in sure love a womans thoughts to binde Fond too fond thoughts that thought in love to tie One more inconstant then inconstancie Look as it is with some true April day Whose various weather stores the world with flowers The sunne his glorious beams doth fair display Then rains and shines again and straight it lowres And twenty changes in one houre doth prove So and more changing is a womans love Or as the hairs which deck their wanton heads Which loosely fly and play with every winde And with each blast turn round their golden threads Such as their hair such is their looser minde The difference this their hair is often bound But never bonds a woman might impound False is their flattering colour false and fading False is their flattering tongue false every part Their hair is forg'd their silver foreheads shading False are their eyes but falsest is their heart Then this in consequence must needs ensue All must be false when every part 's untrue Fond then my thoughts which thought a thing so vain Fond hopes that anchour on so false a ground Fond love to love what could not love again Fond heart thus fir'd with love in hope thus drown'd Fond thoughts fond heart fond hope but fondest I To grasp the winde and love inconstancie A reply upon the fair M. S. A Daintie maid that drawes her double name From bitter sweetnesse with sweet bitternesse Did late my skill and faulty verses blame And to her loving friend did plain confesse That I my former credit foul did shame And might no more a poets name professe The cause that with my verse she was offended For womens levitie I discommended Too true you said that poet I was never And I confesse it fair if that content ye That then I playd the poet lesse then ever Not for of such a verse I now repent me Poets to feigne and make fine lies endeavour But I the truth truth ah too certain sent ye Then that I am no poet I denie not For when their lightnesse I condemne I ly not But if my verse had ly'd against my minde And praised that which truth cannot approve And falsly said they were as fair as kinde As true as sweet their faith could never move But sure is linkt where constant love they finde That with sweet braving they vie truth and love If thus I write it cannot be deni'd But I a poet were so foul I ly'd But give me leave to write as I have found Like ruddy apples are their outsides bright Whose skin is fair the core or heart unsound Whose cherry-cheek the eye doth much delight But inward rottennesse the taste doth wound Ah! were the taste so good as is the sight To pluck such apples lost with self same price Would back restore us part of paradise But truth hath said it truth who dare denie Men seldome are more seldome women sure But if fair-sweet thy truth and constancie To better faith thy thoughts and minde procure If thy firm truth could give firm truth the lie If thy first love will first and last endure Thou more then woman art if time so proves thee And he more then a man that loved loves thee An Apologie for the premises to the Ladie Culpepper WHo with a bridle strives to curb the waves Or in a cypresse chest locks flaming fires So when love angred in thy bosome raves And grief with love a double flame inspires By silence thou mayst adde but never lesse it The way is by expressing to represse it Who then will blame affection not respected To vent in grief the grief that so torments him Passion will speak in passion if neglected Love that so soon will chide as soon repents him And therefore boyish Love's too like a boy With a toy pleas'd displeased with a toy Have you not seen when you have chid or fought That lively picture of your lovely beauty Your pretty childe at first to lowre or pout But soon again reclaim'd to love and duty Forgets the rod and all her anger ends Playes on your lap or on your neck depends Too like that pretty childe is childish Love That when in anger he is wrong'd or beat Will rave and chide and every passion prove But soon to smiles and fawns turns all his heat And prayes and swears he never more will do it Such one is Love alas that women know it But if so just excuse will not content ye But still you blame the words of angry Love Here I recant and of those words repent me In signe hereof I offer now to prove That changing womens love is
live with me els shall they see me never 37 My God oh in thy fear here let them live Thy wards they are take them to thy protection Thou gav'st them first now back to thee I give Direct them thou and help her weak direction That reunited by thy strong election Thou now in them they then may live in thee And seeing here thy will may there thy glorie see 38 Bettie let these last words long with thee dwell If yet a second Hymen do expect thee Though well he love thee once I lov'd as well Yet if his presence make thee lesse respect me Ah do not in my childrens good neglect me Let me this faithfull hope departing have More easie shall I die and sleep in carelesse grave 39 Farewell farewell I feel my long long rest And iron sleep my leaden heart oppressing Night after day sleep after labour's best Port after storms joy after long distressing So weep thy losse as knowing 't is my blessing Both as a widow and a Christian grieve Still live I in thy thoughts but as in heav'n I live 40 Death end of old joyes entrance into new I follow thee I know I am thy debtour Not unexpect thou com'st to claim thy due Take here thine own my souls too heavie fetter Not life lifes place I change but for a better Take thou my soul that bought'st it cease your tears Who sighing leaves the earth himself and heaven fears 41 Thus said and while the bodie slumbring lay As Theseus Ariadne's bed forsaking His quiet soul stole from her house of clay And glorious Angels on their wings it taking Swifter then lightning flew for heaven making There happie goes he heav'nly fires admiring Whose motion is their bait whose rest is restlesse giring 42 And now the courts of that thrice blessed King It enters and his presence sits enjoying While in it self it findes an endlesse spring Of pleasures new and never weary joying Ne're spent in spending feeding never cloying Weak pen to write for thought can never feign them The minde that all can hold yet cannot half contain thē 43 There doth it blessed sit and looking down Laughs at our busie care and idle paining And fitting to it self that glorious crown Scorns earth where even Kings most serve by reigning Where men get wealth and hell so loose by gaining Ah blessed soul there sit thou still delighted Till we at length to him with thee shall be united 44 But when at last his Lady sad espies His flesh of life her self of him deprived Too full of grief closing his quenched eyes As if in him by him for him she lived Fell dead with him and once again revived Fell once again pain wearie of his paining And grief with too much grief felt now no grief remaining 45 Again reliev'd all silent sat she long No word to name such grief durst first adventer Grief is but light that floats upon the tongue But weightie sorrow presses to the center And never rests till th' heavie heart it enter And in lifes house was married to life Grief made life grievous seem and life enlivens grief 46 And from their bed proceeds a numerous presse First shrieks then tears sighs the hearts ground renting In vain poore Muse would'st thou such dole expresse For thou thy self lamenting her lamenting And with like grief transform'd to like tormenting With heavie pace bring'st forth thy lagging verse Which cloath'd with blackest lines attends the mournfull herse 47 The cunning hand which that Greek Princesse drew Readie in holy fires to be consum'd Pitie and sorrow paints in divers hue One wept he pray'd this sigh'd that chaf'd and fum'd But not to limme her fathers look presum'd For well he knew his skilfull hand had fail'd Best was his sorrow seen when with a cloth 't was vail'd 48 Look as a nightingale whose callow young Some boy hath markt and now half nak'd hath taken