thred Ne're yet since Love his raigne begun Was such small thing more merited More prized or more hardly won DO not reject those titles of your due VVhich natures art hath stiled in your face The name of Faire onely belongs to you None else that title justly can imbrace You Beauties heire her coate sole spotlesse weare VVhere others all some markes abatement beare T is not their cheeks touch'd with Vermillion red Sâ—ain'd with the tincture of enchanting skill Nor yet the curl'd devises of their head Their breasts display'd their looks fram'd to their will Their quick turn'd eye nor all their proud attire Can make me their perfections to admire All this is done without Natures consent Thy beautie needs no arts inticing ayd Thine nature gave their 's art hath onely lent Thine shall endure when theirs are quite decay'd Thy beautie others doth as much excell As heav'n base earth or earth accursed hell Others are faire if not compar'd to thee Compar'd to them thy beautie doth exceed So lesser Starres give light and shine wee see Till glorious Phoebus lifteth up his head And then as things ashamed of their might They hide themselves and with themselves their light Since Natures skill hath given you your right Do not kind nature and your selfe such wrong You are as faire as any earthly wight You wrong your selfe if you correct my tongue Though you deny her and your selfe your due Yet dutie bids me Faire intitle you VVHen God gave man the high Lieutenancy Of all commanding that on earth should bee Hee yet foresaw no true felicitie Could grow to man without societie Wherefore he made of a refined mould Woman to all his workes as crowne of gold The richest presents are the last bestow'd And arts perfections in the last works show'd Her solely hee intended mans companion Most pleasing object of his conversation Whereby who womans company condemne Highly Gods sacred will and Law contemne And few or none neglect their company But such as want worth or abilitie The worthiest men that most prize reputation Would rather lose mens then their estimation Which made th'al-knowing Solomon compare Their love to things most pretious and most rare 'T is not the vulgar breath as hath been said But womens good opinion that ne're stray'd They wits and vertues whetstones are that give The edge and appetite that makes us strive Each other to excell in show and deed To gaine the love of them that most exceed In feminine prehemenence whose love All noble courages of men doth move Honour from men but fruitlesse pleasure brings But womens love gives happinesse of Kings And onely followes those that do possesse The beauties art and nature doe expresse Other delights that hang but on conceit Are sawce and margent this the Text and meat Our sev'rall senses find their sev'rall pleasure But woman is to every sense a treasure To see to heare to touch and if not tast Tisby a sweeter pleasure farre surpast For taste in deed and every other sweet That wee enjoy by natures benefit Onely conduce unto the worke of love Wherein alone wee serviceable prove To God and nature who each worke beside Of our fantastick pleasure do deride And they that give all pleasure to the mind Are naturelesse distasted and unkind Nature to mee hath beene so much a friend I 'le ever honour her and serve her end But you 'l object that womens company Ought serve alone for mans necessitie And that their idle conversation Is uselesse but for procreation As servile ignorant nor ought of worth Is by their triviall fellowship brought forth But womens worth writers enough affirme Which so well prov'd I need not now confirme As for the fault of ignorance you finde 'T is but your education keeps them blinde Yet mid'st that blindnesse of such art they show As cunning'st wits of men doe overgoe And if their disobedience you mislike Beasts by our fall gain'd freedome they the like Perchance expect and as the Privernate Answer'd the question of the Roman State That rebells did such punishment deserve As they that judge themselves too good to serve VVhich made the gen'rous Roman set them free Communicating Roman libertie Knowing that nature n'ere that State would bear VVhich is commixt with servitude and fear So had I power to alter marriage law Both should be free and both exempt from aw And then this verse you happy true should find No comfort 's likâ— to women that are kind But you my doting ravisht soules delight Soule of your Sex subject of what I write VVhose company affords a second joy To that which heav'nly soules in Gods enjoy And whose privation breeds another hell To those that e're did in your presence dwell VVhere onely to have power to come and see Is happinesse above capacitie VVhose presence charmes our cares like heav'nly wine Infusing height of joy and heate divine To whom all other beauties that give light Are cold and dead as Glow-wormes in the night You a quick sparkling-bright-enflaming fire That kindles all comes neare makes all admire As much more lively pleasing in compare As gliding streames then standing waters are Sole Planet of our Spheare raising our blood As mightily as Cynthia th' Oceanâ—lood â—lood I need not name you you are like the Sun Knowne by the most obscure description Oh! if you could in course as constant prove Too happy should hee bee that joyes your love But you like an unguided Phaeton Take glory onely to bee gaz'd upon And to inflame this lower world with fire Of an unbridled and untam'd desire VVhilst your owne heart as hard and cold as stone Is plac'd above all conflagration Reserv'd I thinke to bee enjoy'd by Iove Disdaining all inferiour earthly love For Leda Europa Danae all in one Come nothing neare you Beauties paragon You surely are a Goddesse nor can bee Injoy'd but by a perfect deitie For men may thinke you love and finde you faire But thinking to imbrace you finde but aire Nature hath beene but niggardly to all That unto you shee might bee prodigall To you true beauties faire originall VVhence others have but counterfeit derivall Men may o're other creatures pow'r pretend But full obedience they to you extend And glory more your sacred power t' obey Then over all things else to carry sway BUt that great President of this faire Round VVee may not 'gainst thy will expostulate Nor dare upon lame humane reasons ground Oppose what thou hast pleas'd to ordinate Our reasons false light else would make us stray And with strong arguments our minds induce Against the marriage sanction to invey VVhence flowes such ruine trouble and abuse Nor can thy institution bee accus'd For that observ'd what now our torture brings Had such felicitie to us infus'd As equalls poorest soules with joy of Kings Matches were first made by consent of love VVhich constant mindes in puritie excelling Did so perpetuate that nought could remove Them from their first affections
