meet Round large and long there of itselfe it thriues And Little-World into the World arriues But that becomes by Natures set direction From foul and dead to beauty life perfection But this dull Heap of vndigested stuf Had doubtlesse neuer come to shape or proof Had not th' Almighty with his quick'ning breath Of the secret power of God in quickning the matter whereof the World was made Blow'n life and spirit into this Lump of death The dreadfull Darknes of the Memphytists The sad black horror of Cimmerian Mists The sable fumes of Hell's infernall vault Or if ought darker in the World be thought Muffled the face of that profound Abyss Full of Disorder and fell Mutinies So that in fine this furious debate Euen in the birth this Ball had ruinate Saue that the Lord into the Pile did pour Some secret Mastik of his sacred Power To glew together and to gouern fair The Heav'n and Earth the Ocean and the Aire Who ioyntly iustling in their rude Disorder The new-born Nature went about to murder As a good Wit that on th' immortall Shrine The Spirit of God by an inconceiueable meane maintained and as it were brooding warmed the shape-lesse Masse Genes 1. Of Memory ingraues a Work Diuine Abroad a-bed at boord for euer vses To minde his Theam and on his Book still muses So did Gods Spirit delight itself a space To moue itself vpon the floating Masse No other care th' Almightie's minde possest If care can enter in his sacred brest Or as a Hen that fain would hatch a Brood Som of her own som of adoptiue blood Sits close thereon and with her liuely heat Of yellow-white balls doth lyue birds beget Euen in such sort seemed the Spirit Eternall To brood vpon this Gulf with care paternall Quickning the Parts inspiring power in each From so foul Lees so fair a World to fetch For 't's nought but All in 't self including All An vn-beginning midless endles Ball 'T is nothing but a World whose superfice Leaues nothing out but what meer nothingis Now though the great Duke that in dreadfullaw Vpon Mount Horeb learn'd th' eternall Law That there is but one World confuting the Error of Leucyppus his Disciples by two reasons Had not assur'd vs that Gods sacred Power In six Dayes built this Vniuersall Bower Reason itself doth ouer-throw the grounds Of those new Worlds that fond Leucyppus founds Sith if kind Nature many Worlds could * embrace clip Still th' vpper Worlds water and earth would slip Into the lower and so in conclusion All would return into the Old Confusion Besides we must imagin empty distance Between these Worlds wherein without resistance Their wheels may whirl not hindred in their courses By th' inter-iustling of each others forces But all things are so fast together fixt With so firm bonds that there 's no void betwixt Thence coms it that a Cask pearç't to be spent Though full yet runs not till we giue it vent Thence is' t that Bellowes while the sâ—out is stopt So hardly heaue and hardly can be op't Thence is' t that water doth not freez in Winter Stopt close in vessels where no ayre may enter Thence is' t that Garden-pots the mouth kept close Let fall no liquor at their siue-like nose And thence it is that the pure siluer source In leaden pipes running a captiue course Contrary to it's Nature spouteth high To all so odious is Vacuity God then not onely framed Nature one But also set it limitation Of Form and Time exempting euer solely From quantity his own self's Essence holy Confutation of another Error of such as make Nature and the Heauens infinita How can we call the Heav'ns vnmeasured Sith measur'd Time their Course hath measured How can we count this Vniuerse immortall Sith many-wayes the parts proue howerly mortall Sith his Commencement proues his Consummation And all things ay decline to Alteration Let bold Greek Sages fain the Firmament To be compos'd of a fift Element Let them deny in their profane profoundnes End and beginning to th' Heav'ns rowling roundnes And let them argue that Deaths lawes alone Reach but the Bodies vnder Cynthias Throne The sandy grounds of their Sophistick brawling Are all too-weak to keep the World from falling One Day the Rocks from top to toe shall quiuer A liuely description of the ende of the World The Mountains melt and all in sunder shiuer The Heav'ns shall rent for fear the lowely Fields Puft vp shall swell to huge and mighty Hills Riuers shall dry or if in any Flood Rest any liquor it shall all be blood The Sea shall all be fire and on the shoar The thirsty Whales with horrid noyse shall roar The Sun shall seize the black Coach of the Moon And make it midnight when it should be noon With rusty Mask the Heav'ns shall hide their face The Stars shall fall and All away shall pass Disorder Dread Horror and Death shall com Noise storms and darknes shall vsurp the room And then the Chief-Chief-Iustice venging Wrath Which heer already often threatned hath Shall make a Bon-fire of this mighty Ball As once he made it a vast Ocean all Alas how faith-les and how modest-les Against iudicial Astrologers that presume to point the verie time thereof Are you that in your Ephomerides Mark th' yeer the month and day which euermore Gainst yeers months daies shal dam-vp Saturnes dore At thought whereof euen now my heart doth ake My flesh doth faint my very soule doth shake You haue mis-cast in your Arithmetike Mis-laid your Counters groapingly yee seek In nights blacke darknes for the secret things Seal'd in the Casket of the King of Kings 'T is hee that keeps th' eternall Clock of Time And holds the waights of that appointed Chime Hee in his hand the sacred book doth bear Of that close-clasped finall Calender Where in Red letters not with vs frequented The certaine Date of that Great Day is printed That dreadfull Day which doth so swiftly post That 't wil be seen before fore-seen of most Then then good Lord shall thy dear Son descend Though yet he seem in feeble flesh ypend In complete Glory from the glistering Sky Millions of Angels shall about him fly Mercy and Iustice marching cheek by ioule Shall his Diuine Triumphant Chariot roule Whose wheeles shall shine with Lightning round about And beames of Glory each-where blazing out Those that were laden with proud marble Toombs Those that were swallow'd in wilde Monsters woombs Those that the Sea hath swill'd those that the flashes Of ruddy Flames haue burned all to ashes Awaked all shall rise and all reuest The flesh and bones that they at first possest All shall appear and hear before the Throne Of God the Iudge without exception The finall Sentence sounding ioy and terror Of euer-lasting Happiness or Horror Som shall his Iustice som his Mercy taste Som call'd to ioy som into torment cast When from
doth so sweet inspire Are euen the Bellows whence they blow the fire Of raging Lust before whose wanton flashes A tender brest rak't-vp in shamefaç't ashes Our Poets modest purpose Therefore for my part I haue vow'd to Heav'n Such wit and learning as my God hath giv'n To write to th' honour of my Maker dread Verse that a Virgine without blush may read Again he calleth vpon God for assistance in the descriptioÌ„ of the 2. Dayes worke Clear Source of Learning soule of th' Vniuerse Sith thou art pleas'd to chuse mine humble verse To sing thy Praises make my Pen distill Celestiall Nectar and this Volume fill With th' Amalthéan Horn that it may haue Som correspondence to a Theam so graue Rid thou my passage and make clear my way From all incumbers shine vpon This Day That guided safely by thy sacred Light My Rendez-vous I may attain yer night Which is thè Fir mament meÌ„tioned by Moseâ— in the 1. Ch. of Gen. V. 6 7 8. Comprehending the Heauens and all the Elementary Region Of the foure Elements simple in theÌ„selues wherof all things subiect to our sense are composed THAT HVGE broad-length that long-broad height-profound Th' infinite finit that great moundless Mound I mean that Chaos that self-iarring Mass Which in a moment made of Nothing was Was the rich Matter and the Matrix whence The Heav'ns should issue and the Elements Now th' Elements twin-twins two Sons two Daughters To wit the Fire the Aire the Earth and Waters Are not compounded but of them is all Compounded first that in our sense can fall Whether their qualities in euery portion Of euery thing infuse them with proportion Whether in all their substance they confound And so but one thing of their foure compound As in a Venice Glass before our eyne Diuers similes We see the water intermix with wine Or in our stomack as our drink and food Doe mingle after to conuert to blood This in a Fire-brand may wesâ—e whose Fire Doth in his flame toward 's natiue Heav'n aspire His Ayre in smoak in ashes falls his Earth And at his knots his Water wheezes forth Euen such a War our Bodies peace maintains For in our Flesh our Bodie 's Earth remains Our vitall spirits our Fire and Aire possess And last our Water in our humours rests Nay ther 's no Part in all this Bulk of ours Where each of these not intermix their powers Though 't be apparant and I needs must graunt That ayesom one is most Predominant The pure red part amid the Mass of Bloud The Sanguine Aire commaunds the clotted mud Sunk down in Lees Earths Melancholy showes The pale thin humour that on th' out-side flowes Is watery Phlegme and the light froathy scum Bubbling aboue hath Fiery Cholers room Not that at all times one same Element In one same Body hath the Regiment A vicissitude of the Elements praedominance But in his turn each raigning his subiects draws After his Lore for still New Lords new Lawes As sans respect how rich or Noble-born Each Citizen rules and obayes by turn In chart'red Towns which seem in little space Changing their Ruler euen to change their face For as Chameleons vary with their obiect So Princes manners do transform the Subiect So th' Element in Wine predomining It hot and cold and moist and dry doth bring By 's perfect or imperfect force at length Inforcing it to change the taste and strength So that it doth Grapes sharp-green iuice transfer To Must Must t'wine and Wine to Vineger As while a Monarch to teach others aw ExcelleÌ„t Similes shewing the commodity or discoÌ„modity of the proportioÌ„ or excesse of euery of the Elemente Subiects his own selfs-Greatnes to his Law He ruleth fearless and his Kingdoms flourish In happy Peace and Peace doth Plenty nourish But if fell Tyrant his keen sword be euer Vniustly drawn if he be sated neuer With Subiects blood needs must his Rage at last Destroy his State and lay his Countrey waste So or much like the while one Element Ouer the rest hath modest Gouernment While in proportion though vnequall yet With Soueraign Humours Subiect Humours fit The Body's â—ound and in the very face Retains the Form of beauty and of grace But if like that inhumane Emperour Who wisht all People vnderneath his Power Had but one head that he might butcher so All th' Empires Subiects at one onely blowe It Tyrannizing seek to wrack the rest It ruines soon the Prouince it possest Where soon appears through his proud vsurpation Both outward change and inward alteration So too-much Moist which vnconcoct within Excesse of moisture The Liuer spreads betwixt the flesh and skin Puffs vp the Patient stops the pipes pores Of Excrements yea double bars the dores Of his short breath and slowely-swiftly curst In midd'st of Water makes him euer thirst Nor giues man Rest nor Respite till his bones Be raked vp in a cold heap of stones Of Drought So too-much Drought a lingring Ague drawes Which seeming painless yet much pain doth cause Robbing the nerues of might of Ioy the heart Of mirth the face of moisture euery part Much like a Candle fed with it own humour By little and little it own selfs consumer Nor giues mans Rest nor Respite till his bones Be raked vp in a colde heap of stones So too-much Heat doth bring a burning Feuer Of Heate Which spurrs our Pulse and furrs our Palat euer And on the tables of our troubled brain Fantastikely with various pensill vain Doth counterfait as many Forms or mo Then euer Nature Art or Chance could showe Nor giues man Rest nor Respite till his bones Be raked vp in a cold heap of stones So too-much Cold couers with hoary Fleece Of Colde The head of Age his flesh diminishes Withers his face hollowes his rheumy eyes And makes himself euen his own self despise While through his marrow euery where it enters Quenching his natiue heat with endless Winters Nor giues man Rest nor Respite till his bones Be taked vp in a coldheap of stones Of the continuance of the Elements maintaining that whatso euer is now nâ—w formed hath stil his substance froÌ„ the Materia prima what soeuer dissolues resolues into the same changing onely forme And also consuting the contrary Errors Yet think not that this Too-too-much remises Ought into nought it but the Form disguises In hundred fashions and the Substances Inly or outly neither win nor leese For all that 's made is made of the First Matter Which in th' old Nothing made the All-Creator All that dissolues resolues into the same Since first the Lord of Nothing made This Frame Nought's made of nought and nothing turns to nothing Things birth or death change but their formall clothing Their Forms doe vanish but their bodies bide Now thick now thin now round now short now side For if of Nothing anything could spring Th' Earth without
of Heat of Light the lively sourse Life of the World Lamp of this Vniverse Heav'ns richest Gemm O teach me wher my Verse May but begin thy praise Alas I fare Much like to one that in the Clouds doth stare To count the Quails that with their shadow cover Th' Italian Sea when soaring hither over Fain of a milder and more fruitfull Clime They com with vs to pass the Summer time No sooner he begins one shoal to summ But more and more still greater shoals do com Swarm vpon Swarm that with their count-les number Break off his purpose and his sense incumber Daies glorious Eye even as a mighty King The Sun at Prince of the Ce lestiall lights marcheth in the midst of the other sixe Planets which enuiron About his Countrie stately Progressing Is compast round with Dukes Earls Lords and Knights Orderly marshall'd in their noble Rites Esquires and Gentlemen in courtly kinde And then his Guard before him and behinde And there is nought in all his Royal Muster But to his Greatness addeth grace and lustre So while about the World thou ridest ay Which only lives by vertue of thy Ray Six Heav'nly Princes mounted evermore Wayt on thy Coach three behinde three before Besides the Hoast of th' vpper Twinklers bright To whom for pay thou giuest onely Light And ev'n as Man the little-World of Cares The Sun is in Heauen as the heart in mans body Within the middle of the body bears His heart the Spring of life which with proportion Supplieth spirits to all and euery portion Even so O Sun thy Golden Chariot marches Amid the six Lamps of the six lowe Arches Which seel the World that equally it might Richly impart them Beauty Force and Light Praysing thy Heat which subtilly doth pearce His notable offects vpon the Earth The solid thickness of our Vniuerse Which in th' Earths kidneys Mercury doth burn And pallid Sulphur to bright Metal turn I do digress to praise that Light of thine Which if it should but one Day cease to shine Th' vnpurged Aire to Water would resolve And Water would the mountain tops inuolve Scarce I begin to measure thy bright Face Whose greatness doth so oft Earths greatness pass And with still running the Coelestiall Ring Is seen and felt of every liuing thing But that fantastikly I change my Theam To sing the swiftness of thy tyer-les Teem To sing how Rising from the Indian Waue Thou seem'st O Titan like a Bride-groom brave Excellent comparisons borrow ed out of the 19 Psalme Who from his Chamber early issuing out In rich array with rarest Gems about With pleasant Countenance and lovely Face With golden tresses and attractive grace Cheers at his comming all the youthfull throng That for his presence earnestly did long Blessing the day and with delightfull glee Singing aloud his Epithalamie Then as a Prince that feeles his Noble heart Wounded with Loues pure Honor-winged dart As HARDY LAELIVS that Great GARTER-KNIGHT The same exemplified in an honorable personage of our time now very aged but in his yong years the glory of Armes and Chiualrie Tilting in Triumph of ELIZA'S Right Yeerely that Day that her deerraign began Most brauely mounted on proud RABICAN All in gilt armour on his glistering Mazor A stately Plume of Orange mixt with Azur In gallant Course before ten thousand eyes From all Defendants bore the Princely Prize Thou glorious Champion in thy Heav'nly Race Runnest so swift we scarse conceivethy pase When I record how fitly thou dost guide Through the fourth heav'n thy flaming Coursers pride Of Gods wonder full prouidēce in placing the Sun in the midst of the other Planets of the commodities that come therof That as they pass their fiery breaths may temper Saturn's and Cynthya's cold and moist distemper For if thou gallop'st in the neather Room Like Phaëton thou would'st the World consume Or if thy Throne were set in Saturn's Sky For want of heat then euery thing would dy In the same instant I am prest to sing How thy return reviveth every thing How in thy Presence Fear Sloath Sleep and Night Snowes Fogs and Fancies take their sodain Flight Th' art to be brief an Ocean wanting bound Whear as full vessels haue the lesser sound Plenty of Matter makes the speaker mute As wanting words thy worth to prosecute Yet glorious Monarch 'mong so many rare Of the Sunnes continuall and daily course And match-less Flowrs as in thy Garland are Som one or two shall my chaste sober Muse For thine Immortall sacred Sisters chuse I 'll boldly sing bright Soverain thou art none Of those weak Princes Flattery works vpon No second EDWARD nor no RICHVRD Second Vn-kinged both as Rule-vnworthy recon'd Who to inrich their Minions past proportion Pill all their Subiects with extream extortion And charm'd with Pleasures O exceeding Pity Ly alwaies wallowing in one wanton City And loving only that to mean Lieutenants Farm out their Kingdoms care as vnto Tenants For once a day each Country vnder Heav'n Thou bidst Good-Morrow and thou bidst Good-Ev'n And thy far-seeing Ey as Censor views The rites and fashions Fish and Foule do vse And our behaviours worthy every one Th' Abderian Laughter and Ephesian Moan But true it is to th' end a fruitfull lew May every Climat in his time renew Of his oblique or By-course cause of the foure seasons and of the commodities of all Climates in the world And that all men may neerer in all Realms Feel the alternat vertue of thy beames Thy sumptuous Chariot with the Light returning From the same Portall mounts not every Morning But to make know'n each-where thy daily drift Doo'st every day thy Coursers Stable shift That while the Spring prankt in her greenest pride Raigns heer els-wher Autumne as long may bide And while fair Summers heat our fruits doth ripe Cold Wintets Ice may other Countries gripe No sooner doth thy shining Chariot Roule A pleasant and liuely descriptiō of the foure seasons of the yeare From highest Zenith toward Northern Pole To sport thee for three Months in pleasant Inns Of Aries Taurus and the gentle Twinns But that the mealie Mountains late vnseen Change their white garments into lusty green The Gardens prank them with their Flowry buds The Meads with grass with leaves the naked Woods Sweet Zephyrus begins to buss his Flora The Spring Swift-winged Singers to salute Aurora And wanton Cupid through this Vniverse With pleasing wounds all Creatures hearts to perce When backward bent Phlegon thy fiery Steed With Cancer Leo and the Maid doth feed Th' Earth cracks with heat and Summer crowns his Ceres With gilded Ears as yellow as her hair-is The Reaper panting both for heat and pain With crooked Rasor shaves the tufted Plain The Summer And the good Husband that due season takes Within a Month his year's Provision makes When from the mid-Heav'n thy bright flame doth fly Toward the Cross-Stars in
prisoners trouble Much worse me thought the time his martyrdome did double So that to scape that scourge so irk some to my hart I could haue beene content to suffer any smart Lo by blind ignorance how iudgements are mis-led Now that full thirtie monthes I haue experienced That so-much-feared ill 't is now so vs'd to me That I a prisoner liue much more content and free Then when as vnder cloake of a false freedome vaine I was base slaue indeede to many a bitter paine But now I see my selfe mockt euery-where almost And feeble me alone met by a mightie hoast Of such as in this case doo not conceiue as I But doo esteeme themselues offended much thereby And therefore Father deere this weake abortiue Child For refuge runnes betweeneth ' armes of his Grand-sire mild If you accept of it my labour hath his hire For careles of the rest all that I heere desire Is onely that yourselfe as in a Glasse may see The Image of th' estate of my Captiuitie Where though I nothing can auaile the Common-weale Yet I auaile my selfe atleast some little deale Praising th' all-powerfull Lord that thus vouch safes to poure Such fauours manifold vpon meeuery houre Wherof your self yer while so sweet sure proof haue tasted In cruell bitternes of bands that longer lasted Now I beseech his Grace to blesse mine enterprise My heart and hand at once to gouerne in such wise That what I write may nought displeasing him containe For voide of his sweet aide who works he works in vaine Within the wide-spred space of these round Elements Whatsoeuer is indewd with liuing soule and sense Seekes of it selfe selfe-good this instinct naturall Nature her selfe hath grauen in harts of Creatures all And of all liuing things from largest to the least Each one to flie his ill doth euermore his best Thereof it comes we see the wilde Horse full of strength Tamely to take the bit into his mouth at length And so by force we tame each most vntamed beast Which of it selfe discreet of euils takes the least And though that that which seemes to be his chiefe restraint He often-times despise that 's by a worse constraint As when the Lyon fierce feare-lesse pursues the shining Of bright keen-piercing blades and 's royal crest declining Full of the valiant Fire that courage woonts to lend Runnes midst a million swords his whelplings to defend More fearing farre that they their libertie should lose Than on himselfe the smart of thousand wounding blowes But all things haue not now the selfe same goods and ils What helpeth one the same another hurts and kils There 's ods between the good that sauage Beasts do like And that good good indeed which soul-wiseman must seek When Beasts haue store of food and free from foe's annoy Smart-lesse and sound and safe may as they list enioy Their fill of those delights that most delight the sense That that 's the happines that fully them contents But reasonable soules as God hath made mankind Can with so wretched Good not satisfie their mind But by how much the more their inly sight excels The brutish appetite of euery creature els So much more excellent the good for which they thirst Man of two parts is made the body is the worst The Heav'n-born soule the best wherein mans blisse abides In body that of beasts nought hauing els besides This body stands in need of manie an accessorie To make it somewhat seeme the soule receiues this glory That selfly she subsists and her aboundant wealth Vnlike the bodies store is euer safe from stealth Our body took his birth of this terrestriall clod Our spirit it was inspir'd of th' inly breath of God And either of them still striues to his proper place This earth-born stoopes to earth that stics to heauen apace But as the silly bird whose wings are wrapt in lime Faine but in vaine attempts to flie full many a time So our faire soule surcharg'd with this foule robe of mud Is too-too often held from mounting to her GOOD She striues she strikes sometimes she lifts her vp aloft But as the worser part we see preuaileth oft This false fraile flesh of ours with pleasure's painted lure Straight makes her stoop againe downe to the dust impure Happy who th' honour hath of such a victory He crowns his conquering head with more true maiesty Then if he had subdued those Nations by his might Which doo discouer first Aurora's early light And those whom Phoebus sees from his Meridian Mount Th' Anti-podes and all more then the sand to count For small the honour is to be acknowledg'd King And Monarke of the world ones selfe vn-maistering But each man on his head this Garland cannot set Nor is it giuen to all this victorie to get Onely a very few Gods deere-belov'd Elect This happy Goale haue got by Vertues lyue effect Therest soon weary of this fame so painfull War Like well of Heauen but loue the earth aboue it far Some drunk with poysony dregs of worldly pleasures brute Know where true good consists but neuer doo ensue't Some doo ensue the same but with so faint a heart That at the first assault they doo retire and start Some more courageous vow more then they bring to passe So much more easie 't is to say then doo alas And all through too-much loue of this vaine worlds alâ—urements Or too-much idle feare of sufferings and endurements Meerevanities whereto the more men doo incline The farther-off they are from their chiefe Good diuine Therefore so many think themselues so miserables Therefore the aire is fill'd with out-cries lamentable Of such as doâ— disdaine the thing that better is To entertaine the worse with forfeit of their blisse Therefore we see those men that riches doo possesse Afflicted still with care and therefore heauinesse Abandons neuer those that fed with honours fill Fawne vpon Potentates for â—litting fauours still And cause God wot they haue to be at quiet neuer Sith their felicitie is so vncertaine euer Neither are Kings themselues exempted from vexation How-euer Soueraignesway they beare in any Nation For now they wish to win anon feare losse no lesse Yea though for Empire they did this wide world possesse Not one of them withall could full contented be For how man more attaines the more attempteth he Who therfore couets most such soon-past goods vncertain Shall ne'r enioy the ioy of goods abiding certain But who so seeks to build a true content to last On else-what must else-where his first foundation cast For all things here below are apt to alter euer Heere 's nothing permanent and therefore whosoeuer Trusts thereto trusteth to a broken staffe for stay For no earth's vanity can blesse a man for aye We must to make vs blest our firme assurance found Els-where then in this world this change-inthralled ground We must propose our selues that perfect perish-les That true vnfained good that good all danger-les From th' vniust
Works reueales him t' our intelligence There-in our fingers feel our nostrils smel Our palats taste his vertues that excel He shewes him to our eyes talks to our ears In th' ord'red motions of the spangled Sphears The World 's a School where in a generall Story Sundrie comparisons shewing what vse Christians should make in considering the workes of God in this mighty World God alwayes reads dumb Lectures of his Glory A pair of Stairs whereby our mounting Soule Ascends by steps aboue the Arched Pole A sumptuous Hall where God on euery side His wealthy Shop of wonders opens wide A Bridge whereby we may pass-o're at ease Of sacred Secrets the broad boundless Seas The World 's a Cloud through which there shineth cleer Not faire Latona's quiv'red Darling deer But the true Phoebus whose bright countenance Through thickest vail of darkest night doth glance The World 's a Stage where Gods Omnipotence His Iustice Knowledge Loue and Prouidence Do act their Parts contending in their kindes Aboue the Heav'ns to rauish dullest mindes The World 's a Book in Folio printed all With God's great Works in letters Capitall Each Creature is a Page and each Effect Afaire Character void of all defect But as young Trewants toying in the Schools In steed of learning learn to play the fools We gaze but on the Babies and the Couer The gawdy Flowrs and Edges gilded-ouer And neuer farther for our Lesson look Within the Volume of this various Book Where learned Nature rudestones instructs That by His wisedome God the World conducts To read This Book we need notvnderstand Although the world discouer sufficiently euen to the most rude the Eternity and Power of God Yet only the true Christians do rightly conceiue it Each strangers gibbrish neither take in hand Turks Characters nor Hebrue Points to seek Nyle's Hieroglyphikes nor the Notes of Greek The wandring Tartars the Antartiks wilde Th' Alarâ—ies fierce the Scythians fel the Childâ— Scarce seav'n year old the bleâ—red aged eye Though void of Art read heer indifferently But he that wears the spectacles of Faith Sees through the Sphears aboue their highest heighth He comprehends th' Arch-moouer of all Motions And reads though running all these needfull Notions Therefore by Faith's pure rayes illumined These sacred Pandects I desire to read And God the better to beholde beholde Th' Orb from his Birth in 's Ages manifolde Th' admired Author's Fancy fixed not On some fantastik fore-conceited Plot Much less did he an elder World elect God needing no Idea nor premeditatioÌ„ nor Pattern of his work of nothing made all the World By form whereof he might this Frame erect As th' Architect that buildeth for a Prince Some stately Palace yer he do commence His Royall Work makes choise of such a Court Where cost and cunning equally consort And if he finde not in one Edifice All answerable to his queint deuice From this fair Palace then he takes his Front From that his Finials here he learns to mount His curious Stairs there findes he Frise and Cornish And other Places other Peeces furnish And so selecting euery where the best Doth thirty Models in one House digest Nothing but Nothing had the Lord Almighty Whereof wherewith whereby to build this Citie Yet when he Heav'ns Aire Earth and Sea did frame He sought not far he swet not for the same A fit Simile to that purpose As Sol without descending from the sky Crowns the fair Spring in painted brauery Withouten trauaile causeth th' Earth to bear And far off makes the World young euery year The Power and Will th' affection and effect The Work and Proiect of this Architect March all at once all to his pleasure ranges Who Alwaies-One his purpose neuer changes Yet did this Nothing not at once receiue Of Nothing God created the matter whereunto afterward he gaue the form and figure which now we behold in the creatures Matter and Forme For as we may perceiue That Hee who means to build a warlike Fleet Makes first prouision of all matter meet As Timber Iron Canuase Cord and Pitch And when all 's ready then appointeth which Which peece for Planks which plank shall line the waste The Poup and Prow which Fir shall make a Mast As Art and Vse directeth heedfully His hand his tool his iudgement and his eye So God before This Frame he fashioned I wote not what great Word he vttered From 's sacred mouth which summon'd in a Masse Whatsoeuer now the Heav'ns wide arms embrace But where the Shipwright for his gainful trade Findes all his stuffe to 's hand already made Th' Almightie makes his all and euery part Without the help of others Wit or Art That first World yet was a most formless Form A confus'd Heap a Chaos most deform What that new created Chaos was before God gaue it forme figure place and situation A Gulf of Gulfs a Body ill compact An vgly medly where all difference lackt Where th' Elements lay iumbled all together Where hot and colde were iarring each with either The blunt with sharp the dank against the drie The hard with soft the base against the high Bitter with sweet and while this brawl did last The Earth in Heav'n the Heav'n in Earth was plac't Earth Aire and Fire were with the Water mixt Water Earth Aire within the Fire were fixt Fire Water Earth did in the Aire abide Aire Fire and Water in the Earth did hide For yet th' immortall mightie Thunder-darter The Lord high-Marshall vnto each his quarter Had not assigned the Celestiall Arks Were not yet spangled with their fiery sparks As yet no flowrs with odours Earth reuiued No scaly shoals yet in the waters diued Nor any Birds with warbling harmony Were born as yet through the transparent Sky All All was void of beauty rule and light Genes 1. 2. All without fashion soule and motion quite Fire was no fire the Water was no water Aire was no aire the Earth no earthly matter Or if one could in such a World spy forth The Fire the Ayre the Water and the Earth Th' Earth was not firm the Fier was not hot Th' Aire was not light the Water cooled not Briefly suppose an Earth poore naked vain All void of verdure without Hill or Plain A Heav'n vn-hangd vn-turning vn-transparant Vn-garnished vn-gilt with Stars apparant So maist thou ghesse what Heav'n and Earth was that Where in confusion raigned such debate A Heav'n and Earth for my base stile most fit Not as they were but as they were not yet This was not then the World 't was but the Matter The Nurcery whence it should issue after Or rather th' Embryon that within a Weeke The Chaos how to be considered Was to be born for that huge lump was like The shape-less burthen in the Mothers womb A simile Which yet in Time doth into fashion com Eyes eares and nose mouth fingers hands and feet And euery member in proportion
