' But as the sweet baite of abundant riches ' Bodyes and Soules of greedy men bewitches ' Gold gilds the vertuous and it lends them wings 'To raise their thoughts unto the raiest things ' The wise not onely Iron well apply ' For houshold turnes and tools of husbandry ' But to defend their Country when it calls ' From forraigne dangers and intestine bralls ' Brave-minded Mars yet master of misorder ' Delighting nought but Battells blood and murder ' His furious coursers lasheth night and day ' That he may swiftly passe his course away ' But in the road of his eternall race ' So many rubs hinder his hasty pace ' That thrice the while the lively Lyquor-God ' With dabling heeles hath swelling clusters trod ' And thrice hath Ceres shav'n heâ— amber Treffe ' Ere his steele wheeles have done their businesse Oh Lord I pray grant I may make such use Of all thy creatures without base abuse That I with temperance may take and eat Wheat hearbs and fruit which are delicious meat And that the love of wine may neere intox My head and minde to make mee catch the Fox And though like Mars many doe me oppose For men and devills may become my foes Grant me such courage I may never feare Any but thee and still move in thy Spheare That having liv'd on earth Godly and well I may with thee in heaven for ever dwell Wednesday or Dies Mercurii GOd having now the Worlds wide curtaine spread About the Circuit of the fruitfull Bed ' Where to fill all with her unnumbred kin ' Kind natures selfe each Moment lyeth in 'To make the same for ever admirable ' More stately-pleasant and more profitable ' He th' Azure Tester trimm'd with Golden workes ' And richly spangled with bright glistring Sparks ' He that to number all the Stars would seek ' Had need invent some new Arithmetique ' And who to cast that reck'ning takes in hand ' Had need for counters take the Oceans sand ' Yet have our wise and learned Elders found ' Foure-dozen Figures in the heau'nly Round ' For aid of memory and to our eyes ' In certaine Houses to divide the skies ' Of those are twelve in that rich Girdle grift ' Which God gave Nature for her New-yeares-Gift ' When making all his voyce Almighty most ' Gave so faire Lawes unto heav'ns shining hoast 'To weare it biar buckled over-thwart her ' Not round about her swelling waste to girt her ' This glorious Baldrick of a Golden tindge ' Imbost with Rubyes edged with Silver frindge ' Buckled with Gold with a Bond glistring bright ' Heav'ns biaz-wife environs day and night ' For from the period Where the Ram doth bring ' The day and night to equall ballancing ' Ninety degrees towards the North it wends ' Thence just as much toward Mid-heav'n it bonds ' As many thence toward the South and thence ' Toward th'yeares Portall the like difference ' Nephelian Crook horne with brasse Cornets crown'd ' Thou buttest bravely ' gainst the Newyears bound ' And richly clad in thy faâ—re Golden fleece ' Do'st hold the first house of heavens spacious Meese ' Thou spy'st anon the Bill behinde thy back ' Who least that fodder by the way he lack ' Seeing the world so naked to renew't ' Coats th'infant earth in a greene gallant sute ' And without Plough or Yoak doth freely fling ' Through fragrant pastures of the flowry spring ' The Twins whose heads Armes shoulders knees and feet ' God fill'd with Starres to shine in season sweet ' Contend in course who first the Bull should catch ' That neither will nor may attend their match ' Then Summers guide the Crab comes rowing soft ' With his eight Oares through the heav'ns azure loft 'To bring us yearely in his starry shell ' Many long dayes the shaggy earth to swell Almost with like pace leaps the Lyon out All clad with flames bristled with beames about Who with contagion of his burning breath Both Grasse and grain to cinders withereth The Virgin next sweeping heav'ns ature Globe With stately traine of her bright Golden robe Mild-proudly marching in her left hand brings A sheafe of Corne and in her right hand wings After the Maiden shines the Ballance bright Equall divider of the day and night In whose gold beam with three Gold rings there fastens With six Gold strings a paire of Golden basens The spitefull Scorpion next the Shale addrest With two bright Lamps covers his loathsome breast And fain from both ends with his double sting Would spet his venome over every thing But that the brave Halfe-horse Phylirean scout Galloping swift the heav'nly Belt about Ay fiercely threats with his flame-fethered arrow To shoot the sparkling starry viper thorough And th' hoary Centaure during all his race Is so attentive to this onely chase That dreadlesse of his dart heav'ns shining Kid Comes jumping light just at his heels unspid Mean while the Skinker from his starry spout After the Goate a silver streame pours-out Distilling still out of his radiant fire Rivers of water who but will admire In whose cleere channell mought at pleasure swim Those two bright Fishes that doe follow him But that the Torrent slides so swift away That it out-runs them ever even as they Out-run the Ram who ever them pursues And by returning yearely all renewes Besides these twelve towards the Artick side A flaming Dragon doth two-Beares divide After the Wainman comes the Crowne the Speare The kneeling Youth the Harpe the Hamperer Of th' hatefull Snake whether we call the same By Esculapius or Alcides name Swift Pegasus the Dolphin loving man Ioves stately Eagle and the silver Swan Andromeda with Cassiopea neere-her Her Father Cepheus and her Perseus deerer The shining Triangles Medusas Tresse And the bright Coach-man of Tindarides Toward th' other Pole Orion Eridanus The Whale the whelpe and hot breath'd Sirius The Hare the Hulke the Hydra and the Boule The Centaure Woolfe the Censer and the foule The twice foule Raven the Southern Fish and Crowne Through heav'ns bright Arches brandish up and downe Thus on this day working th' eight azure tent With Artlesse Art Divinely excellent Th' Almighties fingers fixed many a million Of Golden Scutchions in that rich Pavilion But in the rest under that glorious heav'n But one a peece unto the severall sev'n Least of these lamps the number-passing number Should mortall eyes with such confusion cumber That we should never in the cleerest night Stars divers course see or discerne aright And therefore also all the fixed Tapers He made to twinkle with such trembling Capers But the seven lights that wander under them Through various passage never shake a beam Or He perhaps made them not different But th' hoast of Sparks spred in the Firmament Far from our sense through distance infinite Seemes but to twinkle to our twinkling sight Whereas the rest neerer a thousand fold To th' earth and Sea wee doe more brim behold