but by a happy constitution and cleernesse of body maintained by daily exercise I thank God I fear not any violent or long continuance Nay I rather reckon it as an excellent medicinall Physick unto me cold ferments into a heat and heat digests and purifies stormes clear the aire agitation refines and subtilizeth the water and fire and stirring advantageth the earth Evills are said not to goe alone and distempers purge away more then their causes But it is good as well in state as soule and bodies to maintain themselves in such a freedome from over-abounding in evill humors that misaccidents when they come and there can be no security against them may not endanger the whole frame Thus much of cold but what shall we say in surprises of heat and fire wee have lately seen many misfortunes thereby shall we therefore not build or not make fire to warm our selves such resolution were to defraud our selves of the naturall commodities of our reason and discourse which teacheth us rather to confine and moderate the use of things then utterly to decline them It is the property of wilde beasts to feare and fly from fire and of men to use it And now to revert something to our other nights discourse of Love which certainly hath some Divinity in it or otherwise it could never as it doth become a fresh and infinite Theam of our best spirits Love and anger are the fires of the Soule if inordinate as well dangerous as vitious shall we therefore shun them as a Plague whose best antidote is to fly quickly farre and return slowly is love as incompatible with reason as is pretended and may not Religion though supernaturall admit of a naturall and free vertuous affection betwixt the two Sexes Religion saith Be angry but sin not and is rather a rule to rectifie then extinguish affections they are the wings of the Soule without an object they are nothing and without the use of them we fall flat to the ground like disfeathered birds The Lady and Nation of Ladies which your Ladiship mentioned are not reasonlesse not to bee without a servant especially such as are or have been beautifull for it is a commanding Character certainely instituted for a delightfull entertainment and admiration It is an unnaturall stupidity not to be affected therewith and a kinde of injury to its Authour not to exercise such affection I ever mean without abuse but this concludes for women not for men our affections have more fire in them matter more combustible and women are commonly as well in effect as in title too much our Mistresses Children and fooles are not allowed to play with fire it had need be a strong well-prepared and well-habituated Soule that entertaines it we are no Salamanders to thrive and be safe in the flames What now ought a man that would be wise to doe affecting to give as well his nature as Religion their right Platonique Love is exploded Love is corporeall and entreth at the eyes Lust cannot be excluded for an ingredient which yet admitted it follows not that it must be predominant as I discoursed unto you some other over-ruling affection may contain and represse it either in a Religious civill or other self-interessed consideration nay even in a divers prevailing respect towards the very subject of our love I can be affected with the objects of my palat and eye and yet forbeare them burn with a surprizing desire of mortall revenge and yet refrain Fear and awe will prevaile even with dogs and beasts and why not in Love but how farre this is to be allowed in discretion I submit with a good morrow to your Ladiships more refined discourse and judgement I send you the Verses humbly kissing your hands and end with my Paper Your Ladiships c. A promiscuous peece of three houres work in a morning to cleare from further writing Madam IF I deceive not my self there is somewhat of power from above urging my addresse unto you I have now by Gods grace finished that my designe of Verses which I had propounded to my self they are upon presumption of your Ladiships favour to goodnesse and your humble servant their Author at your command expect not the strong Master-pieces and quintessentiall lines which these curious times and the refined ambitious Spirits of our age produce in defiance of Critiques my births are naturall easie and hasty sometimes foure peeces to my breakfast in the beginning of a morning I am as impatient as any woman of a long and painfull labour I haste to my journeys end and can as little hope or goe about to remould any of my first births as your Ladiships your children once brought to light I love not Verses of the ragged staffe but wish them fluent and gentle which was wont to be a commendation If my walls want strength to support themselves in their naturall stuffe and scope they shall rather miscarry then borrow the supports of inwrought strange conceits and butteresses of Art if I would undergoe any affectation it should be to deliver over ingenious notions and materiall instructive rationall conceptions with an ingenuous and genuine elegance and some depth of prospective in my termes and expressions according to the capacity and perspicacity of my Reader But I am now too old and serious for Verses and have wholly given them over only these my late peeces I conceived my self to owe to my Maker and I am sorry they were not my first fruite which are more properly his due Autumnall fruits are neither the most pleasant nor wholesome I have in great retirednesse and confusion employed my time of late in the dissection of my self and fortune our observations in the Anatomy of the body grow from the opening of others but of the minde from our selves as the Starres of heaven and Globe of earth they are as yet in great uncertainty and undiscovered some rules we have attained and Eclipses we can foretell but for sound and infallible knowledge and judgement we daily finde our selves as erroneous as our common Almanack-makers whose prognostiques are as ridiculous as false And now finding my selfe in motion betwixt heaven and earth give me leave to impart a contemplation of Characterizing such a perfection as yours in relation to them in comelinesse and beauty like the Heavens in motion regulate in order faire powerfull in influence A well ordered minde resembles the clearenesse serenity peaceablenesse and harmony of the upper Spheres and Crystalline Heaven a faire built body the beautifull variety of the earth delightfull fruitfull well drest and correspondent to the Heavenly motions in season order and constancy yet such little worlds there are which seem to enjoy in some exemptions a priviledge above the lower heavens and the earth for they are free from storms scorchings of heat nippings of frost inundations and other disorders such Comets are sent sometimes to be admired and to awake the dying vertue and reputation of your sex Phidias an
