yee it not amiss to pass the moity of your ages in dreames and folyes Yee sleepe with soules as black as Hell what repose can yee enjoy at the eue of your everlasting restlesness The Heaven though insensible quaketh for horrour at the clamour the great noise of this Trumpet The earth though immooveable doth thence tremble for feare The Angells themselues in their purity and all the Saints jointly in their innocence are toutched with astonishment allthough they are not capable of feare and yet yee sleepe during the time of this publique alarum's being which fright 's all Nature Awake yee speedily and prepare your selues to render an account even of the least idle word which yee haue let fall Ah! how out of frame yee are when yee wake it seemeth to me that yee haue set by to dye in shew yee will dye now in earnest Let me see how it is with yee Yee are at a bay for feare and dread Oh! how profitable would theise agonyes bee found vnto yee if yee would oftentimes vndergoe the paines to apprehend liuely God's judgments but your spirits avers'd from so serious thoughts are the cause of your missprise thereof without reflecting on your loss therby that 's à pitty alas I perceiue that yee are risen to dress your selues and yee are never vnready to deck your bodyes repleat with infections but forbeare a while I pray then look out of the window there 's a spectacle for yee to meditate on that stinking carcass which is carried to be buryed the same with whom two dayes since yee contested with for beauty it 's now as yee see borne to the tomb and yee will follow it thither it 's but a pace before yee it 's not knowen as yet wether yee arriue all three together thither This dreadfull Trumpet soundeth dayly and yee trace the ground incessantly and run the self same race Obserue a right how it doth agree to judgment that yee bee seen buryed in the way one while to frisle your haires for to hide your nitts another time to make white your teeth those little bones whose least infected ruineth your graces and thus much is in favour of your bodyes which apparantly doe putrify and hence the wormes expect their prey in this world and the infernall spirits in the other What is the benefitt which your soules doe reape by the graces of your faces Thinck yee that at the hower of your deathes your Confessour will demand of yee how many yee haue enthrall'd enchained and made your slaues No no but at larg namely how long it hath been that yee haue employ'd your time in so vnhappy a beeing at such rate in so commiserable a state There is no further talke of your excellent persons your rares faces their graces shall possess no places no more shall they domineere your soules onely shall pleade their causes God grant that they want not plea to obtaine their suites O how faire is the employment of this second dayes entertainment it's passed off in admiring and tricking your selues meaning thereby to tempt and attrap weake persons to idolatrise But alas I find yee farr more simple yet It doth appeare that yee labour onely to advance and advantadg the fiends of Hell since at the dayes end they cary with them away all your spoiles Further heerevnto adjoine their conquestes of your selues It 's confess'd that yee are ritchely cloth'd that there can not bee added aught to the stately curiosity which serue as a new lustre to your enticements But whither bend yee your way so nicely deckt if it bee to a Comedy Ah! how Cleopatra that young Princess representeth a dolefull personage on the stage the Theather of her marriage in the Tragedy of King Philip her deere husband's death for she dyed by the same stroke of misfortune which caryed that great Monark to his tomb Shee was as faire as are yee How comes it to pass that yee are happyer She was as yong as yee What reason haue yee not to apprehend her misery her missfortune sensibly The Trumpet which cited yee to death and judgment soundeth incessantly thither doth each one make their recours in troupes and croudes Who can assure yee that yee shall not appeare there this very day since that yee make your way as fast as the rest Is that a reposed life is it to possess tranquillity to perceiue your selues dye without your beeing prepared for death will yee expose those things to so great a perill Which yee can not loose but once Yee liue not but for Eternity for the life of this world is not properly a life and yet yee let pass your time without reflecting once thinking of Eternity which will last as long as God Almighty What will it not turne to your reproach that on Earth yee shall bee found to haue donne nothing else but dress and deck your bodyes of earth Oh! what a rare exercise would it bee if so your soules were of the same matter Oh! the sweet entertainement if it were not expressely necessary to dye if so one were to liue for ever but daily to liue the eue of an eternall loss and passing all the time to the dressing and decking of your carcasses by consequence it must follow that Hell will bee your recompense Notwithstanding what heerein is fore delivered behould yee pass your time in seeing a Comedy at the Burgugnion house but know yee not that yee there act your parts and are at the end of each interclude giving occasion of laughter and scorn to all the sage Democrites for the vaine employments of your times yet it is expedient that I