Pleasure and but breathing Clay Whose Moysture dry'd with his owne sorrow must Resolve and leave him to his former Dust VVhich Dust the utter object of our loathing Small time consumes brings to his first Nothing Thus from this Nothing from this Dust began Thus Something turnd to Dust to Nothing Man 82. On ANANIAS THe Land was his The land was his alone 'T was sold And now the Money was his owne The powre remain'd in the Possessors hand To keepe his money or have kept his Land But once devoted to the Churches good And then conceald it cost his life his blood If those that give may not resume agin VVithout a Punishment without a Sin VVhat shall become of those whose unjust power Dispoyles the widdowed Temple of her Dower VVho take her Profits and in stead of giving Encrease to her revenues make a living Vpon her Ruines growing plump and full Vpon her Wants being cloathed in her Wooll VVhile she sustains th'extremes of cold and hunger To pamper up the fat Advousion-monger VVho thrust their Flesh-hooks in their thristy Pot And only leave her what they value not The whilst her sacred Priests that dayly tread Their slighted Corne must begge their early Bread Or else be forc'd to purchase easie shares VVith the deare price of their ungranted Prayres Let such turne backe their sacrilegious eyes And see how breathlesse Ananias lyes Behold the Wages that his sin procures That was a Mole-hill to these Alpes of yours He tooke not from the Church Did but conceale Some part he gave But your false fingers steale Her maine Inheritance her owne Possession His was but bare deceipt yours bold Oppression O if no lesse then the first death was due To him what death d' ye think's prepar'd for you So often as your pamper'd Eyes shall looke On your Estates thinke on the Flying Booke 83. On pious Vses THey that in life oppresse and then bequeath Their Goods to pious uses at their death Are like those Drunkards being layd to sleepe That belch and vomit what they cannot keepe To Gods and Mans acceptance I presume Their severall Actions send the like perfume 84. On SOPHRONIA THe chast Sophronia knowes not how to scape Th' inevitable danger of a Rape Cruell Sophronia drawes her hasty knife And would relieve her Chastity with life Doubtfull Sophronia knowes not what to doe She cannot keepe the one and t'other too Sophronia's in a strait One eye is fixt O' th' seventh Commandment t'other on the sixt To what Extreames is poore Sophronia driven Is not Sophronia left at Sixe and Seaven 85. On the knowing Man HEe 's like a lusty Soyle whose Moysture feeds If not a world of Corne a world of Weeds 86. On Romes Pardon IF Rome could pardon sins as Romans hold And if such Pardons might be bought for Gold An easie Iudgement might determine which To choose To be religious or else Rich Nay Rome does pardon Pardons may be sold Wee 'l search no Scriptures but the Mines for Gold 87. On the World THe World compos'd of heaven earth 's the story Of Gods Eternall and Mans Temp'rall Glory 88. On formall Devotion MEn doe God Service with the same devotion As the soule Body takes his loathed Potion They stay and stay then gulp it downe in hast Not for the pleasure but to have it past Whose druggy Tast goes so against their minde That oft the better part is left behind And what is taken 's taken but in vaine It either works not or comes up againe 89 On heavenly Manna O What a world of heav'nly Manna falls Within the Circuit of our happy Walls With how great Ioy wold neighb'ring lands receive The Fragments of those Fragments that we leave Our furnisht Markets flourish all the yeare We need no Ephaths nor yet Omers here We take unmeasur'd from the bounteous heape Thanks never were so deare not that so cheape VVe never hoard but tosse from hand to hand As if that Famine had forsworne the Land Our satiate stomacks are so lavish fed That we ev'n sleight and wanton with our Bread Ah Lord I feare when carelesse children play VVith their spoyl'd Bread 't is time to take away 90. On naturall Sins TO murther Parents or our selves has bin Though falsly counted an unnaturall Sin By Nature we are apt to fall into 't I rather think 't unnaturall not to doe 't If heav'n should but forsake us 't were agin The very course of Nature not to sin 91. On the Arke IF Flouds of Teares should drown my world of Sin Alas my floating Arke retaines within A cursed Cham to store the World agin What then so long as holy Sem vouchsafeth But to divide a Tent with bashfull Iapheth 92. On SOPHRONIA SOphronia chooses rather to commit Selfe Murther then by violence to submit Her ventur'd honor to th' injurious trust Of the eye sparkling Tyrants furious Lust What means Sophronia Dare her conscience frame To act a Sin but to prevent a Shame 93. On a faire Prospect LOoke up And there I see the faire abode And glorious Mansion of my gracious God Looke downe In ev'ry garnisht corner lyes Favours objected to my wondring eyes Looke on my