Which long she closely kept and foster'd long But all in vain she now poore bird forsaken Flies up and down but grief no place can slaken All day and night her losse she fresh doth rue And where she ends her plaints there soon begins anew 49 Thus sat she desolate so short a good Such gift so soon exacted sore complaining Sleep could not passe but almost sunk i' th' floud So high her eye-banks swell'd with endlesse raining Surfet of grief had bred all meats disdaining A thousand times my Antonie she cried Irby a thousand times and in that name she died 50 Thus circling in her grief it never ends But moving round back to it self enclineth Both day and night alike in grief she spends Day shews her day is gone no sun there shineth Black night her fellow mourner she defineth Light shews his want and shades his picture draw Him nothing best she sees when nothing now she saw THou blacker Muse whose rude uncombed hairs With fatal eugh and cypresse still are shaded Bring hither all thy sighs hither thy teares As sweet a plant as fair a flower is faded As ever in the Muses garden bladed While th' owner haplesse owner sits lamenting And but in discontent grief findes no contenting 2 The sweet now sad Elisa weeping lies While fair Alicia's words in vain relieve her In vain those wells of grief she often dries What her so long now doubled sorrows give her What both their loves which doubly double grieve her She carelesse spends without or end or measure Yet as it spends it grows poor grief can tell his treasure 3 All as a turtle on a bared bough A widow turtle joy and life despises Whose trustie mate to pay his holy vow Some watchfull eye late in his roost surprises And to his God for errour sacrifices She joylesse bird sits mourning all alone And being one when two would now be two or none 4 So sat she gentle Lady weeping sore Her desert self and now cold lord lamenting So sat she carelesse on the dusty floor As if her tears were all her souls contenting So sat she as when speechlesse griefs tormenting Locks up the heart the captive tongue enchaining So sat she joylesse down in wordlesse grief complaining 5 Her chearfull eye which once the crystall was Where Love and Beautie dress'd their fairest faces And fairer seem'd by looking in that glasse Had now in tears drown'd all their former graces Her snow-white arms whose warm sweet embraces Could quicken death their now dead lord infold And seem'd as cold and dead as was the flesh they hold 6 The roses in her cheek grow pale and wan As if his pale cheeks livery they affected Her head like fainting flowers opprest with rain On her left shoulder lean'd his weight neglected Her dark-gold locks hung loosly unrespected As if those fairs which he alone deserv'd With him had lost their use and now for nothing serv'd 7 Her Lady sister sat close by her side Alicia in whose face Love proudly lorded Where Beauties self and Mildnesse sweet
thou none Or if thou art or wert how art thou saved And livest still when he to death is slaved But ah when well I think I plainly see That death to him was life and life is death to me 28 Vile trunk if yet he live ah then again Why seek'st thou not with him to be combined But oh since he in heav'n doth living reigne Death wer't to him in such knots to be twined And life to me with him to be confined So while I better think I eas'ly see My life to him were death his death were life to me 29 Then die with him vile trunk and dying live Or rather with him live his life applying Where thou shalt never die nor ever grieve But ah though death thou feel'st within thee lying Thou ne're art dead though still in sorrow dying Most wretched soul which hast thy seat and being Where life with death is one death with life agreeing 30 He lives and joyes death life to him hath bred Why is he living then in earth enwombed But I a walking coarse in life am dead 'T is I my friends 't is I must be entombed Whose joy with grief whose life with death's benummed Thou coffin art not his nor he is thine Mine art thou thou the dead not the livings shrine 31 You few thinne boards how in so scanted room So quiet such great enemies contain ye All joy all grief lies in this narrow tombe You contraries how thus in peace remain ye That one small cabin so should entertain ye But joy is dead and here entomb'd doth lie While grief is come to moan his dead-lov'd enemie 32 How many vertues in this little space This little little space lie buried ever In him they liv'd and with them every grace In him they liv'd and di'd and rise will never Fond men go now in vertues steps persever Go sweat and toil thus you inglorious lie In this old frozen age vertue it self can die 33 Those petty Northern starres do never fall The unwasht Beare the Ocean wave despises Ever unmov'd it moves and ever shall The Sun which oft his head in night disguises So often as he falls so often rises And stealing backward by some hidden way With self same light begins and ends the yeare day 34 The flowers which in the absence of the Sunne Sleep in their winter-houses all disarm'd And backward to their mothers wombe do runne Soon as the earth by Taurus horns is warm'd Muster their colour'd troups and freshly arm'd Spreading their braving colours to the skie Winter and winters spight bold little elves defie 35 But Vertues heav'nly and more glorious light Though seeming ever sure yet oft dismounteth And sinking low sleeps in eternall night Nor ever more his broken spheare remounteth Her sweetest flower which other flowers surmounteth As farre as roses nettles soonest fadeth Down falls her glorious leaf never more it bladeth 36 And as that dainty flower the maiden rofe Her swelling bosome to the Sunne discloses Soon as her lover hot and fiery grows Straight all her sweets unto his heat exposes Then soon disrob'd her sweet and beautie loses While hurtfull weeds hemlocks nettles stinking Soon from the earth ascend late to their graves are sinking 37 All so the vertuous bud in blooming falls While vice long flourishing late sees her ending Vertue once dead no gentle spring recalls But vice springs of it self and soon ascending Long views the day late to his night descending Vain men that in this life set up your rest Which to the ill is long and short unto the best 38 And as a dream where th' idle fancie playes One thinks that fortune high his head advances Another spends in woe his weary dayes A third seems sport in love and courtly dances A fourth to finde some glitt'ring treasure chances Soon as they wake they see their thoughts were vain And either quite forget or laugh their idle brain 39 Such is the world and such lifes quick-spent play This base and scorn'd that great in high esteeming This poore and patched seems that rich and gay This sick that sound yet all is but a seeming So like that waking oft we fear w' are dreaming And think we wake oft when we dreaming play Dreams are as living nights life as a dreaming day 40 Go then vain life for I will trust no more Thy flattering dreams death to thy resting take me Thou sleep without all dreams lifes quiet shore When wilt thou come when wilt thou overtake me Enough I now have liv'd loath'd life forsake me Thou good mens endlesse fight thou ill mens feast That at the best art bad and worst art to the best 41 Thus as in teares she drowns her swollen eyes A suddain noise recalls them backward bending Her weary head there all in black she spies Six mournfull bearers the sad hearse attending Their feet and hands to that last dutie lending All silent stood she trembling pale and wan The first grief left his stage a new his part began 42 And now the coffin in their arms they take While she with weight of grief sat still amazed As do sear leaves in March so did she quake And with intended eyes upon them gazed But when from ground the doleful hearse they raised Down on the beer half dead she carelesse fell While teares did talk apace and sighs her sorrows tell 43 At last Fond men said she you are deceiv'd It is