balme such as no gold can buy To ease those hearts that for your love have smarted Grant then my lives faire Sun Apollo-like VVhose light 's our light our life direction cure These vertues Phoebus yeelds thy essence pure That I may offer at the shrine I seeke The pleasing sacrifice and fruits of love Which tasted may your equall pleasure prove You Elegie wayling writers elegant VVhose sad despised Muse of little sings But rigour scorne and her tyrannick stings VVho all compos'd of Ice and Adamant As Nero joy'd those tragick flames to see VVhich Romes proud flames had reason just to rew So triumphs and insulteth over you The cruell Mistris of your misery I wonder at your braines productions VVhich ' stead of comforting benigne aspect Are fed with nipping blasts frosts and neglect From those Parelii proud in your destructions I like the flame-fed Salamanders kind And as the tender Sommer-lab'ring Bee Except a warmthfull Zephyr breath on mee Am stupifi'd with cold fruitlesse in mind Love child of heate and hope doth barren perish Except faire Sun his tender plant you cherish QUeene of Beautie most divine From whose sacred charming shrine Humane power cannot part Without sacrifice of heart Thetis Nymphs had little grace Whilst your beautie was in place And their influence was cold As sent from a watry mould Shall I happy call that night VVhen to gaine a pleasing sight Pretious libertie I lost And am now on loves Sea tost By a tempest of desire Mixed full of heav'nly fire Rais'd by that inchanting face Of her Sex the onely grace Yes most happy I it call Though it doe my freedome thrall Freedome none may neere compare VVith that happy state where are Those in your faire service plac'd And that please to make them grac'd Happy martyr of constraint VVhose paine is for such a Saint And who hath for object giv'n The sweet hope of such a heav'n Faire a stranger terme mee not That your Sanctitie would blot Saint did never yet object Former knowledges defect Against those whose zealous vowes True devotion avowes If my merit yet bee small To procure your love withall Time alone to you must prove How well I will deserve your love Grace in Saints ought to abound Grace ne're growes on merits ground Be then gracious as I true Constant and faithfull unto you And my fortunes that have crown'd Mee happy on that Relicks ground Shall bee all ascrib'd to serve You that all respect deserve To winne her from resolving upon a Cloyster'd life in whom love is conceived to bee yet predominant PRetty wanton Beauties treasure Made for sweet delight and pleasure Pretious Jewell of thy kind VVhose equall 't is as hard to find As the matchlesse Phoenix mate VVhat though nature did create You Phoenix-like to bee admir'd And your essence so inspir'd That your beauteous winning parts Should sole triumph over hearts Yet in this you farre o're goe Such solitary state of woe That shee exempt from like and love Those delights doth never prove That have made the Gods so oft Quit their heav'nly azure Loft The sweet food of love to tast More delicious then repast Of Ambrosia or the wine Appropriate to the Divine Nature you so happy frames That the sweetest game of games You to whom all cards are free To choose till you pleased bee May command in such perfection That th' Ambrosian refection Tastlesse and insipid were Ballanced in that compare Oh! but how I doe envie Except I knew it should bee I That happy he whom you will daigne Such Soule-filling joyes to gaine Let not now a fond Discourse Contrary to Natures course Make you abstaine from those delights Whereto shee kindly you invites Shee each thing instructs you know What is its friend and what 's its foe Her you boldly may believe Shee did never none deceive Be not sway'd by wit of Schools Precepts were made to governe fools And to subject those to aw That want selfe-strength of reasons law Reason and Nature are all one Reason moves from her alone But why doe wee thus dispute With a kisse I you confute Send those to Cels upon whose thought The world and Love have never wrought Birds that long have lived free Caught and Cag'd but pine and die I marvaile not Earths fairest ornament Abstract of beauty Natures onely pride That your delight is onely to abide In Londons sweet commerce sole Element Where the refined Spirits of our I le Ingenious discourse communicate And hourely fresh delights participate Dull tedious time with pleasure to beguile We all best love our like London in much Doth you resemble London is the best The fairest richest Town of all the rest In all this Continent there is none such London our treasure Instruments of warre Majestick residence and Gems containes London farre more then all the other gaines London the firmament where every Starre Of magnitude of power and vertue moves London the Schoole and forum of all Arts London the Empory that all imparts That use requires or our affection loves London the envy of all other Townes As chiefe in beauty so supreame in power Our Kingdomes brightest object fairest flower Inchanting Syren that mee happy crownes In honouring of my Nativity I to your better judgements now referre Those none-such excellencies to conferre With hers that forceth my Captivity But faire beware you bee not like in this Though in your prison many a soule remaines As London holdeth infinite in chaines You be no Tyrant cruell mercilesse Insulting over and in galling those VVho or for suite for life or for affection Serv'd by your habeo cor above protection Unto your mercy doe themselves expose In this Metropolis I must compare Thee to the fairest flowers whence Bees may pluck Their honey and yet Spiders poison suck You faire the Bee and not the Spider are You like Earths Jewels or the Heavens lights VVere made in glorious places to appeare Nor ought that beauteous garment out to weare Amongst the rustick herd and rude delights You like to Cynthia the heavens Queen VVere made to govern bee admir'd and seen WHen in your lap that creame you set VVhich you invited mee to eate Sugar it needed none Your sweeteâ—t touch alone Made it a matchlesse pleasant meate The milke that did from these breasts move That nursed up the God of Love No not the Manna dew Nor jâ—yce that ever grew In tast did so delightfull prove Neither Nectar nor Nepenthe Can in like degree content me Fond Esau hadst thou sold For this though not for gold Thy birth-right we had never shent thee Not Flora's lap most fairely drest Nor the sweet milk of Fortunes breast So gracefull pleasing are As it and you both were More sweet then ever tongue exprest But now if this such sweetnesse drew Onely by being plac'd in you Sweet then above all wonder Is that your sweetnesse under Most happy hee that proves it true FAire spotlesse Scarfe once by my Goddesse borne VVhen