right hand There the sweet encrease Of Joyes present me with a joyfull Peace Looke on my left hand There my Fathers Rod Sublimes my knowledge from my selfe to God Looke forward There I see the lively Story Of Faiths improvement and of future Glory Looke backward There my thankfull eye is cast On Sinnes remitted and on Dangers past Looke inwards And mine eye is made partaker Of the faire Image of my glorious Maker Looke up or downe About above or under Nothing but Objects of true Love and wonder 94. A Resolution IF thou hast giv'n me Wealth great God I crave Content and Grace to have the goods I have If otherwise thy will be done I crave not So much to have as use the goods I have not Lord make me Thine And then I shall appeare If not thy Almner yet thy Beads-man here 95. On the worlds Welcome EArths Entertainments are like those of Iael Her left hand brings me Milke Her right a nayle 96. On our Meditation upon God VVHen thy ambitious knowledge would attempt So high a Taske as God she must exempt All carnall sense Thy Reason must release Her pow'r Thy Fancy must be bound toth ' peace Thy Spirits must be rapt They must exile Thy flesh and keepe a Sabbath for a while Thou must forget thy selfe and take strong Bands Of thy owne Thoughts and shake eternall hands With thy rebellious Lusts discard and cleare Thy heart of all Idea's Then with Feare And holy Reverence thou must thinke of One As though he were not to be thought upon Conceive a Spirituall a most perfect Beeing Pure simple At the selfe-same instant seeing Things Present Past and Future One whose Might Whose Wisedome Iustice Mercy in a height Above Exceeding is Himselfe being Great Without a Quantity and most
have bin lengthen'd had th'untrodden way To life beene found He might have â—ose agin If something had or something had not bin What mine sees past Heav'ns eie foresaw to come He saw how that contingent Act should summe The toâ—all of his Dayes His knowing Eye As mine doth see him dead saw he should die That very fatall howre yet saw his death Not so so necessary but his Breath Might beene enlarg'd unto a longer date Had he neglected This or taken That All times to Heav'n are now both first and last He seeâ— things present as we see them past 3. On the Sacraments THe Loâ—ves of Bread were five the Fishes two Whereof the Multitude was made partaker Who made the Fishes God But tell me who Gave being to the Loaves of Bread the Baker Ev'n so thâ—se Sacraments which some call seaven Five were ordain'd by Man and two by Heaven 4. On the Infancie of our Saviour HAyle blessed Virgin full of heavenly Grace Blest above all that sprang from humane race Whose Heav'n-saluted Womb brought forth in One A blessed Saviour and a blessed Son O! what a ravishment ' thad beene to see Thy little Saviour perking on thy Knee To see him nuzzle in thy Virgin Brest His milke white body all unclad undrest To see thy busie Fingers cloathe and wrappe His spradling Limbs in thy indulgent Lappe To see his desprate Eyes with Childish grace Smiling upon his smiling Mothers face And when his forward strength began to bloome To see him diddle up and downe the Roome O who would thinke so sweet a Babe as this Should ere be slaine by a false-hearted kisse Had I a Ragge if sure thy Body wore it Pardon sweet Babe I thinke I should adore it Till then O grant this Boone a boone far dearer The Weed not being I may adore the Wearer 5. On Iudas Iscariot VVE raile at Iudas him that did betray The Lord of life yet doe it day by day 6. On the life and death of Man THe World 's a Theater The Earth a Stage Plac'd in the midst wheron both Prince Page Both rich and poore foole wiseman base and high All act their Parts in Lifes short Tragedy Our Life 's a Tragedy Those secret Roomes Wherein we tyre us are our Mothers Wombes The Musicke ush'ring in the Play is Mirth To see a Manchild brought upon the Earth That fainting gaspe of Breath which first we vent Is a Dumb-Shew presents the Argumâ—nt Our new-born Cries that new-born Griefes bewray Is the sad Prologue of th' ensuing Play False hopes true feares vaine ioyes and fierce distracts Are like the Musicke that divides the Acts Time holds the Glasse and when the hower's run Death strikes the Epilogue and the Play is done 7 On the seven liberall Sciences of a Christian. Grammar IT is an Art that teaches not t' excell In Writing Speaking as in Doing well Logicke IT is an Art sometimes of Plotting treason Against the Crowne and Dignity of Reason Rhetoricke IT is an Art whereby he learnes t' encrease His knowledge of the time to Hold his Peace Arythmeticke IT is an Art that makes him apt to raise And number out Gods Blessings and his Dayes Musicke IT is a potent Science that infringes Strong Prison dores and heaves them from their hinges Astronomie IT is an Art of taking out the Lead From hiâ— dull Browes and lifting â—p the Head Geometrie IT is an Art insâ—ructs him how to have The World in