not he 't is I must be interred Not he but I of life and soul bereav'd He lives in heav'n among the saints referred This trunk this headlesse body must be buried But while by force some hold her up they reare him And weeping at her tears away they softly beare him 44 But then impatient grief all passion proves She prayes weeps with teares she doth intreat them But when this onely fellow passion moves She storms and raves and now as fast doth threat them And as she onely could with words doth beat them Ah cruell men ah men most cruell stay It is my heart my life my soul you beare away 45 And now no sooner was he out of sight As if she would make good what she had spoken First from her hearts deep centre deep she sigh'd Then as if heart and life and soul were broken Down dead she fell and once again awoken Fell once again so to her bed they bore her While friends no friends hard love to life and grief restore her 46 Unfriendly friends saith she why do ye strive To barre wisht death from his so just ingression Your pitie kills me 't is my death to live And life to die it is as great oppression To force out death as life from due possession 'T is much more great better that quickly spills A loathed life then he that with long torture kills 47 And then as if her guiltlesse bed offended Thou trait'rous bed when first thou didst receive me Not single to thy rest I then ascended
't not surely held with strong retention Would stirre domestick strife and fierce contention And waste the weary Isle with never ceas'd dissension 16 Therefore close by a little conduit stands Choledochus that drags this poison hence And safely locks it up in prison bands Thence gently drains it through a narrow fence A needfull fence attended with a guard That watches in the straits all closely barr'd Lest some might back escape and break the prison ward 17 The next ill stream the wholesome fount offending All dreery black and frightfull hence convay'd By divers drains unto the Splenion tending The Splenion o're against the Hepar laid Built long and square some say that laughter here Keeps residence but laughter fits not there Where darknesse ever dwells and melancholy fear 18 And should these waies stopt by ill accident To th' Hepar streams turn back their muddie humours The cloudie Isle with hellish dreeriment Would soon be fill'd and thousand fearfull rumours Fear hides him here lockt deep in earthy cell Dark dolefull deadly-dull a little hell Where with him fright despair and thousand horrours dwell 19 If this black town in over-growth increases With too much strength his neighbours over-bearing The Hepar daily and whole Isle decreases Like ghastly shade or ashie ghost appearing But when it pines th' Isle thrives its curse his blessing So when a tyrant raves his subjects pressing His gaining is their losse his treasure their distressing 20 The third bad water bubbling from this fountain Is wheyish cold which with good liquours meint Is drawn into the double Nephros mountain Which suck the best for growth and nourishment The worst as through a little pap distilling To divers pipes the pale cold humour swilling Runs down to th' Urine-lake his banks thrice daily filling 21 These mountains differ but in situation In form and matter like the left is higher Left even height might slack their operation Both like the Moon which now wants half her fire Yet into two obtuser angles bended Both strongly with a double wall defended And both have walls of mudde before those walls extended 22 The sixt and last town in this region With largest stretcht precincts and compasse wide Is that where Venus and her wanton sonne Her wanton Cupid will in youth reside For though his arrows and his golden bow On other hills he frankly does bestow Yet here he hides the fire with which each heart doth glow 23 For that great Providence their course foreseeing Too eas'ly led into the sea of death After this first gave them a second being Which in their off-spring newly flourisheth He therefore made the fire of generation To burn in Venus courts without cessation Out of whose ashes comes another Island nation 24 For from the first a fellow Isle he fram'd For what alone can live or fruitfull be Arren the first the second Thelu nam'd Weaker the last yet fairer much to see Alike in all the rest here disagreeing Where Venus and her wanton have their being For nothing is produc't of two in all agreeing 25 But though some few in these hid parts would see Their Makers glory and their justest shame Yet for the most would turn to luxurie And what they should lament would make their game Flie then those parts which best are undescri'd Forbear my maiden song to blazon wide What th' Isle and Natures self doth ever strive to hide 26 These two fair Isles distinct in their creation Yet one extracted from the others side Are oft made one by Loves firm combination And from this unitie are multipli'd Strange may it seem such their condition That they are more dispread by union And two are twenty made by being made in one 27 For from these two in Loves delight agreeing Another little Isle is soon proceeding At first of unlike frame and matter being In Venus temple takes it form and breeding Till at full time the tedious prison flying It breaks all lets its ready way denying And shakes the trembling Isle with often painfull dying 28 So by the Bosphor straits in Euxine seas Not farre from old Byzantum closely stand Two neighbour Islands call'd Symplegades Which sometime seem but one combined land For often meeting on the watrie plain And parting oft tost by the boist'rous main They now are joyn'd in one and now disjoyn'd again 29 Here oft not Lust but sweetest Chastitie Coupled sometimes and sometimes single dwells Now linkt with Love to quench Lusts tyrannie Now Phoenix-like alone in narrow cells Such Phoenix one but one at once may be In Albions hills thee Basilissa thee Such onely have I seen such shall I never see 30 What Nymph was this said fairest Rosaleen Whom thou admirest thus above so many She while she was ah was the shepherds Queen Sure such a shepherds Queen was never any But ah no joy her dying heart contented Since she a deare Deers side unwilling rented Whose death she all too late too soon too much repented 31 Ah royall maid why should'st thou thus lament thee Thy little fault was but too much beleeving It is too much so much thou should'st repent thee His joyous soul at rest desires no grieving These words vain words fond comforters did lend her But ah no words no prayers might ever bend her To give an end to grief till endlesse grief did end her 32 But how should I those sorrows dare display Or how limme forth her vertues wonderment She was ay me she was the sweetest May That ever flowr'd in Albions regiment Few eyes fall'n lights adore yet fame shall keep Her name awake when others silent sleep While men have eares to heare eyes to look back and weep 33 And though the curres which whelpt nurst in Spain Learn of fell Geryon to snarle and brawl Have vow'd and strove her Virgin tombe to stain And grinne and fome and rage and yelp and bawl Yet shall our Cynthia's high-triumphing light Deride their houling throats and toothlesse spight And sail through heav'n while they sink down in endlesse night 34 So is this Islands lower region Yet ah much better is it sure then so But my poore reeds like my condition Low is the shepherds state my song as low Marre what they make but now in yonder shade Rest we while Sunnes have longer shadows made See how our panting flocks runne to the cooler glade CANT IIII THe shepherds in the shade their hunger feasted With simple cates such as the countrey yeelds And while from scorching beams secure they rested The Nymphs disperst along the woody fields Pull'd from their stalks the blushing strawberries Which lurk close shrouded from high looking-eyes Shewing that sweetnesse oft both low and hidden lies 2 But when the day had his meridian runne Between his highest throne and low declining Thirsil again his forced task begunne His wonted audience his sides entwining The middle Province next this lower stands Where th' Isles Heart-city spreads his large cōmands