Which set our weake subdu'd distempered minds on fire Reason is put to flight and appetite beares sway Which blindly leads and blindly forceth us obey And that hee much mistakes who from a womans minde Or reason doth expect or just effects to finde Since passions indigest conceipt meere chance and will Their resolutions and their actions governe still But soft my gall-distilling pen your griefe contain Which howsoever just yet blaphemy refrain Admit her heart of fleshly temper fram'd as mine Bee pierc'd and captivate by Cupids pow'r divine Alas shee rather should bee pitied then accus'd Since what from force proceeds may justly bee excus'd And if indeed my faire Coelestia it bee true That your heart for another burnes as mine for you If you desire to bee so happy in your love That his affections unto you may mutuall prove If you expect your sighs which numberlesse abound Shall eâ—re receive reward or e're with joy bee crown'd Oh! let your your kindnesse then extended unto mee Make you deserve your happy hopes effects to see And faire beware lest if you shew unkind disdaine Loves justice justly yeeld you Talions law againe And if 't bee true that griefe delights in company Then will you love my presence and my sympathy Together wee will sit and comfort one another For griefe is most extreame when we our passions smother Where breathing out at large our due complaints of love Wee 'l both our hearts discharge and pitie learne to move And this lame happinesse of love shall please my mind That though you cannot love you are not yet unkind â—â—t pardon mee deare friend 't is not report alone Can prooflesse my aspiring fixed hope dis-throne But stedfast still in zeale and confidence I dwell As faithfull I love her shee may love mee as well IN fruitlesse expectation to remaine To bee in bed and yet debarr'd of rest To serve where you no favour can obtaine Is saith th' Italian to bee most distrest And these unfortunate effects I prove My faire Coelestia in my fervent love 'T is you detaine my long expected blisse 'T is you that make mee restlesse passe the night 'T is you I faithfull serve yet you it is Mercilesse you with-hold my chiefe delight And know faire creature hee that faithfull serves A costlesse favour ever well deserves Thinke that you have a friend that doth possesse A curious garden plentifully fraught VVith all the pleasures nature can expresse And all delights that ever cunning wrought And all these beauties singularly grac'd By a faire fountaine in the Center plac'd Hee lets you in with welcome entertaine And grants that many wayes your selfe you please Yet midst this ravishment you doe complaine Of thirst extreame which seeking to appease At that faire fountaine which you chance t'espie Your unkind friend his water doth deny And most uncharitable doth permit That part of it should idly slide away And part corrupt by over-keeping it Rather then yeeld a drop your thirst to stay VVhich nothing else can quench and 's onely bred By those dry sweets wherewith hee had you fed Would you now take this party for your friend O no I know you rather would conceive That all his kindnesses did only tend VVith quenchlesse thirst your pleasures to bereave And justly might you wish you ne're had knowne Those joyes whereby your joy is overthrowne That cruell friend faire love are you to me And your perfections that faire garden are VVhither a welcome guest I seeme to bee My senses ravisht all with pleasures rare Of beautie enterchange of words and kisses VVhich yet all breed but thirst and further wishes And those as cheapely you may satisfie As you a water drop may easily give Why cruell faire is't then that you deny That kindnesse without which I cannot live Deale plainly may not this the true cause bee You love my verses better farre then mee And apprehend that if I once obtain The full of my ambitions high desire My love will Moone-like enter on the wain And having won the day straight sound retire O do not so abuse your selfe and mee My love like Phoebus never change shall see My love like Phoebus never change shall see In constant course and heate ever the same And like the Northerne Pole shall fixed bee More firme then can be mov'd by heavens frame Constant to you till death I will remaine For never shall I see so faire againe No faire Coelestia love is Venus sonne Feare not the mother for the child 's destroying Nor is that saying unto you unknowne That th' essence true of love is in enjoying Hee playes the best who holdeth what hee wins The wiser sort still at their end begins If you approve my muses loftie flight And to be fed with change of praises still You must not oft delude her and invite Her to an empty lure that yeelds no fill A Hawke that loftily hath flowne and hard Well merits the best food and best reward Those exhalations that the heavens feed Did they not downe againe distill their rain Coelestiall bodies soone should want and need Those vapours which the earth sends up againe And Iove himselfe should lose his sacrifice But that hee mortals feeds and gratifies No fire can long subsist by smoak alone Flame 's by an oily solid substance fed Who divers times a field hath till'd and sowne Yet findes no profit by his labour bred His folly well deserves to reape but wind Having oft prov'd it barren and unkind Who shoots his arrows up and nothing hits Fooles bolts they prove which their own heads do break One may be ventur'd but he wants his wits That all his Quiver spends one shaft to seek Though vertue ought not foule repulse receive Yet wisdome wils us fruitlesse labours leave Full ill hee sings whose song cannot obtain A draught of drink impatient thirst to swage Though silly Bird I warble many a straine To please your eares imprison'd in your cage Birds long unfed their singing soon neglect No Almes no thankfull language must expect As happy in love are they that give as take Faire pity me and make me happy then Since you your self shall equall happy make VVomen receive farre more delight then men And if you find that I unfaithfull prove Let me be made a reprobate of Love And if you like these off-springs of my brain Whereto your self the Heroine mother are Suffer them not to die with drought but daign To water them from that your fountain faire VVhich true Parnassus spring doth Poets breed And tasted makes their Muse her self exceed It 's true that my affections lately bent And shap't their course that Mid-land straight to win Where Love hath plac'd his uttermost extent His else insatiate conquest to confine And as in nature it is proper known That fire should mount untill it hath attain'd His proper place the concave of the Moon So love untill it hath that center gain'd Whether by natures stimulating force It is