scorne and measure out his Grave 8. Christs foure houses HIs first house was the blessed Virgins Wombe The next a Cratch the third a Crosse the fourth a Tombe 9. Of Light and Heate MArk but the Sun-beames when they shine most bright They lâ—â—d this lower world both heat light They both are Children of the selfe-same Mother Twinnes not subsisâ—iâ—g one without the other They both conspire unto the Common good When in their proper places understood Is 't not rebellion against Sense to say Light helps to quicken Or the Beames of day May lend a Heat and yeâ— no Light at all 'T is true some obvious Shade may chance to fall Vpon the quickned Plâ—nt yet not so great To quench the 〈◊〉 of the Heate The Heate cannot be parted from the Light Nor yet the Light from Heate They neither might Be mingled in the Act nor found asunder Distinguish now fond man or stay and wonder Know then Their vertues differ though themselves agree Heat vivifies Light gives man power to see The thing so vivifyed no Light no Heate And where the heat 's but small the light 's not great They are inseparable and sworne Lovers Yet differing thus That quickens This discovers Within these lines a sacred Myst'ry lurkes The Heat resembles Faith the Light Good workes 10. On Judas Iscariot SOme curse that traytour Iudas life and lim God knows some curse theÌ„selves in cursing him 11. On the possession of the Swine WHen as our blessed Saviour did un-devill The Man possest the Spirits in conclusion Entred the Swine being active still in evill And drove them headlong to their owne confusion Druâ—kards beware and be advised then They 'l find you as y' are Swine if not as Men 12. On a Sunâ—Dyall THis Horizontall Dyall can bewray To the sad Pilgrim the houre of the Day But if the Sun appeare not his Adviser His eye may looke yet he prove nâ—'er the wiser Alas alas there 's nothing can appeare But onely Types and shadow'd Figures there This Dyall is the Scripture and the Sun Gods holy Spirit Wee the â—ookers on Alas that saceed Letter which we read VVithout the Quickning of the Spirit 's dead The knowledge of our Peace improves no better Then if our Eye had not beheld a Letter I but this glorious Sun shines alwayes bright I but we often stand in our owne light Vse then the day for when the day is gon There willl be darknes there will be no Sun 13. On the three Christian Graces Faith IT is a Grace that teaches to deprave not The Goods we have To have the goods we have not Hope IT is a Grace that keeps th' Almighty blamelesse In long delay And men in begging shamelesse Charitie IT is a Grace or Art to get a Living By selling Land and to grow rich by giving 14. On a Feast THe Lord of Heav'n and Earth ha's made a Feast And ev'ry Soule is an invited Guest The Word 's the Food the Levits are the Cookes The Fathers Writings are their Dyet-bookes But seldome us'd for 't is a fashion growne To recommend made Dishes of their owne What they should boyle they bake what râ—st they broyle Their lushious Sallats are too sweet with Oyle In briefe 't is now a dayes too great a fault T' have too much Pepper and too little Salt 15. On Dives THat drop-requesting Dives did desire His Brothers might have warning of that Fire Whose flames he felt Could he a Fiend wish well To Man What is there Charity in Hell
Compleat Without Degrees Eternall without space Of time At all times Present without Place Think thus And wheÌ„ thy thoughts can sore no higher Stay there Stand humbly silent and admire 97. On Faith HE that wants Faith and apprehends a Griefe Because he wants it hath a true Beliefe And he that grieves because his griefe 's so small H 'as a true Griefe and the best Faith of all 98. On Mans Folly IDeots and Sense-bound Lunaticks discerne 'Twixt Salt and Suger very Babes will learne To know a Counter from the currant Coyne Bruit Beasts by ' Instinct of Nature will decline Th'alluring Bait and sense-beguiling Snare Though that seeme ne'r so sweet this ne'r so faire Yet Man heav'ns greatest Master-piece will chuse What Fooles and Mad-men Beasts and Babes refuse Delights in dangerous Pleasures and beneath The name of Ioyes pleases himselfe to death 99. On Glory THat Saint in Heav'n whose Glory is the least Has ev'n as perfect Glory as the best There 's no Degrees but in a finite Treasure No difference 'twixt Pauls glory mine but measure 100. On Reward WHen holy Scriptures mention the Rewarding Of works we read not For but stil According The end of the third Booke DIVINE FANCIES The fourth Booke 1. A Good Morrow T Is day Vnfold thine Armes Arise and rouze Thy leaden Spirits and pay thy Mcrning Vowes Send up thy Incense Let her early smoke Renew that League thy very dreames have broke Then mayst thou worke or play Nothing shall be Displeasing to thy God that pleases thee 2. A Good-night CLose now thine eyes and rest secure Thy Soule is safe enough thy Body sure He that loves thee he that keepes And guards thee never