extract your gaines out of your losses Atleast thinke yee during this your entertainements of time that the world is a Theater where even new yee represent those persons whom God hath endowed for Eternity Doe yee well or ill yee shall not appeare but this time solely on the Theater yee play your parts for ever the Angells and the Diuells are your lookers on expecting the end of the last act whence yee are to receiue praises or reproaches I meane recompense or chastisement Yee haue a faire petition to deliver descended from the Theather into your sepulcher Oh! giue vs leaue to rise againe wee will liue better then in former times wee haue The intercludes are passed The play is ended The candells are extinguish'd each one shall receiue his guiderdon according to his merit and for an Eternity O fearfull judgment But what'is more dreadfull yet is that the Trumpet doth summon yee thither amongst the disorder wherein yee liue I leaue yee to consider heere on seriously AN ALARVM FOR LADYES The third Dayes Worke. HAPPY are they vvho rest in our Lord Ladyes then 〈…〉 yee for 〈…〉 to the 〈…〉 I find yee your 〈…〉 are as black as possâ—â—◠〈…〉 though your faces 〈…〉 white Behold yee are bridled vnder the chinne as are little infants with a mask lined with waxed linnen to fright them Oh! how
facultyes of my soule on the meditation of thy longanimity in so much that I shall never haue other obiect then Thee no other sight then speculating on Thee Doth it not follow necessairily that I loue thee entirely If I abhorre all that flyeth thee that forsaketh thee If I seriously misprise each transitory am not I constrain'd to esteeme thee perfectly Let no man speake to mee but of Eternity each crime not returning to the same displeaseth mee nay rather doth mee notable injury In a word if therebee any taken sensibly with aught by how much the greater it is the more doth it's excess menace vs of it's privation Presuppose Ladyes that in this world yee bee both faire and ritch It 's much But I pray tell mee what is their permanence Had I to dispose of an age I would alow yee to enjoy the full terme of it But at the last moment what would remaine vnto yee What would accrew vnto yee your beautyes would not subsist but in your owne transitory times and your treasures though now possessed shall bee farr from yee as constrained to abandon them for ever Your cases are thus all the goods of Fortune which yee enjoyed changing their names propertyes and natures will afflict yee to thincke of It 's truely even so that it 's solely Eternity which can quenche our hearts continuall thirst AN ALARVM FOR LADYES The fourth Dayes Worke. WHAT say'd the wife of Rosidates to her self with a voluble tongue and very nimble as passionate indeed when she heard the dolefull Trumpet sound at her doore signifying vnto her the decree of her death by the command of her brother King Hertodorus Oh! Ladyes how much more dreadfull is that Trumpet which doth summon yee to God Allmightyes judgment This Rosidates liv'd and dyed a Heathen but yee who are destin'd for Heaven will yee pass your times on Earth solely for Hell It will soone bee noone by the watch of your liues as well as by the town clock it self Where is your dayes work If in such sort yee pass the rest thereof carelesly either sleeping or besotting your selves it will be found at lenght that yee liv'd here in this world no otherwise then dreaming and that in the other there yee shall liue perpetually awakened amidst the heates of eternall flames everlasting fire Perceived yee not clearely that the Sunne the other day blamed yee notably and such like slothfull people as are yee but yee never the less will make it as your happiness to sleepe and drouse This starr which measureth the moments of your liues leaveth not a whitt to run his wonted race his cours to traile yee to your graues Rouse your selves vp Remember yee not that yee are invited to a solemne feast of marriage I must needes waite on yee bee it but onely to obserue your carriadge I l'e take notice of your vanityes and giue account vnto the world how fantasticall yee are Take yee your time to dress your selues in the meane while I l'e contemplate somwhat and also exercise my patience Let mee approach vnto yee nigher To what vse are those gally potts of pomada those boxes of pouder those violls of distill'd waters and those papers of vermillion which I see vpon your cabinets by your night dothes Is it a part of art which yee put in practise to make yee seeme more faire then yee are in despite of Heauen and Nature Oh! what bitter Oh! what salt teares will these vanityes extract from yee Ladyes Bee it that your Ladishipps haue the least leasure lent yee to repent yee It 's to be granted that your bodyes doe daily require the charity of pomada of rare odour to cover the defects of your teints Your tresses can not hide their greasiness without pouder Your tawny-dusky faces after they haue been made happy by the Alimbeck expect the vermillion least that their dead colour appeare not at all but yee obserue not that yee labour to fill pots which are perced as did the Danaides Where shall one find Pomada which may agree with yee and contend with your stenches What is that pouder that can dry the clammy greate of your heads What water can serue the fullness of your desires And what vermillion can make