And in this Store-house of his Wonders treasure Observ'd in all things number waight and measure For had the Water next the Fire been plaç't Fire seeming then moro wrongd and more disgraç't Would sodainly have left his Aduersary And set vpon the Vmpire more contrary But all the Links of th' holy Chain which tethers The many Members of the World togethers Are such as none but only he can breake them Who at the first did of meere nothing make them Water as arm'd with moisture and with cold The cold-dry Earth with her one hand doth hold With th' other th' Aire The Aire as moist and warm The disposing combining of the Elements Holds Fire with one Water with th' other arm As Country Maidens in the Month of May Merrily sporting on a Holy-day And lusty dancing of a lively Round A Similitude About the May-pole by the Bag-pipes sound Hold hand in hand so that the first is fast By means of those between vnto the last For sith 't is so that the dry Element Not onely yeelds her owne Babes nourishment But with the milke of her aboundant brests Doth also feede th' Aires nimble winged guests And also all th' innumerable Legions Of greedy mouths that haunt the Bryny Regions So that th' Earth's Mother or else Nurse of all That run or fly or swim or slide or crawl 'T was meet it should be it self's Counterpoize To stand still firm against the roaring noise Of wrack full Neptune and the wrathfull blasts Of parching South and pinching Boreas 'T was meet her sad-slowe body to digest Why the Earth is the lowest and enuironed with the other three Elements wherof it is the center Farther from Heav'n than any of the rest Least of Heav'ns Courseth ' Eternall swift Careers Rushing against her with their whirling Sphears Should her transport as swift and violent As ay they do their neighbour Element And sith on th' otherside th' harmonious Course Of Heav'ns bright Torches is th' immortall source Of earthly life and sith all alterations Almost are caus'd by their quick agitations In all the World God could not place so fit Our Mother Earth as in the midst of it For all the Stars reflect their lively rayes On Fire and Aire and Water diuers wayes Dispersing so their powerfull influence On in and through these various Elements But on the Earth they all in one concurr And all vnite their seuered force in her As in a Wheel which with a long deep rut Simile His turning passage in the durt doth cut The distant spoaks neerer and nearer gather And in the Navevnite their points together As the bright Sun shines thorough smoothest Glass Simile The turning Planets influence doth pass Without impeachment through the glist ' ring Tent Of the tralucing Fierie Element Th' Aires triple Regions the transparent Water But not the firm Base of this fair Theater And therefore rightly may we call those Trines Fire Aire and Water but Heav'ns Concubines For neuer Sun nor Moon nor Stars inioy The love of these but only by the way As passing by whereas incessantly The lusty Heav'n with Earth doth company And with a fruitfull seed which lends All life With-childs each-moment his owne lawfull wife And with her louely Babes in form and nature The Water between the Earth and Aire So diuers decks this beautifull Theater The Water lighter then the Earthy Masse Heauier then Aire betwixt them both hath place The better so with a moist-cold to temper Th' ones over-driness th' others hot distemper But my sweet Muse whither so fast away Leauing the Earth and Sea till the next Booke hee comes to treate of the Aire Soft soft my Darling draw not dry To-Day Castalian Springs defer the Cirque and Seat The power and praise of Sea and Earth as yet Do not anticipate the Worlds Beginning But till To-Morrow leaue the enter-blinning Of Rocky Mounts and rouling Waues so wide For euen To-Morrow will the Lord diuide With the right hand of his Omnipotence These yet confus'd and mingled Elements And liberally the shaggy Earth adorn With Woods and Buds of fruits of flowers and corn 'T is time my Loue 't is time mine onely Care To hie vs hence and Mount vs in the Aire 'T is time or neuer now my dearest Minion To imp strong farcels in thy sacred pinion That lightly born vpon thy Virgin back Safe through the Welkin I my course may take Com com my Ioy lend me thy lillie shoulder That thereon raised I may reach the bolder Before the rest of my deer Country-men Of better wit but worse-applied pen At that green Laurel which the niggard Skies So long haue hidden from my longingeies Th' Aire hoste of Mists the bounding Tennis-ball That stormy Tempests toss and play with all The Aire distinguished into 3 Regions Of winged Clouds the wide inconstant House Th' vnsetled kingdom of swift Aeolus Great Ware-house of the Windes whose traffik giues Motion of life to euery thing that liues Is not throughout all one our Elder Sages Have fitly parted it into Three Stages Wherof because the Highest still is driv'n With violence of the First-mouing Heav'n The High From East to West and from West returning To th' honored Cradle of therosiall Morning And also seated next the Fiery vault It by the learned very hot is thought That which we touch with times doth variate Now hot now cold and sometimes temperate The Lowe Warm-temp'red showers it sendeth in the Spring In Autumn likewise but more varying In Winter time continuall cold and chill In Sommer season hot and soultry still For then the Fields scorched with flames reflect The sparkling rayes of thousand Stars aspect And chiefly Phoebus to whose arrows bright Our Globy Grandame serues for But and White The Middle Region of the Aire But now because the Middle Region's set Far from the Fiery seelings flagrant heat And also from the warm reuerberation Which aye the Earth reflects in diuers fashion That Circle shiuers with eternall colde For into Hail how should the Water molde Of the causes of Haile Euen when the Sommer hath gilt Ceres Gowne Except those Climes with Ycicles were sowen So soon as Sol leaving the gentle Twins With Cancer or thirst-panting Leo Inns The mid-most Aire redoubleth all his Frosts Being besieged by two mighty Hoasts Of Heat more fierce ' gainst his Cold force then ever Calls from all quarters his chil troups together T' incounter them with his vnited Powr Which then dispersed hath far greater powr As Christian Armies from the Frontiers far And out of fear of Turks outrageous War March in disorder and become disperst As many Squadrons as were Souldiers yerst So that somtimes th' vntrained Multitude With bats and boawes hath beat them and subdu'd But if they once perceive or vnderstand The Moony Standards of proud Ottoman To be approaching and the Sulph'ry thunder Wherewith he brought both Rhodes and Belgrade vnder They
Preacher not the Parasite So Morn and Euening the Third Day conclude And God perceiv'd that All his Works were good THE FOVRTH DAIE OF THE FIRST WEEK THE ARGVMENT The twinkling Spangles of the Firmament The wandring Seav'n Each in a seuerall Tent Their Course their Force their Essence is disputed That they as Beasts doe eat and drink refuted Heav'ns not the Earth with rapid motion roule The famous Stars observ'd in either Pole Heav'ns sloaping Belt the Twelue celestiall Signes Whear Sol the Seasons of the Year confines Dayes glorious Prince Nights gloomy Patroness His Light and Might Her constant Change-fulnes PVre Spirit that rapt'st aboue the Firmest Sphear In the beginning of the fourth booke calling vpon the God of Heauen our Poet prayeth to be lift vp in the Heauens that he may discoursâ— as he ought of the starrs fixed and wandring In fiery Coach thy faithfull Messenger Who smiting Iordan with his pleighted Cloak Did yerst diuide the Waters with the stroak O take me vp that far from Earth I may From Sphear to Sphear see th' azure Heav'ns To-Day Be thou my Coach-man and now Check by Ioule With Phoebus Chariot let my Chariotroule Driue on my Coach by Mars his flaming Coach Saturn and Luna let my wheels approach That having learn'd of their Fire-breathing Horses Their course their light their labour and their forces My Muse may sing in sacred Eloquence To Vertues Friends their vertuous Excellence And with the Load-stone of my conquering Verse Aboue the Poles attract the most perverse And you fair learned soules you spirits diuine To whom the Heav'ns so nimble quils assigne As well to mount as skilfully to limn The various motion of their Taperstrim Lend me your hand lift mee aboue Parnassus With your loud Trebbles help my lowly Bassus For sure besides that your wit-gracing Skill Bears in itself itself's rich guerdon still Our Nephews free from sacrilegious brauls Where Horror swims in bloud about our wals Shall one day sing that your deer Song did merit Better Heav'n better hap and better time to hear-it And though alas my now new-rising Name Can hope heer-after none or little Fame The time that most part of our betterwits Mis-spend in Flattery or in Fancy-Fits In courting Ladies or in clawing Lords Without affection in affected words I mean to spend in publishing the Story Of Gods great works to his immortall glory My rymes begot in pain and born in pleasure Thirst not for Fame the Heathen hope 's chief treasure 'T shall me suffice that our deer France doo breed In happy season som more learned sced That may record with more diuine dexterity Then I haue don these wonders to Posterity Much less may these abortiue Brats of Mine Expect Respect but in respect of Thine Yet sith the Heav'ns haue thus entaskt my layes As darkly Cynthia darts her borrow'd rayes To shadow Thine and to my Countrey render Som small reflection of thy radiant splendor It is inough if heer-by I incite Som happier spirit to do thy Muse more right And with more life giue thee thy proper grace And better follow great du BARTAS trace GOD'S NONE of these faint idle Artizens Heere resuming his course he presecutes the worke of the Creation Who at the best abandon their designes Working by halfs as rather a great deal To do much quickly then to do it well But rather as a workman neuer weary And all-sufficient he his works doth carry To happy end and to perfection With sober speed brings what he hath begun Hauing therfore the Worlds wide Curten spread About the circuit of the fruitfull Bed In the fourth day God created the fixed Stars the two great Lights vid. the Sunne and the Moone together with the other fiue Planets Where to fill all with her vnnumbred Kin Kinde Natures self each moment lyeth in To make the same for euer admirable More stately-pleasant and more profitable He th' Azure Tester trimm'd with golden marks And richly spangled with bright glistring sparks I knowe those Tapers twinkling in the sky Doo turn so swiftly from our hand and eye That man can neuer rightly reach to seeing Their Course and Force and much-much less their Being Of their Course Force Essence and Substance But if coniecture may extend aboue To that great Orb whose mouing All doth moue Th' imperfect Light of the first Day was it Which for Heavn's Eyes did shining matter fit For God selecting lightest of that Light Garnisht Heav'ns seeling with those Torches bright Or else diuided it and pressing close The parts did make the Sun and Stars of those But if thy wits thirst rather seek these things Opinion of the Greek touching the matter of the Stars In Greekish Cisterns then in Hebrew Springs Then I conclude that as of moistfull matter God made the people that frequent the Water And of an Earthy stuff the stubborn droues That haunt the Hills and Dales and Downs and Groues So did he make by his Almighty might The Heav'ns and Stars of one same substance bright To th' end these Lamps dispersed in the Skies Might with their Orb it with them sympathize And as with vs vnder the Oaken bark The knurry knot with branching vains we mark Simile To bee of substance all one with the Tree Although far thicker and more rough it bee So those gilt studs in th' vpper story driven Are nothing but the thickest part of Heav'n When I obserue their Light and Heat yblent Their substance is of Fire Meer accidents of th' vpper Element I thinke them Fire but not such Fire as lasts No longer then the fuel that it wastes For then I think all th' Elements too-little To furnish them only with one days victual And therefore smile I at those Fable-Forges Resutation of such as haue thought that the Stars were liuing creatures that did eat and drinke Whose busy-idle stile so stifly vrges The Heavn's bright Cressets to be living creatures Ranging for food and hungry fodder-eaters Still sucking-vp in their eternall motion The Earth for meat and for their drink the Ocean Sure I perceive no motion in a Star But natural certain and regular Wher-as Beasts motions infinitely vary Confus'd vncertain diuers voluntary I see not how so many golden Postes Should scud so swift about Heav'ns azure coasts But that the Heav'ns must ope and shut som-times Subiect to passions which our earthly climes Alter and toss the Sea and th' Aire estrange From it selfs temper with exceeding change I see not how in those round blazing beams One should imagine any food-fit limbs Nor can I see how th' Earth and Sea should feed So many Stars whose greatnes doth exceed So many times if Star-Diuines say troth The greatnes of the Earth and Ocean both Sith heer our Cattle in a month will eat Seav'n-times the bulk of their owne bulk in meat These Torches then range not at random o're The lightsom thicknes of an vn-firm Floor As heer
their sacred ornaments beside Anon he wonders at the differing graces Tongues gests attires the fashions and the faces Of busie-buzzing swarms which still hee meets Ebbing and flowing ouer all the streets Then at the signes the shops the waights the measures The handy-crafts the rumors trades and treasures But of all sights none seems him yet more strange Then the rare beautious stately rich Exchange Another while he maruails at the Thames Which seems to bear huge mountains on her streams Then at the faâ—-built Bridge which he doth iudge More like a tradefull City then a Bridge And glancing thence a-long the Northren shoar That princely prospect doth amaze him more For in that Garden man delighted so That rapt he wist not if hee wak't or no If he beheld a true thing or a fable Or Earth or Heav'n all more then admirable For such excess his extasie was small Not hauing spirit enough to muse withall He wisht him bundred-fold redoubled senses The more to taste so rare sweet excellences Not knowing whether nose or ears or eyes Smelt heard or saw more sauors sounds or Dies But Adams best and supreame delectation Happines of the first Man before his fall Was th' often haunt and holy conuersation His soule and body had so many waies With God who lightned Eden with his Rays For spirits by faith religiously refin'd 'Twixt God and man retain a middle kinde And Vmpires mortall to th' immortall ioyn And th' infinit in narrow clay confine Som-times by you O you all-faining Dreams We gain this good but not when Bacchus steams Of the visions of the spirit And glutton vapours ouer-flowe the Brain And drown our spirits presenting fancies vain Nor when pale Phlegm or Saffron-coloured Choler In feeble stomacks belch with diuers dolor And print vpon our Vnderstandings Tables That Water-wracks this other flamefull fables Nor when the Spirit of lies our spirits deceiues And guile-full visions in our fancy leaues Nor when the pencil of Cares ouer-deep Our day-bred thoughts depainteth in our sleep But when no more the soules chief faculties Are sperst to sereue the body many waies When all self-vned free from dayes disturber Through such sweet Trance she findes a quiet harbour Where som in riddles som more plain exprest Shee sees things future in th' Almighties brest And yet far higher is this holy Fit Of the certainty of the visions of the spirit the body being at rest When not from flesh but from flesh-cares acquit The wakefull soule it self assembling so All selfly dies while that the body though Liues motion-les for sanctified wholly It takes th' impression of Gods Signet Soly And in his sacred Crystall Map doth see Heav'ns Oracles and Angels glorious glee Made more then spirit Now Morrow Yesterday To it all one are all as present aye And though it seem not when the dream 's expir'd Like that it was yet is it much admir'd Of rarest men and shines among them bright Like glistring Starrs through gloomy shades of night But aboue all that 's the divinest Trance Of diuine extraordinary visions and Reuelations When the soules eye beholds Gods countenance When mouth to mouth familiarly he deales And in our face his drad-sweet face hee seales As when S. Paul on his deer Masters wings Was rapt aliue vp to th' eternall things And he that whilom for the chosen flock Made walls of waters waters of a rock O sacred flight sweet rape loues soueraign bliss Of the excellency of such visions and Reuelations Which very loves deer lips dost make vs kiss Hymen of Manna and of Mel compact Which for a time dost Heav'n with earth contract Fire that in Limbeck of pure thoughts divine Doost purge our thoughts and our dull earth refine And mounting vs to Heav'n vn-mouing hence Man in a trice in God doost quintessence O! mad'st thou man divine in habitude As for a space O sweetest solitude Thy bliss were equall with that happie Rest Which after death shall make vs ever-blest Now I beleeve that in this later guise What manner of visions the first Man had in Eden Man did conuerse in Pleasant Paradise With Heav'ns great Architect and happy there His body saw or body as it were Gloriously compast with the blessed Legions That raign above the azure-spangled Regions ADAM quoth He the beauties manyfold Man is put in possession of EdeÌ„ vnder a conditioÌ„ That in this Eden thou doest heer behold Are all thine onely enter sacred race Come take possession of this wealthy place The Earth's sole glory take deer Sonn to thee This farm's demains leave the Chief right to me And th' only Rent that of it I reserue is One Trees fair fruit to shew thy sute and seruice Be thou the Liege and I Lord Paramount I 'le not exact hard fines as men shall woont For signe of Homage and for seal of Faith Of all the profits this Possession hath I only ask one Tree whose fruit I will For Sacrament shall stand of Good and Ill. Take all the rest I bid thee but I vow By th' vn-nam'd name where-to all knees doo bow And by the keen Darts of my kindled Ire More fiercely burning then consuming fire That of the Fruit of Knowledge if thou feed Death dreadfull Death shall plague Thee and thy Seed If then the happie state thou hold'st of me My holy mildnes nor high Maiesty If faith nor Honour curb thy bold ambition Yet weigh thy self and thy owne Seeds condition Most mighty Lord quoth Adam heer I tender Before Sinne Man was an huÌ„ble and zealous seruant of God All thanks I can not all I should thee render For all thy liberall fauours far surmounting My hearts conceit much more my tongues recounting At thy command I would with boyst'rous shock Goe run my self against the hardest rock Or cast me head long from som Mountain steep Down to the whirling bottom of the Deep Yea at thy beck I would not spare the life Of my deer Phoenix sister-daughter-wife Obaying thee I finde the things impossible Cruell and painfull pleasant kinde and possible But since thy first Law doth more grace afford Vnto the Subiect than the souerain Lord Since bountious Prince on me and my Descent Thou doost impose no other tax nor Rent But one sole Precept of most iust condition No Precept neither but a Prohibition And since good God of all the Fruits in EDEN There 's but one Apple that I am forbidden Euen only that which bitter Death doth threat Better perhaps to look on then to eate I honour in my soule and humbly kiss Thy iust Edict as Author of my bliss Which once transgrest deserues the rigor rather Of sharpest Iudge then mildnes of a Father The Firmament shall retrograde his course Swift Euphrates goe hide him in his source Firm Mountains skip like Lambs beneath the Deep Eagles shall diue Whales in the air shall keep Yer I presume with fingers ends to touch Much less
rare gloryl reach thy happy hand Reach reach I say why doost thou stop or stand Begin thy Bliss and doo not fear the threat His audacioâ—s impudence Of an vncertain God-head onely great Through self-aw'd zeal put on the glistring Pall Of immortality doe not fore-stall As enuious stepdame thy posteritie The souerain honour of Diuinitie This parley ended our ambitious Grandam The Apostasâ—e of Eue. Who only yet did heart and ey abandon Against the Lord now farther doth proceed And hand and mouth makes guilty of the deed A nouice Theef that in a Closet spies A Comparison A heap of Gold that on the Table lies Pale fearfull shiuering twice or thrice extends And twice or thrice retires his fingers ends And yet again returns the booty takes And faintly-bold vp in his cloak it makes Scarce findes the doore with faultring foot hee flies And still looks back for fear of Hu-on cries Euen so doth Eue shew by like fear-full fashions The doubtfull combat of contending Passions She would she would not glad sad coms and goes And long she marts about a Match of Woes But out alasâ— at last she toucheth it And hauing toucht tastes the forbidden bit Another comparison liuely expressing the Fall of Man by the prouocation of his wife Then as a man that from a lofty Clift Or steepy Mountain doth descend too swift Stumbling at somwhat quickly clips som lim Of som deer kinsman walking next to him And by his headlong fall so brings his friend To an vntimely sad and suddain end Our Mother falling hales her Spouse anon Down to the gulf of pitchie Acheron For to the wisht Fruits beautifull aspect Sweet Nectar-taste and wonderfull effect Cunningly adding her quaint smiling glances Her witty speech and pretty countenances She so preuails that her blind Lord at last A morsell of the sharp-sweet fruit doth taste Now suddainly wide-open feel they might Siel'd for their good both soules and bodies sight But the sad Soule hath lost the Character The effects of their disobedience And sacred Image that did honour Her The wretched Body full of shame and sorrow To see it naked is inforçt to borrow The Trees broad leaues wher of they aprons frame From Heav'ns faire ey to hide their filthy shame Alas fond death-lings O! behold how cleer The knowledge is that you haue bought so deer In heav'nly things yee are more blinde then Moals In earthly Owls O! think ye silly soules The sight that swiftly through the earth 's solid centres As globes of pure transparent crystall enters Cannot transpearce your leaves or do ye ween Couering your shame so to conceal your sin Or that a part thus clouded all doth lie Safe from the search of Heav'ns all-seeing ey Thus yet mans troubled dull Intelligence Had of his fault but a confused sense As in a dream after much drink it chances Disturbed spirits are vext with rauing fancies Therefore the Lord within the Garden fair The extraordinary presence of God awakes their drousie soules swallowed vp of Sinne and begins to arraign them Mouing bâ—times I wot not I what ayr But super naturall whose breath diuine Brings of his presence a most certain signe Awakes their Lethargie and to the quick Their self-doom'd soules doth sharply press and prick Now more and more making their pride to fear The frowning visage of their Iudge seuere To seck new-refuge in more secret harbors Among the dark shade of those tusting arbors Adam quoth God with thundring maiesty Where art thou wretch what doost thou answer me Thy God and Father from whose hand thy health Thou hold'st thine honour and all sorts of wealth At this sad summon's wofull man resembles Description of the horrible effects of a guilty Conscience summoned to the presence of God A bearded rush that in a riuer trembles His rosie checks are chang'd to earthen hew His dying body drops an yeie deaw His tear-drown'd eys a night of clouds bedims About his eares a buzzing horror swims His fainted knees with feeblenes are humble His faultring feet doe slide away and stumble He hath not now his free bold stately port But down-cast looks in fearfull slauish sort Now nought of Adam doth in Adam rest He feel's his senses pain'd his soule opprest A confus'd hoast of violent passions iarr His flesh and spirit are in continuall warre And now no more through conscience of his error He hears or feesth ' Almighty but with terror And loth he answers as with tongue distraught Confessing thus his fear but not his fault O Lord thy voice thy dreadfull voice hath made Adams answerâ— Me fearfull hide me in this couert shade For naked as I am O most of might I dare not come before thine awfull sight Naked quoth God why faith-less renegate God vrgeth the cause of his deiection and feare Apostate Pagan who hath told thee that Whence springs thy shame what makes thee thus to run From shade to shade my presence still to shun Hast thou not tasted of the learned Tree Whereof on pain of death I warned thee O righteous God quoth Adam I am free Adams reply excusing himself and couertly imputing his Guilt to God Examination of Eue who excuseth her self likewise on another From this offence the wife thou gauest me For my companion and my comforter She made me eat that deadly meat with her And thou quoth God O! thou frail treacherous Bride Why with thy self hast thouseduâ—'t thy Guide Lord answers Eue the Serpent did intice My simple frailty to this sinfull vice Mark heer how He who fears not who reform An example for Indges Magistrates His high Decrees not subiect vnto form Or stile of Court who all-wise hath no need T' examine proof or witnes of the deed Who for sustaining of vnequall Scale Dreads not the Doom of a Mercuriall Yer Sentence pass doth publikely conuent Confront and hear with ear indifferent Th' Offenders sad then with iust indignation Pronounceth thus their dreadfull Condemnation The Sentence of the supreame Iudge against the guilty Prisoners and first of all against the Serpent Ah cursed Serpent which my fingers made To serue mankinde th' hast made thy self a blade Wherewith vain Man and his inueigled wife Self-parricids haue reft their proper life For this thy fault true Fountain of all ill Thou shalt be hatefull'mong all creatures still Groueling in dust of dust thou ay shalt feed I 'le kindle war between the Womans seed And thy fell race hers on the head shall ding Thine thine again hers in the heel shall sting Rebel to me vnto thy kindred curst Against the Woman False to thy husband to thy self the worst Hope not thy fruit so easly to bring-forth As now thou slay'st it hence forth euery Birth Shall torture thee with thousand sorts of pain Each artire sinew muscle ioynt and vain Shall feel his part besides foul vomitings Prodigious longings thought-full languishings With change of colour