doth spew Black smothering flames roll'd in loud thunder-claps The pitchie vapours choke the shining ray And bring dull night upon the smiling day The wavering Aetna shakes and fain would runne away 23 Yet could his bat-ey'd legions eas'ly see In this dark Chaos they the seed of night But these not so who night and darknesse flee For they the sonnes of day and joy in light But Knowledge soon began a way devise To bring again the day and cleare their eyes So open'd Fido's shield and golden veil unties 24 Of one pure diamond celestiall fair That heav'nly shield by cunning hand was made Whose light divine spred through the mistie aire To brightest morn would turn the Western shade And lightsome day beget before his time Framed in heav'n without all earthly crime Dipt in the firy Sunne which burnt the baser slime 25 As when from fennie moor 's the lumpish clouds With rising steams damp the bright mornings face At length the piercing Sunne his team unshrouds And with his arrows th' idle fogge doth chase The broken mist lies melted all in tears So this bright shield the stinking darknesse teares And giving back the day dissolves their former fears 26 Which when afarre the firie Dragon spies His slights deluded with so little pain To his last refuge now at length he flies Long time his pois'nous gorge he seem'd to strain At length with loathly sight he up doth spue From stinking panch a most deformed crue That heav'n it self did flie from their most ugly view 27 The first that crept from his detested maw Was Hamartia foul deformed wight More foul deform'd the Sunne yet never saw Therefore she hates the all-betraying light A woman seem'd she in her upper part To which she could such lying glosse impart That thousands she had slain with her deceiving art 28 The rest though hid in serpents form arayd With iron scales like to a plaited mail Over her back her knotty tail displaid Along the empty aire did lofty sail The end was pointed with a double sting Which with such dreaded might she wont to fling That nought could help the wound but bloud of heav'nly King 29 Of that first woman her the Dragon got The foulest bastard of so fair a mother Whom when she saw so fil'd with monstrous spot She cast her hidden shame and birth to smother But she welnigh her mothers self had slain And all that dare her kindely entertain So some parts of her damme more of her sire remain 30 Her viperous locks hung loose about her eares Yet with a monstrous snake she them restrains Which like a border on her head she wears About her neck hang down long adder chains In thousand knots and wreaths infolded round Which in her anger lightly she unbound And darting farre away would sure and deadly wound 31 Yet fair and lovely seems to fools dimme eyes But hell more lovely Pluto's self more fair Appears when her true form true light descries Her loathsome face blancht skinne and snakie hair Her shapelesse shape dead life her carrion smell The devils dung the childe and damme of hell Is chaffer fit for fools their precious souls to sell. 32 The second in this rank was black Despair Bred in the dark wombe of eternall Night His looks fast nail'd to Sinne long sootie hair Fill'd up his lank cheeks with wide-staring fright His leaden eyes retir'd into his head Light heav'n and earth himself and all things fled A breathing coarse he seem'd wrapt up in living lead 33 His bodie all was fram'd of earthly paste And heavie mold yet earth could not content him Heav'n fast he flies and heav'n fled him as fast Though ' kin to hell yet hell did much torment him His very soul was nought but ghastly fright With him went many a fiend and ugly sprite Armed with ropes and knives all instruments of spite 34 In stead of feathers on his dangling crest A lucklesse Raven spred her blackest wings And to her croaking throat gave never rest But deathfull verses and sad dirges sings His hellish arms were all with fiends embost Who damned souls with endlesse torments roast And thousand wayes devise to vex the tortur'd ghost 35 Two weapons sharp as death he ever bore Strict Iudgement which from farre he deadly darts Sinne at his side a two edg'd sword he wore With which he soon appalls the stoutest hearts Upon his shield Alecto with a wreath Of snakie whips the dam'd souls tortureth And round about was wrote Reward of sinne is death 36 The last two brethren were farre different Onely in common name of death agreeing The first arm'd with a sithe still mowing went Yet whom and when he murder'd never seeing Born deaf and blinde nothing might stop his way No prayers no vows his keenest sithe could stay Nor Beauties self his spite nor Vertues self allay 37 No state no age no sex may hope to move him Down falls the young and old the boy and maid Nor begger can intreat nor King reprove him All are his slaves in 's cloth of flesh araid The bride he snatches from the bridegrooms arms And horrour brings in midst of loves alarms Too well we know his power by long experienc't harms 38 A dead mans skull suppli'd his helmets place A bone his club his armour sheets of lead Some more some lesse fear his all-frighting face But most who sleep in downie pleasures bed But who in life have daily learnt to die And dead to this live to a life more high Sweetly in death they sleep and slumbring quiet lie 39 The second farre more foul in every part Burnt with blue fire and bubbling sulphure streams Which creeping round about him fill'd with smart His cursed limbes that direly he blasphemes Most strange it seems that burning thus for ever No rest no time no place these flames may sever Yet death in thousand deaths without death dieth never 40 Soon as these hellish monsters came in sight The Sunne his eye in jettie vapours drown'd Scar'd at such hell-hounds view heav'ns ' mazed light Sets in an early evening earth astound Bids dogs with houls give warning at which sound The fearfull ayer starts seas break their bound And frighted fled away no sands might them impound 41 The palsied troop first like asps shaken fare Till now their heart congeal'd in icie bloud Candied the ghastly face locks stand and stare Thus charm'd in ranks of stone they marshall'd stood Their uselesse swords fell idlely on the plain And now the triumph sounds in loftie strain So conqu'ring Dragon bindes the Knights with slavish chain 42 As when proud Phineus in his brothers feast Fill'd all with tumult and intestine broil Wise Perseus with such multitudes opprest Before him bore the snakie Gorgons spoil The vulgar rude stood all in marble chang'd And in vain ranks and rockie order rang'd Were now more quiet guests from former rage estrang'd 43 The fair Eclecta who with grief had stood Viewing th' oft changes