declare For if when God made fire for our delight It is so fierce there 's none would if he might Gaine a whole Kingdome hold his hand therein But for one houre Oh then what paine is in The fire of hell To which if I compare The fire we have it seemes but painted ayre Ours is for comfort that is to torment Ours must be fed else of it selfe it 's spent That needs no fuell but doth burne for ay Ours giveth light and shines as bright as day That 's alwayes darke and is in its right place Ours ever shifts and doth ascend apace Ours doth consume and rids quicke out of paine That consumes not once there ne'r out againe Our's soone extinct that never doth abate Hâ—s heat And yet as I did show of late And as Christ saith they shall gnash teeth and shake For very cold will make their bones to quake And as that fire is of such wondrous might So doth that darknesse farre exceed our night Now could I shew the universall paines And all th' eternall torture there remaines How Cerberus doth strongly keepe hels dore That none comes out but may come in the more And how that Charon with dread horror grim Over the Stigian lake his boat makes swim Fild full of soules whom he hath got off shore O'r Sulphry Stix and makes them cry and rore I should but all this while shew paine of sense But there 's great dammage in lost excellence Which is as great as learned men doe show As paine of sense But yet I doe not know How to describe the losse of that bleft sight Of Gods bright glory in celestiall light At thought whereof the damned have a worme Which on their conscience gnawes and makes them mourne And when they thinke of that same heavenly light That they have lost this worme doth give a bite Which causeth them to teare their flesh and haire And if they could themselves in pieces teare Then doe they wish for mountaines hills and rocks To fall upon them with such pondrous knocks That they might kill them which when they deny They doe begin to howle lament and cry And marvell saying what hath our pride got What profit hath glory of riches brought How easily might we have scap'd this place By living well and seeking helpe of grace Oh! if on earth we now could live againe We would feare God alone and count as vaine All other things in the vast worlds round ball And Gods bright glory should be all in all And thus they do repent without amends And still their paine begins and never ends Then cease your talke of Pluto's darksome den That 's but the idle fantasie of men But this is true which in Gods word is showne That hellish paines to mortall man 's not knowne Yet I doe wonder that such learned skill Should so divinely drop from heathens quill For as in Pluto's cave they well have showne Hels torments as in Scripture is made knowne So heavenly blisse in Iupiters high court And in Elizium fields they make report In their prophanest fabled histories By Hercules they shew Christs victories Long before Christ was borne which makes me muse That they should know almost as much as Jewes Who were Gods chosen but where doe I goe This in some other place I meane to show And now that I am thus come out of hell Safe and unhurt from all those furies fell In the last place I did intend to write Of the great benefits we have by night But my dull Muse grew barren thin and bare I therefore borowed his whose fruits are rare ' The night to temper dayes exceeding drought ' Moystens our ayre and makes our earth to sprout ' The night is she that all our travels caseth ' Buries our cares and all our griefes appeaseth ' The night is she that with her sable wing ' In gloomy darknesse hushing every thing ' Through all the world dumb silence doth distill ' And wearyed bones with quiet sleepe doth fill ' Sweet night without thee without thee alas 'Our life were loathsome even a hell to passe ' For outward paines and inward passions still ' With thousand deaths would soule and body kill ' Oh Night thou pullest the proud maske away ' Wherewith vaine actors in this worlds great play ' By day disguise them for no difference ' Night makes betweene the Peasant and the Prince ' The poore the rich the Prisoner and the Judge ' The foule and faire the Master and the drudge ' The foole and wise Barbarian and the Greeke ' For Night 's black Mantle covers all alike ' He that condemn'd for some notorious vice ' Seekes in the Mines the Baites of Avarice ' Or swelting at the furnace fineth bright 'Our Soules dire sulphur â—esteth yet at night ' Hee that still stooping tugges against the Tide ' His laden barge alongst a Rivers side ' And filling shoares with shouts doth melt him quite ' Upon his Pallat resteth yet at night ' He that in Summer in extreamest heat ' Scorched all day in his owne scalding sweat ' Shaves with keene Syth the glory and delight ' Of motly Meddowes resteth yet at night ' And in the Armes of his deare Pheere forgoes ' All former troubles and all former woes ' Onely the learned Sisters sacred Minions ' While silent night under her sable Pinions ' Folds all the world with painlesse paine they tread 'A sacred path that to the heav'ns doth lead ' And higher then the heav'ns their Readers raise ' Upon the wings of their immortall layes And now me thinks I heare the clock doth chime Which doth informe me that it is high time Mee to uncloth and so to goe to bed For this dayes worke hath troubled my weak head Of unclothing HOw vaine a thing it is to vant in Pride Of brave Apparell may be quickly tride For had old Adam never fallen from Blisse Of use of Cloaths wee nere had had much misse And he devis'd but leaves to hide the shame Which on himselfe by his foule folly came And God himselfe when hee did undertake Some brave apparell for poore man to make To hide his shame his liv'ry was but skin Of some poore beast this Adams sin did win Wherefore the man that of brave Cloths is proud Doth as a Begger with a voyce most loud Extoll and magnifie his Rotten Rags Which hide his sores and set them forth as flaggs For all to gaze at and to wonder why Hee should set out his stincking Bravery Wherefore the Godly alwayes did not care What Clothes upon their bodies they did beare So it would keepe them from the heat and cold They were content and I doe read of old The Saints Apparell they arrayed were Was made of Goats skin and of Cammells haire But men are now so curious for their back They 'll Rob and spoyle all creatures ere they 'll lack From one they 'll take his wooll to make them cloth From others skin and