The Pines and Cedars haue but boughs to showe The shoars do shrink the swelling waters growe Alas so-many Nephews lose I heer Amid these deeps that but for mountains neer Vpon the rising of whoseridges lofty The lusty climbe on every side for safety I should be seed-less but alas the Water Swallows those Hils and all this wide Theater Is all one Pond O children whither fly-you Alas Heav'ns wrath pursues you to destroy-you The stormy waters strangely rage and roar Rivers and Seas haue all one common shoar To wit a sable water-loaden Sky Ready to rain new Oceans instantly O Sonn-less Father O too fruitfull haunches O wretched root O hurtfull hatefull branches O gulfs vnknowen O dungeons deep and black O worlds decay O vniversall wrack O Heav'ns O Seas O Earth now earth no more O flesh O bloud Heer sorrow stopt the door Of his sad voice and almost dead for woe The prophetizing spirit forsook him so NOAH The SECOND DAY Of The SECOND WEEK Containing 1. THE ARK 2. BABYLON 3. THE COLONIES 4. THE COLVMNES Acceptam refero The ARKE THE I. PART OF THE II. DAY OF THE II. WEEK THE ARGVMENT Noah prepares the Ark and thither brings With him a Seed-payr of all liuing things His exercise a ship-board Atheist Cham His holy Fathers humble Zeal doth blame And diversly impugns Gods Prouidence Noah refells his Faith-less arguments The Flood surceast Th' Ark-landed Blood forbid The Rain-bowe bent what it pre-figured Wine drowneth Wit Cham scoffs the Nakednes Of 's sleeping Sire the Map of Drunkennes IF Now no more my sacred rimes distill A Preamble wherin by a modest Complaint the Poet stirs vp the Readers attention and makes himselfe way to the inuocation of the name of God With Art-less ease from my discustom'd quill If now the Laurell that but lately shaded My beating temples be dis-leav'd and vaded And if now banisht from the learned Fount And cast down head-long from the lofty Mount Where sweet Vrania sitteth to indite Mine humbled Muse flag in a lowely flight Blame these sad Times ingratefull cruelty My houshold cares my healths infirmity My drooping sorrows for late grieuous losses My busie suits and other bitter crosses Lo there the clogs that weigh down heavily My best endevours whilom soaring high My harvest's hail the pricking thorns and weeds That in my soule choak those diviner seeds O gracious God! remove my great incumbers Kindle again my faiths neer-dying imbers Asswage thine anger for thine own Sons merit And from me Lord take not thy holy Spirit Comb gild and polish more then ever yet This latter issue of my labouring wit And let not me be like the winde that proudly Begins at first to roar and murmur loudly Against the next hils over-turns the Woods With furious tempest tumbles-vp the floods And fiercely-fell with stormy puffs constrains The sparkling flints to roule about the Plains But flying faints and every league it goes One nimble feather of his wing doth lose But rather like a River poorly-breeding In barren Rocks thence drop by drop proceeding Which toward the Sea the more he flies his source With growing streams strengthens his gliding course Rowles roars and foams raging with rest-less motion And proudly scorns the greatnes of the Ocean THE DOOMS of Adam lackt not long effect For th' angry Heav'ns that can without respect The comming of the Flood and Building of the Ark. Of persons plague the stubborn Reprobate In Waters buried th' Vniuersall-state And never more the nimble painted Legions With hardy wings had cleft the ayrie Regions We all had perisht and the Earth in vain Had brought such store of fruits and grass and grain If Lamechs Son by new-found Art directed That huge vast vessell had not first erected Which sacred refuge kept the parent-payrs Of all things moving in the Earth and Ayrs Now while the Worlds-re-colonizing Boat Noahs exercises aboord the Ark. Doth on the waters over Mountains float Noe passeth not with tales and idle play The tedious length of dayes and nights away But as the Sommers sweet distilling drops Vpon the medowes thirsty yawning chops Re-greens the Greens and doth the flowrs re-flowr All scorcht and burnt with Auster's parching powr So the care-charming hony that distills From his wise lips his house with comfort fils Flatters despair dries tears calms inward smarts And re-aduanceth sorrow-daunted harts Cheer ye my children God doth now retire These murdering Seas which the revenging ire Of his strict Iustice holy indignation Hath brought vpon this wicked generation Arming a season to destroy mankinde The angry Heav'ns the water and the winde As soon again his gracious Mercy will Clear cloudy Heav'ns calm windes and waters still His wrath and mercy follow turn by turn That like the Lightning doth not lightly burn Long in a place and this from age to age Hides with her wings the faithfull heritage Our gracious God makes scant-weight of displeasure And spreads his mercy without weight or measure Somtimes he strikes vs to especiall ends Vpon our selues our Children or our friends In soule or body goods or else good names But soon he casts his rods in burning flames Not with the fist but finger he doth beat vs Nor doth hethrill so oft as he doth threat-vs And prudent Steward giues his faithfull Bees Wine of his wrath to rebell Drones the Lees. And thus the deeds of Heav'ns Iust-gentle King The Second Worlds good Patriarch did sing Cham full of impiety is brought-in answering his Father and diuersly impugning the wisdom irreprohensible Prowidence of God Almighty and All-mercifull and the humble religious Zeal of Noah But brutish Cham that in his brest accurst The secret roots of sinfull Atheisme nurst Wishing already to dis-throne th' Eternall And self-vsurp the Maiesty supernall And to himself by name of Iupiter On Afrik sands a sumptuous Temple rear With bended brows with stout and stern aspect In scornfull tearms his Father thus be-checkt Oh! how it grieves me that these servil terrors The scourge of Cowards and base vulgars errors Haue ta'n such deep root in your feeble brest Why Father alwayes selfly thus deprest Will you thus alwaies make yourself a drudge Fearing the fury of a fained Iudge And will you alwaies forge your self a Censor That weighs your words and doth your silence censure A sly Controuler that doth count your hairs That in his hand your hearts keys ever bears Records your sighes and all your thoughts descries And all your sins present and past espies A barbarous Butcher that with bloudy knife Threats night and day your grieuous-guilty life O! see you not the superstitious heat Of this blinde zeal doth in your minde beget A thousand errors light credulity Doth drive you still to each extreamity Faining a God with thousand storms opprest Fainter then Women fiercer then a Beast Who tender-hearted weeps at others weeping Wails others woes and at the onely peeping Of others bloud in suddain swoun deceases In
are rough-cast with the richest Stones Cast in Deuises Emblems Scutchions Yet leaving all this Greatnesse of her owne She comes to view the State of SALOMON To hear his Wisedom and to see his Citty Refuge of Vertues School of Faith and Pitty A iust Reproose of all obstinate Recusants You that doo shut your eyes against the rayes Of glorious Light which shineth in our dayes Whose spirits self-obstin'd in old musty Error Repulse the Truth Th' Almighties sacred Mirror Which day and night at your deaf Doors doth knock Whose stubbornnesse will not at all vn-lock The sacred Bible nor so much as look To talke with God into his holy Book O fear you not that this great Princesse shall Of thank-les Sloath one-day condemn you all Who both a Woman Queen and Pagan born Ease Pleasures Treasures doth despise and scorn To passe with great pains and with great expence Long weary Iourneys full of diffidence And nobly trauels to another Land To hear the words but of a mortall Man Her Time 's not lost there rapt she doth contemple The sumptuous bewties of a stately TEMPLE The lofty Towers of hundred Towns in one A pompous Palace and a peer-les Throne Wals rich with-out furnisht in richer sort Number of Servants doth adorn the Court But more their Order there no noise is heard Each his owne Office only doth reguard And in one instant as the quaverings Of a quick Thumb moues all the divers strings Of a sweet Guittern and its skill to grace Causeth a Trebble sound a Mean a Base So SALOMON discreetly with a beck A wink a word doth all the Troop direct Each of his Servants hath his proper Lesson And after his Degree each hath his fashion This Queen yer parting from her fragrant Iles Arm'd her with Riddles and with witty Wyles T' appose the King and she resolues she wil With curious Questions sift and sound his Skill But lo what Oedipus The Law-learn'd Sage Which at the Bar hath almost spent his age Cannot so soon a common Doubt decide Where Statutes Customs and Book-Cases guide As he dissolues her Gordian-knots and sees Through all her nights and even at pleasure frees Such Doubts as doubt-les might haue taskt t'vntwist The Brachman Druïde and Gymnosophist And knowing Good becomes more Good the more It is en-common'd he applies there-fore T' instruct her in the Faith and enuious-idle His brains rich Talent buries not in Idle Alas I pity you alas quoth He Poore Soules besotted in Idolatry Who worship Gold and Silver Stocks and Stones Mens workmanship and Fiends Illusions And who by your sage Mages Lore miss-led So-many Godlings haue imagined Madame there is but one sole God most-High Th' Eternall King nay self-Eternity Infinite All in all yet out of all Of Ends the End of Firsts Originall Of Lights the Light Essencesur-passing Essence Of Powers pure Act of Acts the very Puissance Cause of all Causes Ocean of all Good The Life of Life and of all Bewty Flood None-seen All-Seer Starr's-guide Sight of Seeing The Vni-forme which giues all Formes their Beeing God and One is all One whoso the Vnitie Denies he Atheist disannuls Diuinity Th' Vnity dwels in God i th' Fiend the Twine The greater World hath but one Sun to shine The lesser but one Soule both but one God In Essence One in Person Trinely-odde Of this great Frame the Parts so due-devis'd This Body tun'd so measur'd sympathiz'd This TEMPLE wheresuch Wealth and Order meet This Art in every part cannot proceed But from one Pattern and that but from one Author of all who all preserues alone Else should we see in set Batalions A hundred thousand furious Partizans The World would nource civill intestine Wars And wrack itself in itselfs factious Iars Besides God is an Infinite Divinity And who can think of more than one Infinity Seeing the one restrains the others might Or rather reaues its name and being quight Therfore O Pagans why doo you confine The Infinite in narrow Walls of lime Why shut you Him in a base Trunk or Tree Why paint you Whom no mortall eye can see Why offer you your carnall seruices Vnto the Lord who a meer Spirit is Why then doo you sayd she by our example Incloseth ' Immortall in this Earthly TEMPLE Lock him within an Arke and worse than we Feed him with Fumes and bloody Butcherie This Sacred House so fair reply'd he then Is not to contain God but godly men Which worship him and we doo not suppose That He whose Arms doo Heav'n and Earth inclose Is closed in a Chest but th' ancient Pact The solemne Couenant and the sure Contract Which leagues vs with our God and each with other And holy Bond holds Heav'n and Earth together As for our Incense Washings Sacrifices They are not as is thought Our vain Devices But God 's their Aurthor and himself Ordains These Elements wherby he entertains And feeds our vnderstanding in the hope Of his deer Son of all these Things the Scope Setting before vs th' Only Sacrifice Which in CHRIST'S Blood shall wash-out all our vice Come then O Lord Come thou Lawes finisher Great King great Prophet great Selfs-Offerer Come come thou thrice-Great Refuge of our State Come thou out Ran çome Iudge and Advocate Milde Lambe Salue-Serpent Lion generous Vn-challeng'd Vmpire betwixt Heav'n and Vs Come thou the Trueth the Substance and the End Of all our Offrings whither all doo tend Come ô MESSIAS and doo now begin To Raign in Sion to triumph of Sinne And worshipped in Spirit and Truth restore Vpon the Earth the Golden Age of yore Accept this Queen as of all Heathen Princes The deer First-Fruits take on thee our Offences That stript of Adam's Sinfull sute in fine With sacred Angels we in Heav'n may shine The Queen nigh sunk in an Amaze-full Swoun Bespake him thus My Lord prattling Renown Is wont in flying to increase so far That she proclaims things greater than they are Simile And rarest Spirits resemble Pictures right Wherof the rarest seem more exquisite Far-off then neer but so far as thy Fame Ezcels all Kings thy Vertues passe the same Thy peer-les Prayse stoops to thy Learned tongue And envious bruit hath done thy Wisedom wrong So may I say even so ô SCOTISH King Application to the Kings Maiestie Thy winged Fame which far and wide doth ring From th' edge of Spain hath made me venturously To crosse the Seas thy Britain's end to see Where Lord what saw I nay what saw I not O King Heav'n-chosen for som special Plot Worlds Miracle ô Oracle of Princes I saw so much my Soule mistrusts my Senses A gray-beards Wisedom in an amber-bush A Mars-like Courage in a Maid-like blush A settled Iudgement with a supple Wit A quick Discourse profound and pleasing yet Virgil and Tully in one spirit infus'd And all Heav'ns Gifts into one Head diffus'd Persist O King glory on glory mount And as thy Vertues thine owne Fame surmount So
doth so assaile-them And if their feare fall true that their Good-fortune faile-them Then swell their sullen hearts with sorrow till they burst And then poor desperate soules they deem theÌ„selues accurst And so indeed they are but yet they erre in this In blaming other things for their owne selfe-amisse Other indifferent things that neither make nor marre But to the good be good to th' euill euill are Is' t not great foolishnes for any to complaine That somthing is not don which doth him nought coÌ„strain Sith if he vse the same soule-health it hurteth not Or if he doo not vse t it helpeth not a iot But needs must we complain say some for we haue cause Then at your perill be 't for that which chiefly drawes You thereto 't is in truth your brutenesse in mis-deeming Things euill that are good for sense-contrary seeming And while that in the darke of this foule errors mist Your drowsie spirits doo droope alas what maruell is' t If euill follow you and if iniurious still To others you impute your selfe-ingendred ill Happy are they to whom the Lord vouch safeth sight To see the louely beames and life-infusing Light Of his sweet sacred Truth whereby we may perceiue And iudge a-rightly what to loue and what to leaue Such men within their soules their goods haue wholly plac't Such goods as neuer fire can either burne or waste Nor any Theefe can steale nor Pyrate make his praie Nor vsurie consume nor Tyrant take away Nor times all-gnawing tooth can fret away nor finish Nor any accident of sad mischance diminish For it is built on God a Rock that euer stands Not on the vanities of these inconstant sands Which are more mutable then wind and more vnstable And day by day doo make so many miserable O to what sweet content to what high ioyes aspires He that in God alone can limit his desires He that in him alone his hopes can wholly rest He that for onely end waites for the wages blest Wherewith he promiseth for euer sans respect Of their selfe-meriting to guerdon his Elect What is it can bereaue the wealth of such a man What is it that disturbe his perfect pleasures can What is it can supplant his honours and degrees Sith all his treasures his delights his dignities Are all laid vp in Heauen where it were all in vaine For all the sonnes of earth to warre with might and maine No doubt will some man say each Christian doth aspire After their bodies death to those deere treasures higher That are reserv'd in Heauen whereof the sweet possession Feares not the violence of all the worlds oppression But while that heere below this fraile flesh-burthen ties-him But the bare hope he hath which how can it suffice-him Against the sharpe assaults of passions infinite Whose glad-sad crosse conflicts afflict him day and night Needs must I graunt indeed that that same perfit ioy We cannot perfitly vpon this earth enioy But that that Hope alone doth not sufficiently Blesse his life where it liues for my part I denie Some doo not feare we see to spend their stock and store To vnder-take the taske of many trauailes sore To hazard limmes and liues in seruice of some Lord Depending oft vpon his foole-fat-feeding word Or waiting els perhaps without all other hold Vntill it please himselfe his franknes to vnfold Not reaking all their paine they are so inly pleas'd With hoped benefit whereof they are not seaz'd And shall th' assured hope of euer-blisses then For which we haue the word not of vaine mortall men That teach their tongues to lie but of the highest God The God of truth truth's selfe where truth hath still abode Shall that I say not serue to settle our faint hearts Against I will not say like dangers and like smarts But 'gainst these petty griefes that now and then do pain-vs No more like those then heauen neer earth that doth sustain-vs Ah shall we then despise all trouble and vexation Supported by a prop of doubtfull expectation And while for earthly things we can indure all this Shall we not do asmuch for an immortall blisse Indeed not of our selues for selfly nought we can But God when pleaseth him doth giue this strength to man Whereby he standeth stout euen like a mightie rocke Amid the mounting waues when Eole doth vnlocke Sterne Austers stormie gate making the waters wrastle And rush with wrathfull rage against the sturdie castle While it for all the force of their fell furie showne Is not so much as moou'd and much lesse ouerthrowne So fareth such a man for if from high degree He sodainly do slide to liue contemnedly With the vile vulgar sort that cannot make him wauer For well he is assur'd that Gods high holy fauour Depends not on the pomp nor vaine-proud state and port That for the grace of Kâ—ngs adornes the courtly sort If he be kept in bands thrâ—l to the tyrannies And extreame-cruell lawes of ruthless enimies Both voide of helpe and hope and of all likelihood Of being euer freed from their hands thirsting-blood Inspight of them he knowes that one day he shall die And then he shall inioy an endles Libertie If he be forc't to flie from his deere country-clime In exile to expire the remnant of his time He doth suppose the World to be a Country common From whence no tyranny till death can banish no-man If that he must forsake his Parents and his Kin And those whose amitie he most delighteth in He knowes that where he finds a man he findes a Kins-man For all mankind is come from oneselfe Father sinnes-man If being spoil'd of wealth wanton-pampering plentie He find vpon his boord two dishes scant of twenty And to his back one coate to keepe the cold away Whereas he had before a new for euery day He learneth of Saint Paul who bids vs be content With food and furniture to this life competent Sith nothing as saith Iob into this world we brought Nor with vs when we die can we hence carrie ought If he be passing poore and in exceeding glack Of euery needfull thing for belly and for back He learneth of the Sonne that God the Father heedeth To giue to euery one in time the thing he needeth And that the Fowles of Heauen and Cattel small and great Doo neither sowe nor reape yet find they what to eate Yea that the Lillies faire which growe among the grasse Doo neither spin nor worke and yet their garments passe For colour and for cost for Art and ornament The glorious Salmon's rich robes of Parlament If so that he be sicke or wounded in the arme In body back or brest or such like kind of harme If in extremitie of angry paine and anguish Enfeebled still by fits he bed-rid lye and languish If all the miseries that euer martyr'd man At once on euery side afflict him all they can The more that he endures the more his comforts growe Sith so
my self may learn And also graunt great Architect of Wonders The TraÌ„slator knowing and acknowledging his owne insufficieÌ„cy for so excellent a labor craueth also the ayde of the All sufficient God Whose mighty Voice speaks in the midst of Thunders Causing the Rocks to rock and Hills to tear Calling the things that Are not as they were Confounding Mighty things by means of Weak Teaching dumb Infants thy dread Praise to speak Inspiring Wisedom into those that want And giuing Knowledge to the Ignorant Graunt mee good Lord as thou hast giv'n me hart To vndertake so excellent a Part Graunt me such Iudgement Grace and Eloquence So correspondent to that Excellence That in some measure I may seem t' inherit Elisha-like my dear Elias Spirit CLEAR FIRE for euer hath not Ayre imbraç't The World was not from euerlasting Nor Ayre for-ay inuiron'd Waters vast Nor Waters always wrapt the Earth therein But all this All did once of nought begin Once All was made not by the hand of Fortune As fond Democritus did yerst importune With iarring Concords making Motes to meet Inuisible immortall infinite Th' immutable diuine Decree which shall Neither made by Chance But created together with Time by the almighty wisedome of God Cause the Worlds End caus'd his Originall Neither in Time nor yet before the same But in the instant when Time first became I mean a Time confused for the course Of years of months of weeks of daies of howrs Of Ages Times and Seasons is confin'd By th' ordred Daunce vnto the Stars assign'd Before all Time all Matter Form and Place God all in all and all in God it was God was before the World was Immutable immortall infinite Incomprehensible all spirit all light All Maiesty all-self Omnipotent Inuisible impassiue excellent Pure wise iust good God raign'd alone at rest Himself alone selfs Palace host and guest Thou scoffing Atheist that enquirest what He consuteth the Atheists questioning what God did before he created the World Th' Almighty did before he framed that What waighty Work his minde was busied on Eternally before this World begun Sith so deep Wisedom and Omnipotence Nought worse beseems then sloath and negligence Knowe bold blasphemer that before he built A Hell to punish the presumptuous Guilt Of those vngodly whose proud sense dares cite And censure too his Wisedom infinite Can Carpenters Weauers and Potters passe And liue without their seuerall works a space And could not then th' Almighty All-Creator Th' all-prudent BEE without this frail Theater Shall valiant Scipio Thus himself esteem Neuer lesse sole then when he sole doth seem And could not God O Heav'ns what frantike folly Subsist alone but sink in melancholy Shall the Pryénian Princely Sage auerr That all his goods he doth about him bear And should the Lord whose Wealth exceeds all measure Should he be poor without this Worldly treasure God neuer seeks out of himself for ought He begs of none he buies or borrows nought But aye from th' Ocean of his liberall Bounty Hee poureth out a thousand Seas of Plenty What God did before he created the World Yer Eurus blew yer Moon did Wax or Wain Yer Sea had Fish yer Earth had grass or grain God was not void of sacred exercise He did admire his Glorie's Mysteries His Power his Iustice and his Prouidence His bountious Grace and great Beneficence Were th' holy obiect of his heav'nly thought Vpon the which eternally it wrought It may be also that he meditated The Worlds Idëa yer it was Created Alone he liv'd not for his Son and Spirit Of 3. Persons in one only Essence of God of the eternall generation of the Son Were with him ay Equall in might and merit For sans beginning seed and Mother tender This great Worlds Father he did first ingender To wit His Son Wisedom and Word eternal Equall in Essence to th' All-One Paternal Of the Holy-Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne The which three Persons are one onely and the same God Out of these Two their common Power proceeded Their Spirit their Loue in Essence vndiuided Onely distinct in Persons whose Diuinity All Three in One makes One eternall Trinitie Soft soft my Muse launch not into the Deep Sound not this Sea see that aloof thou keep From this Charybdis and Capharean Rock Where many a ship hath suffered wofull wrack While they haue fondly vent red forth too-far Following frail Reason for their only Star Who on this Gulf would safely venture fain How to think speak of God Must not too-boldly hale into the Main But longst the shoar with sails of Faith must coast Their Star the Bible Steers-man th' Holy-Ghost How many fine wits haue the World abus'd Because this Ghost they for their Guide refus'd The Heathen Philosophers lost themselues and others in their curâ—osities weening to be wise became fooles And scorning of the loyall Virgins Thred Haue them and others in this Maze mis-led In sacred sheetes of either Testament 'T is hard to finde a higher Argument More deep to sound more busie to discuss More vse-full knowne vnknowne more dangerous So bright a Sun dazles my tender sight So deep discourse my sense confoundeth quite My Reason's edge is dull'd in this Dispute And in my mouth my fainting words be mute This TRINITY which rather I adore God the Father Sonne Holy-Ghost created of Nothing the Worlds goodly frame In humblenes then busily explore In th' infinit of Nothing builded all This artificiall great rich glorious Ball Wherein appears in grav'n on euery part The Builders beauty greatnes wealth and Art Art beauty wealth and greatnes that confounds The hellish barking of blaspheming Hounds Climb they that list the battlements of Heav'n Leaâ—ing curious speculations the Poet teacheth how to contemplate God in his Workes And with the Whirl-wind of Ambition driv'n Beyond the World's wals let those Eagles flie And gaze vpon the Sun of Maiestie Let other-some whose fainted spirits do droop Down to the ground their meditations stoop And so contemplate on these Workmanships That th' Authors praise they in Themselues eclipse My heedfull Muse trained in true Religion Diuinely-humane keeps the middle Region Least if she should too-high a pitch presume Heav'ns glowing flame should melt her waxen plume Or if too-lowe neer Earth or Sea she flag Laden with Mists her moisted wings should lag It glads me much to view this Frame wherein As in a Glasse God's glorious face is seen I loue to look on God but in this Robe Of his great Works this vniuersall Globe For if the Suns bright beams doo blear the sight Of such as fixtly gaze against his light Who can behold aboue th' Empyriall Skies The lightning splendor of God's gloriouseies O who alas can finde the Lord without His Works which bear his Image round about God of himself incapable to sense God makes himselfe as it were visible in his Workes In 's