slumbers never sleepes The smiling Conscience in a sleeping brest Has onely peace has onely rest The musicke and the mirth of Kings Are all but very Discords when she sings Then close thine Eyes and rest secure No Sleepe so sweet as thine no rest so sure 3. On a Printing-House THe world 's a Printing-house our words our thoughts Our deeds are Characters of sev'rall sizes Each Soule is a Compos'ter of whose saults The Levits are Correctors Heav'n revises Death is the common Press from whence being driveÌ„ W' are gathered Sheet by Sheet bound for Heaven 4. A Dialogue betweene GABRIEL and MARY GABRIEL HAile blessed Mary MA What celestial tongue Cals sinfull Mary blessed GAB It is I MA. Who art thou GA. I am Gabriel that belong To the high Quire of Heaven MA. I faint I dye GA. Feare not sweet Virgin all the Earth shall be Son Made debters to thy Womb and blest in Thee MA. How Lord GA Thy Virgin womb shal beare a That shal redeem the world MA. My Lord how can Such wonders come to passe such things be done By a poore Virgin never knowne by Man GA. The holy Ghost at his appointed howre Shall make thee pregnant by his sacred powre MA. Wonder of wonders GA. At whose height the Quire Of heav'n stand ravisht tremble admire MA. O may it be according to thy Word GA. Before that twice five Moons compleated be Thou shalt be knowne the Mother of our Lord And thou shalt dance thy Saviour on thy knee MA. Both heav'n earth shall triumph the frame Of hell shall tremble at Maria's name GA. All Ages past and present and to come Shall joy in Mary and in Marye's wombe 5 On RHEMVS IF Heav'n would please to purge thy Soule as well As Rome thy purse thou needst not feare a Hell 6. On the life of Man MAns day 's a Song compos'd by th'great Musition Full of harmonious Ayres and dainty choyce But spoyld with Discords and too much Division Abus'd and lost for want of skill and voyce We misse our Rests and we neglect our Graces Our life the Trebble and our death the Base is 7. On MARY FOure Marye's are eterniz'd for their worth Our Saviour found out three our Charls the fourth 8. On the Church LEt not thy blacknesse moove thee to despaire Black Women are belov'd of men that 's faire What if thy hayre her flaxen brightnes lack Thy face is comely though thy Brow be black 9. On the two Essences GOds sacred Essence represents the bright And glorious body of the greater light 'T is perfect hath a Being of her owne Giving to all receiving light from none Mans Essence represents the borrowed light And feeble luster of the Lampe of night Her Rayes are faint and her Reflection thin Distain'd with nat'rall blemishes within Inconstant various having of her owne No light at all or light as good as none When too much earth shall interpose and slipps Betwixt these Lights our soules are in th' Eclips 10. On our Saviours Passion THe earth did tremble and heav'ns closed eye Was loth to see the Lord of Glory dye The Skyes were clad in mourning the Spheares Forgat their harmony The Clouds dropt teares Th' ambitious Dead arose to give him roome And ev'ry Grave did gape to be his Tombe Th' affrighted heav'ns sent down elegious Thunder The Worlds Foundation loos'd to lose their Founder Th' impatient Temple rent her Vaile in two To teach our hearts what our sad hearts should do Shall senslesse things doe this and shall not I Melt one poore drop to see my Saviour dye Drill forth my Teares and trickle one by one Till you have pâ—irc'd this heart of mine this Stone 11. On PETER VVHat luck had Peter For he tooke a Fish That stor'd his purse as well as fill'd his dish Whose bounty did inrich as well as feed him But they are better Fishers that succeed him He catcht by chance These catch the like by skill He catcht but once These catch them when they will They cast their Angles into better Seas Their bayts are only for such Fish as these Brave sport and full of curious pleasure Come There is no Fishing to the Sea of Rome 12. On HERODIAS I 'Le tell thee Light-skirts whosoever taught Thy feet to dance thy dancing had a Fault Thou 'lt find it deare Herodias if thou do'st Compare thy pen'worth with the price it cost 13. On Faith and Hope HOw much the stronger Hopes on life relye So much the weaker is my Faith to dye 14. On Water and Wine THe happy diff'rence and sweet change of life When a chast Virgin turnes a loyall Wife Our blessed Lord in Cana did divine And turnd cold Water into lusty Wine 15. On Age. HOw fresh blood dotes O how green Youth delires It most disdaines the thing it most desires 16. On a Figg-tree A Christian's like a Figg-tree that does beare Fruit greene or ripe or blossomes all the yeare No wonder then our Saviour curst that Tree Figg-trees are alwayes dead where no Figgs be 17. On RHEMVS RHemus upon a time I heard thee tell A Wall divideth Purgatory ' and Hell And that a gold-bought Masse will cleare th' offence That brought us thither and redeeme us thence Ah