will not faile For as a Lyon then he will prevaile And then at fifty hee 's a crafty Fox And Lawyer-like gets money in his Box. And so till sev'nty by Industrious paines Woolfe-like hee 's greedy to increase his gaines But after that he feeles his bones to tire Therefore much like the Dog he loves the fire And keeps at home like to the wyly Cat Where he delights to sit to prate and chat Thus doth the Carnall man waste his lifes weeke And seldome doth after true Riches seeke I meane the wealth which beyond Age will last And still endure after this life is past Therefore the Sages That did first ordaine And gave unto each day It 's severall name Did well at first the nimblest Planet place And last of all that of the slowest race To shew that man in youthfull blithfull plight In Grace and vertue should take most delight For painfull age cannot so well hold out As lusty youth yet still should goe about In vertues race and not out of it start Till death doth strike him with his deadly dart Therefore I 'll pray that with the glorious sun I may rejoyce in vertues Race to run And with old Saturne therein persevere So should I well conclude the weeke and yeare Sunday or Dies Dominicus IN the Beginning and the Birth of time God made his glory and his power to shine In framing of the earth and heavens bright And the first day God did create the light ' Before which time there was a confus'd heape 'A formelesse Chaos did together keepe 'A gulfe of gulfes a body ill compaâ—t ' An ugly medley where all difference lackt ' Where th' elements lay jumbled altogether ' Where hot and cold were jarring each with either ' The blunt with sharpe the danke against the dry ' The hard with soft the base against the high ' All all was voyd of beuty rule and light ' All without fashion soule and motion quite ' Fire was no fire the water was no water ' Ayre was no ayre the earth no earthly matter ' This was not then the world 't was but the matter ' The Nurcery whence it should issue after Yet Gods great power did keep this darksome masse And on the waters did his spirit passe ' And he no sooner said Be light but loe ' The formlesse lump to perfect forme 'gan grow ' And all illustred with lights radiant shine ' Doft mourning weeds and deckt it passing fine ' All haile pure lamp bright sacred and excelling ' Sorrow and care darknesse and dread repelling ' Thou worlds great Taper wicked mens just terror ' Mother of Truth true beauties onely mirror ' Gods eldest daughter Oh! how thou art full ' Of grace and goodnesse Oh! how beautifull ' Sith thy great Parent 's all-discerning eye ' Doth judge thee so and sith his Majesty ' The glorious maker in his sacred layes ' Can doe no lâ—sse than sound thy modest praise ' But yet because all pleasures wax unpleasant ' If without pause we still possesse them present ' And none can right discerne the sweets of peace ' That have not felt wâ—rs irksome bitternesse ' And Swans seeme whiter if swart Crowes be by ' For contraries each other best descry ' Th'Alls Architect alternately decreed ' That Night the Day the Day should Night succeed ' So morne and evening the first day conclude ' And God perceiv'd that all his works were good Therefore the learned that each day did name In the whole weekes as I conceive did aime At the great works of God in the creation And so according set the Planets station For first they set the Sunne bright Phoebus hight Who is the fountaine and the spring of light Also the Pots call him by the name Of bright Apollo whose illustrious fame Was very great he was the sonne of Iove He and Diana his deare sister strove Within the Matrix of Latona faire And these two dayes and nights directors are Apollo for his skill in Poetry Physicke and Musique and Divinity Was honour'd as a god by heathen men Such was the ignorance of those times then But why that others call Sol burning hot Flaming bright Tytan my weake judgement 's not Able to shew but sure his mighty power His names doe shew ev'n every day and houre He governes Princes and great men of state And is the Plannet that 's most fortunate He is the dayes bright eye and heart of heav'n For God plac'd him in midst of Planet sev'n And in three hundred threescore daies and five Doth to the period of hâ—s race arrive By him we measure out to us and ours Yeeres ages seasons moneths dayes minutes houres And therefore well plac'd in the front of time But I have him eclips'd in this â—ude rime Therefore I 'll now conclude lest Phaëton like For taking such a taske great Iove may strike Me in his wrath therefore I 'll hast away And speake a little of the Lords blest Day Me thinkes none should make it a scruple why We disagree from Jewes solemnity In keeping of the sacred Sabbath Day They 're in the old and we in a new way They have the old Law and we have the new For state of Christians differs from the Jew Old things are past and new are come in place Then why should we follow the Jewish race Besides our Saviour is the Lord of dayes And therefore for his meritorious praise It s very fit he should a day ordaine His worship and his statutes to maintaine For in this world each Prince his subjects drawes After his lore for still New Lords new Lawes So now new Sacraments new Heav'n new Earth New Testament and Sabbath Day sets forth How we do differ from the Levites law But of the morall we still stand in aw We know that shadowes now are past away Because from death their substance rose this day For now the ceremonies of the Jewes Doe cease yet on this day we alwayes use To rest from labour and vaine idle sport And to the Lords House we should oft resort There both to heare Gods Word divinely taught By learned men and also as we ought There we should pray and sing with hearty cheare And not as some doe sleepe when they should heare Then after Sermon we should call to minde What good instruction we therein did finde Into what parts what doctrines and what uses Was made thereof to checke the grosse abuses Of mans fraile nature and the consolation Weake man doth need to stablish his salvation If I could thus the Lords Day sanctifie Delighting thus to heare sing pray purely And on the Lord set my whole minde and heart That all this day he might not from me part If I could as the Sunne begin to shine From youth to old age in all works divine If I could so distinguish and divide Blind errors wayes from truths bright paths well try'd And well approv'd of God and all good men For graces splendor I