t' assault the Ill Of the good Angels seruing to the glory of God and good of his Church both in generall and particular Th' vnspotted Spirits that neuer did intend To mount too high nor yet too lowe descend With willing speed they euery moment goe Whether the breath of diuine grace doth blowe Their aims had neuer other limitation Then God's own glory and his Saints saluation Law-less Desire nâ—'r enters in their brest Th' Almightie's Face is their Ambrosiall Feast Repentant tears of strayed Lambs returning Their Nectar sweet their Musike Sinners Mourning Ambitious Mans greedy Desire doth gape Sâ—eptâ—r Scepter Crown on Crown to clap These neuer thirst for greater Dignities Trauail's their â—ase their bliss in seruice lies For God no sooner hath his pleasure spoken Or bow'd his head or giuen som other token Or almost thought on an Exploit where in The Ministry of Angels shall be seen But these quick Postes with ready expedition Fly to accomplish their diuine Commission One followes Agar in hir pilgrimage Gen. 21 17 18. And with sweet comforts doth her cares asswage Another guideth Isâ—â—â—â— mighty Hoasts Exod. 23 23 33 2. Another Iacob on th' Idumean Coasts Another skill'd in Physick to the Light Tobi. 11 7 11 12 14 15 Restores old faithfull Tobies failing sight In Nazareth another rapt with ioy Tels that a Virgin shall bring forth a Boy That Mary shall at-once be Mayd-and-Mother Luk. 1 26. And bear at-once her Son Sire Spowse and Brother Yea that Her happy fruitfull woomb shall hold Him that in Him doth all the World infold Som in the Desart tenderd consolations Math. 4 11. While IESVS stroue with Sathans strong Temptations One in the Garden in his Agonies Luk. 22 43. Cheers-vp his fears in that great enterprise To take that bloody Cup that bitter Chalice And drink it off to purge our sinfull Malice Another certifies his Resurrection Matth. 28 25. Vnto the Women whose faith 's imperfection Suppos'd his colde limbs in the Graue were bound Vntill th' Archangels lofty Trump should sound Another past all hope doth pre-auerr Luk. 1 13. Acts 12. â— The birth of Iohn Christ's holy Harbenger One trusty Seriant for diuine Decrees The Iewes Apostle from close Prison frees One in few howers a fearfull slaughter made Of all the First-born that the Memphians had Exod. 12 29. Exempting Those vpon whose door-postes stood A sacred token of Lambs tender blood 2. Kings 10. 35 Another mowes-down in a moments space Before Hierusalem Gods chosen place Senacharib's proud ouer-daring Hoast That threatned Heav'n and 'gainst the Earth did boast In his Blasphemous braues comparing ev'n His Idol-Gods vnto the God of Heav'n His Troups victorious in the East before Besieg'd the City which did sole adore The Onely God so that without their leaue A Sparrow scarce the sacred Wals could leaue Then Ezechias as a prudent Prince Poizing the danger of these sad euents His Subiects thrall his Cities wofull Flames His Childrens death the rape of noble Dames The Massacre of Infants and of Eld And 's Royall Self with thousand weapons queld The Templeraz'd th' Altar and Censer voyd Of sacred vse Gods Seruants all destroyd Humbled in Sack-cloath and in Ashes cries For ayd to God the God of Victories Who hears his suit and thunders down his Fury On those proud Pagan Enimies of Iury For while their Watch within their Corps de Garde About the Fire securely snorted hard From Heav'n th' Almighty looking sternly down Glancing his Friends a smile his Foes a frown A sacred Fencer 'gainst th' Assyrians sent Whose two-hand Sword at euery veny slent Not through a single Souldiers feeble bones But keenly slyces through whole Troops at once And heaws broad Lanes before it and behinde As swistly whirling as the whisking winde Now gan they fly but all too slowe to shun A flying Sword that follow'd euery one A Sword they saw but could not see the arm That in one Night had don so dismall harm As we perceiue a Winde-mils sayls to go But not the Winde that doth transport them so Blushing Aurora had yet scarce dismist Mount Libanus from the Nights gloomy Mist When th' Hebrew Sentinels discov'ring plain An hundred foure score and fiue thousand slain Exceeding ioyfull gan to ponder stricter To see such Conquest and not knowe the Victor O sacred Tutors of the Saints you Guard Of Gods Elect you Pursuiuants prepar'd To execute the Counsails of the Highest You Heav'nly Courtiers to your King the nighest Gods glorious Heralds Heav'ns swift Harbengers 'Twixt Heav'n and Earth you true Interpreters I could be well content and take delight To follow farther your celestiall Flight But that I fear heer hauing ta'n in hand So long a iourney both by Sea and Land I fear to faint if at the first too fast I cut away and make too-hasty haste For Trauailers that burn in braue desire To see strange Countries manners and attire Make haste enough if onely the First Day From their own Sill they set but on their way So Morne and Euening the First Day conclude And God perceiu'd that All his Workes were good THE SECOND DAIE OF THE FIRST WEEK THE ARGVMENT Lewd Pöets checkt Our Pöets chast Intents Heav'ns Curtain spread th' all-forming Elements Their number nature vse and Domination Concent excesse continuance situation Aire 's triple Regions and their Temper 's change Windes Exhalations and all Meteors strange Th' effects the vse apply'd to Conscience Mans Reason non-plust in som Accidents Of Prodigies of th' Elementall Flame Heav'ns ten-fold Orbs Waters aboue the same THose learned Spirits whose wits applyed wrong With wanton Charms of their in chanting song A iust reproof of wanton lasciâ—ious Poets of our Time Make of an olde foul frantike Hecuba A wondrous fresh fair witty Helena Of lewd Faustina that loose Emperess A chaste Lucretia loathing wantonness Of a blinde Bowe-Boy of a Dwarf a Bastard No petty Godling but the Gods great Master On thankless furrows of a fruitless sand Their seed and labour lose with heedless hand And pitching Netts to catch I little wott What fume of Fame that seems them to besott Resemble Spiders that with curious pain Weaue idle Webs and labour still in vain But though then Time we haue no deerer Treasure Less should I wail their miss-expence of leasure If their sweet Muse with too-well spoken Spell Drew not their Readers with themselues to Hell For vnder th' hony of their learned Works A hatefull draught of deadly poyson lurks Whereof alas Young spirits quaffe so deep The danger of their seduced Readers That drunk with Loue their Reason falls asleep And such a habit their fond Fancy gets That their ill stomack still loues euill meats Th' inchanting force of their sweet eloquence Hurls head long down their tender Audience Ay childe-like sliding in a foolish strife On th' Icie down-Hills of this slippery Life The Songs their Phoebus
the vast deep dreadfull Seas The increasing of Brooks and Riuers and of their falling into the sea And all the highest Heav'n-approaching Rocks Contribute hither with their snowie locks For soon as Titan having run his Ring To th' ycie climates bringeth back the Spring On their rough backs he melts the hoary heaps Their tops grow green and down the water leaps On every side it foames it roares it rushes And through the steep and stony hilles it gushes Making a thousand Brooks wherof when one Perceives his fellow striving to be gone Hasting his course he him accompanies After another and another hies All in one race ioynt-losing all of them Their Names and Waters in a greater stream And He that robs them shortly doth deliver Himself and his into a larger River And That at length how euer great and large Lord of the Plain doth in som Gulf discharge His parent-Tribute to Oceanus According to th' Eternall Rendez-vous Yet notwithstanding all these Streams that enter Why the sea receiueth no increase of all the Waters that fall therein In the Main Sea do nought at all augment her For that besides that all these Floods in one Matcht with great Neptune seem as much as none The Sun as yerst I said and Windes withall Sweeping the sur-face of the Brinie-Ball Extract as much still of her humours thin As weeping Aire and welling Earth pours in But as the swelting heat and shivering cold Gnashing and sweat that th' Ague-sick do hold Come not at hazzard but in time and order Afflict the body with their fell disorder Of the Ebbing Flowing of the sea sundry causes therof The Sea hath fits alternate course she keepes From Deep to Shoar and from the Shoar to Deeps Whether it were that at the first the Ocean From Gods owne hand receiv'd this double Motion By means whereof it never resteth stound Simile But as a turning Whirli-gig goes round Whirls of it self and good-while after takes Strength of the strength which the first motion makes Whether the Sea which we Atlantick call Be but a peece of the Grand Sea of all And that his Floods entring the ample Bed Of the deep Main with fury hurried Against the Rocks repulsed with disdain Be thence compelled to turn back again Or whether Cynthia that with Change-full laws Commands moist bodies doth this motion cause As on our Shoar we see the Sea to rise Soon as the Moon begins to mount our skies And when through Heav'ns Vaultvailing toward Spayn Proofe of the third cause viz. that the waxing and wauing of the Moon causeth the flowing and ebbing of the Sea The Moon descendeth then it Ebbs again Again so soon as her inconstant Crown Begins to shine on th' other Horizon It Flowes again and then again it falls When she doth light th' other Meridionalls We see more-over that th' Atlantik Seas Doo Flowe far farther then the Genöese Or both the Bosphores and that Lakes which growe Out of the Sea do neither Ebb nor Flowe Because they say the siluer fronted Star That swells and shrinks the Seas as pleaseth her Pours with less powr her plentious influence Vpon these straight and narrow streamed Fennes And In-land Seas which many a Mount immounds Then on an Ocean vast and void of bounds Euen as in Sommer her great Brothers Ey When windes be silent doth more easily dry Simile Wide spreading Plains open and spacious Fields Then narrow Vales vaulted about with Hills If we perceive not in the Deep so well Why the tide is not so well perceiued at sea as by the shoare As by the shoar when it doth shrink and swell Our sprightfull Pulse the tide doth well resemble Whose out-side seems more then the midst to tremble Nor is the glorious Prince of Stars less mighty Then his pale Sister on vast Amphitrité For Phoebus boyling with his lightsom Heat The Fish-full Waves of Neptunes Royall Seat And supping vp still with his thirsty Rayes The cause of the faltnes of the sea All the fresh humour in the floting Seas In Thetis large Cells leaveth nought behind Save liqvid Salt and a thick bitter Brine But see the while see how the Sea I pray Through thousand Seas hath caried me away In fear t' have drown'd my self and Readers so The Floods so made my words to over-flowe Therfore a-shoar and on the tender Lee Of waters separated from the Sea Of Lakes and Pools Rivers and Springs let 's see The soverain vertues of their severall Waters Their strange effects and admirable natures That with incredible rare force of theirs Confound our wits ravish our eyes and ears Th' Hammonâ—an Fount while Phoebus Torch is light Wonderfull effects of diuers Fountaines Is cold as Ice and opposite all night Though the cold Crescent shine thereon is hot And boiles and bubbles like a seething Pot. They say forsooth the Riuer Silarus And such another call'd Eurimenus Conuert the boughs the barke the leaves and all To very stone that in their Waters fall O! should I blaunch the Iewes religious River Which every Saboth dries his Chanell over Keeping his Waues from working on that Day Which God ordain'd a sacred Rest for ay If neer vnto the Eleusinian Spring Som sport-full Iig som wanton Shepheard sing The Ravisht Fountain falls to daunce and bound Keeping true Cadence to his rustick sound Cerona Xanth and Cephâ—sus do make The thirsty-Flocks that of their Waters take Blacke red and white And neer the crimsin Deepe Th' Arabian Fountain maketh crimsin Sheep Solonian Fountain and thou Andrian Spring Out of what Cellars do you daily bring The Oyl and Wine that you abound-with so O Earth do these within thine entrails grow What be there Vines and Orchards vnder ground Is Bacchus Trade and Pallas Art there found What should I of th' Illyrian Fountain tell What shall I say of the Dodónean Well Whereof the first sets any cloathes on-fire Th' other doth quench who but will this admire A burning Torch and when the same is quenched Lights it again if it again be drenched Sure in the Legend of absurdest Fables I should enroule most of these admirables Save for the reverence of th' vnstayned credit Of many a witnes where I yerst have read it And sauing that our gain-spurr'd Pilots finde In our dayes Waters of more wondrous kinde Of all the Sources infinite to count Which to an ample Volume would amount A continuation of the admirable effects of certain Waters Far hence on Forrain vnfrequented Coast I 'le onely chuse som five or sixe at most Strange to report perhaps beleev'd of few And yet no more incredible then true In th' I le of Iron one of those same seav'n Whereto our Elders * Insulae fortunatae Happy name had giv'n The Savage people neuer drink the streams Of Wells and Riuers as in other Realms Their drink is in the Aire their gushing spring A weeping Tree out of it self
stately Toombes externly gilt and garnisht With dust and bones inwardly fill'd and furnisht But inwardly shee 's no less fraught with riches Of the riches vnder or within the Earth Nay rather more which more our soules bewitches Within the deep folds of her fruitfull lap So bound-less Mines of treasure doth she wrap That th' hungry hands of humane avarice Cannot exhaust with labour or device For they be more then ther be Starrs in Heav'n Or stormy billows in the Ocean driv'n Or ears of Corn in Autumn on the Fields Or Savage Beasts vpon a thousand Hills Or Fishes diving in the silver Floods Or scattred Leaves in Winter in the Woods Slat Iet and Marble shall escape my pen Of Minerals I over-pass the Salt-mount Oromene I blanch the Brine-Quar Hill in Aragon Whence there they pouder their provision I 'le onely now emboss my Book with Brass Dye't with Vermilion deck't with Coperass With Gold and Siluer Lead and Mercury Tin Iron Orpine Stibium Lethargy And on my Gold-work I will onely place The Crystall pure which doth reflect each face The precious Ruby of a Sanguin hew Of pretious stones The Seal-fit Onyx and the Saphire blew The Cassidonie full of circles round The tender Topaz and rich Diamond The various Opal and green Emerald The Agate by a thousand titles call'd The skie-like Turquez purple Amethists And fiery Carbuncle which flames resists I knowe to Man the Earth seems altogether No more a Mother but a Step-dame rather Because alas vnto our loss she bears Blood-shedding Steel and Gold the ground of cares As if these Mettals and not Man 's amiss Had made Sin mount vnto the height it is But as the sweet bait of aboundant Riches Bodies and Soules of greedy men bewitches The vse or abuse of things makes theÌ„ good or euill helpfull or hurtful to Mankinde Gold gilds the Vertuous and it lends them wings To raise their thoughts vnto the rarest things The wise not onely Iron well apply For houshold turns and Tools of Husbandry But to defend their Country when it calls From forrain dangers and intestine bralls But with the same the wicked never mell But to do seruice to the Haggs of Hell To pick a Lock to take his neighbours Purse To break a House or to doo somthing worse To cut his Parents throat to kill his Prince To spoyl his Country murder Innocents Even so profaning of a gift divine The Drunkard drowns his Reason in the Wine So sale-tongu'd Lawyers wresting Eloquence Excuse rich wrong and cast poor Innocence So Antichrists their poyson to infuse Miss-cite the Scriptures and Gods name abuse For as a Cask through want of vse grow'n fusty Makes with his stink the best Greek Malmsey musty So God's best gifts vsurpt by wicked Ones To poyson turn through their contagious But shall I baulk th' admired Adamant Of the rare vertue of the Loadstone Whose dead-live power my Reasons power doth dant Renowned Load-stone which on Iron acts And by the touch the same aloof attracts Attracts it strangely with vnclapsing crooks With vnknow'n cords with vnconceived hooks With vnseen hands with vndiscerned arms With hidden Force with sacred secret charms Wherewith hee wooes his Iron Misteriss And never leaves her till he get a kiss Nay till he fold her in his faithfull bosom Never to part except we love-less loose-em With so firm zeal and fast affection The Stone doth love the Steel the Steel the Stone And though somtime som Make bate com betwixt Still burns their first flame 't is so surely fixt And while they cannot meet to break their mindes With mutuall skips they shew their loue by signes As bashfull Suters seeing Strangers by Parley in silence with their hand or eye Who can conceiue or censure in what sort One Loadstone-touched Annlet doth transport Another Iron-Ring and that another Till foure or fiue hang dangling one in other Greatest Apollo might he be me thinks Could tell the Reason of these hanging links Sith Reason-scanners haue resolved all That heavie things hangd in the Aire must fall I am not ignorant that He who seeks In Romane Robes to sute the Sagest Greeks Whose iealous wife weening to home-revoke-him With a Love-potion did with poyson choak-him Hath sought to showe with arguing subtilty The secret cause of this rare Sympathy But say Lucretius what 's the hidden cause That toward the North-Star still the needle draw's Whose point is toucht with Load-stone loose this knot And still-green Laurell shall be still thy Lot Yea Thee more learned will I then confess Then Epicurus or Empedocles W' are not to Ceres so much bound for Bread Of the excellent vse of the Mariners Compasse Neither to Bacchus for his Clusters red As Signor Flauio to thy witty triall For first inuenting of the Sea-mans Diall Th' vse of the Needle turning in the same Diuine deuâ—â— e O admirable Frame Whereby through th' Ocean in the darkest night Our hugest Caraques are conducted right Whereby w' are stor'd with Truch-man Guide and Lamp To search all corners of the watery Camp Whereby a Ship that stormy Heav'ns haue whurld Neer in one Night into another World Knowes where she is and in the Card descries What degrees thence the Equinoctiall lies Cleer-sighted Spirits that cheer with sweet aspect My sober Rymes though subiect to defect If in this Volume as you ouer-read it You meet som things seeming exceeding credit Because perhaps heer proued yet by no-man Their strange effects be not in knowledge common Think yet to som the Load-stone's vse is new And seems as strange as we haue try'd it true Let therefore that which Iron draw's draw such To credit more then what they see or touch Nor is th' Earth onely worthy praise eternall Of medicinable Earthes For the rare riches on her back externall Or in her bosom but her own selfs worth Solicits me to sound her glory forth I call to witnes all those weak diseased Whose bodies oft haue by th' effects been eased Of Lemnos seal'd earth or Eretrian soil Or that of Chios or of Melos I le All-hail fair Earth bearer of Towns and Towrs Of Men Gold Grain Physik and Fruits and Flowrs The Earths Encomion Fair firm and fruitfull various patient sweet Sumptuously cloathed in a Mantle meet Of mingled-colour lac't about with Floods And all imbrodered with fresh blooming buds With rarest Gemmes richly about embost Excelling cunning and exceeding cost All-hail great Heart round Base and stedfast Root Of All the World the Worlds strong fixed foot Heav'ns chastest Spouse supporter of this All This glorious Buildings goodly Pedestall All hail deer Mother Sister Hostess Nurse Of the Worlds Soverain of thy liberall purse W' are all maintained match-less Emperess To doo thee seruice with all readiness The Sphears before thee bear ten thousand Torches The Fire to warm thee foldes his heatfull arches In purest flames aboue the floating Cloud Th' Aire to refresh thee willingly
Mercury For ship for shop book bar or Court or Citie Smooth Orator swift Pen-man sweet Musician Rare Artizan deep-reaching Politician Fortunat Marchant fine Prince-humour-pleaser To end his course takes neer a twelue-months leasure For all the while his nimble winged heels Dare little bouge from Phoebus golden wheels And lastly Luna thou cold Queen of night Regent of humours parting Months aright Of the 1. which is the Sphear of Lunâ— The lowest Planet nearest the Earth Chaste Emperess to one Endymion constant Constant in Love though in thy looks in constant Vnlike our Loues whose hearts dâ—ssemble soonest Twelue times a year through all the Zodiak runnest Now if these Lamps so infinite in number Should stil stand-stil as in a sloathfull slumber Then should som Places alwaies in one plight Have alwaies Day and â—om haue alwaies Night Of the necessitie of diuers motions of the Heauens Then should the Sommers Fire and Winters Frost Rest opposite still on the self same Coast Then nought could spring and nothing prosper would In all the World for Want of Heat or Cold. Or without change of distance or of dance If all these Lights still in one path should prance Th' inconstant parts of this lowe Worlds contents Should neuer feel so sundry accidents As the Conâ—unction of celestiall Features Incessantly pours vpon mortall Creatures I 'll n'er beleeve that the Arch-Architect Of the force and influence of the Câ—lestiall body vpon the terrestriall With all these Fires the Heav'nly Arches deckt Onely for Shewe and with these glistering shields T' amaze poor Shepheards watching in the fields I 'll n'er beleeve that the least Flowr that pranks Our Garden borders or the Common banks And the least stone that in her warming Lap Our kind Nurse Earth doth covetously wrap Hath som peculiar vertue of it owne And that the glorious Stars of Heav'n have none But shine in vain and haue no charge precise But to be walking in heav'ns Galleries And through that Palace vp and down to clamber As Golden Gulls about a PRINCES CHAMBER Sens-less is he who without blush denies What to sound senses most apparant lies And 'gainst Experience he that spets Fallacians Is to be hisst from learned Disputations And such is he that doth affirm the Stars To have no force on these inferiours Though heav'ns effects we most apparant see In number more then heav'nly Torches be I nill alleadge the Seasons alteration Sundry proofes of the same 1 The diuers seasons 2 The fearefull accideÌ„ts that coÌ„monly succeede Eclipses Caus'd by the Sun in shifting Habitation I will not vrge that neuer at noon daies His enuious Sister intercepts his Raies But som great State eclipseth and from Hell Alecto looses all these Furies Fell Grim lean-fac't Famine foul infectious Plague Blood-thirsty VVar and Treason hatefull Hag Heere pouring down Woes vniuersall Flood To drown the World in Seas of Tears and Blood I 'l overpass how Sea doth Eb and Flowe 3 The ebbing flowing of the sea As th' Horned Queen doth eyther shrink or growe And that the more she Fills her forked Round The more the Marrow doth in bones abound The Bloud in Veins the sap in Plants the Moisture 4 The increase and decrease of marrow bloud and humours in diuers creatures And lushious meat in Creuish Crab and Oyster That Oak and Elm and Firr and Alder cut Before the Crescent have her Cornets shut Are neuer lasting for the builders turn In Ship or House but rather fit to burn 5. The apparant alterations in the bodies of sick persons And also that the Sick while shee is filling Feele sharper Fits through all their members thrilling So that this Lamp alone approoves what powrs Heav'ns Tapers have even on these soules of ours Temp'ring or troubling as they be inclin'd Our mind and humours humours and our minde Through Sympathy which while this Flesh we carie Our Soules and Bodies doth together marry I 'l only say that sith the hot aspect Of th' Heav'nly Dog-Star kindles with effect A particular proose by the effects of certaine notable stars ordinarily noted in some Moneth of â—he yeare A thousand vnseen Fires and dries the Fields Scorches the Vallies parches-vp the Hills And often times into our panting hearts The bitter Fits of burning Fevers darts And opposit the Cup the dropping Pleiades Bright-glistering Orion and the weeping Hyades Neuer almost look down on our aboad But that they stretch the Waters bounds abroad With Clowdy horror of their wrathfull frown Threatning again the guilty World to drown And to be brief sith the gilt azure Front Of Firmest Sphear hath scarce a spark vpon 't But poureth down-ward som apparant change Toward the Storing of the Worlds great Grange We may coniecture what hid powr is given T' infuse among vs from the other Seaven From each of those which for their vertuerare Th' Almighty placed in a proper Sphear Reiecting the Stoiks he sheweth that God as the first Cause doth order all things and what vse we should make of the force Course Light of the coelesti all bodies Not that as Stoiks I intend to tye With Iron Chains of strong Necessitie Th' Eternal's hands and his free feet enstock In Destinies hard Diamantin Rock I hold that God as The first Cause hath giv'n Light Course and Force to all the Lamps of Heav'n That still he guides them and his Providence Disposeth free their Fatall influence And that therefore the rather we belowe Should study all their Course and Force to knowe To th' end that seeing through our Parents Fall T' how many Tyrants we are waxen thrall Euer since first fond Womans blind Ambition Breaking made Adam break Heav'ns High-Commission We might vnpuff our Heart and bend our Knee T' appease with sighs Gods wrathfull Maiestie Beseeching him to turn away the storms Of Hail and Heat Plague Dearth and dreadfull Arms Which oft the angry Starrs with bad Aspects Threat to be falling on our stubborn necks To give vs Curbs to bridle th' ill proclivitie We are inclin'd-to by a hard Nativitie To pour som Water of his Grace to quench Our boyling Fleshes fell Concupiscence To calm our many passions spirituall tumours Sprung from corruption of our vicious humours Latonian Twinns Parents of Years and Months Heer proceeding to the second part of this book he treateth at large of the Sun and Moon Alas why hide you so your shining Fronts What nill you shew the splendor of your ray But through a Vail of mourning Clouds I pray I pray pul-off your mufflers and your moorning And let me see you in your native burning And my deer Muse by her eternall flight Shal spread as far the glory of your Light As you your selues run in alternat Ring Day after Night Night after Day to bring Thou radiant Coach-man running end-les course Of the Sun entring into the descriptioÌ„ wherof he confesseth that he knowes not well where to begin Fountain
his courage ' gan to gather When he perceiv'd no rage but pitty rather In his new Hoast who with milde looks and meek Seem'd as it were succour of him to seek Showing him oft one of his paws wherein A festering thorn for a long time had been Then though still fearfull did the Slaue draw nigher And from his foot he lightly snatcht the Bryer And wringing gently with his hand the wound Made th' hot impostume run vpon the ground Thenceforth the Lion seeks for Booties best Through Hill and Dale to cheer his new-com Guest His new Physician who for all his cost Soon leaues his Lodging and his dreadfull Hoast And once more wanders through the wildernes Whether his froward Fortune would address Vntill re-taen his fell Lord brought him home For Spectacle vnto Imperiall Rome To be according to their barbarous Laws Bloudily torn with greedy Lions paws Fell Canniball Flint-harted Polyphem If thou would'st needs exactly torture him Inhumane Monster hatefull Lestrigon Why from thine owne hand hast thou let him gon To Bears and Lions to be giuen for prey Thy self more fell a thousand-fold then they African Panthers Hyrcan Tigres fierce Cleonian Lions and Panonian Bears Be not so cruell as who violates Sacred Humanity and cruciates His loy all subiects making his recreations Of Massacres Combats and sharp Taxations ' Boue all the Beasts that fill'd the Martian Field With bloud and slaughter one was most beheld One valiant Lion whose victorious fights Had conquered hundreds of those guilty wights Whose feeble skirmish had but striv'n in vain To scape by combat their deserued pain That very Beast with faint and fearfull feet This Runnagate at last is forç't to meet And being entred in the bloody List The Lion rowz'd and ruffles-vp his Crest Shortens his body sharpens his grim ey And staring wide he roareth hideously Then often swindging with his sinnewy train Somtimes his sides somtimes the dusty Plain Hewhets his rage and strongly rampeth on Against his foe who nigh already gon To drink of Lethè lifteth to the Pole Religious vows not for his life but soule After the Beast had marcht som twenty pase He sodain stops and viewing well the face Of his pale foe remembred rapt with ioy That this was he that eased his annoy Wherefore conuerting from his hatefull wildenes From pride to pitty and from rage to mildenes On his bleak face he both his eyes doth fix Fawning for homage his lean hands he licks The Slaue thus knowing and thus being knowen Lifts to the Heav'ns his front now hoary growen And now no more fearing his tearing paws He stroaks the Lion and his poule he claws And learns by proof that a good turn at need At first or last shall be assur'd of meed THER 's vnder Sun as Delphos God did showe No better Knowledge then Our self to Knowe Noscete ipsuÌ„ Ther is no Theam more plentifull to sean Then is the glorious goodly Frame of MAN The second part of this sixt book Wherein is discoursed at large of the creatioÌ„ of Man For in Man's self is Fire Aire Earth and Sea Man 's in a word the World's Epitomé Or little Map which heer my Muse doth try By the grand Pattern to exemplifie A witâ—y Mason doth not with rare Art And of the wonders of Gods wisedom appearing both in his body and Soule Into a Palace Paros Rocks conuert Seel it with gold and to the Firmament Rayse the proud Turrets of his Battlement And to be brief in every part of it Beauty to vse vse vnto beauty fit To th' end the Skrich-Owl and the Night-Rav'n should In those fair walls their habitations hold But rather for som wise and wealthy Prince Able to iudge of his arts excellence Even so the Lord built not this All-Theater For the rude guests of Air and Woods and Water The world made for Man But all for Him who whether he survey The vast salt kingdoms or th' Earth's fruitfull clay Or cast his eys vp to those twinkling Eys That with disordered order gild the Skyes Can every-where admire with due respect Th' admired Art of such an Architect Now of all Creatures which his Word did make Man was created last why MAN was the last that living breath did take Not that he was the least or that God durst Not vndertake so noble a Work at first Rather because he should haue made in vain So great a Prince without on whom to Raign A wise man never brings his bidden guest Fit comparison Into his Parlour till his Room be drest Garnisht with Lights and Tables neatly spred Be with full dishes well-nigh furnished So our great God who bountious euer keeps Heer open Court and th' ever-bound-les Deeps Of sweetest Nectar on vs still distills By twenty-times ten thousand sundry quills Would not our Grandsier to his Boord inuite Yer he with Arras his fair house had dight And vnder starry State-Cloaths plaç't his plates Fill'd with a thousand sugred delicates All th' admirable Creatures made beforn Which Heav'n and Earth and Ocean doo adorn All other creatures nothing in respect of Man made to the Image of God with as it were great preparation not all at once but by interims first his Body and then his reasonable Soule Are but Essays compar'd in every part To this divinest Master-Piece of Art Therefore the supream peer-les Architect When of meer nothing he did first erect Heav'n Earth and Aire and Seas at once his thought His word and deed all in an instant wrought But when he would his own selfs Type create Th' honour of Nature th' Earths sole Potentate As if he would a Councell hold he cyteth His sacred Power his Prudence he inuiteth Summons his Loue his Iustice he adiourns Calleth his Goodnes and his Grace returns To as it were consult about the birth And building of a second God of Earth And each a-part with liberal hand to bring Some excellence vnto so rare a thing Or rather he consults with 's onely Son His own true Pourtrait what proportion Gen. 1 16 What gifts what grace what soule he should bestowe Vpon his Vice-Roy of this Realm belowe When th' other things God fashion'd in their kinde The Sea t' abound in Fishes he assign'd The Earth in Flocks but having Man in hand His very self he seemed to commaund He both at-once both life and body lent To other things but when in Man he meant In mortall limbs immortall life to place Hee seem'd to pawse as in a waighty case And so at sundry moments finished The Soule and Body of Earth's glorious Head Admired Artist Architect divine Innocation Perfect and peer-les in all Works of thine So my rude hand on this rough Table guide To paint the Prince of all thy Works beside That graue Spectators in his face may spy Apparant marks of thy Divinity Almighty Father as of watery matter It pleas'd thee make the people of the Water