not Thou hast a Chanc'lour in thy Brest That keeps th' Exchequer and hoards up the least The poorest Summe No no thou needst not feare There 's nothing will be lost that 's taken there Thinkst thou that thou hast lost that piece of Gold That 's dropt into a fairer Heape untold Or canst thou judge that Fier clos'd about With rak'd up Embers 'cause not scene is out Gold lost in greater summes is still thine owne And rak'd up Embers will in time be blowne To Flames Beleeve 't the Words thine eares have lost Thy heart wil find when thou shalt need them most 40. On the Babel-Builders SVre if those Babel-Builders had thought good To raise their heav'n-high Tower before the flood The wiser sort of people might deride Their Folly and that Folly had salv'd their Pride Or had their Faiths but enterpriz'd that Plot Their hearts had finisht what their hands could not 'T was not for love of Heav'n nor did they ayme So much to rayse a Building as a Name They that by Works shall seeke to make intrusion To Heav'n find nothing but their owne Confusion 41. On ESAV and JACOB ESau goes forth strives with his owne disquiet To purchase Ven'son for his fathers Diet Iacob abides at home and by his Mother Is taught the way how to supplant his brother There 's some that hunt like Esau sweat and toyle And seeke their Blessing by their owne Turmoyle Whilst others crave assistance and bewray Their wiser weakenes in a safer Way O if the Church my Mother will instruct me Make savory Meate and cloath me and conduct me Into my Fathers Armes these hands shall never Trust to the poorenesse of their owne Endevor Bring I a Kid but of my Mothers dressing 'T will please my Father and procure my Blessing 42. On severall Sinnes Grosse Sinne. IS like a Show'r which ere we can get in Into our Conscience wets us to the skin Sin of Infirmity IS like the falling of an April Shower 'T is often Raine and Sun-shine in an hower Sin of Custome IS a long Showre beginning with the Light Oft-times continuing till the Dead of Night Sin of Ignorance IT is a hideous Mist that wetts amaine Though it appeare not in the forme of Raine Crying Sin IT is a sudden Showre that teares in sunder The Cope of Heav'n alway comes with Thunder Sin of Delight IS like a fethered showre of Snow not felt But soakes to th' very skin when ere it melt Sin of Presumption DOes like a Showre of Hayle both wet and wound With sudden Death or strikes us to the Ground The Sin of Sinnes IT is a sulph'rous Shower such as fell On Sodom strikes and strikes to th' Pit of Hell 43. On these Showers GOod God! what Weather 's here These soules of our Have still the luck to travell in a Shower Lord we are cold and pitifully drencht Not a dry thrid And all our Fyer's quencht Our very Blood is cold Our trembling knees Are mutuall Andvils Lord we stand and freeze Alas we find small comfort from the Eye Of Heav'n These showring clouds our sins doe flye Betwixt the Sun and us Wee dry no more Then if the Sun had giv'n his office o'r Nay Lord if now and then those Beames do chance To breake upon 's and lend a feeble glaunce Vpon our reeking soules ere we begin To feele the warmth w' are dous'd and drencht agin In what a case are we Our nightly damps And daily storms have fild our Soules with Cramps With wav'ring Palseyes and our hoarser tongues Can doe thee service nor in Prayers nor Songs Our Zeales are Aguish hot and cold They be Extreamely hot toth ' World as cold to Thee Our Blood has got a Fever Lord it must Be set on fire with every wanton Lust What worlds of mischiefes are there that prevaile not Vpon our fainting Soules What is 't we ayle not That Wet and Cold can bring Yet have no power To keepe us in but dable in the Shower Shine forth bright Sun of glory Be as feirce As these eclipsing Clouds are blacke Disperse And cleare them with thy stronger beams that thus Dare interpose betwixt thy Glory ' and us Reflect on my distempered Soule Refine This vap'rous Earth this sinfull Flesh of mine That tho some Drops mâ—â—â— fall I may have power Shelter'd by thee t' avoyd the down right Shower O let my dabled Spirit still retyre To thee and warme her by thy Sacred Fyre That having ravill'd out some weary howers She may arrive where 's neither Clouds nor Showers 44. On DIVES and LAZARVS DId ever Iudge more equally proceed To punish Sin so right in kind and nature Poore Laz'rus was refus'd a Crum of Bread And Dives was deny'd a Drop of Water Children are oftentimes so like the Mother That men may eas'ly know the one by th' other 45. On two Suitors THe Soule is like a Virgin for whose love Two jealous Suitors strive Both daily move For Nuptiall favour Both with Lovers Art Plead for the Conquest of the Virgins heart The first approaching knockt and knockt agin The Doore being op'ned at his entring in He blushd and as young bashfull Lovers use Is more then halfe discouraged ere he sues At length that love that taught him what to feare Gave resolution to present her eare