Ocean dares not passe ' Without his license for th' Eternall knowing ' The Seas commotive and inconstant flowing ' Thus curbed her and ' gainst her envious rage ' For ever fenc'd our flowry-mantled stage ' So that we often see those rowling hils ' With roaring noise threatning the neighbour fields ' Through their owne spite to split upon the shore ' Foming for fury that they dare no more ' Also God powr'd the water on the ground ' In sundry figures some in fashion round ' Some squaâ—e some crosse some long some Lozenge-wise ' Some triangles some large some lesser size ' Amid the floods by this faire difference 'To give the world more wealth and excellence ' And though each of these armes how large soever 'To the great Ocean seemes a little river ' Each makes a hundred sundry Seas besides ' Not sundry in waters but in names and tides 'To moisten kindly by their secret vaines ' The thirsty thicknesse of the neighbours plaines 'To Bul-warke Nations and to serve for fences ' Against th' invasion of Ambitious Princes 'To bound large kingdomes with eternall limits 'To further traffique through all earthly Climats ' T' abridge long Jorneyes and with aide of wind ' Within a moneth to visit either Inde ' Most wisely did th' Eternall All-creator ' Dispose these Elements of earth and water ' For sith th' one could not without drinke subsist ' Nor th' other without stay bottome and list ' God intermixt them so that th' earth her breast ' Op'ning to th' ocean th' ocean winding prest ' About the earth a thwart and under it ' For the world's Center both together fit ' For if their mixt Globe held not certainely ' Just the just midst of the worlds Axletree ' All Climates then should not be serv'd aright ' With equall counterpâ—ize of day and night ' The Horizons il-level'd circle wide ' Would sag too much on th' one or th' other side ' Th' Antipodes or wee at once should take ' View of more signes then halfe the Zodiake ' The Moones Ecclipses would not then be certaine ' And settled seasons would be then uncertaine ' This also serveth for probation sound ' That th' earth and waters mingled Maise is round ' Round as a Ball seeing on every side ' The day and night successively to slide ' Seas liquid Glasse round boweth every where ' With Sister earth to make a perfect Spheare ' And yet this Globe which we so much admire ' Seemes but a point compar'd to th'upper Spire ' Sith the least Star which we perceive to shine ' Above disperst in th'Arches Christalline ' If at the least starre-Clarkes be credit worth ' Is eighteene times bigger then all the earth ' whence if wee but substract what is possest ' From North to South and from the east to west ' what doth remaine Ah! nothing in respect ' Loe here O men wherefore doe you neglect ' Heav'ns glorious kingdome Loe the largest scope ' Glory can give to your Ambitious hope ' Loe her 's the Guerdon of Mans glorious peines 'A needles point a Mote a Mint he gains 'A Nit anothing did he all possesse ' Or if than nothing any thing be lesse ' And certainely it is Gods onely power ' That doth uphold and keepe earth's branchy Bower ' For though it hang in th' aire swim in the water ' Though every way it be a round Theater ' Though all turne round about it though for ay ' Its selfes foundations with swift Motions play ' It rests unmovable that the holy race ' Of Adam there may find fit dwelling place ' The earth receives man when he is first borne ' Th' earth nurses him and when he is forlorne ' Of th' other Elements and nature loaths him ' Th' earth in her bosome with kind buriall cloaths him ' Oft hath the aire with tempests set upon us ' Oft hath the water with her floods undone us ' Oft hath the fire th'upper as well as ours ' With woefull flames consum'd our Townes and Towers ' Onely the earth of all the Elements ' Unto man-kind is kind without offence ' Onely the earth did never jot displace ' From the first seat assign'd it by Gods grace ' When God whose word more in a moment can ' Then in an age the proudest strength of Man ' Had severed the floods levell'd the fields ' Embast the Aalleys and embost the Hills ' Change change quoth he O faire and firmest Globe ' Thy mourning weed to a greene gallant Robe ' Cheere thy sad browes and stately garnish them ' With a rich fragrant flowry diadem ' Lay forth thy locks and paint thee Lady like ' With freshest calours on thy sallow Cheek ' That aire and water and the Angels court ' May all seeme jealous of thy praise and port ' No sooner spoken but the lofty Pyne ' Distilling-pitch the Larch yeeld Turpentine ' Th'ever-green Box the Gummy Cedar sprout ' And th' Airy Monntaines mantle all about ' The Mast full Oke the usefull Ash the Holm ' Coat changing Cork white Maple shady Elm ' Through hill and dale ranged their plumed rancks ' The winding Rivers bordered all their Bancks ' With flice-sea Aldars and greene Osiers small ' With trembling Poplars and with Willowes pale ' And many Trees beside fit to be made ' Fewell or Timber or to serve for shade ' The dainty Apricock of Plums the Prince ' The velvet Peach gilt Orenge downy Quince ' Already beare grav'n in their tender Barkes ' Gods powerfull Providence in open maâ—kes ' The sweet-sent Apple and astringent Pear ' The Châ—rry Filbert Walnut Meddeler ' The Milky Fig the Damson black and white ' The Date and Olive aiding Appetite ' Spread every-where a most enlightfull spring ' And every-where a very Eden bring I ' Here the fine Pepper as in clusters hung ' There Sinemon and other Spices sprong ' Here dangled Nutmags that for thrifty paines ' Yearely repay the Bandons wondrous gaines ' There growes th' Hesperian Plant the pretious Read ' Whence Sugar Sirrups in abundance bleed ' There weeps the Balme and famous Trees from whence ' Th' Arabians fetch perfuming Frankincense ' There th' amorous Vine calls in a thousand sorts ' With winding Armes her spouse that her supports ' Here for our food Millions of flow'ry graines ' With long mustachoes wave upon the plaines ' Here thousand fleeces fit for Princes Robes ' In Se'rean forrests hang in silken Globes ' Here shrubs of Malta for my meaner use ' The fine white Balls of Bombace doe produce ' Here th'azure-flowred Flax is finely spun ' For finest Linen by the Belgian Nun ' Here fatall Hemp which Denmark doth afford ' Doth furnish us with Canvasse and with Cord ' Cables and Sayles that winds assisting either ' Wee may acquaint the East and West together ' And dry-foot dance on Neptunes watry front ' And in adventure lead whole Townes upon 't ' Never mine eyes in pleasant springs