to sing Then the high Trophees of the Swedish King The reason of a Gentlewomans wearing small blacke patches Of another Author I Know your heart cannot so guilty bee That you should weare those â—pots for vanitie Or as your beauties Trophies put one on For every murther which your eyes have done No they are your mourning weeds for hearts forlorne Which though you must not love you could not scorne To whom since cruell honour doth deny Those joyes could onely their misery Yet you this noble way to grace them found When thus your griefe their martyrdome hath crown'd Of which take heed you prove not prodigall For if to every common funerall Of your eyes Martyrs such grace bee allow'd Your face will weare no patches but a clowd Occasioned partly by the Verses above partly by a faire Ladies keeping on her Mask in the house on a hot day I Ne're till now thought patches ornaments Gentile and happy was your Authors muse As gently cruell are her faire intents Who kills and mournes but why doe you refuse Their names who so much wit and fairenesse owne I met that very day you shew'd those lines A beautie such as if it would have shone Would have out pierc'd the parching'st Sun that shines But chamber maskt shee was close mourner to The funerall solemnitie shee wore Innocent guilty sweetly sad as who Resolv'd to intombe her selfe to kill no more It may be also shee did apprehend Another scorching Summer would undoe us And so her selfe o'reclouded to befriend Mortalitie 't was double favour to us But Sun-like beautie know great mischiefes flow From great Eclipses well as blazing Stars Wee die as well except your selfe you show As by your beames or our intestine wars Shine then and triumph still better some die Then this Sphere want its second quickning eye Epigram VVEE cannot scape by masking of your face Wee finde our selves still taken by your grace By your I know not what meere carelesnesse Charmes more in you then others curious dresse Each step and motion of your frame or mind Consists of a composure most refin'd Cheape vertue is confin'd to face yours lies As well in your high spirit as your eyes A Dunghill Cock untry'd will looke as brave So will a Curre a Buzzard Jade or knave As the most vertuous in their severall kind Value consists in temper of the mind In judgement right and resolution strong Ends brave and good thinking nor doing wrong Consulting truth and goodnesse more then will Knowing and daring all but base and ill Diamonds in show are little more then glasse Triviall appearances make men to passe But thorough tryall proves an Asse an Asse Difference in women is no lesse Their goodnesse makes their pretiousnesse True Love and Honour THough you are gracefull brave and faire Beyond your Sexes rate though wit Enoble you as well as blood This nor your fine exalted ayre And prospect knowing all that 's fit Nor that you are rich great but good Subdues mee these to cement well Is that wherein you all excell And if to these you take in love The India's cannot equall prove For me I must not so aspire My part is onely to admire Your vertue vertue to the world supplyes The Sun none ought thinke to monopolize Onely I 'le strive to bee as good as you And so part of your love will prove my due And mine you being good and good to mee Must or be yours or vertuous cease to bee An Elegie upon the Death of the most faire and vertuous Lady Rich which most unhappily happened upon the 24. of August 1638. HAd I least hope complaints could reach our losse Could I the Stars or Sea sand number I would embarque her vertues sea to crosse And to my griefes heighth raise your wonder Could or the world or words such truth receive As to her story doth belong Could any but her self her vertues weave Or sorrow find an equall Tongue Such Ship so fraught such wrack I 'de represent As would the Soveraigne neere surpasse And make you in a Sea of teares lament Shee is not now that Nymph shee was Within without so glorious was her trym Such awe of Odinance shee carried Had shee not by dysaster taken been Neptune alone shee must have married But though her vertues circles just content And her squares just diagonall Numbers can ne're exactly represent Yet by our course Mechanicall Somewhat wee 'l say in lame and short account Our due oblations to discharge Which shall alone all other worth surmount Faithfully drawne though not at large Free from all pride though none but shee had cause Neglecting beautie huswiâ—'ry to minde Wholly resign'd to Gods and marriage Lawes Judicious farre beyond her yeares and kinde Outside and vanitie though most in fashion Wrought not on her strong fram'd and solid soul Shee liv'd by reason as others by their passion And by her goodnesse did all wrongs controul Her presence was a chastisement to sinne Ill time could not corrupt her spotlesse mind Had her pure body of like resistance beene Against the Ayre and season too unkind Wee her sad losse had not so deadly griev'd And shee to our soules joy might still have liv'd Epitaph IN title Rich in vertue all excelling Rare Daughter Mother Sister Friend and Wife Piety seldome had so faire a dwelling Unparallel'd as well in death as life Here now she lies glory of woman kinde Physitians shame the wonder of her time In body faire but fairer in her minde Fitted for heaven and taken in her prime Few rightly knew to value such a Jewell Had death had eyes he had not been so cruell On the same FOule Grief and Death this yeere have play'd their parts And Syrian-like conspire against the best Ayming at one stroke to break all our hearts Their cruell spite ne're met with such a feast They threw and bore the fairest Phoenix born As singular as unique to her friends They never twin'd so strong a Cord to mourn Nor strook so home at ours and their own ends My wound smarts double on the by what where She suff'red how exceeding all repaire How heavy to her friends and mine to beare This multiplies my grief with much despaire My treasure rest well-being all my joy Except what duty and piety require Perisht in her fate can no more destroy Henceforth but love of good and good desire The good is gone which if I cease to grieve Beyond my own death let me cease to live Such life such death so constant Christian brave Never became the triumph of the Grave I erre Triumph was only hers may I Contemplate her both whilst I live and die Her birth-day was her death-day and her death The birth to my discomfort and sad breath A Requiem at the Enterment WHo e're you are Patron subordinate Unto this house of prayer and doe extend Your eare and care to what we pray and lend May this place stand for ever consecrate And may this
