With whom shee dwells no place of rest afford In streights shee meets her Persecutors sword 4 Emptie are the gates of Sion and her waies Mourne because none come to her solemne dayes Her Priests doe groane her maides are comfortlesse And shee 's unto her selfe a bitternesse 5 Her foes are growne her head and live at Peace Because when her transgressions did increase The Lord strooke her with sadnesse Th' enemie Doth drive her children to captivitie 6 From Sions daughter is all beauty gone Like Harts which seeke for Pasture and find none Her Princes are and now before the foe Which still pursues them without strength they go 7 Now in their daies of Teares Jerusalem Her men slaine by the foe none succouring them Remembers what of old shee esteemed most Whiles her foes laugh at her for what she hath lost 8 Jerusalem hath sinn'd therefore is shee Remov'd as women in uncleannesse bee Who honor'd scorne her for her foulnesse they Have seene her selfe doth groane and turne away 9 Her foulnesse in her skirts was seene yet she Remembred not her end Miraculously Therefore shee fell none comforting Behold O Lord my affliction for the Foe growes bold 10 Upon all things where her delight hath beene The foe hath stretch'd his hand for shee hath seene Heathen whom thou command'st should not doe so Into her holy Sanctuary goe 11 And all her people groane and seeke for bread And they have given only to be fed All precious things wherein their pleasure lay How cheape I'am growne O Lord behold and weigh 12 All this concernes not you who passe by mee O see and marke if any sorrow bee Like to my sorrow which Jehova hath Done to mee in the day of his fierce wrath 13 That fire which by himselfe is governed He hath cast from heaven on my bones and spred A net before my feet and mee o'rthrowne And made me languish all the day alone 14 His hand hath of my sinnes framed a yoake Which wreath'd and cast upon my neck hath broke My strength The Lord unto those enemies Hath given mee from whence I cannot rise 15 He under foot hath troden in my sight My strong men He did company invite To breake my young men he the winepresse hath Trod upon Juda's daughter in his wrath 16 For these things doe I weepe mine eye mine eye Casts water out For he which should be nigh To comfort mee is now departed farre The foe prevailes forlorne my children are 17 There 's none though Sion do stretch out her hand To comfort her it is the Lords command That Iacobs foes girt him Ierusalem Is as an uncleane woman amongst them 18 But yet the Lord is just and righteous still I have rebell'd against his holy will O heare all people and my sorrow see My maides my young men in captivitie 19 I called for my lovers then but they Deceiv'd mee and my Priests and Elders lay Dead in the citie for they sought for meat Which should refresh their soules they could not get 20 Because I am in streights Iehova see My heart return'd my bowells muddy bee Because I have rebell'd so much as fast The sword without as death within doth wast 21 Of all which heare I mourne none comforts mee My foes have heard my griefe and glad they be That thou hast done it But thy promis'd day Will come when as I suffer so shall they 22 Let all their wickednesse appeare to thee Doe unto them as thou hast done to mee For all my sinnes The sighs which I have had Are very many and my heart is sad CHAP. II. 1 HOw over Sions daughter hath God hung His wraths thicke cloud and from heaven hath flung To earth the beauty of Israel and hath Forgot his foot-stoole in the day of wrath 2 The Lord unsparingly hath swallowed All Jacobs dwellings and demolished To ground the strengths of Iuda and prophan'd The Princes of the Kingdome and the land 3 In heat of wrath the horne of Israel hee Hath cleane cut off and lest the enemie Be hindred his right hand he doth retire But is towards Iacob All-devouring fire 4 Like to an enemie he bent his bow His right hand was in posture of a foe To kill what Sions daughter did desire ' Gainst whom his wrath he poured forth like fire 5 For like an enemie Iehova is Devouring Israel and his Palaces Destroying holds giving additions To Iuda's daughters lamentations 6 Like to a garden hedge he hath cast downe The place where was his congregation And Sions feasts and sabbaths are forgot Her King her Priest his wrath regardeth not 7 The Lord forsakes his Altar and detests His Sanctuary and in the foes hands rests Palace and the walls in which their cries Are heard as in the true solemnities 8 The Lord hath cast a line so to confound And levell Sions walls unto the ground He drawes not back his hand which doth oreturne The wall and Rampart which together mourne 9 Their gates are sunke into the ground and hee Hath broke the barre their King and Princes bee Amongst the heathen without law nor there Unto their Prophets doth the Lord appeare 10 There Sions Elders on the