behold ' Th' azure Flax the gilden Marigold ' The Violets purple the sweet Roses stammell ' The Lillye's snow and Panseye's various Ammell ' But that in them the Painter I admire ' Who in more colors doth the fields attire ' Then fresh Aurora's rosey Cheekes display ' When in the East she ushers a faire day ' God not content to have made these plants ours ' Pretious perfumes fruits plenty pleasant flowers ' Infused Physick in their leaves and Mores 'To cure our sicknesse and to salve our sores ' Blew succ'ry hanged on the naked Neck ' Dispells the dimnesse that our sight doth check ' About an Infants neck hang Peony ' It cures Alcydes cruell malady ' If fuming bowls of Bacchus in excesse ' Trouble thy brayns with stormes of giddinesse ' Put but a Garland of greene Saffron on ' And that mad humour will be quickly gon ' Th' inchanting charmes of Syrens blandishments ' Contagious Aire-ingendring Pestilence ' Infect not those that in their mouthes have ta'en ' Angelica that happy counter-baen ' Sent downe from heav'n by some Celestiall scout ' As well the name and nature doth avow'c ' So Pimpernell held in the patients hand ' The bloody Flix doth presently withstand ' And to conclude whether I walke the fields ' Rush through the woods or clamber up the hills ' I finde God every-where thence all depend ' He giveth frankly what we thankly spend ' But th' earth not onely on her back doth beare ' Abundant Treasures glistring every where ' But inwardly shee 's no lesse fraught with riches ' Nay rather more which more our Soules bewitches ' Within the dâ—epe folds of her fruitfull lap ' Such boundlesse mines of treasure she doth wrap ' That th'hungry hands of humane Avarice ' Cannot exhaust with labour or device ' For they be more then there be starres in heav'n ' Or stormy billowes in the Ocean driv'n ' Or eares of corne in Autumn on the fields ' Or Savage Beasts upon a thousand Hills ' Or Fishes diving in the silver floods ' Or scattered Leaves in winter in the woods ' Slate Iet and Marble shall escape my Pen ' I overpasse the Salt-mount Oromene ' I blanch the Brine-quar hill in Aragon ' Whence there they powder their provision ' I 'le onely now embosse my Booke with Brasse ' Dy't with Vermilion deck't with Coperasse ' With Gold and Silver Lead and Mercury ' Tin Iron Orpine Stibium Lithargie ' And on my Gold worke I will onely place ' The Chrystall pure which â—oth reflect each face ' The pretious Ruby of a sanguin hew ' The seal-fit Onix and the Saphire blâ—w ' The Cassidonie full of circles round ' The tender Topza and rich Diamond ' The various Opal and greene Emerald ' The Agath by a thousand titles call'd ' The skie-like Turqisez purple Amethists ' And fiery Carbuncle which flames resists ' But shall I baulk th' admired Adamant ' Whose dead-live power my reasons power doth dant ' Renowned Loade-stone which on Iâ—on acts ' And by the touch the same a loft attracts ' Attracts it strangely with unclasping crooks ' With unknowne Cords and unconceived hookes ' With unseene hands with undiscerned Armes ' With hidden force with sacred secret charmes ' Wherewith he woes his Iron Misteresse ' And never leaves her till he get a kisse ' Nay till he fold her in his faithfull bosome ' Never to part except wee love-lesse loos'em ' With so firme zeale and fast affection ' The stone doth love the steel the steele the stone ' And though sometime some make bate come betwixt ' Still burnes their first flame t is so surely fixt ' And while they cannot meet to breake their minds ' With mutuall skips they shew their love by signes ' As bashfull suiters seeing strangers by ' Parley in silence with their hand or ey ' Nor is th' earth onely worthy praise eternall ' For the rare Riches on her back externall ' Or in her bosome but her owne selfes worth ' Solicits me to sound her praises forth ' All-hail faire earth bearer of Townes and Towers ' Of men Gold Graine Physick and fruits and flowers ' Faire firme and fruitfull various patient sweet ' Sumptuously cloathed in mantle meet ' Of mingled-colours lac't about with stoods ' And all imbrod'red with fresh blooming buds ' With rarest Jemmes richly about embost ' Excelling cunning and exceeding cost ' All-haile great heart round base and stedfast Root ' Of all the world the worlds strong fixed foot ' Heav'ns chastest spouse supporter of this All ' This glorious buildings goodly Pedestall ' All-haile deere mother Sister hostesse Nurse ' Of the worlds Soveraigne Of thy liberall purse ' W' are all maintained matchlesse Emperesse 'To doe thee service with all readinesse ' The Sphears before thee bear ten thousand Torches ' The fire to warme thee folds his heatfull arches ' In purest flames about the floating cloud ' Th' aire to refresh thee willingly is bow'd ' About the waves and well content to suffer ' Milde Zephyrs blasts and Boreas bellowing rougher ' Water to quench thy thirst about the mountaines ' Wraps her moist armes Seas Rivers lakes and fountaines ' So Morne and Evening the third day conclude ' And God perceiv'd that all his workes were good But by this writing I declare my Birth How like a Mole I doe delight in earth Therefore I 'll leave this Trash and haste away And shew how furious Marr doth rule this day Yet it is strange for he is God of war Discord dissention and delights to jar Hee governs Knights Captaines and bloody Souldiers Alchymists Surgeons he rules all disorders In Butchers Serjeants Hangmen the stout theefe Who many times heapes the poore true man griefe And all this day I writ no harme to be In fields in woods in hills that I could see But 't is to show how vainely men doe use Gods creatures good and how they doo abuse Iron and steele they make to kill and slay Hearbs metalls earth cast many men away When dull Physicians void of learned Notions For greedy gaine make poysoned salves and potions And for Golds luster many doe not feare To loose their limbs and last the halter were 'To pick a lock to take their neighbours purse 'To breake a house or to doe something worse 'To cut his Parents Throat to kill his Prince 'To spoyle his Country murder innocents ' Even so prophaning of a gift divine The drunkard drownes his Reason in the wine ' So fale-tongu'd Lawyers wresting Eloquence ' Excuse rich wrong and cast poore innocence ' So Antichrists their poyson to infuse ' Mis-cite the Scriptures and Gods name abuse ' For as a Cask for want of use growne fusty ' Makes with his stink the best Greeke Malmesey musty ' So Gods best Gifts usurpt by wicked ones 'To poyson turne through their contagions 'T is not these creatures but 't is mans amisse ' Hath made Sin mount unto the hight it is