Not for th' effect it had but should haue kept If Man from duty never had mis-stept For as the ayr of those fresh dales and hills Preserved him from Epidemik ills This fruit had ever-calm'd all insurrections All civill quarrels of the cross complexions Had barr'd the passage of twice childish age And ever-more excluded all the rage Of painfull griefs whose swift-slowe posting-pase At first or last our dying life doth chase Strong counter-bane O sacred Plant divine The excellencie of that Tree What metall stone stalk fruit flowr root or ryne Shall I presume in these rude rymes to sute I Vnto thy wondrous World-adorning Fruit The rarest Simples that our fields present-vs Heal but one hurt and healing too torments vs And with the torment lingring our relief Our bags of gold void yer our bulks of grief But thy rare fruits hid powr admired most Salveth all sores sans pain delay or cost Or rather man from yawning Death to stay Thou didst not cure but keep all ills away O holy peer-less rich preseruatiue We cannot say what Tree it was Whether wert thou the strange restoratiue That suddainly did age with youth repair And made old Aeson yonger then his heir Or holy Nectar that in heav'nly bowrs Eternally self-pouring Hebé pours Or blest Ambrosia Gods immortall fare Or els the rich fruit of the Garden rare Where for three Ladies as assured guard A fire-arm'd Dragon day and night did ward Or pretious Moly which Ioues Pursuiuan Wing-footed Hermes brought to th' Ithacan Or else Nepenthé enemy to sadnes Repelling sorrows and repealing gladnes Or Mummie or Elixir that excels Save men and Angels every creature els No none of these these are but forgeries But toyes but tales but dreams deceipts and lies But thou art true although our shallow sense May honour more then sound thine Excellence The Tree of Knowledge th' other Tree behight Of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Euill Not that itselfly had such speciall might As mens dull wits could whet and sharpen so That in a moment they might all things knowe 'T was a sure pledge a sacred sâ—gne and seal Which being ta'n should to light man reveal What ods there is between still peace and strife Gods wrath and loue drad death and deerest life Solace and sorrow guile and innocence Rebellious pride and humble obedience For God had not depriv'd that primer season Of the excellence of mans knowledge before Sin The sacred lamp and light of learned Reason Mankinde was then a thousand fold more wise Then now blinde Error â—ad not bleard his eys With mists which make th' Athenian Sage suppose That nought hee knowes saue this that nought hee knowes That euen light Pirâ—â—oâ—s wavering fantasies Reave him the skill his vn skill to agnize And th' Abderite within a Well obscure As deep as dark the Truth of things immure Hee happy knew the Good by th' vse of it How he knew good and euill before Sinne. He knew the Bad but not by proof as yet But as they say of great Hyppocrates Who though his limbs were numm'd with no excess Nor stop this throat nor vext his fantasie Knew the cold Cramp th' Angine and Lunacy And hundred els-pains whence in lusty flowr He liv'd exempt a hundred yeers and foure Or like the pure Heav'n-prompted Prophets rather Whose sight so cleerly future things did gather Because the World's Soule in their soule enseal'd The holy stamp of secrets most conceal'd But our now knowledge hath for tedious train Oâ— mans knowledge sincâ— his Fall A drooping life and over-racked brain A face forlorn a sad and sullen fashion A rest-less toyl and Cares self-pining passion Knowledge was then even the soules soule for light The spirits calme Port and Lanthorn shining bright To straight steptfeet cleer knowledge not confus'd Not sowr but sweet not gotten but infus'd Now Heav'ns eternall all-fore-seeing King Why the Lord put man in the Garden of Eden Who never rashly ordereth anything Thought good that man having yet spirits sound-stated Should dwell els-where then where he was created That he might knowe he did not hold this place By Natures right but by meer gift and Grace That he should never taste fruits vn-permitted But keep the sacred Pledge to him committed And dress that Park which God without all tearm On these conditions gaue him as in farm God would that void of painfull labour he Of his exercise there Should liue in Eden but not idlely For Idlenes pure Innocence subuerts Defiles our body and our soule peruerts Yea soberest men it makes delicious To vertue dull to vice in genious But that first travell had no sympathy With our since-travails wretched cruelty Distilling sweat and panting wanting winde Which was a scourge for Adams sin assign'd For Edens earth was then so fertile fat 4. Comparisons That he made onely sweet Essayes in that Of skilfull industry and naked wrought More for delight then for the gain he sought In brief it was a pleasant exercise A labour lik't a pain much like the guise Of cunning dauncers who although they skip â— Run caper vault traverse and turn and trip From Morn till Even at night again full merry Renue their daunce of dauncing never weary Or else of Hunters that with happy luck 2. Rousing betimes som often breathed Buck Or goodly Stagge their yelping Hounds vncouple Winde lowd their horns their whoops hallows double Spur-on and spare not following their desire Themselues vn-weary though their Hackneis tyre But for in th' end of all their iolity Ther 's found much stifness sweat and vanity I rather match it to the pleasing pain Of Angels pure who ever sloath disdain 3. Or to the Suns calm course who pain-less ay 4. About the welkin posteth night and day Doubtless when Adam saw our common ayr Adam admireth the beauties of the World in generall He did admire the mansion rich and fair Of his Successors For frosts keenly cold The shady locks of Forrests had not powl'd Heav'n had not thundred on our heads as yet Nor given the earth her sad Diuorces Writ But when he once had entred Paradise But most especially of the Garden of Eden The remnant world he iustly did despise Much like a Boor far in the Country born Who never having seen but Kine and Corn Oxen and Sheep and homely Hamlets thatcht Which fond he counts as Kingdoms hardly matcht When afterward he happens to behold Our welthy London's wonders manifold In this comparison my Author setteth down the famous City of Paris but I haue presumed to apply it to our own City of London that it might be more familiar to my meere English and vn-trauaild Readers The silly peasant thinks himself to bâ— In a new World and gazing greedily One while he Art-less all the Arts admires Then the faire Temples and their top-less spires Their firm foundations and the massie pride Of all
Kings-euils Dropsie Gout and Stone Blood-boyling Leprie and Consumption The swelling Throat-ache th' Epilepsie sad And cruell Rupture payning too-too bad For their hid poysons after-comming harm Is fast combin'd vnto the Parents sperm But O! what arms what shield shall wee oppose Some not known by their Cause but by their Effects onely What stratagems against those trecherous foes Those teacherous griefs that our frail Art detects Not by their cause but by their sole effects Such are the fruitfull Matrix-suffocation The Falling-sicknes and pale Swouning-passion The which I wote not what strange windes long pause I wot not where I wote not how doth cause Or who alas can scape the cruell wile Some by sundry Causes encreasing and waxing worse Of those fell Pangs that Physicks pains beguile Which being banisht from a body yet Vnder new names return again to it Or rather taught the strange Metempsychosis Of the wise Samian one it self transposes Into som worse Grief either through the kindred Of th' humour vicious or the member hindred Or through their ignorance or auarice That doe profess Apollos exercise So Melancholy turned into Madnes Into the Palsie deep-affrighted Sadnes Th' Il-habitude into the Dropsie chill And Megrim growes to the Comitial-Ill In brief poor Adam in this pitious case Comparison Is like a Stag that long pursu'd in chase Flying for succour to som neighbour wood Sinks on the suddain in the yeelding mud And sticking fast amid the rotten grounds Is over-taken by the eger Hounds One bites his back his neck another nips One puls his brest at 's throat another skips One tugs his flank his haunch another tears Another lugs him by the bleeding ears And last of all the Wood-man with his knife Cuts off his head and so concludes his life Or like a lusty Bull whose horned Crest Another comparison Awakes fell Hornets from their drowsie nest Who buzzing forth assail him on each side And pitch their valiant bands about his hide With fisking train with forked head and foot Himself th' ayr th' earth he beateth to no boot Flying through woods hills dales and roaring rivers His place of grief but not his painfull grievers And in the end stitcht full of stings he dies Or on the ground as dead at least he lies For man is loaden with ten thousand languors An amplification of Mans miseries compared with other Cretures seldomer sick and sooner healed and that by naturall Remedies of their owne hauing also taught Men many practices of Physike All other Creatures onely feel the angors Of few Diseases as the gleaning Quail Onely the Falling-sicknes doth assail The Turn-about and Murram trouble Cattel Madnes and Quincie bid the Masty battel Yet each of them can naturally finde What Simples cure the sickness of their kinde Feeling no sooner their disease begin But they as soon haue ready medicine The Ram for Physik takes strong-senting Rue The Tortois slowe cold Hemlok doth renue The Partridge Black-bird and rich painted Iay Haue th' oyly liquor of the sacred Bay The sickly Bear the Mandrak cures again And Mountain-Siler helpeth Goats to yean But we knowe nothing till by poaring still On Books we get vs a Sophistik skil A doubtfull Art a Knowledge still vnknowen Which enters but the hoary heads alone Of those that broken with vnthankfull toyl Seeks others Health and lose their own the-while Or rather those such are the greatest part That waxing rich at others cost and smart Growe famous Doctors purchasing promotions While the Church-yards swel with their hurtfull potions Who hang-man like fear-less and shame-less too Are prayd and payd for murders that they doo I speak not of the good the wise and learned Within whose hearts Gods fear is wel discerned Who to our bodies can again vnite Our parting soules ready to take their flight For these I honour as Heav'ns gifts excelling Pillars of Health Death and Disease repelling Th' Almighties Agents Natures Counsellers And flowring Youths wise faithfull Governours Yet if their Art can ease som kinde of dolors They learn'd it first of Natures silent Schollers For from the Sea-Horse came Phlehotomies From the wilde Goat the healing of the eys From Stork and Hearn our Glysters laxatiue From Bears and Lions Diets we deriue 'Gainst th' onely Body all these Champions stout Striuesom within and other som without Or if that any th' all-fair Soule haue striken 'T is not directly but in that they weaken Her Officers and spoyl the Instruments Wherwith she works such wonderous presidents But lo foure Captains far more fierce and eger Of foure Diseases of the Soule vnder them cōprehending all the rest That on all sides the Spirit it self beleaguer Whose Constancy they shake and soon by treason Draw the blind Iudgement from the rule of Reason Opinions issue which though self vnseen Make through the Body their fell motions seen Sorrow's first Leader of this furious Crowd Muffled all-over in a sable clowd 1. Sorrow described with her company Old before Age afflicted night and day Her face with wrinkles warped every-way Creeping in corners where she sits and vies Sighes from her hart tears from her blubbered eys Accompani'd with self-consuming Care With weeping Pitty Thought and mad Despair That bears about her burning Coles and Cords Asps Poysons Pistols Halters Kniues and Swords Fouls quinting Enuy that self-eating Elf Through others leanness fatting vp herself Ioying in mischief feeding but with languor And bitter tears her Toad-like-swelling anger And Ielousie that never sleeps for fear Suspitions Flea still nibbling in her ear That leaues repast and rest neer pin'd and blinde With seeking what she would be loath to finde The second Captain is excessiue Ioy 2. Ioy with her Traine VVho leaps and tickles finding th' Apian-way Too-streight for her whose senses all possess All wished pleasures in all plentiousnes She hath in conduct false vain-glorious Vaunting Bold soothing shame-less lowd iniurious taunting The winged Giant lofty-staring Pride That in the clouds her braving Crest doth hide And many other like the empty bubbles That rise when rain the liquid Crystall troubles The Third is blood-less hart-less wit-less Fear 3. Feare her Followers That like an Asp-tree trembles every where She leads bleak Terror and base clownish Shame And drowsie Sloath that counter faiteth lame With Snail-like motion measuring the ground Having her arms in willing fetters bound Foul sluggish Drone barren but sin to breed Diseased begger starv'd with wilfull need And thou Desire whom nor the firmament 4. Desire a most violent Passion accōpanied with others like as Ambition Auarice Anger and Foolish Loue. Nor ayr nor earth nor Ocean can content Whose-looks are hooks whose belly 's bottom-less Whose hands are Gripes to scrape with greediness Thou art the Fourth and vnder thy Command Thou bringst to field a rough vnruly Band First secret-burning mighty-swoln Ambition Pent in no limits pleas'd with no Condition Whom Epicurus many Worlds suffice not Whose
giueth vs a good We sought not for or rather we with-stood So that to hear and see these consequences Of wonders strange we scarce beleeue our senses O! let the King let Mounsieur and the Sover'n That doth Nauarras Spayn-wrongd Scepter govern Gratefull remēbrance of the means therof Be all by all their Countries Fathers cleapt O! let the honour of their names be kept And on brass leaves ingrav'n eternally In the bright Temple of fair Memory For hauing quencht so soon so many fires Disarm'd our arms appeas'd the heav'nly ires Calm'd the pale horror of intestin hates And damned-vp the bi-front Fathers gates Much more let vs deer World-diuided Land Extoll the mercies of Heav'ns mighty hand An imitation thereof by the Translatour in honour of our late gracious Soverain Elizabeth in whose happy Raigne God hath giuen this Kingdom so long peace and rich prosperity That while the World Wars bloody rage hath rent To vs so long so happy Peace hath lent Maugre the malice of th' Italian Priest And Indian Pluto prop of Anti-christ VVhose Hoast like Pharao's threatning Israel Our gaping Seas haue swallowed quick to hell Making our Ile a holy Safe-Retreat For Saints exil'd in persecutions heat Much more let vs with true-heart-tuned breath Recorde the Praises of ELIZABETH Our martiall Pallas and our milde Astraea Of grace and wisdom the divine Idea Whose prudent Rule with rich religious Rest VVel-neer nine Lustres hath this Kingdom blest O! pray we him that from home-plotted dangers And bloody threats of proud ambitious Strangers So many years hath so securely kept her In iust possession of this flowring Scepter That to his glory and his deer Sonns honour All happy length of life may wait vppon her That we her Subiects whom he blesseth by-her Psalming his praise may sound the same the higher But waiting Lord in som more learned Laies To sing thy glory and my Soueraigns praise I sing the young Worlds Cradle as a Proëm Vnto so rare and so Divine a Poëm WHO FVL OF wealth and honours blandishment Among great Lords his younger years hath spent An Elegant cōparison representing the lamentable Condition of Adam and Eue driuen out of Paradise And quaffing deeply of the Court-delights Vs'd nought but Tilts Turneis and Masks and Sights If in his age his Princes angry doom With deep disgrace driue him to liue at home In homely Cottage where continually The bitter smoak exhales abundantly From his before-vn-sorrow-drained brain The brackish vapours of a siluer rain Where Vsher-less both day and night the North South East and West windes enter and goe forth Where round-about the lowe-rooft broken walls In stead of Arras hang with Spiders cauls Where all at once he reacheth as he stands With brows the roof both walls with both his hands He weeps and sighs and shunning comforts ay Wisheth pale Death a thousand times a day And yet at length falling to work is glad To bite a brown crust that the Mouse hath had And in a Dish instead of Plate or Glass Sups Oaten drink in stead of Hypocras So or much like our rebell Elders driuen For ay from Eden Earthly type of Heav'n Ly languishing neer Tigris grassie side With nummed limbs and spirits stupefied But powrfull NEED Arts antient Dame and Keeper The first Maner of life The early watch-clock of the sloathfull sleeper Among the Mountains makes them seek their liuing And foaming Riuers through the champain driuing For yet the Trees with thousand fruits y-fraught In formall Checkers were not fairly brought The Pear and Apple liued Dwarf-like there With Oakes and Ashes shadowed euery-where And yet al as their meanest simple cheer Our wretched Parents bought full hard and deer To get a Plum somtimes poor Adam rushes With thousand wounds among a thousand bushes If they desire a Medlar for their food They must goe seek it through a fearefull wood Or a brown Mulbery then the ragged Bramble With thousand scratches doth their skin be-scramble Wherefore as yet more led by th' appetite Great simplicity in their kinde of life Of th' hungry belly then the tastes delight Liuing from hand to mouth soon satisfi'd To earn their supper th' after noon they ply'd Vn-stor'd of dinner till the morrow-day Pleas'd with an Apple or som lesser pray Then taught by Ver richer in flowrs then fruit And hoary Winter of both destitute Nuts Filberds Almonds wisely vp they hoord The best prouisions that the woods affoord Touching their garments for the shining wooll Their Cloathing Whence the roab-spinning precious Worms are full For gold and siluer wov'n in drapery For Cloth dipt double in the scarlet Dy For Gemms brightlustre with excessiue cost On rich embroideries by rare Art embost Somtimes they do the far-spred Gourd vnleave Sometime the Fig-tree of his branch bereave Somtimes the Plane somtimes the Vine they shear Choosing their fairest tresses heer and there And with their sundry locks thorn'd each to other Their tender limbs they hide from Cynthias Brother Somtimes the Iuie's climing stems they strip Which lovingly his lively prop doth clip And with green lace in artificiall order The wrinkled bark of th' Acorn-Tree doth border And with his arms th' Oaks slender twigs entwining A many branches in one tissue ioyning Frames a loose Iacquet whose light nimble quaking Wagg'd by the windes is like the wanton shaking Of golden spangles that in stately pride Daunce on the tresses of a noble Bride But while that Adam waxen diligent Their Winter Sutes Wearies his limbs for mutuall nourishment While craggy Mountains Rocks and thorny Plains And bristly Woods be witness of his pains Eue walking forth about the Forrests gathers Speights Parrots Peacocks Estrich scattered feathers And then with wax the smaller plumes she sears And sowes the greater with a white horse hairs For they as yet did serue her in the steed Of Hemp and Towe and Flax and Silk and Threed And thereof makes a medly coatso rare That it resembles Nature's Mantle fair When in the Sunne in pomp all glistering She seems with smiles to woo the gawdie Spring When by stoln moments this she had contriv'd Leaping for ioy her cheerfull looks reviv'd Sh' admires her cunning and incontinent ' Sayes on herself her manly ornament And then through path-less paths she runs apace To meet her husband comming from the Chase. Sweet-heart quoth shee and then she kisseth him My Loue my Life my Blisse my Ioy my Gemm My souls deer Soule take in good part I pree-thee This pretty Present that I gladly giue-thee Thanks my deer All quoth Adam then for this And with three kisses he requites her kiss Then on he puts his painted garment new And Peacock-like himself doth often view Looks on his shadow and in proud amaze Admires the hand that had the Art to cause Eues industry in making a Gar ment for her Husband So many seuerall parts to meet in one To fashion thus the quaint Mandilion But when
and Agent of all accidents With whom at once the three-fold times doe fly And but a moment lasts Eternity O God behold me that I may behold Thy crystall face O Sun reflect thy gold On my pale Moon that now my veiled eys Earth-ward eclipst may shine vnto the skies Ravish me Lord O my soules life reviue My spirit a-space that I may see a-lyue Heav'n yer I die and make me now good Lord The Eccho of thy all-cel estiall Word The power of Gods spirit in his Prophets and the difference between such the distracted frantike Ministers of Satan With sacred fury suddainly he glowes Not like the Bedlam Bacchanalian froes Who dauncing foaming rowling furious-wise Vnder their twinkling lids their torch-like eys With ghastly voice with visage grizly grim Tost by the Fiend that fier cely tortures them Bleaking and blushing painting shreeking swouning With wrath-les wounds their sense-les members wounding But as th' Imperiall Airy peoples Prince With stately pinions soaring hy from hence Cleaues through the clouds and brauely-bold doth think With his firm eye to make the Suns eye wink So Adam mounted on the burning wings Of a Seraphick loue leaues earthly things Feeds on sweet Aether cleaues the starry sphears And on Gods face his eys he fixtly bears His brows seem brandisht with a Sun-like fier And his purg'd body seems a cubit higher Then thus began hee Th' ever-trembling field Adam declares to his Son in how many Daiet the World was created Of scaly folk the Arches starry seeld Where th' All-Creator hath disposed well The Sun and Moon by turns for Sentinell The cleer cloud-bounding Ayr the Camp assign'd Where angry Auster and the rough North-winde Meeting in battail throwe down to the soil The Woods that midling stand to part the broyl The Diapry Mansions where man-kinde doth trade Were built in Six Dayes and the Seav'nth was made The sacred Sabbaoth So Sea Earth and Ayr And azure-gilded Heav'ns Pavilions fair Shall stand Six Dayes but longer diversly Then the dayes bounded by the Worlds bright eye The First begins with me the Seconds morn How many Ages it shall endure Is the first Ship-wright who doth first adorn The hils with Vines that Shepheard is the Third 1. Adam That after God through strange Lands leads his Heard 2. Noah And past mans reason crediting Gods word 3. Abraham His onely Son slayes with a willing sword The Fourth 's another valiant Shepheardling 4. Dauid That for a Cannon takes his silly sling And to a Scepter turns his Shepheards staff Great Prince great Prophet Poet Psalmograph The Fift begins from that sad Princes night 5. Zedechias That sees his children murdred in his sight And on the banks of fruitfull Euphrates Poor Iuda led in Captiue heauiness 6. Messias Hoped Messias shineth in the Sixt Who mockt beat banisht buried cruci-fixt For our foul sins stil-selfly-innocent Hath fully born the hatefull punishment The Last shall be the very Resting-Day Th' Ayr shall be mute the Waters work shall stay 7. Th' Eternall Sabbath The Earth her store the stars shall leaue their measures The Sun his shine and in eternall pleasures We plung'd in Heav'n shall ay solemnize all Th' eternall Sabbaoths end-less Festiuall Considerations of Adam vpon that which shuld be fall his Posterity vnto the end of the first World destroyed by the Flood according to the relation of Moses in Genesis in the 4. 5. 6. and 7. chapters Alas what may I of that race presume Next th' irefull Flame that shall this Frame consume Whose gut their God whose lust their law shall be Who shall not hear of God nor yet of me Sith those outrageous that began their birth On th' holy groundsill of sweet Edens earth And yet the sound of Heav'ns drad Sentence hear And as ey-witness of mine Exile were Seem to despight God Did it not suffize O lust full soule first to polygamize Suffiz'd it not O Lamech to distain Thy Nuptiall bed but that thou must ingrain In thy great-Grand-sires Grand-sires reeking gore Thy cruell blade respecting nought before The prohibition and the threatning vow Of him to whom infernall powrs do bow Neither his Pasports sealed Character Set in the fore-head of the Murderer Courage good Enos re-advance the Standard Of holy Faith by humane reason slaunder'd And troden-down Inuoke th' immortall powr Vpon his Altar warm bloud-offrings pour His sacred nose perfume with pleasing vapour And teend again Trueth 's neer-extinguisht Taper Thy pupil Henoch selfly-dying wholly Earths ornament to God he liueth solely Lo how he labours to endure the light Which in th' Arch-essence shineth glorious-bright How rapt from sense and free from fleshly lets Sometimes he climbs the sacred Cabinets Of the diuine Ideas euer-lasting Having for wings Faith fervent l'rayer and Fasting How at sometimes though clad in earthly clod He sacred sees feels all inioyes in God How at somtimes mounting from form to form In form of God he happy doth transform Lo how th' all-fair as burning all in loue With his rare beauties not content aboue T' haue half but all and ever sets the stairs That lead from hence to Heav'n his chosen heirs Lo now he climeth the supernall stories Adiew deer Henoch in eternall glories Dwell there with God thy body chang'd in quality Of Spirit or Angel puts on immortality Thine eys already now no longer eys But new bright stars doe brandish in the skyes Thou drinkest deep of the celestiall wine Thy Sabbaoth's endless without vail in fine Thouseest God face to face and neervnite To th' ONE-TRINE Good thou liv'st in th' Infinite But heer the while new Angell thou dost leaue Fell wicked folk whose hands are apt to reaue Whose Scorpion tongues delight in sowing strife Whose guts are gulfs incestuous all their life O strange to be beleev'd the blessed race The sacred Flock whom God by speciall grace Adopts for his even they alas most shame-less Do follow sin most beastly-brute and tame-less With lustfull eys choosing for wanton Spouses Mens wicked daughters mingling so the houses Of Seth and Cain preferring foolishly Frail beauties blaze to vertuous modesty From these profane foul cursed kisses sprung A cruell brood feeding on bloud and wrong Fell Gyants strange of haughty hand and minde Plagues of the World and scourges of Man-kinde Then righteous God though ever prone to pa Seeing his milde-ness but their malice harden List plead nolonger but resolues the fall Of man forth-with and for mans sake of all Of all at least the living creatures gliding Along the ayr or on the earth abiding Heav'ns crystall windows with one hand he opes Whence on the World a thousand Seas he drops With th' other hand he gripes and wringeth forth The spungy Globeof th' execrable Earth So straightly prest that it doth straight restore All liquid flouds that it had drunk before In every Rock new Rivers doe begin And to his aid the snowes com tumbling in