With what he hop'd and in a lovers fashion He oft repeates the Story of his Passion He vowes his Faith and the sincere perfection Of undissembled and entyre Affection He sues for equall mercy from her Eye And must have love or else for love must dye His present meanes were short He made profession Of a faire Ioynture though but small possession And in word to make his passion good He offers to deserve her with his Blood The other boldly enters with the strong And sweet-lip'd Reth'ricke of a Courtly tongue Salutes her gentle eares His lips discover The amorous language of a wanton Lover He smiles and faunes and now and then le ts flye Imperious glaunces from his sparkling Eye Bribes her more orient neck with pearl with charms Enclosing Bracelets decks her yvory Armes He boasts th' extent of his Imperiall Power And offers Wealth and Glory for a Dower Betwixt them both the Virgin stands perplext The first Tale pleas'd her well untill the next Was told She lik'd the one the other Loth To make a choyce She could affect them Both The one was Iocund full of sprightly mirth The other better borne of nobler birth The second su'de in a compleater fashion I but the first show'd deeper wounds of Passion The first was sadly modest And the last More rudely pleasant His faire lookes did cast More am'rous flames But yet the tothers eye Did promise greater Nuptiall Loyalty The last's more rich yet Riches but for life Make a poore Widow of a happy Wife The first 's Estate 's but small if not made good By Death Faire Ioyntures comfort Widow hood WhoÌ„ shal this Virgin 〈◊〉
Rhemus what demented Soule would spare To ruine Wife or to dis-land an Heyre Rather then feele such torments you pretend That equall Hell in all but Time and end Ah Rhemus If the power of Gold be such How dare you be so bold to dye so rich 18. On JACOB NE're boast thy Bargaine Iacob For poore wee Have made a better contract far then thee We envy not his Land thou didst inherit Our Brother tooke our Flesh gave us his Spirit 19. On SIMON MAGVS SImon bring Gold enough and I will tell thee Wher thou shalt buy what Peter wold not sâ—l thee Repaire to his Successors They are free And frolick Gamsters not so strict as Hee Nay if thy Gold be weake they will not stand To sell good Pen'worths at the second hand They 'l sell good cheape but they 'l not give to any No Pater-noster where there is no Penny No if thy purse be like an empty Shell They will not give what Peter would not sell. 20. On the Bishop of Rome ADmit great Prelat that thou wert that Rock Wheron the Church was founded coldst unlock The gates of Heav'n and with thy golden Key Make Hel thy Pris'ner and the Fiends obey Thy Papall dignity would far be greater If thou wert Simon but as well as Peter 21. On MILO DO strive to enter Milo though the Gate Be narrow and the rugged passage straight Lessen thy selfe and fast thy carkas thin Take in thy Flesh 't will get thee easier in Look up to heav'n t will raise thy body'uprighter Give lib'rall alms t will make thee tread the lighter Sweat forth thy base corruptions and inherit Thy promis'd Crowne halfe lost for want of spirit Let not thy destard and dull thoughts disdaine Those works which cold despaire mistakes as vaine Take heed Let not thy queazy Soule repine Against those Actions which are none of thine Heav'n bids thee shine what if thy Rayes be dim Doe thou thy best leave the successe to Him Follow thy Worke And when thy Soule shall be Gather'd from hence thy Works shall follow thee 22. On Rome GOod Workes abound in Rome 'T is well they doe 'T is the best string they chalenge to their Bow But ev'ry Hee 's no Monck that weares a Hood 'T is well if they 'r well done as well as good When wandring Passengers have lost their way No sort of men that ride so fast as they 23. On three dayes and nights THou knowst our dying Saviour did repose On Friday On the Sabbath he arose Tell me by what account can he be said To lodge three dayes and nights among the dead He dyde for all the World what wanted here Was full supply'd in t'other Hemisphere 24. On TOBITS Dogge WHat luck had Tobits dog what grace what glory Thus to be Kenel'd in th' Eternall Story Vntill th' Apocrypha and Scripture sever The mem'ry of Tobits dogg shall live for ever 25. On the Gospell VVHen two Evangelists shall seeme to vary In one discourse they 'r divers not contrary One Truth doth guide them both One spirit doth Direct them doubt not to beleeve them both 26. On SERVIO SErvio 'T is scarcely worth thy paines to smother Or to subdue one Sin and hugge another Beleeve it Servio he that is in thrall To one is a potentiall Slave to all 27. On FORMIO FOrmio will keepe the Sabbath read and pray His lips are seal'd from oaths upon that day Formio is clad in black and will absent His fleshly thoughts this holy time of Lent Thinkst thou that Formio's shaking hands with Sin No t is but giving hands to meet agin 28. On IOHN and IESVS IOhn was