For the heav'ns are not mixtly enterlaced But th'undermost by th'upper be embraced And more or lesse the Rundells wider are As from the Center they be neere or far As in an Egg the shell includes the skin The skin the white the white the Yolke within Now like as in a Clock that is well tended Just counterpoize Justly thereon suspended Makes the great wheele goe round and that anon Turnes with his turning many a meaner one The trembling watch th'Iron Maule that chimes The entire day in twice twelve equall times So the grand heau'n in foure and twenty houres Surveying all this various house of ours With his quick motion all the Spheares doth move Whose radiant glances gild the world above And drives them every day which swiftnesse strange is From Gange to Tagus and from Tag to Ganges But th'under-Oâ—bes as grudging to be still So streightly subject to anothers will Still without change still at anothers pleasure After one Pipe to dance one onely measure They from-ward turne and traversing aside Each by himselfe an oblique course doth slide So that they all although it seeme not so Forward and backward in one instant goe Both up and downe and with contrary paces At once they post to two contrary places But now the neerer any of these eight Approach th' Emperiall Pallace walls in height The more their circuit and more dayes they spend Ere they returne unto their Jorneyes end It 's therefore thought that sumptuous Canopye The which th'unnigard hand of Majesty Powdred so thick with shields so shining cleere Spends in his voyage nigh sev'n thousand yeare Then follow Saturnâ— Iupiter and Mars Divine Apollo Venus's bright Cars So swifâ—ly followes whose doves goe not far From splendant Phebus glory beaming Car Then witty Mercury and Luna last In her Carreer doth make a monethly hast Now should I write how the Latonian twins The yeare the moneth the weeke and day begins First how the sun about the world rides ay How all doe live by vertue of his Ray How even as man the little world of Cares Within the middle of his body beares His heart the spring of life which with proportion Supplyeth spirits to all and every Portion Even so the Sun his Golden Chariot Marches Amid the six lamps of the six low Arches Which seele the world that equally it might Richly impart them beauty force and light Six heav'nly Princes mounted evermore Wait on Sols Coach three behind three before Besides the hoasts of th'upper twincklers bright To whom for pay he giveth onely light And how he cheareth every living thing With light and heat but my muse daies not sing His honour'd prayses for I 'm like the moone In borrowing light from a diviner Sun Therefore I 'll vaile my front under his shine Least I ecclips him by this work of mine So mâ—rn and Evening the fourth day conclude And God perceiv'd that all his workes were good Why this is call'd the day of Mercury Who is of Eloquence and Memory The God by Poete call'd and rules the Muses Marchants and each one that the Pen oft uses Ambassadors the Princes humor pleaser To end his course takes neere a twelve moneths leasure For all the while his nimble winged heeles Dare little bouge from Phoebus golden wheeles Hee 's fained to have wings on Armes and feet To shew his speed for message he is meet I cannot tell except it be to show How swift the motion of the Plannets goe How by the force of the first moving heav'n With speedy hast their flaming Cars are driv'n Now as that grand heav'n by his powerfull force Doth move the under nine in their swift course So of my selfe I know I cannot move To any good It is the Lord above That drives mee forward in the way of Grace That in bright Glory I may have a place There to remaine ev'n as a glorious starre Which happy Blisse doth passe mans reason far Thursday or Dies Iovis IN vaine had God stor'd heav'n with glistring studs The Plain with grain the mountaine tops with woods Sever'd the aire from fire the earth from water Had hee not soone peopled this large Theater With living Creatures therefore he began This Day to quicken in the Ocean In standing Pools and in the straggling Rivers whose folding Channell fertill Champion fevers So many Fishes of so many features That in the waters one may see all creatures And all that in this All is to be found As if the world within the deeps were drown'd Seas have as well as Skies Sun Moone and stars As well as aire Swallowes and Rooks and stares As well as earth Vines Roses Nettles Millions Pinks Gilly-flowers Mushromes many millions Of other Plants more rare and strange then these As very Fishes living in the Seas And also Rams Calfes Horses Hares and Hogs Wolves Lions Urchins Elephants and Dogs Yea men and maides and which I more admire The Mitred Bishop and the cowled Fryer whereof example but a few yeares since Were showne the Norwayes and Polonian Prince As a rare Painter drawes for pleasure here A sweet Adonis a soule Satyre there Here a huge Cyclop there a Pigme Elfe Somtimes no lesse busying his skilfull selfe Upon some ugly Monster seldome seene Then on the Picture of faire beauties Queene Even so the Lord that in his workes variety Wee might the more admire his powerfull deity And that wee might discerne by different features The various kinds of the vast Oceans Creatures Forming this mighty frame he every kind With divers and peculiar Signets sign'd Some have their heads groveling betwixt their feet As th'inky Cuttles and the many-feet Some in their breast as Crabs some headlesse are Foot lesse and Fin-lesse as the banefull Hare And heatfull Oyster in a heape confus'd Their parts unparted in themselves diffus'd Then for their bulk the Orke Whirlepoole and Whale In greatnesse passe the largest ships that saile Me thinkes I see the Dolphin swiftly passe And the rare Tortoise whose shell seemes as brasse Which th' Arabià n makes in sted to stand For hulke at Sea and for a house on Land The dainty Salmons Chevins thunder-scaâ—'d Feast-famous Sturgeons Lampreyes speckle-starr'd Th' adulterous Sarâ—us and the loving Mullet The banefull Crampfish which when in her Gullet ¶ She hath receiv'd the sharp deceitfull hooke ' Suddenly spues into the silver brooke ' Her secret-spreading sudden-speeding bane ' Which up the line and all along the cane ' Creeps to the hand of th' Angler who withall ' Benumm'd and senslesse suddenly lets fall ' His hurtfull pole and his more hatefull price ' In a deep sleep upon the ground he lies 'A firmer league of friendship is not seene ' Than is the Pearle-fish and the Prawn betweene ' Both have but one repast both but one palace ' But one delight death sorrow and one solace ' That lodgeth this and this remunerates ' His Land-lords kindnesse with all needfull cates ' For while the Pearle-fish gaping