manly breast a womans heart possesses And who remorse-less lets at any season The stormy tyde of ragetransport his reason And thunders threats of horror and mishap Hides a Bears heart vnder a humane shape Yet of your God you one-while thus pretend He melts in tears if that your fingers end But akea-while anon he frets he frowns He burns he brains he kils he dams he drowns The wildest Boar doth but one Wood destroy A cruell Tyrant but one Landannoy And yet this Gods outrageous tyranny Spoyls all the World his onely Empery O goodly Iustice One or two of vs Have sinn'd perhaps and mov'd his anger thus All bear the pain yea even the innocent Poor Birds and Beasts incurr the punishment No Father no 't is folly to infer it God is no varying light inconstant spirit Full of revenge and wrath and moody hate Nor savage-fell nor suddain passionate Nor such as will for som small fault vndoo This goodly World and his owne nature too All wandring clouds all humid exhalations All Seas which Heav'n through many generations Hath hoorded-vp with selfs-weight enter-crusht Now all at once vpon the earth have rusht And th' endless thin ayr which by secret quils Had lost it self within the windes-but hils Dark hollow Caves and in that gloomy hold To ycy crystall turned by the cold Now swiftly surging towards Heav'n again Hath not alone drown'd all the lowly Plain But in fewe dayes with raging Flouds o're-flowen The top-less Cedars of mount Libanon Then with iust grief the godly Father gall'd Answers of Noah to all the blasphemies of ChaÌ„ and his fellow-Atheists A deep sad sigh from his harts centre hal'd And thus repli'd O false rebellious Cham Mine ages sorrow and my houses shame Through self-conceipt contemning th' holy-Ghost Thy sense is baend thine vnderstanding lost And O I fear Lord falsifie my fear The heavy hand of the high Thunderer Shall light on thee and thou I doubt shaltbe His Furies obiect and shalt testifie By thine infamous lifes accursed state What now thy shame-less lips sophisticate I God be prays'd knowe that the perfect CIRCLE 1. Answer God is infinit immutable Almighty and incomprehensible Whose Center 's every-where of all his circle Exceeds the circuit I conceiue aright Th' Al-mighty-most to be most infinit That th' onely ESSENCE feels not in his minde The furious tempests of fell passions winde That mooveless all he moves that with one thought He can build Heav'n and builded bring to nought That his high Throne 's inclos'd in glorious Fier Past our approach that our faint soule doth tier Our spirit growes spright-less when it seeks by sense To sound his infinit Omni-potence I surely knowe the Cherubins do hover With flaming wings his starry face to cover Nonesees the Great th' Almighty Holy-ONE But passing by and by the back alone To vs his Essence is in-explicable Wondrous his wayes his name vn-vtterable So that concerning his high Maiesty So that men caÌ„not speak of Him but improperly Our feeble tongues speak but improperly For if we call him strong the prayse is small If blessed spirit so are his Angels all If Great of greats he 's voide of quantity If good fayr holy he wants quality Sith in his Essence fully excellent All is pure substance free from accident Why we cannot speak of God but after the manner of men Therefore our voice too-faint in such a subiect T' ensue our soule and our weak soule her obiect Doth alwayes stammer so that ever when 'T would make Gods nameredoubted among men In humane phraze it calls him pittifull Repentant iealous fierce and anger-full Yet is not God by this repentance thus 2. Answere The Repentance and the change which the Scripture attributeth to God is far from Error and defect Of ignorance and error taxt likevs His iealous hatred doth not make him curious His pitty wretched nor his anger furious Th' immortall Spirit is ever calmly-cleer And all the best that feeble man doth heer With vehemence of som hot passion driv'n That withripeiudgement doth the King of Heav'n Two comparisons explaning the same Shall a Physician comfortably-bold Fear-less and tear-less constantly behold His sickly friend vext with exceeding pain And feel his pulse and give him health again And shall not th' euer-self-resembling God Look down from Heav'n vpon a wretched clod Without he weep and melt for grief and anguish Nor cure his creature but himself must languish And shall a Iudge self-angerless prefer To shamefull death the strange adulterer As onely looking fixly all the time Not on the sinner but the sinfull crime And shall not then th' Eternall Iusticer 3. Answer Iustice being a ver tue in Man cannot be a vice in God Condemn the Atheist and the Murderer Without selfs-fury O! shall Iustice then Be blam'd in God and magnifi'd in men Or shall his sacred Will and soverain Might Be chayn'd so fast to mans frail appetite That filthy sin he cannot freely hate But wrathfull Rage him self ly-cruciate Gods sacred vengeance serues not for defence 4. Answer God doth not punish Offenders for defence of his owne Estate but to maintain vertue coÌ„found vice Of his own Essence from our violence For in the Heav'ns above all reach of ours He dwels immur'd in diamantine Towers But to direct our lives and laws maintain Guard Innocence and Iniury restrain Th' Almighty past not mean when he subuerted Neer all the World from holy paths departed 5. The iniquitie of the world deserued exereame punishment For Adams Trunk of both our Worlds the Tree In two fair Branches forking fruitfully Of Cain and Seth the first brought forth a sute Of bitter wilde and most detested fruit Th' other first rich in goodnes afterward With those base Scyons being graft was marr'd And so produced execrable clusters Worthy so wicked and incestuous lusters And then alas what was ther to be found Pure iust or good in all this Earthly Round Cain's Line possest sinne as an heritage 6. When all are generally depraved all merite to be destroyed Seth's as a dowry got by mariage So that alas among all humane-kinde Those mongrell kisses marr'd the purest minde And we even we that have escaped here 7. The least imperfect passe condemnation euen then when they are most liuely chasticed This cruell wrack within our conscience bear A thousand Records of a thousand things Convincing vs before the King of kings Whereof not one for all our self-affection We can defend with any iust obiection God playd no Tyrant choaking with the floods 8. God destroying the workmaÌ„ doth no wrong to the Tools if he break and batter them wâ—th their Maister The earthly Bands and all the ayrie broods For sith they liv'd but for mans seruice sole Man raz'd for sin out of the Liuing Roule Those wondrous tools and organs excellent Their Work-man reft remain'd impertinent Man's only head of all that draweth breath
Pearl and Gold From Russia Furres to keep the rich from cold From Florence Silks From Spayn Fruit Saffron Sacks From Denmark Amber Cordage Firres and Flax From France and Flanders Linnen Woad and Wine From Holland Hops Horse from the banks of Rhine In brief each Country as pleas'd God distribute To the Worlds Treasure payes a sundry Tribute Man lord of the World which for the commodity of his life contributes bountifully all maner of necessaries And as sometimes that sumptuous Persian Dame Out of her Pride accustomed to name One Prouince for her Roab her Rayl another Her Partlet this her Pantofles the tother This her rich Mantle that her royall Chain This her rare Bracelets that her stately Train Euen so may Man For what wilde Hill so steep What so waste Desart what so dangerous Deep What Scaso wrackfull or so barren shoar In all the World may be suppos'd so poor But yields him Rent and free from enuious Spight Contributes frankly to his Lifes Delight The same more especially dilated in the particulars Th' inammell'd Valleys where the liquid glass Of siluer Brooks in curled streams doth pass Serue vs for Gardens and their flowerie Fleece Affoords vs Sythe-work yeerly twice or thrice The Plains for Corn the swelling Downs for Sheep Small Hills for Vines the Mountains strangely-steep Those Heav'n-climbe Ladders Labyrinths of wonder Cellars of winde and Shops of sulphury Thunder Where stormie Tempests haue their vgly birth Which thou mis-call'st the blemish of the Earth Thinking profane that God or Fortune light Made them of enuie or of ouersight Bound with eternall bounds proud Emperies Bear mighty Forrests full of Timber-Trees Whereof thou buildest Ships and Houses fair To trade the Seas and fence thee from the Ayr Spew spacious Riuers full of fruitfull Breed Which neighbour-Peoples with their plenty feed Fatten the Earth with fresh sweet fertill mists Driue gainfull Mills and serue for Forts and Lists To stop the Furie of Warres waste-full hand And ioyn to th' Sea the middle of the Land The Wyldes and Desarts which so much amaze-thee Are goodly Pastures that do daily graze-thee Millions of Beasts for tillage and besides Store thee with flesh with Fleeces and with Hides Yea the vast Sea which seems but only good To drown the World and couer with his Flood So many Countries where we else might hope For thrifty pains to reape a thankfull Crop Is a large Lardar that in brynie Deeps To nourish thee a World of Creatures keeps A plentious Victualler whose prouisions serue Millions of Citties that else needs must starue Like half-dead Dolphins which the Ebb le ts lie Gasping for thirst vpon the sand a-drie ' Tincreaseth Trade Iournies abbreuiates The flitting Clouds it cease-les exhalates Which cooling th' ayr and gushing down in rain Make Ceres Sons in sight to mounta-main But shall I still be Boreas Tennis-ball Here as it were wearied with so long a voyage from so broad bottom-les an Ocean in imitation of the inimitable Author the Translator hoping kind entertainmeÌ„t puts in for the Port of England whose happy praises hee prosecutes at large Concluding with a zealous Praier for preseruation of the King and prosperity of his Kingdoms Shall I be still stern Neptunes tossed Thrall Shall I no more behold thy natiue smoak Deer Ithaca Alas my Barkis broak And leaks so fast that I can rowe no more Help help my Mates make haste vnto the shoar O! we are lost vnless som friendly banks Quickly receiue our Tempest-beaten planks Ah courteous ENGLAND thy kinde arms I see Wide-stretched out to saue and welcom me Thou tender Mother wilt not suffer Age To snowe my locks in Forrein Pilgrimage That fel Bresile my breath-les Corps should shrowd Or golden Peru of my Praise be prowd Orrich Cathay to glory in my Verse Thou gav'st me Cradle thou wilt giue me Herse All-haile deer ALEION Europ's Pearl of price The Worlds rich Garden Earths rare Paradise Thrice-happy Mother which ay bringest-forth Such Chiualry as daunteth all the Earth Planting the Trophies of thy glorious Arms By Sea and Land where euer Titan warms Such Artizans as do wel-neer Eclipse Fair Natures praise in peer-les Workmanships Such happy Wits as Egypt Greece and Rome At least haue equall'd if not ouer-com And shine among their Modern learned Fellows As Gold doth glister among paler Yellows Or as Apollo th' other Planets passes Or as His Flowr excels the Medow-grasses Thy Riuers Seas thy Cities Shires do seem Ciuil in manners as in buildings trim Sweet is thine Ayr thy Soyl exceeding Fat Fenç't from the World as better-worth then That With triple Wall of Water Wood and Brass Which neuer Stranger yet had power to pass Saue when the Heav'ns haue for thy haynous Sin By som of Thine with false Keys let them in About thy borders O Heav'n-blessed I LE There neuer crawls the noy som Crocodile Nor Bane-breath'd Serpent basking in thy sand Measures an Acre of thy flowry Land The swift foot Tiger or fierce Lioness Haunt not thy Mountains nor thy wilderness Nor rauening Wolues worry thy tender Lambs Bleating for help vnto their help-les Dams Nor subtle Sea-Horse with deceiptfull Call Intice thy Children in thy Floods to fall What though thy Thames and Tweed haue neuer rowl'd Among their grauel massie grains of Gold What though thy Mountains spew no Siluer-streams Though euery Hillock yield not pretious Gemms Though in thy Forrests hang no Silken Fleeces Nor sacred Incense nor delicious Spices What though the clusters of thy colder Vines Distill not Clarets Sacks nor Muscadines Yet are thy Wolls thy Corn thy Cloath thy Tin Mines rich enough to make thee Europes Queen Yea Empress of the World Yet not sufficient To make thee thankfull to the Cause efficient Of all thy Blessings Who besides all this Hath now nine Lustres lent thee greater Bliss His blessed Word the witnes of his fauour To guide thy Sons vnto his Son their Sauer With Peace and Plenty while from War and Want Thy neighbours Countries neuer breathed scant And last not least so far beyond the scope Of Christians Fear and Anti-Christians Hope When all thy Fall seem'd to Prognosticate Hath higher rais'd the glory of thy State In raysing STVARDS to thy regal Throne To Rule as Dauid and as Salomon With prudence Prowess Iustice and Sobrietie Thy happy People in Religious Piety Otoo-too happy too-too fortunate Knew'st thou thy Weal or wert thou not ingrate But least at last Gods righteous wrath consume-vs If on his patience still we thus presume-vs And least at last all Blessings had before Double in Curses to torment-vs more Deer Mother ENGLAND bend thine aged knee And to the Heav'ns lift vp thy hands with me Off with thy Pomp hence with thy Pleasures past Thy Mirth be Mourning and thy Feast a FAST And let thy soule with my sad soule confesse Our former sins and â—oul vnthankefulnes Pray we the Father through th' adopting Spirit Not measure vs
according to our merit Nor strictly weigh at his High Iustice Beam Our bold Rebellions and our Pride extream But for his Son our deer Redeemer's sake His Sacrifice for our Sins Ransom take And looking on vs with milde Mercies Ey Forgiue our Past our Future Sanctifie That neuer more his Furie we incense To strike as Now with raging Pestilence Much less prouoke him by our guilt so far To wound vs more with Famine and with War Lord cease thy wrath Put vp into thy Quiuer This dreadfull shaft Deer Father vs deliuer And vnder wings of thy protection keep Thy seruant IAMES both waking and a-sleep And furthermore we with the Psalmist sing Lord giue thy iudgements to our Lord the King Psalm 72. And to his Son and let there aye be one Of his Male Seed to sit vpon his Throne To feed thy Folk in Iacob and aduance In Israel thy deer Inheritance And long-long-liued full of Faith and Zeal Reform like Asa Church and Common-weal Raysing poor Vertue razing proudest Vice Without respect of Person or of Price That all bold Atheists all Blasphemers then All Popish Traytors may be weeded clean And Curst be All that say not heer Amen FINIS THE COLVMNES THE IIII. PART OF THE II. DAY OF THE II. WEEK THE ARGVMENT Seth's Pillars found Heber instructs his Son In th' vse therof and who them first begun Opens the One and findes on seuerall Frames Foure liuely Statues of foure louely Dames The Mathematiks furnisht each apart With Equipages of their seuerall Art Wonders of Numbers and Geómetrie New Obseruations in Astronomy Musiks rare force Canaan the Cursed cause Of Hebers stop and BARTA swittie pause IF euer Lord the purest of my Soule Being about to treat of the Mâ—thematicks our Poet heâ—r imploreth especiall assistance in handling so high and difficult a Subiâ—ct In sacred Rage were rapt aboue the Pole If euer by thy Spirit my spirit inspir'd Offred thee Layes that learned France admir'd Father of Light Fountain of learned Art Now now or neuer purge my purest part Now quintessence my Soule and now aduance My care-free Powrs in som celestiall Trance That purg'd from Passion thy Diuine address May guide me through Heav'ns glistring Palaces Where happily my deer VRANIA'S grace And her fair Sisters I may all imbrace And the melodious Syrens of the Sphears Charming my senses in those sweets of theirs So rauished I may at rest contemple The Starrie Arches of thy stately Temple Vnto this end that as at first from thee Our Grand-sires learn'd Heav'ns Course and Qualitie Thou now mai'st prompt me som more lofty Song As to this lofty Subiect doth belong AFTER THAT Mens strife-hatching haut Ambition The occasion and ground of this Discourse Had as by lot made this lowe Worlds partition Phalec and Heber as they wandred sand A huge high Pillar which vpright did stand Much like a Rock amid the Ocean set Seeming great Neptunes surly pride to threat Whereon a Pharos bears a Lanthorn bright To saue from Shipwrack those that sayl by night And afterward another nigh as great But not so strong so stately nor so neat For on the flowrie field it lay all flat Built but of Brick of rusty Tyles and Slat Whereas the First was builded fair and strong Of Iasper smooth and Marble lasting long What Miracles what monstrous heaps what Hills Phalecs Question Heav'd-vp by hand what Types of antike Skills In form-les Forms quoth Phalec Father showe For th' Ages past I knowe full well you knowe Pray teach me who did both these Works erect About what time and then to what effect Old Seth saith Heber Adams Scholler yerst Hebers answer Who was the Scholler of his maker first Hauing attain'd to knowe the course and sites Th' aspect and greatnes of Heav'ns glistring Lights He taught his Children whose industrious wit Through diligence grew excellent in it For while their flocks on flowrie shoars they kept Of th' Eastern Floods while others soundly slept Hushing their cares in a Night-shortning nap Vpon Obliuions dull and sense-les Lap They liuing lusty thrice the age of Ravens Observ'd the Twinkling Wonders of the Heav'ns And on their Grand-sires firm and goodly ground Asumptuous building they in time doo found But by Tradition Cabalistâ—k taught That God would twice reduce this world to nought By Flood and Flame they reared cunninglie This stately payr of Pillars which you see Long-time safe-keeping for their after-Kin A hundred learned Mysteries therein This hauing sayd old Heber drawing nigher The openìng of the Pillars Opens a Wicket in the Marble Spire Where Phalec following soon perceive they might A pure Lamp burning with immortal light As a mean person who though oft-disgraç't By churlish Porters is conuaigh'd at last Simile To the Kings Closet rapt in deep amaze At th' end-les Riches vp and down doth gaze So Phalec fares O father cries he out What shapes are these heere placed round about So like each other wrought with equall skill That foure rain-drops cannot more like distill What Tools are these what diuine secrets lie Hidden within this learned Mysterie These foure quoth Heber Foure bright Virgins are The liberall Sciences Heav'ns Babes and Sisters the most fair and rare That e're begot th' eternall Spirit ex-pir'd From double Spirit or humane soule admir'd This first that still her lips and fingers moues Arithmetike And vp and down so sundry-wayes remoues Her nimble Crowns th' industrious Art it is Which knowes to cast all Heav'ns bright Images All Winters hail and all the gawdy flowrs Wherewith gay Flora pranks this Globe of ours Shee 's stately deckt in a most rich Attire All kinde of Coyns in glistering heaps ly by-her Vpon her sacred head Heav'n seems to drop A richer showr then fell in Danâ—es Lap A gold-ground Robe and for a Glass to look Down by her girdle hangs a Table-book Wherein the chief of her rare Rules are writ To be safe-guarded from times greedy bit Mark heer what Figure stands for One the right Her Numbers Root of all Number and of Infinite 1 Loues happiness the praise of Harmonie Nurcerie of All and end of Polymnie No Number but more then a Number yet Potentially in all and all in it 2 Now note Two's Character One's heir apparant As his first-born first Number and the Parent 3 Of Female Payrs Heer now obserue the Three Th' eldest of Odds Gods number properly Wherein both Number and no-number enter Heav'ns deerest Number whose inclosed Center Doth equally from both extreams extend The first that hath beginning midst and end The Cubes-Base Foure a ful and perfect summ 4 Whose added parts iust vnto Ten doo com Number of Gods great Name Seasons Complexions Windes Elements and Cardinall Perfections Th' Hermaphrodite Fiue neuer multipli'd 5 By'tself or Odd but there is still descri'd His proper face for three times Fiue arriue Vnto Fifteen Fiue Fiues to Twenty fiue The
And Lees of All doth hold the lowest place Whom prudent Nature girdeth ouer-thwart With azure Zone or rather euery part Couers with Water winding round about Saue heer and there som Angles peeping out For th' Oceans liquid and sad slyding Waues Sinking in deepest of Earths hollow Caues Seek not within her vast vnequall height The Centre of the wideness but the weight Ther should be th' Ayr the Fire and wandring Seauen The Firmament and the first-mouing Heav'n Besides th' Empyreall Palace of the Saincted Each ouer other if they could be painted But th' Artist faining in the steed of these His 10. Circles Ten Circles like Heav'ns Superficies To guide vs to them by more easie Path In hollow Globe the same described hath ' Mid th' amplest Six whose crossing difference 1 The Equi-noctiall Diuides in two the Sphears Circumference Stands th' Equinoctial equi-distant all From those two Poles which do support this Ball. Therefore each Star that vnderneath it slides A rest-les long and weary Iourney rides Goes larger Circuit and more speedy far Then any other steady fixed Star Which wexeth slowe the more it doth aduaunce Neer either Pole his God-directed Daunce And while Apollo driues his Load of Light Vnder this Line the Day and dusky Night Tread equall steps for learned Natures hand Then measures them a-like in euery Land The next which there beneath it sloaply slides And his fair Hindges from the World's diuides Twice twelue Degrees is call'd the Zodiack 2 The Zodiak The Planets path where Phoebus plies to make Th' Yeers Reuolution through new Houses ranging To cause the Seasons yeerly foure-fold changing Th' other which crossing th' Vniuersall Props 3 The 1. Colure And those where Titans whirling Chariot sloaps Rect-angles forms and crooking cuts in two Heer Capricorn there burning Cancer too Of the Sun's stops it Colure hath to name Because his Teem doth seem to trot more tame On these cut points for heer he doth not ride Flatling a-long but vp the Sphears steep side Th' other which cuts this equi-distantly 4 The 2. Colure With Aries Poles and Scale is like-wisely The Second Colure The Meridian This 5 The Meridian Which neuer in one Point of Heav'n persists But still pursues our Zenith as the light 6 The Horizon Inconstant Horizon our shifting sight For the foure small ones heer the Tropiks turn 7 and 8 The Tropiks Both that of Cancer and of Capricorn And neerer th' Hindges of the golden Sphear Heer 's the South-Circle the North-Circle there 9 and 10 The South and North Circles Which Circles cross not as you see at all The Center-point of th' Vniuersall Ball But parting th' Orb into vn-equall ells ' Twixtth ' Equi-nox and them rest Parallels The Celestiall Globes The other Ball her left hand doth support Is Heav'ns bright Globe for though that Art com short Of Nature far heer may ingenious soules Admire the stages of Star-seeled Poles O what delight it is in turning soft The diuers aspects of the celestiall Bodies The bright Abbridgement of that Vpper Loft To seem to see Heav'ns glorious Host to march In glistring Troops about th' Aethereal Arch Where one for Arms bears Bowe and Shafts a Sword A second hath a trembling Launce a third One fals another in his Chariot rowles On th' azure Brass of th' euer-radiant Bowles This serues a-foot that as a Horseman rides This vp that down this back that forward slides Their Order order-less and Peace-full Braul With-child's the World fils Sea and Earth and All. I neuer see their glaunces inter-iect Simile In Triangle Sextile or Square aspect Now milde now moody but me thinks I see Som frollik Swains amid their dauncing glee Where Men and Maids together make them merry With Iigs and Rounds till Pipe and all be weary Where on his Loue one smiles with wanton eye Wher-at his Riuall frowns for Iealousie But why quoth Phalec hath th' All-Fair who frames Question Nought heer below but 's full of Beauties flames Ingrav'n on th' Orbs of th' azure ' Crystalline Where Beauties self and Loue should euer shine So many hideous Beasts and Monsters fell Fellows more fit for th' vgly Fiends in Hell Surely saith Heber God's all-prudent pleasure Answere Makes nothing Art-less nor without iust measure And this the Worlds chief praise of Beauty carries That in each part it infinitly varies Our learned Elders then who on this Sphear The reason of the names giuen to the 12. Signes of the Zodiak Heav'ns shining Signes imagin'd fitly-fair Did vnto each such Shape and Name deuise As with their Natures neerly symbolize In form of Ram with golden Fleece they put 1. Aries The bi-corn'd Signe which the Yeers bounds doth ' butt Because the World vnder his temp'rate heat In fleece of flowrs is pranked richly neat Of Bull the next because the husband-men 2. Taurus With yoaks of slowe-paç't smoking Bullocks then Tear-vp their Fallows and with hope-full toyl Furbush their Coultars in the Corn-fit soyl Of Twins the third because then of two Sexes 3. Gemini Kinde-cruell Cupid one whole body mixes Then all things couple then Fruits double growe Then Flowrs do flourish and corn Fields do showe The fourth a Lobstars name and frame they made 4. Cancer Because then South-ward Sol doth retrograde Goes Crab-like backward and so neuer stinteth But still his wheels in the same track reprinteth The fift a Lion for as Lions breath 5. Leo. Is burning hot so likewise vnderneath This fiery Signe th' Earth sparkles and the streams Seem sod-away with the Suns glowing beams 6. Virgo The sixt a Maid because with Maid-like honour Th' Earth loatheth then the Suns Loue-glances on her T' inflame her loue and reclus'd as it were This Virgin Season nought at all doth bear Ballance the seuenth because it equall weighs 7. Libra Nights louing-silence and grief-guiding Daies And Heat and Cold and in Must-Month the Beam Stands equi-poiz'd in equipeizing them Scorpion the next because his percing sting 8 Scorpio Doth the first tydings of cold Winter bring The ninth an Archer both in shape and Name 9 Sagittarius Who day and night follows his fairest game And his keen Arrows every-where bestowes Headed with Yce featherd with Sleet and Snowes The next a Kid because as Kids do clime And frisk from Rock to Rock about this Time 10 Capricornus The Prince of Planets with the locks of Amber Begins again vp towards vs to clamber And then because Heav'n alwayes seems to weep Vnder th' ensuing Signes on th' Azure steep 11 Aquarius 12 Pisces A deeper and more curious reason of the same Our Parents plaç't a Skinker and by him Two silver Fishes in his floods to swim But if my Son this superficiall gloze Suffice thee not then may we thus suppose That as before th' All-working Word alone Made Nothing be All 's womb and
Embryon Th' eternall Plot th' Idea fore-conceiv'd The wondrous Form of all that Form receiv'd Did in the Work-mans spirit divinelyly And yer it was the World was wondrously Th' Eternall Trine-One spreading even the Tent Of th' All-enlightning glorious Firmament Fill'd it with Figures and in various Marks The repourtray'd Tables of his future Works See heer the pattern of a silver Brook In heauen are patterns of all things that are in earth Which in and out on th' azure stage doth crook Heer th' Eagle plays there flyes the rav'ning Crowe Heer swims the Dolphin there the Whale doth rowe Heer bounds the Courser there the Kid doth skip Heer smoaks the Steer the Dragon there doth creep There 's nothing precious in Sea Earth or Ayr But hath in Heav'n som like resemblance fair Yea even our Crowns Darts Launces Skeyns and Scales Are all but Copies of Heav'ns Principals And sacred patterns which to serue all Ages Th' Almighty printed on Heav'ns ample stages Yea surely durst I but why should I doubt A third witty pleasant and elegant reaso of the names aforesayd To wipe from Heav'n so many slanders out Of profane Rapin and detested Rapes Of Murder Incest and all monstrous Scapes Wher-with heerafter som bold-fabling Greeks Shall foully stain Heav'ns Rosy-blushing cheeks Heer could I showe that vnder euery Signe Th' Eternall grav'd som Mystery divine Of 's holy City where as in a glass To see what shall heer-after com-to-pass As publik and autentik Rowles fore-quoting Confusedly th' Euents most worthy noting In his deer Church his Darling and Delight O! thou fair Chariot flaming braue-ly bright Plaustrum Which like a Whirl-winde in thy swift Career Rapt'st vp the Thesbit thou do'st alwayes veer About the North-pole now no more be-dabbling Thy nimble spoaks in th' Ocean neither stabling Thy smoking Coursers vnder th' Earth to bayt Boâ—tes The while Elisha earnestly doth wayt Burning in zeal ambitious to inherit His Masters Office and his mighty Spirit That on the starry Mountain after him He well may manage his celestiall Teem Close by him Dauid in his valiant Fist Hercules Holds a fierce Lions fiery flaming Crest Heer shines his golden Harp and there his Crown Lyra. Corona Borealis Vrsa minor Pleiades Cuspis There th' vgly Bear bears to his high renown Seav'n shining Stars Lo heer the whistling Launce Which frantick Saul at him doth fiercely glaunce Pure Honours Honour Prayse of Chastity O fair Susanna I should mourn for thee And moan thy tears and with thy friends lament Andromeda Cassiopeia Cepheus With Heav'n-lift-eyes thy wofull punishment Saue that so timely through Heav'ns prouidence Yong Daniel saues thy wronged Innocence Perseus And by a dreadfull radiant splendor spread From Times-Child Truth not from Medusa's head Caput Medusa Condemns th' old Leachers and eft-soons vpon Their cursed heads there hayls a storm of stone Also as long as Heav'ns swift Orb shall veer A sacred Trophee shall be shining heer In the bright Dragon of that Idoll fell Draco Which the same Prophet shall in Babel quel Wher-to more fit may Pegasus compair Pegasus Than to those Coursers flaming in the ayr Before the Tyrant of less-Asia's fury Vsurps the fair Metropolis of Iury Wher-to the Coach-man but Ezechiel That so well driues the Coach of Israel Wher-to the Swan but to that Proto-Martyr Cygnus The faithfull Deacon which endureth torture Yea death for his dead Lord whom sure to meet So neer his end sings so exceeding sweet Wher-to the Fish which shineth heerso bright Piscis Borealis But to that Fish that cureth Tobies sight Wher-to the Dolphin but to that meek Man Delphinus Who dry-shod guides through Seas Erythean Old Iacobs Fry And Iordans liquid glass Makes all his Host dry without boat to pass And furthermore God hath not onely graven On the brass Tables of swift-turning Heav'n His sacred Mot and in Triangle frame Trigonos His Thrice-One Nature stamped on the same Ophiucus But also vnder that stout Serpent-Slayer His Satan-taming Son Heav'ns glorious heir Who with the Engin of his Cross abates Th' eternall Hindges of th' infernall Gates And vnder that fair Sun-fixt-gazing Foul Aquila The God of Gods deer Minion of his Soule Which from his hand reaves Thunder often-times His Spirit his Loue which visits earthly Climes In plumy shape for this bright winged Signe In head and neck and starry back in fine No less resembles the milde simple Doue Than crook-bild Eagle that commands aboue What shall I say of that bright Bandeleev Which twice-six Signs so richly garnish heer Th' Years Vsher doth the Paschal Lamb fore-tell Aties The Bull the Calf which erring Israell Taurus Sets vp in Horeb. These fair shining Twins Gemini Those striving Brethren Isaacs tender Sons The fourth is Salomon who Crab-like crawls Cancer Backward from Vertue and fowl Swine-like fals In Vices mire profanest old at last In soule and body growen a-like vn-chaste Leo. The fift that Lion which the Hair-strong Prince Tears as a Kid without Wars instruments Virgo The sixt that Uirgin euer-maiden Mother Bearing for vs her Father Spouse and Brother The next that Beam which in King Lemuels hand Libra So iustly weighs the Iustice of his Land The next that Creature which in Malta stings Scorpio Th' Apostles hand and yet no blemish brings For 't is indifferent whether we the same A spotted Scorpion or a Viper name Th' Archer is Hagars Son The Goat I ghess Sagittarius Capricornus Aquarius Is Arons Scape-Goat in the Wildernes The next the deer Son of dumb Zacharias Gods Harbinger fore-runner of Messias Who in clear Iordan washeth clean the sin Of all that rightly do repent with-in These Two bright Fishes those wher-with the Lord Pisces Through wondrous blessing of his powtfull Word Feeds with fiue Loaues vpon Asphaltis shoar Abundantly fiue thousand Folk and more But turn we now the twinkling Globe and there Let 's mark as much the Southern Hemi-sphear Ah! know'st thou not this glorious Champion heer Orion Which shines so brightly by the burning Steer Eridanus 'T is Nun's great Son who through deep Iordan leads His Army dry-shod and triumphant treads Canis Canicula â—epus On Canaan Currs and on th' Ammorrean Hare Eoyl'd with the fear of his victorious war See th' ancient Ship which over windes and waues Triumphing safe the Worlds seed-remnant saues Lo heer the Brasen Serpent shines whose sight Hydra Cures in the Desart those whom Serpents bite Heer th' happy Rau'n that brings Elias cates Corvus Heer the rich Cup where Ioseph meditates Cratera Centaurus His graue Predictions Heer that Heav'nly Knight Who prest appearing armed all in white To Maccabeus with his flaming spear So deep at last the Pagan Wolf doth tear Lupus Ara. That on Gods Altar yerst profan'd so long Sweet Incense