see Thoughts stagg'ring reel whilst the poore bark doth rowle Cling to the Mast Pray Labor to the Lee Throw out their lading wrastle with the waves Sink down their sayles now lifted up on high Now almost swallow'd in th' Abysse of graves Now a cleer heaven and straight a dismall sky Here learn how fairest daies may overcast Confounding all your quiet with a blast What masters me to day may you to morrow But for our comfort God can master sorrow HEre see how in a sanguine complection when Gods grace begins powerfully to shine and work as in the month of March and turning of the year storms upon storms and Frigida pugnabant calidis humentia siccis Mollia cum duris sine pondere habentia pondus Till Deus hane litem melior natura diremit MY perverse fortune from my youth with my melancholy disease fruitfull in nothing but thoughts and those not ever the most necessary or naturall have often occasioned me with reflection upon my self to write something not so much to apologize for alas it is vaine where there might have bin prevention as to give some ease to my self and extenuation in what I may mis-appeare to the world but I have often bin diverted from such discourse by the overgrown wildernesse which long time and confusion have brought upon me Yet thus much let me say for my self and wonder at my selfe in that I may truely say so that neither carelesnes prodigality nor an humor disposed to riot or luxury have bred my harme Nay if there be any truth in me nothing hath more procured it then a misguided sobriety of diet with such an inordinate care for the ordering of my fortune in my beginnings finding my self pent and ingaged to wife and children as whatsoever may bee conceived I dare affirme no man of riper yeares and judgement but might have falne into and will whensoever it shall please God to entangle him in divers and strong incumbrances inward and outward which in the circumstances of my condition so malignly concurred that being something by nature and more by accident mis-diet over apprehension and studiousnesse disposed to a strong melancholy it was impossible to extricate my self without such an aggravation as rendred it incurable and me most miserable in the Shipwrack of all joy and contentment Wherein finding my self thus plunged one while my refuge was to the helplesse Physitian and another at last to strong diversions such as building Court company travaile and the like which all proved but such miserable helpers as melancholy men use to finde full of expence which till then about my age of 25. from 18. when I was married I had avoided Building as troublesome both to my fancy and purse I soon left and the losse of the brave Prince Henry on whom I had laid my grounds with much sicknesse soon after casting me down and increasing my disease I became unable to make use either of my naturall parts or time and expence bestowed in Court thoughts beget melancholy and that thoughts alternatively It is questionable whether I did more hurt my self with my thoughts which many years together long since brought me often even to an utter exhaustion or whether with Gods assistance in a strong constitution of body and minde for had not God furnished me with as strong and present supply of extrications as intrications I must often have perished I more extraordinarily relieved and supported my self to subsist against the impetuous curiosity of my disease and nature but my unhappinesse hath also bin such as in criticall times of my life to have met with such unluckie crosses and connexions of fate to put me out of my course that the consideration thereof would make any man not otherwise superstitious take knowledge of an over-ruling hand therein whereunto I humbly thank God I so submit my self as that for my spirituall good I acknowledge there ought to have gone no lesse to work a total conversion in me so hard is sanctification to be wrought even in men of religious inclinations For my posterity I must crave their pardon hoping they will with me submit to the Almighty hand which can at its good pleasure as well raise as ruine Worldly confidence illudes nor can any thing confirm prosperity in this and the better world but a firm faith and resolved obedience to God and his Son in whom alone is salvation That that alone can reconcile and calme the contrarieties of our complections in the distractions of pleasure profit conscience honor decency authority over others or a self-injoying making true Religion the only starre of our course whilst others for want of it sometimes wildly flote and sometimes sink in the confusion of their passions Good intentions without firm resolutions are insufficient No man hath meant more thriftily then my self but alasse in what a mist of contrary indications and contingencies doe we live when I concluded against hous-keeping I have bin indulgently over-ruled by others to the contrary And this I have found a great error in my nature to have bin more apt to gratifie others then my self and to beleeve them often more wise and trusty then there was due cause a miserable condition of the better natures Engagement to wife and servants made over-necessary take away the liberty of our resolutions to intend thrift is commonly enough to enrich but woful experience teacheth me that diseases and crosses such may come as shall turne the strongest out of his way No man more abhorred debt felling and felling then my selfe yet few have more incurred them No man almost hath allowed himselfe lesse cost or sensuality then I yet the diversions my disease hath urged me unto have set another face upon mee towards such as were not acquainted with my inside and native affections Few have more affected the service of King Country and Freinds not have by accident bin more unserviceable I ever extreamely fancyed my chief feat yet fear of cost in fitting the house and heighth of charge in living there by occasion of such an eminent fear with other accidentall considerations kept me thence till such time as my fortune was most unfit for that and it for me and yet against much reason and interest of my own I was drawn with relation to my predecessors and posterity to settle my self there with so much cost and trouble as but by the grace of God it is a wonder how in such indisposition and lownesse I have undergone This the good God can doe and howsoever it shall please him to dispose of me whose preserving hand I confesse I have wonderfully found may it please him to make my life and death to his glory it is all my ambition Many unluckie circumstances like that of a free minde entered into Court with a pent fortune I omit partly in respect of others and partly as fit to be confined to my self who have suffered their perplexities and contrarieties Gods grace