ground are plac'd And silence keepe Dust on their heads they cast In sack cloth have they girt themselves and low The Virgins towards ground their heads do throw 11 My bowells are growne muddy and mine eyes Are faint with weeping and my liver lies Pour'd out upon the ground for miserie That sucking children in the streets doe die 12 When they had cryed unto their Mothers where Shall we have bread and drinke they fainted there And in the street like wounded persons lay Till 'twixt their mothers breasts they went away 13 Daughter Ierusalem Oh what may bee A witnesse or comparison for thee Sion to case thee what shall I name like thee Thy breach is like the sea what help can bee 14 For the vaine foolish things thy Prophets sought Thee thine iniquities they have not taught Which might disturne thy bondage but for thee False burthens and false causes they would see 15 The passengers doe clap their hands and hisse And wag their head at thee and say Is this That citie which so many men did call Joy of the earth and perfectest of all 16 Thy foes doe gape upon thee and they hisse And gnash their teeth and say Devoure wee this For this is certainly the day which wee Expected and which now we finde and see 17 The Lord hath done that which he purposed Fulfill'd his word of old determined He hath throwne downe and not spar'd and thy foe Made glad above thee and advanc'd him so 18 But now their hearts against the Lord do call Therefore O walls of Sion let teares fall Downe like a river day and night take thee No rest but let thine eye incessant be 19 Arise cry in the night poure for thy sinnes Thy heart like water when the watch begins Lift up thy hands to God
lest children dye Which faint for hunger in the streets doe lye 20 Behold O Lord consider unto whom Thou hast done this what shall the women come To eate their children of a spanne shall thy Prophet and Priest be slaine in Sanctuary 21 On ground in streets the yong and old do lye My virgins and yong men by sword do dye Them in the day of thy wrath thou hast slaine Nothing did thee from killing them containe 22 As to a solemne feast all whom I fear'd Thou call'st about mee when his wrath appear'd None did remaine or scape for those which I Brought up did perish by mine enemie Chap. III. 1 I Am the man which have affliction seene Under the rod of Gods wrath having beene 2 He hath led mee to darknesse not to light 3 And against mee all day his hand doth fight 4 Hee hath broke my bones worne out my flesh and skinne 5 Built up against mee and hath girt mee in With hemlocke and with labour 6. and set mee In darke as they who dead for ever bee 7 Hee hath hedg'd me lest I scape and added more To my steele fetters heavier then before When I crie out he out shuts my prayer 9 And hath Stop'd with hewn stone my way turn'd my path 10 And like a Lion hid in secrecie Or Beare which lyes in wait he was to mee 11 He stops my way teares me made desolate 12 And hee makes mee the marke he shooteth at 13 Hee made the children of his quiver passe Into my reines 14 I with my people was All the day long a song and mockery 15 Hee hath fill'd mee with bitternesse and he Hath made me drunke with wormewood 16 He hath burst My teeth with stones and covered mee with dust 17 And thus my Soule farre off from peace was set And my prosperity I did forget 18 My strength my hope unto my selfe Isaid Which from the Lord should come is perished 19 But when my mournings I do thinke upon My wormwood hemlocke and affliction 20 My Soule is humbled in remembring this 21 My heart considers therefore hope there is 22 'T is Gods great mercy we' are not utterly Consum'd for his compassions do not die 23 For every morning they renewed bee For great O Lord is thy fidelity 24 The Lord is saith my Soule my portion And therefore in him will I hope alone 25 The Lord is good to them who on him relie And to the Soule that seeks him earnestly 26 It is both good to trust and to attend The Lords salvation unto the end 27'Tis good for one his yoake in youth to beare 28 He sits alone and doth all speech forbeare Because he hath borne it 29 And his mouth he layes Deepe in the dust yet then in hope he stayes 30 He gives his cheekes to whosoever will Strike him and so he is reproched still 31 For not for ever doth the Lord forsake 32 But when he' hath strucke with sadnes hee doth take Compassion as his mercy ' is infinite 33 Nor is it with his heart that he doth smite 34 That underfoot the prisoners stamped bee 35 That a mans right the Judge himselfe doth see To be wrong from him 36 That he subverted is In his just cause the Lord allowes not this 37 Who then will say that ought doth come to passe But that which by the Lord commanded was 38 Both good and evill from his mouth proceeds 39 Why then grieves any man for his misdeeds 40 Turne wee to God by trying out our wayes 41 To him in heaven our hands with