to recover ' Whose shoares already my glad eyes discover ' Of all the beasts that this day God did build 'To haunt the hils the forrest and the fields ' I see as Viceroy of their brutish bend ' The Elephant the Vant-gard doth command ' Worthy that office whether we regard ' His towred backe where many souldiers ward ' Or else his prudence where withall he seemes ' Tobscure the wits of human-kinde some times ' Neer the Elephant comes th'horned Hirable ' Stream-troubling Camell and strong necked Bull ' The lazy-paced yet laborious Asse ' The quicke proud Courser which the rest doth passe ' For apt addresse Mars and his Master loving ' After his hand with ready lightnesse moving ' When out of hand will selfe advance and bound ' Corvet pace mannage turne and trot the round ' In a fresh troope the fearefull Hare I note ' The oblivious Coney and the brouzing Goat ' The slothfull Swine the golden fleeced sheepe ' The light-foot Hart that every yeere doth weepe ' But of all beasts none steadeth man so much ' As doth the Dog his diligence is such 'A faithfull guard a wachfull sentinell 'A painfull purvey'r that with perfect smell ' Prov des great Princes many a dainty messe 'A friend till death a helper in distresse ' Dread of the Wolfe feare of the fearefull thiefe ' Fierce combatant and of all hunters chiefe ' There skips the Squirrell seeming weatherwise ' Without beholding of heav'ns twinckling eyes ' For knowing well which way the wind will change ' He shifts the portal of his little grange ' There 's the wanton Weazel and the wily Fox ' The witty Monkey that mans actions mocks ' The sweat sweet Civet dearely fetcht from far ' For Courtiers nice past Indian Tarnassar ' There the wife Bever who pursu'd By foes ' Feares off his coolings and among them throwes ' Knowing the hunters on the Pontik heath ' Doe more desire that ransome than his death ' There the rough Hedgebog who to shun his thrall ' Shrinks up himselfe as round as any ball ' And fastning his slow feet under his chin ' On 's thistly brisles rowles him quickly in ' But th' eye of heav'n beholdeth nought more strange ' Than the Chamelion who with various change ' Receives the colour that each object gives ' And foodlesse else of th' ayre alonely lives ' Oh! who is he that would not be astound 'To be as I am here environ'd round ' With cruell'st creatures which for mastery ' Have vow'd against us endlesse enmity ' Phoebus would faint Alcides selfe would dread ' Although the first dread Python conquered ' And th' other vanquisht th' Erymanthian Boare ' The Nemean Lyon and a many more ' What strength of arme or artfull stratagem ' From Nile's fell rover could deliver them ' Who runs and towes warring by land and water ' Gainst men and fishes subject to his slaughter ' Or from that furious Dragon which alone ' set on a Roman army whereupon ' Stout Regulus as many engines spent ' As to the ground would Carâ—hage walls have rent ' What shot free Coâ—slet or what counsell crafty ' Gainst th' angry aspick could aslure them safety ' Who saithfull husband over hill and plaine ' Pursues the man that his deare Pheet hath slaine ' Whom he can find amid the thickest throng ' And in an instant venge him of his wrong ' What shield of Ajax could avoyd their death ' By th' Basilisk whose pestilenâ—iall breath ' Doth pierce firme Marble and whose banefull eye ' Wounds with a glance so that the soundest dye ' From Serpents scap'd yet am I scarce in safety ' Alas I see a Legion fierce and lofty ' Of Savages whose fleet and furious pace ' Whose horrid roaring and whose hideous face ' Make my senso senslesse and my speach restraine ' And cast me in my former feares againe ' Already howles the wastfull Wolfe the Boare ' Whets foamy fangs the hungry Beare doth roare ' The Cat-fac'd Ounce that doth me much dismay ' With grumbling horror threatens my decay ' The light foot Tigre spotted Leopard ' Foaming with fury doe besiege me hard ' Then th' Vnicorne th' Hyena tearing-tombs ' Swift Manticho's and Nubian Cephus comes ' Of which last three each hath as here they stand ' Man 's voyce man's visage man-like foot and hand ' I feare the beast bred in the bloody coast ' Of Cannibals which thousand times almost ' Re-whelps her whelps and in her tender womb ' She doth as oft her living brood retomb ' Then th'monstrous Porcupine there bids me battle ' On whose rough backe an hoast of pikes doth rattle ' But courage now here comes the valiant beast ' The noble Lyon King of all the rest ' Who bravely minded is as milde to those ' That yeeld to him as fierce unto his foes 'To humble Suitors neither sterne nor statefull 'To benefactors never found ingratefull ' There 's under Sun as Delphos God did show ' No better knowlege that our selves to know ' There is no theme more plentifull to scan ' Than is the glorious goodly frame of man ' For in mans selfe is fire ayre earth and Sea ' Man 's in a word the worlds Epitome ' Or little map which here my Muse would try ' By the grand paterne to exemplifie But my dull Muse shall not eclipse thy shine From whom I borrow all these words divine For I can little of mans nature speake But what I take from thy creation weake For here and there I take a little tast Of thy sweet Nectar my tart lines to cast In such a heav'nly smooth delicious mould As with the Word of God may firmely hold Due correspondence and make plaine to sense The wondrous workes of Gods Omnipotence ' Now God that supreame peerelesse Architect ' When of mere nothing he did first erect ' Heav'n earth and ayre and seas at once his thought ' His Word and deed all in an instant wrought ' But when he would his owne selfe 's type create ' Th' honour of nature th' earths sole potentate ' As if he would a councel hold he citeth ' His sacred power his prudence he inviteth ' Summons his love his justice he adjournes ' Calleth his goodnesse and his grace returnes 'To as it were consult about the birth ' And building of a second god of earth ' Or rather he consults with his owne Son ' His owne true pourtrait what proportion ' What gifts what grace what soule he should bestow ' Upon his Vice-roy of this Realme below But of 's particular parts I will not speake It is enough in this my borrowed weeke In generall to write a little story Of soule and bodies first created glory They that desire more of the same to know Learned Du Bartas will divinely show ' Th' Almighty Father as of watery matter ' It pleas'd him make the people of the water ' So of an earthly substance made he