there may seeme to bee in part of their discipline and Tenents certainly there is little Christian wisedome and lesse devotion to admit corruption and falshood upon any policie Gods truth stands not in need of our simulation and lies a discovered Woolfe and Impostor let his cloathing be what it list shall never deceive mee and in a sincere way I can almost as easily consent to be of no formall Religion as of a false one But they will tell some of the wittiest amongst us that there is no assurance no alacritie in a Calvinist spirit Indeed their Clergy is very kind in charging their owne soules to seeme to ease ours by an implicite faith and absolution If I were to chuse a religion for my ease and libertie it should bee theirs but I know too much of Religion and them to be of that mind I cannot but make use of my owne eyes in a way that so much importeth mee nor can I yeeld to resigne them at their request Now as it is my prayer so will I endeavour to retaine a confidence against such apprehension and will persevere with you as well to judge as hope the best This discourse though I am more unfit for it then it for mee I have adventured upon in full discharge of my heart and soule nor will I forget to put you clergy men into my prayers for next to Christ and the King from your sinceritie of doctrine spirit and life must flow our peace happinesse and salvation If you preach Christ more then your selves and teach inward more then outward holinesse wee shall learne from you to become more truely Christian then hypocritically pharisaicall you may otherwise confound and ruine your selves and us from which mischiefe and misery may it please our mercifull God and Saviour to deliver us Amen Amen Septemb. 5. 1638. Habituall vertue insuperable THere is an admirable communication and intelligence as well as league and Colligence betweene the body and soule They Act the one upon the other they suffer the one from the other sometimes the one sometimes the other leads the dance If the mind be sad the body is heavy if rejoyced active and so contrarywise the sicknesse of the body dejects the minde and health gives it alacrity The Oeconomy of the bodies concoction and faculties is disturbed and hindred by the trouble of the mind So is the working of Physick Onely the vertuous temper of the soule maintaines it selfe incorruptible and firme in despite of all bodily infirmitie and distemper A mind habituated to valour and vertue will never degenerate to cowardise and basenesse from its ingenit and naturall Character The body may incline it cannot compell it offers to lead it forceth not to follow in our dreames a well-confirmed mind maintaines it selfe against vitious transportations Yet may the state and temper of the body be much conjectured from our roving and raving fantasies in our sleepe or sicknesse Rheume Choler and Melancholy may be concluded from waterish fierie or dismall representations or the intention and abatement of a paroxysme and disease from the suitable pleasing or unpleasing impressions and objects whereby they will finde meanes to impart themselves unto us I speake upon experience in the malignitie of a fit or humour wee are full of perturbation difficultie and unluckinesse in the decrease all goes faire and prosperous More wonderfull are the influences and impulsions of God upon the soule such as are rather to bee felt then related they are unexpressible and indemonstrable The leadings the with-holdings the comforts the relievings the deliverances how sweet how incomparable Our spirits are nothing but as inspired from him Hee is the incomprehensible Spirit of spirits and the world the giver and ruler of our thoughts True joy hath no other Spring or Center Hee is the uniter consolidator and commune viuculum of soule and body the heavens and the earth the elements and universe No creature is more indebted to his favour then my selfe I shall bee happy if he please to continue me thankfull and exempt from abusing it Which that I may not doe in further prosecuting this insatiable humour of writing I resolve by his good grace and assistance to make this my peece of farewell I know how short I come in matter how short of what my selfe could write I will not too much presume of his mercy and my owne strength and ordinary preservatives Subjects of writings are as various and endlesse as obscure If you will reade the Schoolemen or more full and Divine writings of our present Bishop of Salisbury upon originall and actuall justice it will abate our presumption and discover so the vast perplexed intricacy and nature of things and questions unto us as will beget a modestie and restraint as well to our contentious discourse as scribling God hath put me as well into a way of health for my body as my soule if I wrong not the one by the other Hee hath cleared my mists and confusion by the Sunshine of his grace God make me constant to my self and him Amen Amen To make mee also the rather consent to withdraw my selfe I finde that already in my wild diversitie I have falne upon so many notions that for the most part that I now take up is apt to enterfere with what I have formerly touched and the very avoyding would become neare as troublesome as the delivering of my selfe Septemb. the 28. 1638. If to be temperate and good 't is hard Will easie is and seldome failes reward But who nor is nor goes about to bee Shame may he reape his vices proper Fee Sweetnesse of Goodnesse VVEre the world as fit to heare as I durst bee free to communicate my most secret thoughts I could and possibly would use another manner of opennesse then I doe I often appeare profuse in respect of others when I am reserved in respect of my selfe I am full of vanitie and errour yet such as a good man and Christian may and for the most part must undergoe though not approve Absolution must proceed from God and he alone is idoneous for an entire and unreserved confession I have abounded in an exorbitant fancy passion and infirmitie Some men account tendernesse of conscience a silly weaknesse of mind I make it my glory as they their shame It was impossible for me to come off from so long a wrastle with God and not to beare his markes I am none of the miraculous three Children to come out of the Furnace and not have my body and garments savour of the fire Such a conquest and obduration had been my soules losse and would manifest it selfe in such a profligate wickednesse as I hope shall never be mine If I be not totally reformed and refined yet as farre as the condition of a fraile passenger admits I will as well endeavor as hope to give proofe of a bettering in my affections Hee is an evill Scholler to God and the world who learns not to