hearts upraise 42 Wee have rebell'd and falne away from thee Thou pardon'st not 43 Usest no clemencie Pursuest us kill'st us coverest us with wrath 44 Cover'st thy selfe with clouds that our prayer hath No power to passe 45 And thou hast made us fall As refuse and off-scouring to them all 46 All our foes gape at us 47 Feare and a snare With ruine and with waste upon us are 48 With water rivers doth mine eye oreflow For ruine of my peoples daughters so 49 Mine eye doth drop downe teares incessantly 50 Untill the Lord looke downe from heaven to see 51 And for my city daughters sake mine eye Doth breake mine heart 52 Causles mine enemy Like a bird chac'd me 53 In a dungeon They have shut my life and cast me on a stone 54 Waters flow'd o'r my head then thought I I am Destroy'd 55 I called Lord upon thy name Out of the pit 56 And thou my voice didst heare Oh from my sigh and crye stop not thine eare 57 Then when I call'd upon thee thou drew'st nere Unto mee and said'st unto mee do not feare 58 Thou Lord my Soules cause handled hast and thou Rescuest my life 59 O Lord do thou judge now Thou heardst my wrong 60 Their vengeance all they have wrought 61 How they reproach'd thou hast heard and what they thought 62 What their lips uttered which against me rose And what was ever whisper'd by my foes 63 I am their song whether they rise or sit 64 Give them rewards Lord for their working fit 65 Sorrow of heart thy curse 66 And with thy might Follow and from under heaven destroy them quite CAP. IV. 1 HOw is the gold become so dimme How is Purest and finest gold thus chang'd to this The stones which were stones of the Sanctuary Scattered in corners of each street do lye 2 The pretious sonnes of Sion which should bee Valued at purest gold how do wee see Low rated now as earthen Pitchers stand Which are the worke of a poore Potters hand 3 Even the Sea-calfes draw their brests and give Sucke to their young my peoples daughters live By reason of the foes great cruelnesse As do the Owles in the vast Wildernesse 4 And when the sucking child doth strive to draw His tongue for thirst cleaves to his upper jaw And when for bread the little children crye There is no man that doth them satisfie 5 They which before were delicately fed Now in the streets forlorne have perished And they which ever were in scarlet cloath'd Sit and embrace the dunghills which they loath'd 6 The daughrers of my people have sinned more Then did the towne of Sodome sinne before Which being at once destroy'd there did remaine No hands amongst them to vexe them againe 7 But heretofore purer her Nazarite Was then the snow and milke was not so white As carbuncles did their pure bodies shine And all their polish'dnesse was Seraphine 8 They are darker now then blacknes none can know Them by the face as through the street they goe For now their skin doth cleave unto their bone And withered is like to dry wood growne 9 Better by sword then famine 't is to dye And better through pierc'd then by penury 10 Women by nature pitifull have eate Their children drest with their owne hand for meat 11 Iehova here fully accomplish'd hath His indignation and powr'd forth his wrath Kindled a fire
in Sion which hath power To eate and her foundations to devour 12 Nor would the Kings of the earth nor all which live In the inhabitable world beleeve That any adversary any foe Into Ierusalem should enter so 13 For the Priests sins and Prophets which have shed Blood in the streets and the just murthered 14 Which when those men whom they made blinde did stray Thorough the streets defiled by the way With blood the which impossible it was Their garments should scape touching as they passe 15 Would cry aloud depart defiled men Depart depart and touch us not and then They fled and strayd and with the Gentiles were Yet told their friends they should not long dwell there 16 For this they are scattered by Jehovahs face VVho never will regard them more No grace Unto their old men shall the foe afford Nor that they are Priests redeeme them from the sword 17 And wee as yet for all these miseries Desiring our vaine helpe consume our eyes And such a nation as cannot save VVe in desire and speculation have 18 They hunt our steps that in the streets wee feare To goe our end is now approached neere Our dayes accomplish'd are this the last day Eagles of heaven are not so swift as they 19 VVhich follow us o'r mountaine tops they flye At us and for us in the desart lye 20 The annointed Lord breath of our nostrils hee Of whom we said under his shadow wee Shall with more ease under the Heathen dwell Into the pit which these men digged fell 21 Rejoyce O Edoms daughter joyfull bee Thou which inhabitst her for unto thee This cup shall passe and thou with drunkennesse Shalt fill thy selfe and shew thy nakednesse 22 And then they sinnes O Sion shall be spent The Lord will not leave thee