all ' The slimy Burgers of this earthly ball 'To th' end each creature might by consequent ' Part-sympathize with his owne element ' Therefore to forme this earthly Emperor ' He did take earth and by his sacred power ' So tempered it that of the very same ' Dead shapelesse lump did Adams body frame ' Yet not his face downe to the earth-ward bending ' Like beasts that but regard their belly ending ' For ever all but toward the azure skies ' Bright golden Lamps lifting his lovely eyes ' That through their nerves his better part might looke ' Still to that place from whence her birth shee tooke ' And this most peere-lesse learned Imager ' Life to his lovely picture to confer ' Did not extract out of the elements 'A certaine secret Chymick Quinte slence ' But breathing sent as from the lively spring ' Of his divinenâ—sse some small riverling ' It selfe dispersing into every pipe ' Of the fraile Engine of this Earthen type ' In briefe it 's but a breath Now though a breath ' Out of our stomachs concave issueth ' Yet of our substance it transporteth nought ' Onely it seemeth to be simply fraught ' And to retaine the purer qualities ' Of the inward place whence it derived is ' Inspired by that breath this breath desire ' I to describe who so doth not admire ' His spirit is spritelessâ— anâ— his sense is past ' Who hath no sense of that admired blast ' Yet wot I well that as an eye perceives ' All but it selfe even so our soule conceives ' All save her owne selfe essence but the end ' Of her owne greatnesse cannot comprehend ' Yet as a sound eye voyd of vicious matter ' Sees in a sort it selfe in glasse or water ' So in her sacred works as in a glasse 'Our soule almost may see her glorious face ' Mans compleate nature imitates the best ' And fairest workes of the Almightiest ' By rare effects beares records of its linage ' And high descent and that Gods sacred Image ' Was in mans soule ingraven when first his spirit ' The spring of life did in mans limbs inspire it ' For as Gods beauties are past all compare ' So is mans soule all beautifull and faire ' As God's immortall and is never idle ' Mas soulâ—'s immortall and can brooke no bridle ' Of Sloth to curb her busie intellect ' He Ponders all she poizeth each effect ' And mans mature and setled Sapience ' Hath some Alliance with Gods providence ' God workes by reason man his rule God's glory ' Of the heav'nly Stages man of th' earthly story ' God 's great high-Priest man his great Vicar here ' God 's Soveraigne Prince man his Viceroy deere ' O man assoone as God had framed thee ' Into thy hands he put this Monarchy ' Made all the creatures know thee for their Lord ' And come before thee of their owne accord ' And gave thee power as Master to impose ' Fit sensefull names unto the hoast that rowes ' In watery Regions and the wandring heards ' Of Forrest people and the painted Birds ' O too-too happy had that fall of thine ' Not canceld so the Character Divine ' But sith our Soules now-sin-obscured light ' Shines through the Lanthorn of our flesh so bright ' What sacred splendor will this Star send forth ' When it shall shine without this vaile of earth ' The Soule here lodg'd is like a man that dwells ' In an ill Aire annoy'd with noysome smells ' Never in health not halfe an houre together ' Or almost like a Spider who confin'd ' In her webs Center shak't with every winde ' Moves with an instant If the buzzing flye ' Stir but a string of her Lawne Canopie ' Yet without woman man 's but halfe a man ' But a wild wolfe but a Barbarian ' Brute ragefull fierce moody melancholike ' Hating the light whom nought but naught could like ' Borne solely for himselfe bereft of sence ' Of heart of Love of life of Excellence ' God therefore not to seeme lesle liberall 'To man then else to every animall ' For perfect patterne of a holy Love 'To Adams halfe another halfe he gave ' Ta'en from his side to binde through every age ' With kinder Bonds the sacred Marriage ' For God empal'd our Grandsires lively looke ' Through all his Bones a deadly chilnesse strooke ' Siel'd-up his sparkling eyes with Iron bands ' Led downe his feet almost to Lethi sands ' In Briefe so numm'd his Soul's and Body's sense ' That without paine opening his side from thence ' He tooke a Rib which rarely he refin'd ' And thereof made the mother of mankinde ' Graving so lively on the living bone ' All Adams beauties that but hardly one ' Could have the lover from the love descry'd ' Or knowne the Bridegroome from his gentle Bride ' Saving that she had a more smiling Eye 'A smother Chin a Check of purer dye 'A fainter Voyce a more inticing face 'A deeper Tresse a more delighting grace ' And in her bosome more then Lily-white ' Two swelling Mounts of Ivory panting light ' Now after this ptofound and pleasing Trance ' No sooner Adams ravisht eyes gan glancâ— ' On the rare beauties of his new-com halfe ' But in his heart he gan to leap and laugh ' Kissing her kindly calling her his life ' His Love his stay his rest his weale his wife ' His other-selfe his helpe him to refresh ' Bone of his bone flesh of his very flesh ' Source of all Joyes sweet Hee-shee coupled one ' Thy sacred birth I never thinke upon ' But ravish't I admire how God did then ' Mike two of one and one of two againe ' O blessed Bond Oh happy marriage ' That dost the match twixt Christ and us presages ' O chastest friendship whose pure flames impart ' Two soules in one two hearts into one heart ' O holy knot in Eden instituted ' Not in this earth with Blood and wrongs polluted ' Profan'd with mischiefes the prescene of Hell 'To cursed creatures that against heaven rebell ' O sacred Cov'nant which the sin-lesse Sonne ' Of a pure Virgin when he first begun 'To publish proofes of his dread power Divine ' By turning water into perfect wine ' At lesser Cana in a wondrous manner ' Did with his presence sanctifie and honour ' By thy deare favour after our decease ' We leave-behind our living Images ' Change war to peace in kindred multiply ' And in our Children live eternally ' By thee we quench the wilde and wanton fires ' that in our Soule the Paphian shot inspires ' And taught by thee a love more firme and fitter ' We find the Mel more sweet the Gall lesse bitter ' Which here by turnes heape up our humane life ' Ev'n now with joyes anon with jars and strife ' This done the Lord Commands the happy paire ' With chaste embraces to replenish