of this doubtfull fight Saw now the field swimme in her Champions bloud And from her heart rent with deep passion sigh'd Limming true sorrow in sad silent art Light grief floats on the tongue but heavie smart Sinks down and deeply lies in centre of the heart 44 What Daedal art such griefs can truely shew Broke heart deep sighs thick sobs burning prayers Baptizing ever limbe in weeping dew Whose swoln eyes pickled up in brinie tears Crystalline rocks corall the lid appeares Compast about with tides of grief and fears Where grief stores fear with sighs and fear stores grief with tears 45 At length sad Sorrow mounted on the wings Of loud-breath'd sighs his leaden weight uprears And vents it self in softest whisperings Follow'd with deadly grones usher'd by tears While her fair hands and watrie shining eyes Were upward bent upon the mourning skies Which seem'd with cloudie brow her grief to sympathize 46 Long while the silent passion wanting vent Made flowing tears her words and eyes her tongue Till Faith Experience Hope assistance lent To shut both floud-gates up with patience strong The streams well ebb'd new hopes some comforts borrow From firmest truth then glimpst the hopefull morrow So spring some dawns of joy so sets the night of sorrow 47 Ah dearest Lord my hearts sole Soveraigne Who sitt'st high mounted on thy burning throne Heark from thy heav'ns where thou dost safely reigne Cloth'd with the golden Sunne and silver Moon Cast down a while thy sweet and gracious eye And low avail that flaming Majestie Deigning thy gentle sight on our sad miserie 48 To thee deare Lord I lift this watrie eye This eye which thou so oft in love hast prais'd This eye with which thou wounded oft wouldst die To thee deare Lord these suppliant hands are rais'd These to be lilies thou hast often told me Which if but once again may ever hold thee Will never let thee loose will never more unfold thee 49 Seest how thy foes despitefull trophies reare Too confident in thy prolong'd delayes Come then oh quickly come my dearest deare When shall I see thee crown'd with conqu'ring bayes And all thy foes trod down and spred as clay When shall I see thy face and glories ray Too long thou stay'st my Love come Love no longer stay 50 Hast thou forgot thy former word and love Or lockt thy sweetnesse up in fierce disdain In vain didst thou those thousand mischiefs prove Are all those griefs thy birth life death in vain Oh no of ill thou onely dost repent thee And in thy dainty mercies most content thee Then why with stay so long so long dost thou torment me 51 Reviving Cordiall of my dying sprite The best Elixar for souls drooping pain Ah now unshade thy face uncloud thy sight See every way 's a trap each path's a train Hells troops my soul beleaguer bow thine eares And hear my cries pierce through my grones fears Sweet Spouse see not my sinnes but through my plaints and tears 52 Let frailty favour sorrow succour move Anchour my life in thy calm streams of bloud Be thou my rock though I poore changeling rove Tost up and down in waves of worldly floud Whil'st I in vale of tears at anchour ride Where windes of earthly thoughts my sails misguide Harbour my fleshly bark safe in thy wounded side 53 Take take my contrite heart thy sacrifice Washt in her eyes that swimmes and sinks in woes See see as seas with windes high working rise So storm so rage so gape thy boasting foes Deare Spouse unlesse thy right hand even steers Oh if thou anchour not these threatning fears Thy ark will sail as deep in bloud as now in tears 54 With that a thundring noise seem'd shake the skie As when with iron wheels through stonie plain A thousand chariots to the battell flie Or when with boistrous rage the swelling main Puft up with mighty windes does hoarsly roar And beating with his waves the trembling shore His sandie girdle scorns breaks earths ramperd doore 55 And straight an Angel full of heav'nly might Three several crowns circled his royall head From Northern coast heaving his blazing light Through all the earth his glorious beams dispread And open laies the Beasts and Dragons shame For to this end th' Almighty did him frame And therefore from supplanting gave his ominous name 56 A silver trumpet oft he loudly blew Frighting the guiltie earth with thundring knell And oft proclaim'd as through the world he flew Babel great Babel lies as low as hell Let every Angel loud his trumpet sound Her heav'n exalted towers in dust are drown'd Babel proud Babel's fall'n and lies as low as ground 57 The broken heav'ns dispart with fearfull noise And from the breach out shoots a suddain light Straight shrilling trumpets with loud sounding voice Give echoing summons to new bloudy fight Well knew the Dragon that all-quelling blast And soon perceiv'd that day must be his last Which strook his frighted heart all his troops aghast 58 Yet full of malice and of stubborn pride Though oft had strove and had been foild as oft Boldly his death and certain fate defi'd And mounted on his flaggie sails aloft With boundlesse spite he long'd to try again A second losse and new death glad and fain To shew his pois'nous hate though ever shew'd in vain 59 So up he rose upon his stretched fails Fearlesse expecting his approaching death So up he rose that th' ayer starts and fails And over-pressed sinks his load beneath So up he rose as does a thunder-cloud Which all the earth with shadows black does shroud So up he rose and through the weary ayer row'd 60 Now his Almighty foe farre off he spies Whose Sun-like arms daz'd the eclipsed day Confounding with their beams lesse-glitt'ring skies Firing the aire with more then heav'nly ray Like thousand Sunnes in one such is their light A subject onely for immortall sprite Which never can be seen but by immortall sight 61 His threatning eyes shine like that dreadfull flame With which the Thunderer arms his angry hand Himself had fairly wrote his wondrous name Which neither earth nor heav'n could understand A hundred crowns like towers beset around His conqu'ring head well may they there abound When all his limbes and troops with gold are richly crown'd 62 His armour all was dy'd in purple bloud In purple bloud of thousand rebell Kings In vain their stubborn powers his arm withstood Their proud necks chain'd he now in triumph brings And breaks their spears cracks their traitour swords Upon whose arms and thigh in golden words Was fairly writ The KING of Kings LORD of Lords 63 His snow-white steed was born of heav'nly kinde Begot by Boreas on the Thracian hills More strong and speedy then his parent Winde And which his foes with fear and horrour fills Out from his mouth a two-edg'd sword he darts Whose sharpest steel the bone and marrow parts And with his keenest
drown'd The yeare with winter storms all rent and wasted Hath now fresh youth and gentler seasons tasted The warmer sunne his bride hath newly gown'd With firie arms clipping the wanton ground And gets an heav'n on earth that primrose there Which 'mongst those violets sheds his golden hair Seems the sunnes little sonne fixt in his azure spheare 3 Seest how the dancing lambes on flowrie banks Forget their food to minde their sweeter play Seest how they skip and in their wanton pranks Bound o're the hillocks set in sportfull ranks They skip they vault full little caren they To make their milkie mothers bleating stay Seest how the salmons waters colder nation Lately arriv'd from their sea-navigation How joy leaps in their heart shew by their leaping fashion 4 What witch enchants thy minde with fullen madnes When all things smile thou onely fitt'st complaining Algon Damon I onely I have cause of sadnesse The more my wo to weep in common gladnesse When all eyes shine mine onely must be raining No winter now but in my breast remaining Yet feels this breast a summers burning fever And yet alas my winter thaweth never And yet alas this fire eats and consumes me ever Damon 5 Within our Darwin in her rockie cell A Nymph there lives which thousand boys hath harm'd All as she gliding rides in boats of shell Darting her eye where spite and beauty dwell Ay me that spite with beautie should be arm'd Her witching eye the boy and boat hath charm'd No sooner drinks he down that poisonous eye But mourns and pines ah piteous crueltie With her he longs to live for her he longs to die Algon 6 Damon what Tryphon taught thine eye the art By these few signes to search so soon so well A wound deep hid deep in my fester'd heart Pierc't by her eye Loves and deaths pleasing dart Ah she it is an earthly heav'n and hell Who thus hath charm'd my heart with sugred spell Ease thou my wound but ah what hand can ease Or give a medicine that such wound may please When she my sole Physician is my souls disease Damon 7 Poore boy the wounds which spite and Love impart There is no ward to fence no herb to ease Heav'ns circling folds lie open to his dart Hells Lethe's self cools not his burning smart The fishes cold flame with this strong disease And want their water in the midst of seas All are his slaves hell earth and heav'n above Strive not i' th' net