appeare on your cheekes which Nature hath not planted there Thence yee discover plainely that your actions containe in them solely vanityes for their obiects They rest vnto yee for your recompense Oh what braue conquests yee looke not after aught but airery toyes your heades are full of crotchetts Yee like nothing but what is smoke witness the teares discover'd on your eyes See what'is the fruite of the course of your liues behold the guiderdon which doth attend yee at the end of your race Oh! how pretious was the Pomada of Saint Elizabeth who made vse of it to parfume the feete of whom of the indigent the poore Oh! how odoriferous was the pouder and the ashes where Saint Marie the Egyptienne covered her head the day of her penitence Oh! how the teares of her repentance where rapt and possess'd with Devine vertue in so much as her body and her soule in an instant were embellished Oh! how strang it is the blush of her shame for her sinne was farre more liuely then what yee daily vse Grant me this boone for my paines hither to seen no less I beseech yee to breake your lookinglass which dayly flatter yee nor ever take to yee other then such as I deliver vnto yee heere Yet thus much say'd yee will keepe on your wonted wayes Now yee are dress'd Now at the feast and suddainly will all varietyes of sweetmeates bee seru'd in there is the end What I would put into your minds is that all solemnityes haue but their times On Earth a feast is not to bee had but of the fruits of its own garden and as theise fruites haue nothing proper but their corruption even so that aliment from day to day doth naught else but increase your infections they can never satisfy your appetits The succeeding day yee will sensibly find the vanityes of your pleasures had at table since that they vanish with the table cloth it self Likewise seriously ponder when yee are amidst your jollityes that the self same howers which yee haue employ'd in the pampering of your carcasses are registred in the scrole of their ruine since that whither yee eate or laugh Time leadeth yee to your tombe Theise are the banquetts of Cleopatra which are solemnely celebrated though in shipps even floting hence learne wee that each where wee chang fortune through the perpetuall decline of our liues all our actions tend thither what destroyeth vs is ours in proper But to goe on in conclusion behold your retourne vnto your houses the dance is ended likewise the feast Oh Ladyes meditate a little space but attentively I beseech yee humbly on this passage this phantasyes All theise pastimes theise wordly pretty toyes symbolize are of the like nature with theise
would yee bee amazed if yee must necessarily appeare before God Allmighty within a moment to vndergoe the sentence of his judgment Which of either ought to bee more deere vnto yee the beauty of your bodyes or your soules healthes Your bodyes conceiu'd of corruption and borne vnder the imperfection in which they liue can they eleuate themselves to make comparison with 〈…〉 created by the hand 〈…〉 â—llmighty through his 〈…〉 charity and for his 〈…〉 Yet and againe Oh! prodigalls of misery of infirmity of meere weaknes indeed who misprise nothing els but your soules safety and are not passionatly tender for aught els but for your bodyes Them you adorne oftentimes with new clothes with nice robes without weighing that they consume all which they toutch and ruine all which decke them Yee doe well to bestow on them haire to adorne their bald heads with a perrewig The wrinckles on their foreheads make appeare atlenght the borowed gally pot of roses to shew vs clearely the thornes wherewith their age is stated in Conserue your beautyes with the art of limbeck renew your teeth each yeare hidet your limber and flaggy brests vnder a handkercher allsoe shrowd somwhat which may make them seeme round and hard the default of such vprisings would bee valiew'd as a most apparant deformity It would destroy all Then and Time who trayleth along all things who spareth none maketh an other breach such a ruine which can never bee repair'd I referre it to your quickned to your more liuely spirits hitherto drowned with sleepe to the recovery of your better reason long since strayed Whither this condition of life which yee lead on Earth can conduct yee to Heaven The third hower is even at hand at it's period in all which time yee haue been mervaillously serious but in what to put on your new clothes and your bands according to the fashion May I bee bold to enquire of yee what therein yee meane If it bee to shew your selues at the Revells and there to dance make not hast It was tould mee that shee who mooved for that meeting is surprised by a continual fever and the smale pox Alas what a chang of Medaile Yet faile not to visite her Her affrighting malady will teach yee to despise the baits inticements and beautyes which yee valiew soe highly Yesterday morning shee contended for the golden apple with the fairest found amongst yee this euening the curtaine of her bed is drawen to hide her for feare least that shee hurt her adorers Oh rare Beauty It 's to flatter thee too much to compare thee to the wind and to the smoke for thow art as it seemeth vnto mee much less in valiew The Revells yet goe on I meane the dancing to which Nature even from your cradles invited yee and to which Time is the violin