the Morning-starre that did fore-run The long-wisht rising of our Glorious Sun The first word that Iohns preaching lips expressed Was this Repent Our Saviours first was Blessed Iohn makes th' incision Iesus makes it sound Iesus nere cures where Iohn ne'r made a wound 29. On dispossessing VVE read A broyled Fishes heart will scare A frighted Devil from a troubled brest We read againe By Fasting and by Prayre The fierce Demoniack's only dispossest What this affirmes that flatly does deny With reverence to the Text The t'one's a Lye 30. On HERODIAS I Have a young Herodias lives within me That never leaves to dance untill she win me To grant her Suit will never cease to plead Vntill I give her my Iohn Baptists head O then my sorrow would be past her date And I like Hâ—rod should repent too late 31. On MALFIDO SAthans Injections are like Weeds that fall Into thy Garden darted ore the Wall Whose loathsom smel unscent thy sweeter Flow'rs But grow not there unles we make them ours They 'l dye neglected If thou lend them roome They 'l stink But eas'ly thrown from whence they come Feare not Malfido those they be that spoyle Thy Flow'rs that suck their substance from the soyle 32. On Slanders WHen undeserv'd report distaines my name It shames not but perchaÌ„ce prevents a Shame 33. On Law and Gospell THe Law is rough The Gospell milde and calme That launc'd the Bile this powres in the Balme 34. On abosome Sin THat Sin that finds more credit then the rest That is thy Darling leanes upon thy brest That in the Bâ—some of thy heart does lye That dips within thy dish Sayes Is it I That gives thee kisses that 's the Sin that slayes thee O that O that 's the Iudas that betrayes thee 35. On the World THe World 's a Booke writ by th' eternall Art Of the great Maker printed in Mans heart 'T is falsly printed though divinely pend And all th' Erratas will appeare at th' end 36. On my Soule MY weather-beaten Soule long time has bin Becalm'd and tiding in the Sea of Sin But now afflictions Storme does drive and tosse Her batter'd Keele The wind is loud and crosse Feare fills her tatterd Sailes doubts doe drive her She knowes not where and of all hopes deprive her Thus thus transported by the troubled Ayre Amongst the swallowing Quick-sands of despaire If not prevented by a greater power She looks for wreck and ruine ev'ry hower O that mine eyes could raine a Showre of Teares That that would lay the Storme of all my Feares 37. On the Cuckoe THe idle Cuckoe having made a Feast On Sparrowes Eggs layes downe her owne i' th' Nest The silly Bird she ownes it hatches feeds it Protects it from the weather clocks and breeds it It neither wants repose nor yet repast And joyes to see her Chicken thrive so fast But when this gaping Monster has found strength To shift without a helper she at length Not caring for that tender care that bred her Forgets her parent kills the Bird that fed her The Sin we foster in our bosome thus Ere we have left to feed it feeds on us 38. On TOBIT WAs it not time to send his sonne to Rages For mony wheÌ„ his wife spun hard for wages Was 't not high time for him to post
DIVINE FANCIES Digested into EPIGRAMMES MEDITATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS BY FRA QVARLES LONDON Printed by M. F. for IOHN MARRIOT and are to be sold at his Shop in St. Dunstans Churchyard in Fleetstreet 1633. TO THE ROYALL BVDDE OF MAIESTIE and Center of all our Hopes and Happinesse CHARLES Prince of Great BRITAINE France and Ireland SONNE and HEYRE Apparant to the High and Mighty CHARLES by the Grace of GOD King of Great BRITAINE FRANCE and IRELAND c. Illustrious Infant GIve mee leave to acknowledge my selfe thy Servant ere thou knowst thy Selfe my Prince My Zeale burnes mee and my desires are impatient My breeding Muse longs for greene fruit and cannot stay thy ripenesse Sweet Babe The loyalty of my Service makes bold to consecrate these early Leaves to thy sacred Infancie not knowing how to glorifie themselues more then by the Patronage of such Princely Innocencie Modell of Sweetnesse Let thy busie Fingers entertaine this slender Present and let thy harmelesse Smiles crowne it When thy Infancie hath crackt the Shell let thy Childhood tast the Kernell In the meane while let thy little hands and Eyes peruse it Lugge it in thy tender Armes and lay thy burthen at thy Royall Parents feet for whose sake it may gaine some honor from their glorious Eyes Heaven blesse thy Youth with Grace and crowne thy Age with Glorie Angells conduct thee from the Cradle to the Crowne Let the English Rose and the French Lilly florish in thy louely Cheeke And let their united Colours presage an euerlasting League Let the eminent Qualities of both thy renowned Grand-fathers meet in thy Princely Heart that thou mayst in Peace be honourable and in Warre victorious And let the great addition of thy Royall Parents Vertues make thee vp a most incomparable Prince the firme Pillar of our