in vain thy force to prove Give woo sigh weep pray Love's only cur'd by love Algon 8 If for thy love no other cure there be Love thou art cureles gifts prayers vows and art She scorns both you and me nay Love ev'n thee Thou sigh'st her prisoner while she laughs as free What ever charms might move a gentle heart I oft have try'd and shew'd the earnfull smart Which eats my breast she laughs at all my pain Art prayers vows gifts love grief she does disdain Grief love gifts vows prayers art ye all are spent in vain Damon 9 Algon oft hast thou fisht but sped not straight With hook and net thou beat'st the water round Oft-times the place thou changest oft the bait And catching nothing still and still dost wait Learn by thy trade to cure thee time hath found In desp'rate cures a salve for every wound The fish long playing with the baited hook At last is caught Thus many a Nymph is took Mocking the strokes of Love is with her striking strook Algon 10 The marbles self is pierc't with drops of rain Fires soften steel and hardest metals try But she more hard then both such her disdain That seas of tears Aetna's of love are vain In her strange heart weep I burn pine or die Still reignes a cold coy carelesse apathie The rock that bears her name breeds that hard stone With goats bloud onely softned she with none More precious she and ah more hard then diamond 11 That rock I think her mother thence she took Her name and nature Damon Damon see See where she comes arm'd with a line and hook Tell me perhaps thou think'st in that sweet look The white is beauties native tapestrie 'T is crystall friend yc'd in the frozen sea The red is rubies these two joyn'd in one Make up that beauteous frame the difference none But this she is a precious living speaking stone Damon 12 No gemme so costly but with cost is bought The hardest stone is cut and fram'd by art A diamond hid in rocks is found if sought Be she a diamond a diamond's wrought Thy fear congeales thy fainting steels her heart I 'le be thy Captain boy and take thy part Alcides self would never combat two Take courage Algon I will teach thee woo Cold beggars freez our gifts thy faint suit breeds her no. 13 Speak to her boy Al. Love is more deaf then blinde Damon She must be woo'd Al. Love's tongue is in the eyes Damon Speech is Love's dart Al. Silence best speaks the minde Damon Her eye invites Al. Thence love and death I finde Damon Her smiles speak peace Al. Storms breed in smiling skies Damon Who silent loves Al. Whom speech all hope denies Damon Why should'st thou fear Al. To Love Fear 's neare akinne Damon Well if my cunning fail not by a gin Spite of her scorn thy fear I 'le make thee woo and winne 14 What ho thou fairest maid turn back thine oare And gently deigne to help a fishers smart Nicaea Are thy lines broke or are thy trammels tore If thou desir'st my help unhide the sore Ah gentlest Nymph oft have I heard thy art Can soveraigne herbs to every grief impart So mayst thou live the fishers song and joy As thou wilt deigne to cure this sickly boy Unworthy they of art who of their art are coy 15 His inward grief in outward change appeares His cheeks with sudden fires bright-flaming glow Which quencht end all in ashes storms of teares Becloud his eyes which soon forc't smiling cleares Thick tides of passions ever ebbe and flow And as his flesh still wastes his griefs still grow Nicaea Damon the wounds deep rankling in the minde What herb could ever cure what art could finde Blinde are mine eyes to see wounds in the soul most blinde Algon 16 Hard maid t' is worse to mock then make a wound Why should'st thou then fair-cruel scorn to see What thou by seeing mad'st my sorrows ground Was in thy eye may by thy eye be found How can thy eye most sharp in wounding be In seeing dull these two are one in thee To see and wound by sight thy eye the dart Fair-cruel maid thou well hast learn'd the art With the same eye to see to wound to cure my heart Nicaea 17 What cures thy wounded heart Algon Thy heart so wounded Nicaea Is 't love to wound thy love Algon Loves wounds are pleasing Nicaea Why plain'st thou then Al. Because thou art unwounded Thy wound my
greedie minde The sad Hungarian fears his tried might And waning Persia trembles at his sight His greener youth most with the heathen spent Gives Christian Princes justest cause to fear His riper age whose childhood thus is bent A thousand trophies will he shortly rear Unlesse that God who gave him first this rage Binde his proud head in humble vassalage To Mr. Jo. Tomkins THomalin my lief thy musick strains to heare More raps my soul then when the swelling windes On craggie rocks their whistling voices tear Or when the sea if stopt his course he findes With broken murmures thinks weak shores to fear Scorning such sandie cords his proud head bindes More then where rivers in the summers ray Through covert glades cutting their shadie way Run tumbling down the lawns with the pebles play Thy strains to heare old Chamus from his cell Comes guarded with an hundred Nymphs around An hundred Nymphs that in his rivers dwell About him flock with water-lilies crown'd For thee the Muses leave their silver well And marvel where thou all their art hast found There sitting they admire thy dainty strains And while thy sadder accent sweetly plains Feel thousand sugred joyes creep in their melting veins How oft have I the Muses bower frequenting Miss'd them at home and found them all with thee Whether thou sing'st sad Eupathus lamenting Or tunest notes to sacred harmonie The ravisht soul with thy sweet songs consenting Scorning the earth in heav'nly extasie Transcends the starres and with the angels train Those courts survaies and now come back again Findes yet another heav'n in thy delightfull strain Ah! could'st thou here thy humble minde content Lowly with me to live in countrey cell And learn suspect the courts proud blandishment Here might we safe here might we sweetly dwell Live Pallas in her towers and marble tent But ah the countrey bowers please me as well There with my Thomalin I safe would sing And frame sweet ditties to thy sweeter string There would we laugh at spite and fortunes thundering No flattery hate or envy lodgeth there There no suspicion wall'd in proved steel Yet fearfull of the arms her self doth wear Pride is not there no tyrant there we feel No clamorous laws shall deaf thy musick eare They know no change nor wanton fortunes wheel Thousand fresh sports grow in those daintie places Light Fawns Nymphs dance in the woodie spaces And little Love himself plaies with the naked Graces But seeing fate my happie wish refuses Let me alone enjoy my low estate Of all the gifts that fair Parnassus uses Onely scorn'd povertie and fortunes hate Common I finde to me and to the Muses But with the Muses welcome poorest fate Safe in my humble cottage will I rest And lifting up from my untainted breast A quiet spirit to heav'n securely live and blest To thee I here bequeath the courtly joyes Seeing to court my Thomalin is bent Take from thy Thirsil these his idle toyes Here I will end my looser merriment And when thou sing'st them to the wanton boyes Among the courtly lasses blandishment Think of thy Thirsil's love that never spends And softly say his love still better mends Ah too unlike the love of court or courtly friends Go little pipe for ever I must leave thee My little little pipe but sweetest ever Go go for I have vow'd to see thee never Never ah never must I more receive thee But he in better love will still persever Go little pipe for I must have a new Farewell ye Norfolk maids and Ida crue Thirsil will play no more for ever now adieu To Thomalin THomalin since Thirsil nothing ha's to leave thee And leave thee must pardon me gentle friend If nothing but my love I onely give thee Yet see how great this Nothing is I send For though this love of thine I sweetest prove Nothing 's more sweet then is this sweetest love The souldier Nothing like his prey esteems Nothing