for by it's continuall motion it trayleth vs all together to our sepulcher I much doubt least the aire of this dance bee dissonant to your eares but how soeuer yee must dance to it there is no gainesay Further it 's time must bee kept strictly it 's all in cadence it 's musically compos'd indeed Oh! obserue well it's burthen there hath been much care employed on it Each thing flitteth and glydeth without ceasing beauty leadeth in cheif as the most fraile most brittle Yee may plainely see your shares your lotts yet must yee of necessity pass the residue of the day in somwhat which may seeme to please yee but I pray yee what is it Yee are euen now very busy Yee court your selues in the lookinglass as did the wife of Nero Oh! sayd this Princess that I might dye first rather then haue the least diffigure on my face shee considered not what then shee did how she liv'd nor what shee say'd when shee dayly made this prayer that each moment of each hower insensibly depriu'd her and robd her of parcell of her rare beauty Ladyes it 's not expedient that yee craue earnestly on Heauen for that dessigne since that all the instants of your liues are soe many secret theeues who subtlely rob yee of the principall and most curious enticing draughts of your faces I say subtlely beginning in the bud dawning or rather call it Sun-rising of your age yet thereof yee take noe heed By serious attention on their actions is raised suspition and hence are they partly detected to be theeues but in the evening they are expressly found no less then publick Pyrats who cary with them all away together with your selues Oh! is it not even so what I now relate that theise trueths ought to be sensible vnto yee in such sort and manner as that yee should not euer meditate on aught else since of such like serious and tender speculations depend your safetyes for if yee present vnto your selues this variability this incessant circumvolution wherewith all things heere below are chained and to be buried one after an other within this whirlepoole of Time which devoureth all and that yee turning the other side of this medaile would ponder that soules onely are eternall would it bee even possible that yee shall not bee fully taken vp with the loue of Eternity It 's more then six thousand yeares since the Creation of this World and it scarcely seemeth to bee one day It 's very true that what 's pass'd is suddainely forgott But Ladyes this Eternity where God is the limit and measure is it which solely ought to entertaine all your affections all your desires and apportion all your hopes Bee yee pleased that even now I shew yee the meanes It 's allwayes to lend the eares of your phantasyes most attentiuely to this dreadfull Doomes Trumpet where the share of your happy Eternity or vnhappy is to bee seen determinatly Hope not a jot for favour there Iustice will beare the Scepter Trust not to your consanguinityes or affinityes your vertues will bee your fastest freinds Yee haue a great catch of them indeed yee haue a rare plea to say that yee are the daughters of a Prince the wife 's of Kings and the mothers of Emperours all theise circumstances serve you to your sepulchers Your works solely accomplish all your honours or your infamyes all your felicityes or your miseryes Oh! Ladyes how it 's to bee great persons and happy on earth yet there to pretend not aught Those who are borne who are destined for Heaven naturally haue such a disgust of Earth that thereon they spinne out their time as if they had no beeing there at all still lifting vp their spirits and their thoughts to this Eternity as to the onely good the sole Sanctuary The fruition of it is able to satisfy their desires compleately O Eternity thou art singularly gracious vnto mee that thou receivest favourably my good intentions my well meanings I will never cease to meditate on thee Oh Eternity how benigne hast thou been to mee in particular well may I say in making mee applye all the abilityes all the
bee conserv'd as her proper this hath nothing in peculiar but the necessity of decay In so much that when one persuadeth her that shee is mervailously faire shee should take theise as ordinary discourses since her beauty passeth by is of like nature to the praises which are given her meere aire Will you haue more of her It 's true that shee hath the fairest eyes that ever the world beheld but when when they are cleare after dinner and why not before I l'e giue yee an answere The mornings entertainment is to take care of her gummy eyes or eye-browes There can not bee seen a nose better shap'd then is hir's I confess it but shee must haue supplied vnto her a cleane handkercher and that every day I must likewise ingenuously averre that her mouth is very little and pretty but it 's too streight a passage for her stinking breath Her complexion is delicate even to perfection it 's evidently seen but thus much is say'd to the end that shee might apprehend all things The Sunne the Fire the Aire it self are her enemyes which make a perpetuall warre against her vntill Time hath donne his worke whereby shee may bee hidden vnder earth Shee hath an excellent wit doubt yee not therof a whit for shee vttereth rare and curious passages it were much better that shee would apply her self to piety to goodness One doth enquire of workes rather then of words What