fumeth and the sacred Song Of Leuits soundeth in his House again Corona australis Piscis australis And that rich Crown th' Asmonean Race doth gain To rule the Iewes Lo there the happy Fish Which payes Christs Tribute who our Ransom is And heer the Whale within whose noysom breast Balaena The Prophet Ionas for three dayes doth rest A notable correction of the Poet vpon these last Discourses But while my spoaks-man or I rather his Thus Heber comments on Heav'ns Images Through path-less paths his wandring steps doth bring And boldly quavers on a Maiden string Suppose not Christians that I take for grounds Or points of Faith all that he heer propounds Or that old Zeno's Portall I sustain Or Stöâ—k Fate th' Almighties hands to chain Or in Heav'ns Volume reading things to-com Erroneously a Chaldee-Wise becom No no such thing but to refresh again Your tyred Spirits I sung this novell strain That hither-to having with patience past Such dreadfull Oceans and such Desarts vast Such gloomy Forrests craggy Rocks and steep Wide-yawning Gulfs and hideous Dungeons deep You might at last meet with a place of pleasure Wher-on the Heav'ns lavish their plentious treasure Where Zephyre puffs perfumes and silver Brooks Embrace the Meads smiling with wanton Looks Yet curteous Readers who is it can say Whether our Nephews yet another-day More zealous than our selues in things Divine This curious Art shall Christianly refine And giue to all these glistring Figures then Not Heathen names but names of Holy men He â—rocâ—edes to discouer the secrets of Astronomie But seek we now for Heber whose Discourse Informs his Phalec in the Planets course What Epicicle meaneth and Con-centrik With Apogé Perigé and Eccentrik And how fell Mars the Seedster of debate Dayes glorious Torch the wanton Uulcans Mate Saturn and Ioue three Sphears in one retain Smooth Hermes five fair Cynthia two-times-twain For the Divine Wits whence this Art doth flowe Finding their Fires to wander to and fro Now neer now far from Natures Nave above Confusion voyd and rupture to remove Which would be caused through their wanderment In th' Heav'ns inclos'd within the Firmament Have more then men presum'd to make within Th' Eternall Wheels where th' erring Tapers been Sundry small Wheels each within other closed Such equi-distance each-where inter-posed That though they kiss they crush not but the base Are vnder th' high the high the lowe imbrace Simile Like as the Chest-nut next the meat within Is cover'd last with a soft slender skin That skin inclos'd in a tough tawny shel That shel in-cas't in a thick thistly fell Then taks he th' Astrolabe wher-in the Sphear The vse of the Astrolabe Is flat reduced he discovers there The Card of Heights the Almycantharats With th' Azimynths and the Almadarats Pardon me Muse if ruder phrase defile This fairest Table and deface my stile With Barbarism For in this Argument To speak Barbarian is most eloquent On th' other side vnder a veering Sight A Tablevcers which of each wandring Light Showes the swift course and certain Rules includes Dayes names of Months and scale of Altitudes Removing th' Alhidade he spends som leasure To shewe the manner how a Wall to measure A Fountains depth the distance of a place A Countries compass by Heav'ns ample face In what bright starry Signe th' Almighty dread Dayes Princely Planet daily billeted In which his Nadir is and how with-all To finde his Eleuation and his Fall How long a time an entire Signe must wear While it ascendeth on our Hemi-sphear Poles eleuation The Meridian line And divers Hours of Day and night to finde These learned wonders witty Phalec marks And heedfully to every Rule he harks Wise Alchymist he multiplies this Gold This Talent turns encreasing many-fold And then prsents it to his Noble seed Who soon their Doctor in his Art exceed But even as Mars Hermes and Uenus bright Simile Go visit now the naked Troglodite Then Iaue then Guynney and inclin'd to change Oft shifting House through both the Worlds do range Astronomy by whom and how maintained Both Worlds ev'n-halv'd by th' Equinoctiall Line So the perfection of this Art divine First vnder th' Hebrews bred and born anon Coms to the Chaldes by adoption Scorning anon th' olde Babylonian Spires It leaves swift Tigris and to Nile retires And waxen rich in Egypt it erects A famous School yet firm-less in affects It falls in loue with subtil Grecian wits And to their hands awhile it self commits But in renowmed Ptolomeus Raign It doth re-visit the deer Memphian Plain Yet Thence re-fled it doth th' Arabians try From thence to Rome From Rome to Germany O true Endymions that imbrace above Vpon mount Latmos your Imperiall Love Great Queen of Heav'n about whose Bed for Guard The prayse of learned Astronomers and the profit of their Doctrine Millions of Archers with gold Shields do ward True Atlasses You Pillars of the Poles Empyreall Palace you fair learned soules But for your Wrightings the Starrs-Doctrine soon Would sink in Laethe of Oblivion 'T is you that Marshall months and yeers and dayes 'T is you that quoat for such as haunt the Seas Their prosperous Dayes and Dayes when Death ingraven On th' angry Welkin warns them keep their Haven 'T is you that teach the Plough-man when to sowe When the brave Captain to the Field shall goe When to retire to Garrison again When to assault a batter'd Peece and when To conuoy Victuals to his valiant Hoast 'T is you that shewe what season fitteth most For every purpose when to Purge is good When to be Bathed when to be Let-blood And how Physicians skilfully to mix Their Drugs on Heav'n their curious eys must fix 'T is you that in the twinkling of an ey Through all the Heav'nly Provinces do fly 'T is you that greater then our greatest Kings Possess the whole World in your Governings And to conclude you Demi-Gods can make Between your hands the Heav'ns to turn and shake O divine Spirits for you my smoothest quill His sweetest hony on this Book should still Srill should you be my Theam but that the Beauty Of the last Sister drawes my Love and Duty For now I hear my Phalec humbly crave The fourth Mayds name his Father mildely-grave Replyes him thus Obserue my deerest Son Those cloud-less brows those cheeks vermilion Those pleasing looks those eyes so smiling-sweet The description of Musike That grace-full posture and those prety feet Which seem still Dancing all those Harps and Lutes Shawms Sag-buts Citrons Viols Cornets Flutes Plaç't round about her prove in every part This is the noble sweet Voice-ord'ring Art Breath's Measurer the Guide of supplest fingers On living-dumb dead-speaking Sinnew-singers Th' Accord of Discords sacred Harmony And Numb'rie Law which did accompany Th' Almighty-most when first his Ordinance Appointed Earth to Rest and Heav'n to Dance The Heauens Harmony For as they say
can the Steer The whistling Goad-man's guiding language hear It rain'd indeed but not such fertil rain The manner of their punishment by fire and brimstone from Heaven and the reason thereof As makes the Corn in Sommer sprout amain And all things freshed with a pleasant air To thrive and prove more lively strong and fair But in this sink of Sin this stinking Hel A rain of Salt of Fire and Brimston fel. Salt did consume the pleasant fruitfulness Which serv'd for fewel to their Wantonness Fire punished their beastly Fire within And Brimstone's stink the stench of their foul Sin So as their Sin was singular of right Their Punishment was also exquisite Heer open Flames and there yet hidden Fires Burn all to ashes sparing neither Spires Of Brick nor Stone nor Columns Gates nor Arches Nor Bowrs nor Towrs nor even their neighbour-Marches In vain the-while the People weep and cry The same most liuely represented To see their wrack and knowe no remedy For now the Flame in richest Roofs begun From molten gutters scalding Lead doth run The Slats and Tyles about their ears do split The burning Rafters Pitch and Rosin spit The whirling Fire re-mounteth to the Skie About the fields ten thousand sparks do flie Half-burned Houses fal with hideous fray And VVLCAN makes Mid-night as bright as Day Heaven flings-down nought but flashing Thunder-shot Th' Air 's all a-fire Earth's exhalations hot Are spewing AETNA'S that to Heaven aspire All th' Elements in brief are turn'd to fire Heer one perceiving the next Chamber burning With suddain leap towards the window turning Thinks to cry Fire but instantly the smoke And Flame with-out his with-in Voice do choke Another sooner feels then sees the Fire For while O horror in the stinking mire Of his foul Lust he lies a Lightning flash Him and his Love at-once to dust doth dash Th' abhorred Bed is burnt and they aswell Coupled in Plague as Sin are sent to Hell Another yet on tops of Houses crawls But his foot slips and down at last he falls Another feeling all his cloathes a-fire Thinking to quench them yer it should come nigher Leaps in a Lake but all the Lake began To boyl and bubble like a seething Pan Simile Or like a Chaldron that top-full of Oyl Environ'd round with fume and flame doth boyl To boyl to death som cunning counterfait That with false stamp som Princes Coyn hath beat Another seeing the City all in Cinders Himself for safety to the fields he renders But flakes of Fire from Heav'n distilling thick There th' horror of a thousand Deaths do strike Through Adamah's and Gomor's goodly Plains Sodom and Seboim not a soule remains Horse Sheep and Oxen Cows and Kids partake In this revenge for their vile Masters sake Thus hath the hand of the Omnipotent Inroll'd the Deed of their drad Punishment With Diamantin Pen on Plates of Brass With such an Ink as nothing can deface The molten Marble of these cindred Hills Asphaltis Lake and these poor mock-fruit Fields Keep the Record and cry through every Age How God detesteth such detested rage O chastisement most dradly-wonderfull Th' Heav'n-cindred Cities a broad standing Pool O're-flowes yet flowes not whose infectious breath Corrupts the Ayr and Earth dis-fertileth A Lake whose back whose belly and whose shoar Nor Bark nor Fish nor Fowl hath ever bore The pleasant Soyl that did even shame yer-while The plentious beauties of the banks of Nile Now scarr'd and collowed with his face and head Cover'd with ashes is all dri'd and dead Voyd of all force vitall or vegetive Vpon whose brest nothing can live or thrive For nought it bears save an abortiue suit Of seeming-fair false vain and fained fruit A fruit that feeds theey and fills the hand But to the stomach in no steed doth stand For even before it touch the tender lips Or Ivory teeth in empty smoak it slips So vanishing only the nose receiues A noysom savour that behinde it leaues Heer I adiure you vent'rous Trauailours Exhortation to Trauailers that haue seene to others that shall reade or heare these fearefull monuments of Gods seuere Iustice to make right vse of this fearefull Example That visit th' horror of these cursed shoars And taste the venom of these stinking streams And touch the vain fruit of these wythered stems And also you that do beholde them thus In these sad Verses pourtray'd heer by vs To tremble all and with your pearly tears To showr another Sea and that your hairs Staring vpright on your affrighted head Heave-vp your Hats and in your dismall dread To think you hear like Sulph'ry Storms to strike On our nâ—w Monsters for Offences like For the Almightie's drad all-daunting arm Not only strikes such as with Sodom swarm In these foul Sins but such as sigh or pity Sodoms destruction or so damn'd a City And cannot constant with dry eyes observe God's iudgements iust on such as such deserve LOT hies to SEGOR but his wife behinde Lots wise metamorphozed Lagged in body but much more in minde She weeps and wails O lamentable terror O impicus Pity O kind-cruell error The dire destruction of the smoking Cities Her Sons-in-Law which should haue been she pities Grieves so to leave her goods and she laments To lose her Iewels and habiliments And contrary to th' Angels Words precise Towards the Town she turns her wofull eyes But instantly turn'd to a whitely stone Her feet alas fast to the ground be growen The more she stirs she sticks the faster in As silly Bird caught in a subtil gin Simile Set by som Shepheard neer the Copses side The more it struggles is the faster ty'd And as the venom of an eating Canker Simile From flesh to flesh runs every day the ranker And never rests vntill from foot to head O're all the Body his fell poyson spread This Ice creeps-vp and ceaseth not to num Till even the marrow hard as bones becom The brain be like the seul and bloud convert To Alablaster over every part Her Pulse doth cease to beat and in the air The Windes no more can wave her scattered hair Her belly is no belly but a Quar Of Cardon Rocks and all her bowels are A pretious Salt-Mine supernaturall Such as but Salt I wot not what to call A Salt which seeming to be fall'n from Heav'n To curious Spirits hath long this Lesson given Not to presume in Divine things to pry Which seav'n-times seal'd vnder nine Locks do lie She weeps alas and as she weeps her tears Turn into Pearls fro'rn on her twinkling hairs Fain would she speak but forced to conceal In her cold throat her guilty words congeal Her mouth yet open and her arms a-cross Though dumb declare both why and how she was Thus Metamorphos'd for Heav'n did not change Her last sad gestures in her suddain Change No gorgeous Maâ—sole grac't with flattering verse Eternizeth her Trunk her House and Herse But to
defence 'Gainst the tri-pointed wrathfull violence Of the drad dart that flaming in his hand Shall pash to powder all that him withstand And 'gainst the rage of flames eternal-frying Where damned soules ly ever-never-dying Sith the least Flies and Lice and Vermin too Out-braue your braves and Triumph over you Gallop to Anian sail to Iucatan Man caÌ„not hide him froÌ„ the hand of God nor auoid his vengeance Visit Botongas dive beyond the Dane Well may you fly but not escape him there Wretches your haltars still about you bear Th' Almighties hand is long and busie still Having escap't his Rod his Sword you feel He seems somtimes to sleep and suffer all But calls at last for Vse and Principall With hundred sorts of Shafts his Quiver's full Som passing keen som som-what sharp som dull Som killing dead som wounding deep som light But all of them do alwayes hit the White Each after other Now th' Omnipotence At Egypt shoots his Shafts of Pestilence Th' Ox falls-down in his yoak Lambs bleating dy 5. With the Plague of Pestilence The Bullocks as they feed Birds as they fly Anon he covers Man and Beast with cores Of angry Biles Botches and Scabs and Sores 6. With Vlcers grieuous Scabs or Murrain Whose vlcerous venoms all inflaming spread O're all the body from the foot to head Then Rain and Hail and flaming Fire among Spoyl all their fields their Cattel great with young 7. With hail Fire froÌ„ Heauen All brain'd with hail-stones Trees with tempest cleft Robd of their boughs their boughs of leaues bereft And from Heav'ns rage all to seek shelter glad The Face of Egypt is now dradly-sad The SoÌ„ in Virgins tear-their Beauties honour Egyptians amazed at this extraordinary scourge Not for the waste so much as for the manner For in that Country never see they Clowd With waight of Snowes their trees are never bow'd They knowe no Ice and though they haue as we The Year intire their Seasons are but three They neither Rain-bowe nor fat Deaws expect Which from else-where Sol's thirsty raies erect The naturall fruitfulnesse and prosperity of Egypt in it selfe maruailous Rain-les their soyl is wet and Clowd-les fat Itself 's moist bosom brings it this and that For while else-where the River's roaring pride Is dryed-vp and while that far and wide The Palaestine seeks for his thirsty Flock Iordan in Iordan Iaboc in Iaboc Their floud o'reflowes and parched Mâ—sraim A season seems in a rich Sea to swim Niles billows beat on the high-dangling Date And Boats do slice where Ploughs did slide of late Steep snowy Mounts bright Stars Etesian gales You cause it not no those are Dreams and Tales Th' Eternall-Trine who made all compassly Makes th' vnder waues the vpper's want supply And Egypts Womb to fill with fruits and Flowrs Gives swelling Nile th' office of heavenly Showrs Then the Thrice-Sacred with a sable Clowd Of horned Locusts doth the Sun be-clowd And swarmeth down on the rebellious Coast 8. They are vexed with Grashoppers The Grass-hoppers lean dam-devouring Hoast Which gleans what Hail had left and greedy crops Both Night and Day the Husband's whole-year's hopes Then gross thick Darkness over all he dight And three fair Dayes turns to one fearfull Night 9. With palpable darknesse With Ink-like Rheum the dull Mist's drouzy vapours Quench their home-Fires and Temple-sacred Tapers If hunger drive the Pagan from their dens One 'gainst a settle breaketh both his shins Another groping vp and down for bread Falls down the stayrs and there he lies for dead But though these works surmount all Natures might Though his owne Sages them of guile acquight Though th' are not casuall sith the holy-man The Israelites in all these plagues vntoucht yet Pharao still hardned Fore-tels prefixtly What and Where and Whan And though that living in the midst of His The Israelites be free from all of This Th' incensed Tyrant strangely-obstinate Retracts the Leave he granted them of late For th' Ever-One who with a mighty hand Would bring his People to the plentious Land Of Palestine Who providently-great Before the eyes of all the World would set A Tragedy where wicked Potentates Might see a Mirror of their owne estates And who most-iust must haue meet Arguments To showe the height of his Omnipotence Hardens the King and blinding him self-blinde Leaues him to Lusts of his owne vicious minde For God doth never ever purely bent Cause sin as sin but as Sin 's Punishment For the last Charge an Angell in one night 10. Therefore al the first borne of Egypt are slain in one night by the Angel All the first born through all the Land doth smite So that from Suës Port to Birdene Plain Ther 's not a House but hath som body slain Saue th' Israelites whose doors were markt before With sacred Pass-Lamb's sacramentall gore And therfore ever-since on that same day Yeerly the Iewes a Yearling Lamb must slay A token of that Passage and a Type Of th' Holy-Lamb which should in season ripe By powring-forth the pure and plentious Flood Of his most precious Water-mixed Blood Preserue his People from the drad Destroyer That fries the wicked in eternall fier Through all the Land all in one instant cry All for one cause though yet all knowe not why Night heaps their horrors and the Morning showes Their privat griefs and makes them publike woes Scarce did the glorious Governour of Day After so many grieuous plagues the Egyptianâ—ery out vpon their King to let the Israelites goe O're Memphis yet his golden tress display When from all parts the Maydens and the Mothers Wiues Husbands Sons and Siers Sisters and Brothers Flock to the Court where with one common voice They all cry-out and make this mournfull noyse O stubborn stomach cause of all our sadnes Dull Constancy or rather desperat Madnes A Flood of Mischiefs all the Land doth fill The Heav'ns still Thunder th' Ayr doth threaten stil Death ghastly death triumpheth every-where In every house and yet without all fear Without all feeling we despise the Rod And scorn the Iudgements of the mighty God Great King no more bay with thy wilfullings His Wrath 's dread Torrent He is King of Kings And in his sight the Greatest of you all Are but as Moats that in the Sun do fall Yield yield alas stoop to his powrfull threat He 's warn'd enough that hath been ten times beat Go get you gon hence hence vn-lucky race They hasten and importune them to be gone Your eyes bewitch our eyes your feet this Place Your breath this ayr Why haste you not away Hebrews what lets you wherfore do you stay Step to our houses if that ought you lack Choose what you like and what you like go take Gold Plate or Iewels Ear-rings Chains or Ouches Our Girdles Bracelets Carkanets or Brouches Bear them vnto your gods not in the sands Where the
arm shaking his Fawchin keen Wher-with he seems inspight of Heav'n and Hell To fight with Death and menace Israel At last he sinks all vnder water quite Spurning the sand again he springs vpright But from so deep a bottom to the top So clogg'd with arms can cleaue no passage vp As the poor Partridge cover'd with the net Simile In vain doth striue struggle and bate and beat For the close meshes and the Fowler 's craft Suffer the same no more to whuâ—e aloft I to your selues leaue to conceiue the ioy Of IACOB'S heirs thus rescu'd from annoy Seeing the Sea to take their cause in hand And their dead Foes shuffled vpon the sand Their shields and staues and Chariots all-to-tore Floating about and flung vpon the shoar When thus th' Almighty glorious God most High For them without them got the Victory They skip and dauâ—ce and marying all their voices To Timbrels Hawbois and lowd Cornets noyses Make all the shoars resound and all the Coasts With the shril Praises of the Lord of Hoasts 2. Part of this Tract where is discoursed of the estate of the People of Israell in the Wildernesse vntill the death of Moses Eternall issue of eternall Sire Deep Wisedom of the Father now inspire And shewe the sequell that from hence befell And how He dealt with his deer Israell Amid the Desart in their Pilgrimage Towards the Promis'd plentious Heritage Tell for I knowe thou know'st for compast ay With Fire by Night and with a Clowd by Day Thou my soul's hope wert their sole guide and guard Their Meat and Drink in all their Iourney hard Marching amid the Desart nought they lack Heaven still distils an Ocean for their sake Of end-les-good and every Morn doth send Sufficient Food for all the day to spend When the Sun riseth and doth haste his Race Half ours half theirs that vnderneath vs pase To re-beholde the bewty number order And prudent Rule preventing all mis-order Of th' awefull Hoast lodg'd in the Wilderness So favour'd of the Sun of Righteousness Each coms but forth his Tent and at his dore Findes his bread ready without seeking more A pleasant bread which from his plentious clowd Like little Haile Heav'ns wakefull Steward strow'd The yellow sands of Elim's ample Plain Were heaped all with a white sugred grain Sweet Corianders Iunkets not to feed God giueth them Manna This Hoast alone but even a World for need Each hath his part and euery one is fed With the sweet morsels of an vn-bought bread It is giuen from day to day It never rains for a whole year at-once But daily for a day's prouisions To th' end so great an Hoast so curbed straight Still on the Lord 's wide open hand should wayt And every Dawning haue due cause to call On him their Founder and the Fount of all Each for his portion hath an Omer-full The sur-plus rots mould knead it how they will The Holy-one iust Arbitrer of wrong Allows no less vnto the weak than strong On Sabbaoth's Eve he lets sufficient fall To serue for that day and the next with-all That on his Rest the sacred Folk may gather Not Bodie 's meat but spirituall Manna rather Thou that from Heav'n thy daily White-bread hast Thou for whom Haruest all the Year doth last That in poor Desarts rich aboundance heap'st That sweat-les eat'st and without sowing reap'st That hast the Ayr for farm and Heav'n for field Which sugred Mel or melled sugar yield That for taste-changing do'st not change thy cheer God's Pensioner and Angel's Table-peer It is a liuely figure of Christ the true bread of life O Israell see in this Table pure In this fair glass thy Saviour's pourtraiture The Son of God MESSIAS promised The sacred seed to bruize the Serpents head The glorious Prince whose Scepter ever shines Whose Kingdom 's scope the Heav'n of Heavens confines And when He shall to light thy Sin-full load Put Manhood on dis-knowe him not for God This Grain is small but full of substance though The same demoÌ„strated by particular conference CHRIST strong in working though but weak in showe Manna is sweet Christ as the Hony-Comb Manna from high and CHRIST from Heaven doth com With that there falls a pleasant pearly deaw CHRIST comming-down doth all the Earth be-streaw With spirituall gifts That vnto great and small Tastes to their tastes and CHRIST is all to all Food to the hungry to the needy wealth Ioy to th' afflicted to the sickly health Pardon to those Repent Prop to the bow'd Life's savour to the Meek Death 's to the Prowd That 's common good and Christ communicate That 's purely-white and Christ immaculate That gluts the wanton Hebrews at the last Christ and his Word the World doth soon dis-taste Of that they eat no less that haue one measure Than who haue hundred and in Christ his Treasure Of Divine Grace the faith-full Proselite Hath no less part than Doctors deep of sight That 's round Christ simple and sincerely-round That in the Ark Christ in his Church is found That doth with certain stinking worms becom Christ th' Ever-Word is scandall vnto som. That raineth not but on the sacred Race Christ to his Chosen doth confine his Grace That 's broken every grain Christ Lamb of God Vpon his Cross-press is so torn and trod That of his Blood the pretious Flood hath purl'd Down from Mount Sion over all the World The people lust for flesh Yet glutted now with this ambrosiall Food This Heav'nly bread so holy and so good Th' Hebrews do lust for flesh a fresh South-winde Brings shoals of Fowls to satisfie their minde God sends them Quailes A clowd of Quails on all the Camp is sent And every one may take to his content For in the Hoast and all the Country by For a days-iourney Cubit thick they lie But though their Commons be thus delicate Although their eyes can scarce look out for fat Although their Bellies strout with too much meat Though Epicures they vomit as they eat Yet still they howl for hunger and they long For Memphian hotch-potch Leeks and Garlick strong They long for the Garlike Onions of Egypt As Childe-great Women or green Maids that miss Their Terms appointed for their flourishes Pine at a Princely feast preferring far Red Herrings Rashers and som sops in Tâ—r Simile Yea coals and clowts sticks stalks and durt before Quail Pheasant Partridge and a hundred more So their fantastick wearisom disease Distastes their tastes and makes them strange to please But when the Bull that lately tost his horn In wanton Pride hangs down his head for lorn For lack of Water and the Souldier bleak Growes without Arms for his owne waight too-weak When fiery Thirst through all their veins so fierce Consumes their blood into their bones doth pearce Sups-vp their vitall humour and doth dry Their whilom-beauties to Anatomy They weep and wail and but their voyce