toss'd sailers equal with the shore Nothing before his health the sick man deems The pilgrim hugges his countrey Nothing more The miser hoording up his golden wares This Nothing with his precious wealth compares Our thoughts ambition onely Nothing ends Nothing fills up the golden-dropsied minde The prodigall that all so lavish spends Yet Nothing cannot Nothing stayes behinde The King that with his life a kingdome buyes Then life or crown doth Nothing higher prize Who all enjoyes yet Nothing now desires Nothing is greater then the highest Iove Who dwells in heav'n then Nothing more requires Love more then honey Nothing more sweet then love Nothing is onely better then the best Nothing is sure Nothing is ever blest I love my health my life my books my friends Thee dearest Thomalin Nothing above thee For when my books friends health life fainting ends When thy love fails yet Nothing still will love me When heav'n and aire the earth and floating mains Are gone yet Nothing still untoucht remains Since then to other streams I must betake me And spitefull Chame of all ha's quite bereft me Since Muses selves false Muses will forsake me And but this Nothing nothing els is left me Take thou my love and keep it still in store That given Nothing now remaineth more Against a rich man despising povertie IF well thou view'st us with no squinted eye No partiall judgement thou wilt quickly rate Thy wealth no richer then my povertie My want no poorer then thy rich estate Our ends and births alike in this as I Poore thou wert born and poore again shalt die My little fills my little-wishing minde Thou having more then much yet seekest more Who seeks still wishes what he seeks to finde Who wishes wants and who so wants is poore Then this must follow of necessitie Poore are thy riches rich my povertie Though still thou gett'st yet is thy want not spent But as thy wealth so growes thy wealthy itch But with my little I have much content Content hath all and who hath all is rich Then this in reason thou must needs confesse If I have little yet that thou hast lesse What ever man possesses God hath lent And to his audit liable is ever To reckon how and where and when he spent Then this thou bragg'st thou art a great receiver Little my debt when little is my store The more thou hast thy debt still growes the more But seeing God himself descended down T' enrich the poore by his rich povertie His meat his house his grave were not his own Yet all is his from all eternitie Let me be like my Head whom I adore Be thou great wealthie I still base and poore Contemnenti COntinuall burning yet no fire or fuel Chill icie frosts in midst of summers frying A hell most pleasing and a heav'n most cruel A death still living and a life still dying And whatsoever pains poore hearts can prove I feel and utter in one word I LOVE Two fires of love and grief each upon
his winding-sheets he dead doth shew To buried souls the way to live anew And in his grave more powerfully now preacheth Who will not learn when that a dead man teacheth Upon Mr. Perkins his printed sermons PErkins our wonder living though long dead In this white paper as a winding-sheet And in this velome lies enveloped Yet still he lives guiding the erring feet Speaking now to our eyes though buried If once so well much better now he teacheth Who will not heare when a live-dead man preacheth FINIS ELISA OR AN ELEGIE UPON THE UNRIPE DECEASE OF Sr. ANTONIE IRBY Composed at the request and for a monument of his surviving Ladie Anagramma Antonius Irbeus An virtus obiens Esto mei mortisque memor Funus virtuti foenus Printed by the printers to the Vniversitie of Cambridge 1633. To the right worthy Knight Sr. ANTONIE IRBY SIR I am altogether I think unknown to you as having never seen you since your infancie neither do I now desire to be known by this trifle But I cannot rule these few lines composed presently after your fathers decease They are broken from me and will see more light then they deserve I wish there were any thing in them worthy of your vacant houres Such as they are yours they are by inheritance As an Vrn therefore of your fathers ashes I beseech you receive them for his sake and from him who desires in some better employment to be Your servant P. F. ELISA LOok as a stagge pierc'd with a fatal bow As by a wood he walks securely feeding In coverts thick conceales his deadly blow And feeling death swim in his endles bleeding His heavy head his fainting strength exceeding Bids woods adieu so sinks into his grave Green brakes and primrose sweet his seemly herse embrave 2 So lay a gentle Knight now full of death With clowdie eyes his latest houre expecting And by his side sucking his fleeting breath His weeping Spouse Elisa life neglecting And all her beauteous faires with grief infecting Her cheek as pale as his 't were hard to scanne If death or sorrows face did look more pale or wanne 3 Close by her sister fair Alicia sits Fairest Alicia to whose sweetest graces His teares and sighs a fellow passion fits Upon her eye his throne Love sorrow places There Comfort Sadnesse Beautie Grief embraces Pitie might seem a while that face to borrow And thither now was come to comfort death sorrow 4 At length lowd Grief thus with a fearfull shriek His trumpet sounds a battell joy defying Spreading his colours in Elisa's cheek And from her eyes his watch-tower farre espying With Hope Delight and Joy and Comfort flying Thus with her tongue their coward flight pursues While sighs shrieks tears give chace with never fainting crues 5 Thou traitour Joy that in prosperitie So lowdly vaunt'st whither ah whither fliest And thou that bragg'st never from life to flie False Hope ah whither now so speedy hiest In vain thy winged feet so fast thou pliest Hope thou art dead and Joy in Hope relying Bleeds in his hopelesse wounds and in his death lies dying 6 But then Alicia in whose cheerfull eye Comfort with Grief Hope with Compassion lived Renews the fight If Joy and Comfort die The fault is yours so much too much you grieved That Hope could never hope to be relieved If all your hopes to one poore hope you binde No marvel if one fled not one remains behinde 7 Fond hopes on life so weak a threed depending Weak as the threed such knots so weakly tying But heav'nly joyes are circular ne're ending Sure as the rock on which they grow and lying In heav'n increase by losse live best by dying Then let your hope on those sure joyes depend Which live grow by death waste not when they spend 8 Then she Great Lord thy judgements righteous be To make good ill when to our ill we use it Good leads us to the greatest good to Thee But we to other ends most fond abuse it A common fault yet cannot that excuse it We love thy gifts and take them gladly ever We love them ah too much more then we love the giver 9 So falling low upon her humbled knees And all her heart within her eye expressing 'T is true great Mercy onely miseries Teach us our selves and thee oh if confessing Our faults to thee be all our faults releasing But in thine eare I never sought to hide them Ah! thou hast heard them oft as oft as thou hast ey'd them 10 I know the heart knows more then tongue can tell But thou perceiv'st the heart his foulnesse telling Yet knows the heart not half so wide an hell Such seas of sinne in such scant banks are swelling Who sees all faults within his bosome dwelling Many my tenants are and I not know them Most dangerous the wounds thou feel'st and canst not show them 11 Some hidden fault my Father and my God Some fault I know not yet nor yet amended Hath forc't thee frown and use thy smarting rod Some grievous fault thee grievously offended But let thy wrath ah let it now be ended Father this childish plea if once I know it Let stay thy threatning hand I never more will do it 12 If to my heart thou shew this hidden sore Spare me no more no more I will offend thee I dare not say I will I would no more Say thou I shall and soon I will amend me Then smooth thy brow