hope will come and beare a part To hide my want of voyce my want of Art Corona Alphabeticall in imitation of the 119 Psalme AWay unhallowed spirits fleshly borne Unto the second birth these lines belong Your eyes are full of lust your hearts of scorn You cannot taste a supernatur'd song When in Gods furnace you shall prove refin'd Divinely transubstantiate from above Your Soules contrite your stony hearts calcin'd And him propound sole object of your love Then shall my inspirations finde applause And penetrate your soules as well as mine Then will you finde them both your meat and sauce And warm your spirits at such beams Divine God knows what preparations I have past Oft broken with this Plough to kill my weeds Down melted in a new mould to be cast Macerate fetter'd fitted for new seeds When his magnetique vertue draws you come Till then to what I write be blinde deaf dumb BLest Founder of this earthly Hospitall Sole daily Benefactor to mankinde Lord Paramount of Lords of Kings and all Soule of our Soules controller of the minde Transcendent Essence dazling more our sight Then Sun-beams Owles harder to comprehend Then 't is for Ants to judge and reason right Of men and know whereto their counsels tend Thou who giv'st Faith and Grace spirituall Hearts happiest Center food and notion Who truely art what falsely we doe call Instinct or Nature Father of motion Inspire my soule my spirit animate Thy working power and glory to expresse That these my lines may partly expiate My lives and pens past errors and impresse Thy stampe divine upon my readers heart Assisted by thy holy Spirits Art COntemne not Lord this humble sacrifice This Incense from the censor of my heart Heart which thy quickning Spirit mortifies To live and die to thee a true convert As in my heart so flow into my stile Untie tune cleare my soule that I may sing Thy saving grace and prove most happy while I may one sparkle to thy glory bring None but a power Almighty could create Yet greater wonder our redemption was Nor goes lesse mercy to regenerate That worke nor consummate nor Sabbath has To live fresh fishes in this briny Sea To swim by faith against strong natures streame Beyond our reason and our eyes to see And make thy soule transporting love our theame This Antedates the sweet fruition Of thy most beatifique vision DIspence O Lord that I polluted lame Presume thy power and mercies to display Thy Priest should perfect be and free from blame But thy projection workes on base allay The greatest graces thou hast summon'd all Thy creatures to thy praise their rent to pay Nor can I chuse but answer to thy call Accountable for mercies more then they But yet alas what fruite can I expect From these farre short of lines Apocryphall Since thine owne dictates finde so small effect And Isralites prov'd hypocriticall Yes thou hast wonders wrought on me and canst By thy assistance so my labours blesse Some one at least by me may be advanc'd To feele thy Spirits motion and redresse The course of sinne which flesh cannot withstand Without the succour of thy sacred hand ERect O Lord thy Trophees in my Verse Confound with shame th' Idolatrizing Muse Teach such with me thy praises to rehearse T is better write to save then to seduce Teach them thy beautie riches thou who art Riches and beauties donor cleare their eyes To admire the vertues which thou doest impart To the rich furnish'd earth and guilded skies Thou needst no strain'd conceits nor figures such As they imploy to shew wit and give grace Thou their Hyperbole's exceed'st so much They faint to see invention wants a place Oh that my Verse like Aarons rod had pow'r To overcharme what those inchanters sing And all their strong illusions to devour Or like the Brasen Serpent cure their sting Then might my Muse triumphant Lawrell weare Endu'd with grace no thunder blasts to feare FAther of beautie goodnesse power and love Vertue of vertues spring of eloquence By whom alone we are we live and move And exercise a happy confidence Whose love to us made thee evacuate Thy selfe and glory frailtie to put on Frailtie to hunger die degenerate To man in all but his corruption Oh let thy love like love in us procure And teach us to deny our selves for thee Change which to thee was losse will be our cure Thy hunger food thy death our life will bee Teach us to love and we shall learne to write In Characters of love our hearts will flow Love chafes benummed spirits to endite And ever carries light ' its flames to show Make mee Oh Lord to thee a perfect lover And love will both it selfe and thee discover No wonder else if we prove dull to write For 't is a wonder Lord to love thee right GRieve Oh my heart grieve that thou canst not grieve Grieve that thy streames flow counter to thy will Grieve that thy fraile propensions still survive And thy intemperate nature swayes thee still Shame oh my soule oh shame to see thy shame Shame that nor faith nor reason can prevaile Shame that thou knowest most savage things to came And that thy Art upon thy selfe doth faile Suffer thou doest and justly suffer too In selfe offending wilt thou still befoole Thy selfe in doing what thou should'st not doe And non-proficient prove in thy owne schoole Yes Lord it will be so except thy grace Continually prevent preside restraine In thy least absence nature will take place Nor can against it selfe it selfe containe Children from Nurses are nor safe nor quiet Without thee soule nor body can keepe diet Destroy Oh Lord what foments our annoy Or wild presumption will our health destroy HEaven wert thou no reward Hell but a tale Religion but a waking dreame begot Twixt policie and fancy to prevaile Over fraile flesh and hopes and feares besot Were conscience but a brat of Arts begetting As reall in ' its falshood as in truth A home-spun stuffe as false wrought as selfe fretting A brand impos'd upon our tender youth Yet hath it pleas'd my Lord to manifest So palpably his selfe and love to mee Were nature richer sweeter I le divest And strip my selfe of all for love of thee None more then I th'erroneous print can read Of melancholy and superstition Nor better all their subtile steps untread Distinguishing between Text and Tradition Beleeve me more hath gone me to convert Then either wit or nature can pervert HAbituate maladies are hardly cur'd Relaps proves often mortall worst in sinne To me relaps'd oft and to sinne inur'd Strange hath thy mercy Lord and patience been Insolvable I am for such great grace Yet I ambitious am to make returne What most is mine and others most embrace In gratefull sacrifice to thee I burne Obedience Temperance I here professe Worldly delights and wealth I abdicate No fetter'd votary yet ne're the lesse My selfe to thee I freely consecrate Power