is it to purpose if shee haue a faire manner and demeanour in speach the true measure of her deeds shall judg her She sing's admirably well Had shee n'aught else but her voice shee could not enthralle otherwise then by the eare they who haue not affaires wherewith to entertaine their times in passing by for their pleasure would giue eare vnto her but when shee maketh an end of her songes they begin to meditate on something I l'e say no more If soe it happen that there bee praises of her given vnto her they will returne the aire which she hath lent them Iudg yee whither shee will bee well content In summe let her bee ritch as was Semiramis and more faire then Hellen. The one confess'd on her Epitaph which shee caus'd to bee engraved on her tomb-stone that she never possessed aught in proper when shee had her treasure but corruption and misery The other after shee had entrapped insensible hearts by her subtle charmes strook pitty vnto her greatest enemyes onely hearing of her misfortunes Ladyes flatter not your selues One sighe of repentance for your vanityes will yeild yee more glory and more benefit then all the teares yee can make your enthrall'd slaues poore forth In the meane while night warneth yee to retreit behold your dayes journey at an end now render account vnto your lookinglass of the number of your conquests But in earnest how treate yee with it It 's true that yee haue made many an one sighe if yee bee proud thereof the aire will remaine with yee n'aught else haue they return'd vnto yee They haue sayd true that yee are very faire it 's enough for yee to shew your selues at the window and there to remaine a while in the evening's aire to giue eare to the harmonious Salute the serenade in fashion which is offred vp vnto yee longer yee will not bee least your cheekes bee swollen by defluxion Iudg yee then without flattring your selues whether one can loue yee long since that solely your beautyes are the causes that yee are esteemed of at all How many haue I seen of theise Idolatressess of their own beautyes who after they had made publiquely profession to enthrall the hearts of the most insensible haue come atlenght to such distress to such misery through their deformity that they were soe farre from beeing beloved as that they proved rather an affright to the world rather despis'd then pitty'd Truely Ladyes if yee knew to how many accidents your beautyes are subject it would be vnto yee perpetually rather the object of your neglect and misprise then of your wonder I deny not but that it 's one of the maister-pieces of Nature yet the self same is become a stepdame giving it self over to a thousand sortes of mischeifes It 's true indeed there is not aught more Divine on Earth nor more enchanting but this Divinity is alike to that which one doth attribute to Alexander the Great whose blood trickling out of his veines shamefully profaned all the Aultars which were dedicated vnto him such are theise charmes they are meere illusions which deceiue and abuse weake soules Verily Ladyes yee must come to this point that is to belieue that vertue solely hath allurements and graces which are approv'd by Time and Death All the inticements and all the charmes of Nature are by degrees despoil'd together with it self And though it seemeth to conserue it self yet by it's proper ruine finding it's establishment in it's decay Time ceaseth not to abbreuiate from hower to hower the terme of the others raigne whilst hee dooth cōsume himself In such sort that for your comfort all that yee see doth vanish with your sight All what yee heare doth disperse it self with the aire wherewith your eares are filld and so for the rest without that there bee aught found permanent on Earth Ladyes it 's solely Eternity which changeth not it 's it which doth remaine as long as your soules and your soules as long as it Wheresoever yee take your courses it 's immenisty will fill all and it will bee the bounds of your affaires what soever they bee After one hundred thousand yeares it will not bee an instant of Time's permanence after one hundred thousand millions of yeares that instant of which I speake vnto yee will not bee though expired How Lord shall I persever to offend thee ever know I not that thou art just to all Eternity and hence is it that thou punishest sinners with torments which haue no limits To burne eternally Oh how the fire which brought Saint Laurence to ashes doth invite mee to meditate on eternall flames on to bee deprived Lord for ever of the pleasures had in glory Oh! how the burthen of thy cross is sweet and light if it bee compared with the paines of our privation which never will haue end I can say no more I can goe no further It 's necessary that I meditate on this so serious a subiect AN ALARVM FOR LADYES The sixt Dayes Worke. IT 's read that the Tyrians were forty dayes whithout shutting their eyes for rest the continuall alarum's were such vnder which they liu'd where they saw themselues together with their towne become cenders Oh! Ladies how can yee close vp an eye within the trenches of perpetuall feare misery and calamity where the direfull sound of this Trumpet for judgment doth hold the most stout the most bold in awe and dread This heere doth not menace one sole burning to ashes but rather a thousand death 's together Further the torments are to