and now some comfort lend me Oh let thy softest mercies rest contented Though late I most repent that I so late repented 13 Lay down thy rod and stay thy smarting hand These raining eyes into thy bottle gather Oh see thy bleeding Sonne betwixt us stand Remember me a childe thy self a father Or if thou mayst not stay oh punish rather The part offending this rebellious heart Why pardon'st thou the worse and plagu'st my better part 14 Was 't not thy hand that ty'd the sacred knot Was 't not thy hand that to my hand did give him Hast thou not made us one command'st thou not None loose what thou hast bound if then thou reave him How without me by halves dost thou receive him Tak'st thou the head and leav'st the heart behinde Ay me in me alone canst thou such monster finde 15 Oh why dost thou so strong me weak assail Woman of all thy creatures is the weakest And in her greatest strength did weakly fail Thou who the weak and bruised never breakest Who never triumph in the yeelding seekest Pitie my weak estate and leave me never I ever yet was weak and now more weak then ever 16 With that her fainting spouse lifts up his head And with some joy his inward griefs refraining Thus with a feeble voice yet cheerfull s'ed Spend not in tears this little time remaining Thy grief doth adde to mine not ease my paining My death is life such is the scourge of God Ah if his rods be such who would not
kisse his rod 17 My deare once all my joy now all my care To these my words these my last words apply thee Give me thy hand these my last greetings are Shew me thy face I never more shall eye thee Ah would our boyes our lesser selves were by thee Those my ' live pictures to the world I give So single onely die in them twice-two I live 18 Your little souls your sweetest times enjoy And softly spend among your mothers kisses And with your prettie sports and hurtlesse joy Supply your weeping mothers grievous misses Ah while you may enjoy your little blisses While yet you nothing know when back you view Sweet will this knowledge seem when yet you nothing knew 19 For when to riper times your yeares arrive No more ah then no more may you go play you Lancht in the deep farre from the wished hive Change of worlds tépests through blinde seas will sway you Till to the long-long'd haven they convey you Through many a wave this brittle life must passe And cut the churlish seas shipt in a bark of glasse 20 How many ships in quick-sands swallow'd been What gaping waves whales monsters there expect you How many rocks much sooner felt then seen Yet let no fear no coward fright affect you He holds the stern and he will safe direct you Who to my sails thus long so gently blew That now I touch the shore before the seas I knew 21 I touch the shore and see my rest preparing Oh blessed God! how infinite a blessing Is in this thought that through this troubled faring Through all the faults this guiltie age depressing I guiltlesse past no helplesse man oppressing And coming now to thee lift to the skies Unbribed hands cleans'd heart and never tainted eyes 22 Life life how many Sylla's dost thou hide In thy calm streams which sooner kill then threaten Gold honour greatnesse and their daughter pride More quiet lives and lesse with tempests beaten Whose middle state content doth richly sweeten He knows not strife or brabling lawyers brawls His love and wish live pleas'd within his private walls 23 The King he never sees nor fears nor prayes Nor sits court-promise and false hopes lamenting Within that house he spends and ends his dayes Where day he viewed first his hearts contenting His wife and babes nor sits new joyes inventing Unspotted there and quiet he remains And 'mong his duteous sonnes most lov'd and fearlesse reignes 24 Thou God of peace with what a gentle tide Through this worlds raging tempest hast thou brought me Thou thou my open soul didst safely hide When thousand crafty foes so nearely sought me Els had the endlesse pit too quickly caught me That endlesse pit where it is easier never To fall then being fall'n to cease from falling ever 25 I never knew or want or luxurie Much lesse their followers or cares tormenting Or ranging lust or base-bred flatterie I lov'd and was belov'd with like consenting My hate was hers her joy my sole contenting Thus long I liv'd and yet have never prov'd Whether I lov'd her more or more by her was lov'd 26 Foure babes the fift with thee I soon shall finde With equall grace in soul and bodie fram'd And left these goods might swell my bladder'd minde Which last I name but should not last be nam'd A sicknesse long my stubborn heart hath tam'd And taught me pleasing goods are not the best But most unblest he lives that lives here ever blest 27 Ah life once vertues spring now sink of evil Thou change of pleasing pain and painfull pleasure Thou brittle painted bubble shop o' th' devil How dost thou bribe us with false gilded treasure That in thy joyes we finde no mean or measure How dost thou witch I know thou dost deceive me I know I should I must and yet I would not leave thee 28 Ah death once greatest ill now onely blessing Untroubled sleep short travel ever resting All sicknesse cure thou end of all distressing Thou one meals fast usher to endlesse feasting Though hopelesse griefs crie out thy aid requesting Though thou art sweetned by a life most hatefull How is 't that when thou com'st thy coming is ungratefull 29 Frail flesh why would'st thou keep a hated guest And him refuse whom thou hast oft invited Life thy tormenter death thy sleep and rest And thou poore soul why at his sight art frighted Who clears thine eyes and makes thee eagle-sighted Mount now my soul seat thee in thy throne Thou shalt be one with him by whom thou first wast one 30 Why should'st thou love this star this borrow'd light And not that Sunne at which thou oft hast guessed But guess'd in vain which dares thy piercing sight Which never was which cannot be expressed Why lov'st thy load joy'st to be oppressed Seest thou those joyes those thousand thousand graces Mount now my soul leap to those outstretcht embraces 31 Deare countrey I must leave thee and in thee No benefit which most doth pierce and grieve me Yet had not hasty death prevented me I would repay my life and somewhat give thee My sonnes for that I leave and so I leave thee Thus heav'n commands the lord outrides the page And is arriv'd before death hath prevented age 32 My dearest Bettie my more loved heart I leave thee now with thee all earthly joying Heav'n knows with thee alone I sadly part All other earthly sweets have had their cloying Yet never full of thy sweet loves enjoying Thy constant loves next heav'n I did referre them Had not much grace prevail'd 'fore heav'n I should preferre them 33 I leave them now the trumpet calls away In vain thine eyes beg for some times reprieving Yet in my children here immortall stay In one I die in many ones am living In them and for them stay thy too much grieving Look but on them in them thou still wilt see Marry'd with thee again thy twice-two Antonie 34 And when with little hands they stroke thy face As in thy lap they sit ah carelesse playing And stammering ask a kisse give them a brace The last from me and then a little staying And in their face some part of me survaying In them give me a third and with a teare Shew thy deare love to him who lov'd thee ever deare 35 And now our falling house leans all on thee This little nation to thy care commend them In thee it lies that hence they want not me Themselves yet cannot thou the more defend them And when green age permits to goodnesse bend them A mother were you once now both you are Then with this double style double your love and care 36 Turn their unwarie steps into the way What first the vessel drinks it long retaineth No barres will hold when they have us'd to stray And when for me one asks and weeping plaineth Point thou to heav'n and say he there remaineth And if they live in grace grow and persever There shall they