in banishment Thy sinnes O Edoms daughter hee will see And for them pay thee with captivitie CAP. V. 1 REmember O Lord what is fallen on us See and marke how we are reproached thus 2 For unto strangers our possession Is turn'd our houses unto Aliens gone 3 Our mothers are become as widowes wee As Orphans all and without fathers be 4 Waters which are our owne wee drunke and pay And upon our owne wood a price they lay 5 Our persecutors on our necks do sit They make us travaile and not intermit 6 We stretch our hands unto th' Egyptians To get us bread and to the Assyrians 7 Our Fathers did these sinnes and are no more But wee do beare the sinnes they did before 8 They are but servants which do rule us thus Yet from their hands none would deliver us 9 With danger of our life our bread wee gat For in the wildernesse the sword did wait 10 The tempests of this famine wee liv'd in Black as an Ocean colour'd had our kinne 11 In Iudaes cities they the maids abus'd By force and so women in Sion us'd 12 The Princes with their hands they hung no grace Nor honour gave they to the Elders face 13 Unto the mill our yong men carried are And children fell under the wood they bare 14 Elders the gates youth did their songs forbeare Gone was our joy our dancings mournings were 15 Now is the crowne falne from our head and woe Be unto us because we'have sinned so 16 For this our hearts do languish and for this Over our eyes a cloudy dimnesse is 17 Because mount Sion desolate doth lye And foxes there do goe at libertie 18 But thou O Lord art ever and thy throne From generation to generation 19 Why should'st thou forget us eternally Or leave us thus long in this misery 20 Restore us Lord to thee that so we may Returne and as of old renew our day 21 For oughtest thou O Lord despise us thus 22 And to be utterly enrag'd at us SATYRES Satyre I. AWay thou fondling motley humorist Leave mee and in this standing woodden chest Consorted with these few bookes let me lye In prison and here be coffin'd when I dye Here are Gods conduits grave Divines and here Natures Secretary the Philosopher And jolly Statesmen which teach how to tie The sinewes of a cities mistique bodie Here gathering Chroniclers and by them stand Giddie fantastique Poëts of each land Shall I leave all this constant company And follow headlong wild uncertaine thee First sweare by thy best love in earnest If thou which lov'st all canst love any best Thou wilt not leave mee in the middle street Though some more spruce companion thou dost meet Not though a Captaine do come in thy way Bright parcell gilt with forty dead mens pay Not though a briske perfum'd piert Courtier Deigne with a nod thy courtesie to answer Nor come a velvet Justice with a long Great traine of blew coats twelve or fourteen strong Wilt thou grin or fawne on him or prepare A speech to Court his beautious sonne and heire For better or worse take mee or leave mee To take and leave mee is adultery Oh monstrous superstitious puritan Of refin'd manners yet ceremoniall man That when thou meet'st one with enquiring eyes Dost search and like a needy broker prize The silke and gold he weares and to that rate So high or low dost raise thy formall hate That wilt consort none untill thou have knowne What lands hee hath in hope or of his owne As though all thy companions should make thee Jointures and marry thy deare company Why should'st thou that dost not onely approve But in ranke it chie lust desire and love The nakednesse and barrennesse to enjoy of thy plumpe muddy whore or prostitute boy Hate vertue though shee be naked and bare At birth and death our bodies naked are And till our Soules be unapparrelled Of bodies they from blisse are banished Mans first blest state was naked when by sinne Hee lost that yet hee was cloath'd but in beasts skin And in this course attire which I now weare With God and with the Muses I conferre But since thou like a contrite penitent Charitably warm'd of thy sinnes dost repent These vanities and giddinesses loe I shut my chamber doore and come le ts goe But sooner may a cheape whore who hath beene Worne by as many severall men in sinne As are black feathers or musk-colour hose Name her childs right true father ' mongst all those Sooner may one guesse who shall beare away The infant of London Heire to an India And sooner may a gulling weather Spie By drawing forth heavens Sceanes tell certainly What fashioned hats or ruffes or suits next yeare Our subtile wittied antique youths will weare Then thou when thou depart'st from mee can show Whither why when or with whom thou wouldst go But how shall I be pardon'd my offence That thus have sinn'd against my conscience Now we are in the street He first of all Improvidently proud creepes to the wall And so imprisoned and hem'd in by mee Sells for a little state high libertie Yet though he cannot skip forth now to greet