happines and the future Object of the Worlds wonder Expected and prayd for by Your Highnesses most Loyall and humble servant FRA QVARLES TO THE RIGHT HONOVrable and truely vertuous Lady MARY Countesse of Dorset Governesse to that Royall Infant CHARLES Prince of Great BRITAINE France and Ireland the Mirror of unstained HONOVR Most excellent LADY YOV are that Starre which stands over the place where the Babe lyes By whose directions light I am come from the East to present my Myrrh and Frankincense to the yong Child Let not our Royall JOSEPH nor his Princely MARY be affrayd there are no Herods here We have all seene his Starre in the East and have rejoyced Our loyall hearts are full for our eyes have seene him in whom our Posterity shall bee blessed To him most honorable Lady I addresse my thoughts To Him I presume to consecrate these Lines which since it hath pleased our gracious Soveraigne to appoint you the Governesse of his Royall Infancy I have made bold to present first to your noble hands not daring in my very thoughts to disjoyne whom his Sacred Majestie in so great Wisedome hath put together or to consider severally where his Highnesse hath made so in violable a Relation Madam May your Honors increase with your howers and let eternall Glory crowne your Uâ—rtues that when this Age shall sleepe in Dust our Children yet unborne may honour your glorious Memory under the happinesse of his Government whose Governesse you are which shall be daily the Subject of his Prayers who is The sworne-Servant of your Ladiships Perfections FRA QVARLES To the Readers REaders I wil not like One that knowes the strength of his owne Muse commit Rape upon your Vnderstandings nor rayle at your Ignorances if our Wits jumpe not I have written at my owne peril understand you at your owne pleasures I have nor so little Man in me as to want my faults nor so much Foole in me as to thinke it nor so little Modesty as to sweare it nor so much Childe in me as to whine at Zoilus My request is That the faultles hand may cast the first stone So although I cannot avoyd the common Lot of man Error I may escape the punishment of the Common Man Censure I heere present thee with a Hive of Bees laden some with Waxe and some with Honey Feare not to approach There are no Waspes there are no Hornets here if some wanton Bee should chance to buzze about thine eares stand thy Ground and hold thy hands There 's none wil sting thee if thou strike not first If any doe she hath Honey in her Bagge will cure thee too In playner tearmes I present thee with a Booke of Fancies Among which as I have none to boast of so I hope I shall have none to blush at All cannot affect all If some please all or all some 't is more then I expect I had once thought to haue melted the Title and cast it into severall Bookes and have lodg'd Observations Meditations and Epigrams by themselves but new thoughts have taken place I have required no helpe of Herauld either to place or to proclaime them Cards well shuffled are most fit for Gamesters And oftentimes the pastime of Discovery adds pleasure to the Enioyment The Generous Faulkner had rather retrive his Partridge in the open Feilds then meet her in his coverd Dish Only this when you read a Meditation let me entreate thee to forget an Epigramme Fare-well AD LECTORES VTRIVSque GENERIS Candide si mala sint nostra inter carmina parce Et bona si quae sint Zoile parco tibi To GOD. GLorious and Great whose power did divide The Waves and made them Walls on either side That didst appeare in Cloven-tongues of Fyre Divide my thoughts and with thy selfe inspire My soule O cleave my Tongue and make it scatter Various Expressions in a various Matter That like the painefull Bee I may derive From sundry Flow'rs to store my slender Hive Yet may my Thoughts not so divided be But they may mixe againe and fixe in Thee DIVINE FANCIES Digested into EPIGRAMMES MEDITATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS 1. On the Musique of Organs OBserve this Organ Marke but how it goes 'T is not the hand of him alone that blowes The unseene Bellowes nor the Hand that playes Upon th'apparent note-dividing Kayes That makes these wel-composed Ayres appeare â—â—fore the high Tribunall of thine earâ— They both concurre Each acts his severall part Th' one gives it Breath the other lends it Art Man is this Organ To whose every action Heav'n gives a Breath a Breath without coaction Without which Blast we cannot act at all Without which Breath the Vniverse must fall To the first Nothing it was made of seeing In Him we live we move we have our Being Thus fill'd with his Diviner breath and back't With his first power we touch the Kayes and act He blowes the Bellowes As we thrive in skill Our Actions prove like Musicke Good or Ill. 2 On the contingencie of Actions I Saw him dead I saw his Body fall Before Deaths Dart whoÌ„ tears must not recall Yet is he not so dead but that his Day Might