Conquest Iordan self-divides Re Circumcision what and where and why Sackâ— Iericho Hai won so Achan die Gabaonites guile strange Hail the Sun stands still Nature repines Iews Guide-les prone to ill Adoni-Bezec Sangar DEBORA Barac and Iahel conquer SISARA Samuel succeeds Iews craue a KING a vie Of People-Sway States-Rule and MONARCHIE HAil holy IORDAN and you blessed Torrents Canaan â—alâ—ted Of the pure Waters of whose crystal Currents So many Saints have sipt O Walls that rest Fair Monuments of many a famous Guest O Hills O Dales O Fields so flowry sweet Where Angels oft have set their sacred feet And thou O sacred Place which wert the Cradle Of th' onely MAN-GOD and his happy Swadle And thou O Soil which drank'st the crimsin Showâ— That for our health out of his veins did pour And you fat Hillocks which I take as given For a firm pledge of the full ioyes of Heav'n Where Milk and Hony flowe I see you all Vnder the conduct of my Generall NVN's valiant Son and vnder Gâ—DEO's Sway SANGAR and SAMSON BARAC DEBORA For heer braue Heroes your high Feats I sing Argument of this Tract Thrice sacred Spirit thy speedie succour bring O Spirit which wert their Guide Guard strength stay Let not my Verse their Vertue 's praise betray IOSVAH by Favour nor by Bribes obtains A higher Rank then Royall Soveraigns Iosuah his iust authority over the People of Israell Who buies in gross he by retail must sell And who gives Favour Favour asks as well He gets it not by Fortune she is sight-les Neither by Force for who so enters Right-les By Force is forced to go out with shame Norsodain climbs he raw vnto the same For to high Place who mounts not step by step He coms not down but head-long down doth leap But even as that grave-gracefull Magistrate Simile Which now with Conscience Law doth Moderate Was first a Student vnder others aw Then Barister then Counseller at-Law Then Queens-Solicitor then Roules Arbitrer And then Lord-Keeper now LORD CHANCELER He coms to 't by degrees and having first Show'n himself wise inspying Canaan yerst Faith-full to MOSES in his Ministrings And Stout in Fight against the Heathen Kings God makes him CAPTAIN and the sacred Priests Pronounce him so the People pleased is But in his State yer he be stall'd almost His first Oration to the People Set in the midst of God's beloved Hoast He thus dilates O happy Legions deer Which sacred Arms vnder Heav'ns Ensignes bear Fear not that I yet forty years again Your wandring Troops in these vast sands should train 'Twixt Hope and Fear th' vn-hallowed Offerings The proud revolts blasphemous Murmurings Of your stiff Fathers have with-holden rather Then whole with-draw'n th' aid of your heav'nly Father God tenders it in time and pacifi'd Nills the set Term without effect should slide Serve him therfore now take him at his word And now to Canaan march with one accord And bravely showe that th' Hoast of ISRAEL In Valour far doth his drad Fame excell Courageous IACOB ARAD's stoutest hearts And strongest Holdes have prov'd thy Pikes and Darts The Madianits have thine Arms thunder knowen Th' hast razed Bazan ransackt Hezebon Scap't scaly Serpents in these Desarts vast Crost the Red-Sea and Heav'n-prop SINA past And sent to Hell thy draddest Foes Lo now God offers thee the Crown accept it thou He vrgeth particularly Ruben Gad and Manasses to take part with their Brethren in prosecuting the Conquest of Canaan Then turning him to RVBEN and to GAD And to MANASSES who their Portion had By MOSES grant on Iordan's Eastern verge War-eloquent he thus proceeds to vrge Can you my Harts finde in your hearts to leave Your Ranks and vs thus of your aids bereave Will you ly wrapped in soft beds a-sleep While in colde Trenches your poor Brethren keep Will you sit washing when your Feasts be don In sweet Rose-water while that Orion His cloudy store in storm-full fury pours And drowns your Brethren with continuall showrs Will you go Dance and dally to and fro While in the Field they march to charge the Foe Will you expect a part with them in gain While they the blowes and all the brunt sustain God shield you should dishonour so your Blood Nay rather leaving on this side the Flood Your Wives and Children and vnfit for Battell Your aged Parents and your Heards of Cattell Com arm your selves t' advance our Victories The general and â—oifull answer of the people And share with vs in Perill as in Prize O noble Prince then all the Hoast repli'd March-on a Gods name and good Hap betide Were Canaan turn'd another Wildernes Were there before vs yet more crimsin Seas Were Horeb Carmel and Mount Seâ—r set Each vpon other vpto Heav'n to get We 'll follow thee through all and onely th' end Of our owne lyves shall our brave Iourney end After the Ark then march they in aray Direct to Iordan praising all the way That living God whose match-les mighty hand Parted the Sea that they might pass by land Hoar-headed Iordan neatly lodged was A Poeticall and pleasant description of the River Iordan In a large Cave built all of beaten Glass Whose waved Seeling with exceeding cost The Nymphs his Daughters rarely had imbossâ— With Pearls and Rubies and in-lay'd the rest With Nacre checks and Corall of the best A thousand Streamlings that n'er saw the Sun With tribute silver to his seruice run There IRIS AVSTER and Clowds blewly black Continually their licour leave and take There th' aged Flood lay'd on his mossie bed And pensive leaning his flag-shaggie head Vpon a Tuft where th' eating waves incroach Did gladly wait for ISRAELS approach Each hair he hath is a quick-flowing stream His sweat the gushing of a storm extream Each sigh a Billow and each sob he sounds A swelling Sea that over-flowes his bounds His weak gray eyes are alwaies seen to weep About his loins a rush-Belt wears he deep A Willow Wreathe about his wrinkled brows His Father NEREVS his complexion showes So soon as He their welcom rumour heard His frosty head aboue the Waues he rear'd With both his hands strook back behinde his ears The waving Tresses of his weeping hairs And then perceiuing IACOB's Army stay'd By his prowd streams he chid them thus and said Presumptuous Brook dar'st thou ingratefull Torrent Prosopopoeia Lift-vp thy horn lash-out thy swelling Current Against the Lord and over-flowe thy bound To stop his passage Shall the Floods profound Of the proud Ocean to his Hoast giue-way Shall Egypt's honour shall that Gulf I say That long large Sea which with his plentious waues A third or fourth part of the World be-laues Shall That yield humbly at his Servant's beck And thou poor Rill or gutter in respect Resist himself his glorious self that Inns Heer in his Ark between the Cherubins And saying so he on his shoulder flung His deep
to vndo-vs As these neer Nations Israel accords And with an Oath confirms the solemn words So I good Lord perceiving all the Seed A sacred application of their profane example Of Sin-full Adam vnto Death decreed Doom'd to the Vengeance of thy Fury fell And damn'd for ever to the deepest Hell Would fain be free but if I should alas Com as I am before thy glorious face Thou righteous God wilt turn thine eyes away For Flesh and Blood possess not Heav'n for ay And the strict Rigour of thy Iustice pure Cannot O Lord the least of sins endure Oh then what shall I do I 'll similize These Gabaonites I will myself disguize To gull thee Lord for even a holy Guile Findes with thee grace and fauour often-while I'll put-on crafty not the cloak of Pride For that was it whereby our Grandsires di'd And Lucifer with his associates fell From Ioys of Heav'n into the Pains of hel But th' humble Fleece of that sweet sacred Lamb Which for our sakes vpon the Cross became So torn and tatter'd which the most refuse Scorn of the Gentiles Scandal of the Iewes And as a piece of Silver Tyn or Lead Simile By cunning hands with Gold is covered I that am all but Lead or dross more base In fervent Crusible of thy free Grace I 'll gild me all with his pure Beautie 's Gold Born a new man by Faith I 'll kill mine old In Spirit and Life Christ shall be mine example His Spirit shall be my spirit and I his Temple I beeing thus in Christ and Christ in me O! wilt thou canst thou driue vs farre from thee Deprive from promis'd new Ierusalem Christ thine owne Likenes and me like to him Bannish from Heav'n whose Blisâ— shal never vade Thy Christ by whom and me for whom 't was made But O presumption O too rash Designe Alas to Will it only is not mine And though I Would my flesh too-Winter-chill My Spirit 's small sparkles doth extinguish still O! therfore thou thou that canst all alone All-sacred Father's like all-sacred Son Through thy deep Mercy daign thou to transform Into thy Self me sin-full silly worm That so I may be welcom to my God And liue in Peace not where the Iewes abode But in Heav'n Sion and that thou maist be Th' vniting glew between my God and me Now Eglon's Hebron's Iarmuth's Salem's Lords And Lachis Kingling after these Accords Wroth that their Neighbours had betrayed so Their common Country to their common Foe Had made so great a breach and by the hand Led as it were th' Hebrews into their Land Set-vpon Gabaon but th' Isacian Prince As iust as valiant hastes to hunt them thence And resolute to rescue his Allies He straight bids Battail to their Enemies The Fight growes fierce and winged Victory The Battaile of the fiue Kings Shaking her Laurels rusht confusedly Into the midst she goes and coms and goes And now she leans to these and now to those Auster the while from neighbour Mountains arms A hundred Winters and a hundred storms With huge great Hail-shot driving fiercely-fell In the stearn visage of the Infidel The roaring Tempest violently retorts Extraordinary Volleys of Hail-shot froÌ„ Heauen vpoÌ„ the Infidels Vpon themselues the Pagans whirling darts And in their owne breasts their owne Launces bore Wher-with they threatned th' Hoast of God before And even as if it enuied the Renown Of valiant Iosuah now by Ganges knowen With furious shock the formost Ranks it whirr'd Vpon the next the second on the third Even as a Bridge of Cards which Play-full Childe Simile Doth in an evening on a Carpet build When som Wag by vpon his Work doth blowe If one Arch fail the rest fall all arowe Each vpon other and the Childe he Cries For his lost labour and again he tries If any resting on his knotty Spear Gainst Arms and storms yet stand out stifly there Th' Hail which the Winde full in his face doth yerk Smaâ—ter than Racquets in a Courtre-ierk Balls 'gainst the Walls of the black-boorded house Beats out his eyes battters his nose and brows Then turn the Pagans but without a vail For instantly the stony storm of Hail Which flew direct a-front direct now falls Plumb on their heads and cleaues their sculs and cauls And ever as they waver to and fro Over their Hoast the Haily Clowd doth go And never hits one Hebrue though between But a sword's length or not so much be seen A bluckler one another a bright helm Over his threatened or sick head doth whelm But the shield broken and helm beaten in Th' Hail makes the hurt bite on the bloody green Those that escape be take them to their heels Iosuah pursues and though his sweat distills From every part he wounds he kills he cleaues Neither the Fight imperfect so he leaues But full of faithfull zeal and zealous faith Thus O strange language thus alowd he saith Beam of th' Eternall daies bright Champion At the command of Iosuah the Sun staÌ„dâ—th stil. Spiall of Nature O all-seeing Sun Stay stand thou still stand still in Gabaon And thou O Moon i' th' vale of Aialon That th' Ammorites now by their hare-like flight Scape noâ— my hands vnder all-hiding Night As a Caroche draw'n by foure lusty steeds Simile In a smooth way whirling with all their speeds Stops suddainly if 't slip into a slough Or if it cross som Log or massie bough The Day-reducing Chariot of the Sun Which now began towards his West to run Stops instantly and giues the Hebrews space To rid the Pagans that they haue in chase Nature amaz'd for very anger shakes DescriptioÌ„ of Na ture who offended therat makes her complaint to GOD. And to th' Almighty her complaint she makes Seemly she marches with a measur'd pase Choler puts colour in her lovely face From either nipple of her bosom-Twins A liuely spring of pleasant milk their spins Vpon her shoulders Atlas-like she bears The frame of All down by her side shee wears A golden Key wher-with shee letteâ—h-forth And locketh-vp the Treasures of the Earth A sumptuous Mantle to her heels hangs down Wher-in the Heavens the Earth and Sea is showen The Sea in Silver woven the Earth in Green The Heav'ns in azure with gold threds between All-quickning Loue fresh Beauty smiling Youth And Fruitfulness each for her fauour su'th Grace still attends ready to do her honour Riches and Plenty alwayes wait vpon her Accoutred thus and thus accompani'd With thousand sighs thus to the Lord she cri'd Prosopopoeia Shall it be sayd a Man doth Heav'n command Wilt thou permit a braving Souldiers hand To wrong thine eldest Daughter ah shall I Haue the bare Name and He th' authority To Govern all and all controul O Lord With the bare winde of his ambitious word Shall I the World's Law then receiue the Law At others hands of others stand in aw If 't be thy pleasure or
ours Should not be numbred by yeers dayes and howrs But by our braue Exploits and this Mortality Is not a moment to that Immortality But in respect of Lady Wisedomes grace Euen at their best the rest are all but base Honour is but a puffe Life but a vapour Salomons choise Wealth but a wish Health but a sconce of paper A glistering Scepter but a Maple twig Gold Drosse Pearls Dust how-euer bright and big Shee 's Gods owne Mirror shee 's a Light whose glance Springs from the Lightning of his Countenance Shee 's mildest Heav'ns most sacred influence Neuer decays her Bewties excellence Aye like her-Self and shee doth alwayes trace Not only the same path but the same pase Without her Honour Health and Wealth would proue Three Poisons to me Wisedom from aboue Is th' only Moderatrix spring and guide Organ and honour of all Gifts beside Her her I like her only Lord I craue Her Company for-euer let me haue Let me for-euer from her sacred lip Th' Ambrosial Nard and rosial Nectar sip In euery Cause let me consult with her And when I Iudge be Shee my Counsailer Let with her Staffe my yet-Youth gouern wel In Pastures fair the Flock of Izrael A compt-les Flock a Flock so great indeed As of a Shepherd sent from Heav'n had need Lord giue her me alas I pine I die Or if I liue I liue her * Pyrausta Flame-bred-Flie And new Farfalla in her radiant shine Too-bold I burne these tender wings of mine Hold take her to thee said the Lord and sith No Bewty else thy soule enamoreth For ready hand-maids to attend vpon her I 'll giue thee also Health and Wealth and Honor For'tis not meet so High-descended Queen So great a Lady should alone be seen The rather that my Bounty may inuite Thee seruing Her to serue Me day and night King SALOMON awaked plainly knew That this Diuine strange Uision neuer grew From the sweet Temper of his sound Complexion But that it was some Peece of more Perfection Some sacred Picture admirably draw'n With Heav'nly pencil by an Angels hand For happy He had without Art the Arts And learning without learning in all parts A more then humane Knowledge bewtifies His princely actions vp to Heav'n he flies He dyues to Hell he sounds the Deeps he enters To th' in most Cels of the Worlds lowest Centers The secret Riddles of the sacred Writ His excellent Uisedome and vnderstanding in all things Are plain to him and his deep-pearcing Wit Vpon few Words of the Heav'n-prompted stile In a few Dayes large Volumes can compile He learned sees the Sun's Eclipse sans terror He knowes the Planets neuer erring Error And whether Nature or some Angel moue Their Sphears at once with triple Dance aboue Whether the Sun self-shine his Sister not Whether Spring Winter Autumn Summer hot Be the Suns Sons what kinde of mounting Vapor Kindles the Comet and the long-taild Taper What boy strous Lungs the roaring Whirlers blow'n What burning Wings the Lightning rides vpon What Curb the Ocean in his bounds doth keep What power Night's-Princesse powrs vpon the Deep Whether the Heav'ns sweet-sweating Kisse appear To be Pearls parent and the Oyster's pheer And whether dusk it makes them dim withall Cleer breeds the cleer and stormy brings the pale Whether from Sea the Amber-greece be sent Or be some Fishes pleasant excrement He knowes why th' Earth's immoueable and round The lees of Nature Center of the Mound He knowes her measure And he knowes beside How Coloquintida duely apply'd With-in the darknes of the Conduit-Pipes Amid the windings of our in-ward Tripes Can so discreetly the White humor take Rheubarb the Yellow Hellebore the Black And whether That in our weak Bulks be wrought By drawing 't to them or by driuing't out In brief from th' Hysop to the Cedar-Tree He knowes the Vertues of all Plants that be He knowes the Reason why the Woolfs fell tooth Giues a Horse swiftnes and his footing sloath Why thy Sex-changing fierce Hyena's eye Puts curstest Curres to silence suddenly Why th' irefull Elephant becommeth tame At the approaching of the fleecie Lamb Why th' eye-bold Eagle neuer fears the flash Or force of Lightning nor the Thunder-clash Why the wilde Fen-Goose which keeps warm her egs With her broad feet vnder her heatfull legs And tongue-les cries as wing-lym'd cannot flie Except she glad Seas brynie glasse descrie He knoweth also whether that our Stone Be baked Earth or Exhalation Whether the Metals that we dayly see Be made of Sulphur and of Mercurie Or of some Liquor by long Cold condens't And by the Heat well purified and cleans'd Or of a certain sharp and cindrous humor Or whether He that made the Wauing Tumor The motly Earth and th' Heav'nly Sphears refin'd All-mighty made them such as now we finde He comprehends from whence it is proceeding That spotted Iasper-stones can staunch our bleeding Saphires cure eyes the Topaz to resist The rage of Lust of drink the Amethist And also why the clearest Diamant Ielous impugns the thefts of th' Adamant Tunes Measures Numbers and Proportions Of Bodies with their Shadowes al 's ' he kons And fild with Nectar-Deaws which Heav'n drips The Bees haue made Honie within his lips But he imbraceth much more earnestly The gain-full Practice than cold Theorie Nor reaks he so of a Sophistick pride Of prattling Knowledge too-self-magnifi'd As of that goodly Art to gouern well The sacred Helms of Church and Common-weal And happily to entertain in either A harmony of Great and Small together Especially Hee 's a good Iusticer And to the Lawes dooth Life and strength confer Simile And as the highest of Bigaurian Hils Ay bears his head vp-right and neuer yeelds To either side scorns Winde and Rain and Snowe Abides all weathers with a cheerfull brow Laughs at a Storme and brauely tramples vnder His steddy Knees the prowd lowd rowling Thunder So Hee 's a Iudge inflexibly-vpright No Loue nor Hatred of the Guilty wight What e'r he wear for Calling small or great His Venging blade can either blunt or whet He spurneth Fauors and he scorneth Fears And vnder foot he treadeth priuate Tears Gold 's radiant Lustre neuer blears his Eye Nor is he led through Ignorance a-wry His Voice is held an Oracle of all The soule of Lawes he wisely can exhale In doubtfull Cases he can subtilize And wyliest pleaders harts anatomize Scarce fifteen times had Ceres since his Birth With her gilt Tresses glorifi'd the Earth When he decides by happy Wisedoms means The famous Quarrel of Two crafty Queans Is' t possible O Earth thus cries the first But that alas thou should'st for anger burst The Controuersie between the 2. Harlots for the liue Child And swallow quick this execreable Quean Is' t possible O gracious Soueraign That comming new from dooing such a deed So horrible she shame-les dares proceed T' approach thy sight thy sacred Throne t' abuse Not begging Pardon
Than Pies to Syrens Geese to Nightingalls 17 Then take Me BARTAS to conduct thy â—eâ— Soar-vp to Heav'n Sing-me th' Almightie's prayse And tuning now the Iessean Harp again Gayn thee the Garland of eternall Bayes 18 I cannot grief-less see my Sisters wrongs Made Bawds to Louers in deceitfull faynings In forged sighes false tears and filthy Songs Lascivious shewes and counterfait complaynings 19 Alas I cannot with dry eyes behold Our holy Songs solde and profaned thus To grace the grace-less praising too-too bold Caligula Nero and Commodus 20 But most I mourn to see râ—â—e Verse apply'd Against the Author of sweet Composition I cannot brook to see Heav'ns King defy'd By his own Souldiers with his own Munition 21 Man's eyes are â—ield-vp with Cimmerian mist And if ought pretious in his Life he reach Through sundry hands by the Heav'ns bounty is' t But God himself the Delphian Songs doth teach 22 Each Art is learn'd by Art but POâ—SIâ— Is a meer Heavenly gift and none can taste The Deaws we drop from Pindus plentiously If sacred Fire have not his brest imbraç't 23 Thence is' t that many great Philosophers Deep-learned Clarks in Prose most eloquent Labour in vain to make a grace-full Verse Which many a Novice frames most excellent 24 Thence is' t that yerst the poor Meonian Bard Though Master means and his owne eyes he misses Of Olde and New is for his Verse preferd In 's stout Achilles and his wise Vlysses 25 Thence is' t that Ovid cannot speak in Prose Thence is' t that Dauid Sheapheard turned Poet So soon doth learn my Songs and Youths compose After our Art before indeed they knowe-it 26 Dive day and night in the Castalian Fount Dwell vpon Homer and the Mantuan Muse Climb night and day the double-topped Mount Where the Pierian learned Maydens vse 27 Read while thou wilt read ouer every Book In Pergamus and in the famous Citie That her great name of Alexander took Still ply thy Pen practise thy language wittie 28 Take time inough choose seat and season fit To make good Verse at best aduantage place thee Yet worthy fruit thou shalt not reap of it For all thy toil vnless Minerua grace thee 29 For out of Man Man must him all advance That time-proof Poëms ever hopes to vtter And extased as in a holy Trance Into our hands his Sensiue part must put-her 30 For as a humane Fury makes a man Less than a man so Diuine-Fury makes-him More than himself and sacred Phrenzie than Above the Heav'ns bright-flaming Arches takes-him 31 Thence thence it is that Divine Poets bring So sweet so learned and so lasting Numbers Where Heav'ns and Nature's secret works they sing Free from the powr of Fates eternall slumbers 32 True Poets right are like winde-Instruments Which full do sound emptie their noise surceases For with their Fury lasts their Excellence Their Muse is silent when their Fury ceases 33 Sith therfore Verses have from Heav'n their spring O rarest spirits how dare you damned scorners Profanely wrest against Heaven's glorious King These sacred gifts given for your lives adorners 34 Shall your ingratefull Penns be alwayes waiting As Seruants to the Flesh and slaues to Sin Wil you your Volumes evermore be fraighting With Dreams and Fables idle Fame to win 35 Still will you fill the World with Loue-sick groans Still will you fawn on Fools and flatter Euill Still will you parbreak loathsom passions Still will you make an Angell of a Diuell 36 Still will you comment on this common Storie And Spider-like weaue idle Webs of folly O! shall we neuer hear you sing the glory Of God the great the good the iust the holy 37 Is' t not enough that in Your soules yee feel Your Paphian Fire but every Brothel-Lover T' inchaunt the wanton with his wanton stile Must Strumpet-like his lust full flame discover 38 Is' t not enough that you your selues do wallow In foul delights but that you must intice Your heed-less Readers your loose Race to follow And so for Vertue make them fall to Uice 39 Tunes Notes and Numbers whence we do transfer Th' harmonious powr that makes our Verse so pleasing The sternest Catoes are of force to stir Mans noblest spirits with gentle Fury seazing 40 And as a Seal printeth in wax almost Another Seal A learned Poet graveth So deep his passions in his Readers ghost That oft the Reader th' Authors form receiveth 41 For Verse's vertue slyding secretly By secret pipes through th' intellectuall Notions Of all that 's pourtraid artificially Imprinteth there both good and evill motions 42 Therfore did Plato from his None-Such banish Base Poëtasters that with vicious verse Corrupted manners making vertue vanish The wicked worse and even the good perverse 43 Not those that car'd to match their gracefull Phrazes To grave-sweet matters singing now the praise Of iustest Ioue anon from errors mazes Keeping th' vn-steady calling-back the strayes 44 O prophane Wrighters your lascivious Rime Makes our best Poëts to be basely deemed As Iugglers Iesters and the scum of Time Yea with the Vulgar less than these esteemed 45 You make chaste Clio a light wanton Minion Mount Helicon a Stews your ribaldrie Makes prudent Parents strict in their opinion To bar their Children reading Poëtry 46 But if you would yet'at the last inure-yee Your Gnidian Idols in the dust to trample And rouze the Genius of your sacred-Furie To shewe the World som holy Works example 47 All would admire your Rimes and doo you honour As Secretaries of the Heav'nly Court And Maiesty would make you waite vpon-her To manage Causes of the most import 48 The chain of Verse was at the first inuented To handle onely sacred mysteries With more respect and nothing else was chanted For long time after in such Poësies 46 So did my Dauid on the trembling strings Of his divine Harp onely sound his God So milde-soul'd Moses to lehouah sings Iacobs deliverance from th' Egyptian's Rod. 50 So Debora and Iudith in the Camp So Iob and Ieremy in cares oppressed In tune-ful Verses of a various stamp Their ioys and sighs divinely-sweet expressed 51 And therfore Satan who transforms him slily T' an Angel of the Light the more t' abuse In 's Oracles and Idols speaking wily Not common Prose but curious Verse did vse 52 So the fond Maid-Priests of Apollo sung His Oracles in sweet Hexameters With doubtfull Riddles from a double tongue To hap-less-hopefull conquered-Conquerers 53 So th' ancient voice in Dodon worshipped So Aesculapius Hamon and the fair And famous Sibyls spake and prophecied In Verse in Verse the Priest did make his prayer 54 So Orpheus Linus and Hesiodus Wher of the first charm'd stocks and stones they say In sacred Numbers dar'd to profit vs Their divine secrets of deep skill conuaigh 55 O! you that long so for the Laurel Crown Where 's possible a richer Theam to take Than his high praise who makes the Heav'ns go round The Mountains tremble and
dark Hel to quake 56 This subiect is a deep broad bound-les Ocean Th' aboundant Horn of Plentifull discourse The Magazin of wealth for Wits quick motion Of diuine Eloquence th' immortall source 57 Base Argument a base stile euer yields But of it self a lofty subiect raises Graue-stately words and of it self it gilds It self and crowns the Author's Pen with praises 58 If then you would suruiue yourselues so gladly Follow not him who burnt to purchase fame DIANA's Temple neither him that madly To get renoun a Brasen Bull did frame 59 Imploy no more th' Elixir of your spirit On Cytheréa and her winged Son How better neuer to be named were-it Then named blamed for a mischief donn 60 We Thrice-three Sisters of Parnassus Hill Be Virgins all your Pallas self is so So is that sacred Tree-turn'd Ladie still From whose pure Locks your stil-green Laurels growe 61 Then consecrate-me rather your Wits miracles To sacred Stories spend your Eloquence In singing loud those holy heav'nly Oracles Pour there your Soules pure pretious quint-essence 62 Let CHRIST as Man-God be your double Mount Whereonto Muse and for the winged hoove Of Pegasus to dig th' Immortall Fount Take th' Holy-Ghost typ't in a Siluer Doue 63 Excelling Works preserue the Memorie Of those that make them The Mausolean Toomb Makes Artemisia Scopas Timothy Live to this day and still in time to com 64 Name-les had Hiram been but for his ayd Towards God's Temple built in Israel And but for God's Ark in dark silence layd Long since had been th' Hebrew Bezaleel 65 Then sith these great and goodly Monuments Can make their makers after death abide Although themselues have Vanished long since By Age and Rage Fier Arms and Storms destroy'd 66 O think I pray how-much-much greater glorie Shall you attain when your Diviner quality In sacred strains shall singth ' Almightie's Storie Sith from immortall things springs Immortalitie 67 I knowe you 'l answer that the Ancient Fictions Are even your Song 's soule and that every Fable Aye breeding other makes by their commixtions To Vulgar ears your Uerse more admirable 68 But what may be more admirable found Then Faith's Effects or what doth more controule Witt 's curious pride or with more force confound The reach and reason of a humane soule 69 I 'ld rather sing the Towr of Babylon Than those three Mountains that in frantik mood The Giants pyl'd to pull love from his Throne And Noah's rather than Deucalion's Flood 70 I 'ld rather sing the sodain shape-depriving Of Assur's Monarch than th' Arcadian King And the Bethanian Lazarus reviving Than valiant Theseus Sonn's re-sodering 71 Th' one only doth delight their ears that hear it The other tends to profit in som measure But only He the Laurel Crown doth merit Who wisely mingles profit with his Pleasure 72 As sweetest walks are by the waters side And safest swimming neer the flowry shoar So prudent writers never do diuide Knowledge from Mirth Mirth from instruction's lore 73 Such shall you be if such a taske you take For teaching others you your selues shall learn-all Rules of good life and happy so shall make As is your subiect your owne Songs eternall 74 Abandon then those Olde-wiues-Tales and Toyes Leave the Blinde Lad who but the blinde abuses And only addle idle hearts annoyes Hence-forth no more profane the Sacred Muses 75 But O! in vain in vain alas I plain-me Som subtle Aspiks to eschew my Charming Stop their dull ears som Epicures disdain-me And my aduice and scoff my zealous warning 76 Som for a season listen to my Laws But soon Relapse through the Worlds sorceries And this discourse which but the Vertuous draws Enters at one ear and at th' other flies 77 Alas I see scarce one nay none at all That courts not Venus or corrupts not more His golden Honie with profaner Gall Although this Age of happy Wits have store 78 But thou my Darling whom before thy birth The Sacred Nine that lip th' immortall spring Of Pegasus predestin'd to set forth Th' Almightie's glory and his prayse to sing 79 Although their Subiect seem a barren soyl Which finest Wits have left for fallow fields Yet do thou never from this task recoil For what is rarest greatest glory yields 80 Faint not my Salust though fell Enuy bark At the bright Rising of thy fair Renown Fear not her malice for thy living Work In spight of spight shall not be troden down 81 That Fames-foe Monster is much like a Curr That fiercely barks at every new-com Guest But once-acquainted after doth not sturr Saving at strangers fawning on the rest 82 Or like a thick dark pitchie Clowd of smoak That round-about a kindling Fier suppresses With waving smother the new Flame to choak But as the Flame augments the Fume decreases 83 Wherefore my deer that sacred Path pursue Where none but Heav'n blest happy spirits can pase And heer I swear that shortly for thy due Among best Wits thou shalt have worthy place 84 With these sweet accents grac't in vtterance VRANIA holding in her Maiden-hand A glorious Crown rapt-vp in sacred Trance My prostrate soule prest to her high Command 85 Since when alone that Love my hearthath fired Since when alone that Winde my sayls hath spread O happy might I touch that Crown desired But with my hand not put it on my head 86 Now out of zeal to your deer Name and You Deer noble Name that I must aye affect And whose Disasters I must euer rue This MONVMENT of Honour I erect To you sweet ESSEX as your Vertues due For an eternall token of Respect Where your great worth and my good-will shall stand Inrowld for ever with VRANIA's hand FINIS THE TRIVMPH of FAITH formerly DEDICATED and now again for euer Consecrated to the grate-ful Memorie of the first kinde Fosterer of our tender Muses my neuersufficiently-Honored deer Vncle W. PLVMB Esq. For whose deer Bones we would a Toomb aduance Of Golde and Silver and CORINTHIAN Brasse VVith Ivorie Pillars mixt with Iette and Rance Rarer and richer than th' olde CARIAN's was And stately deck the same With Stories of his Fame And round-about it wright His Vertues shining bright But sith the most of our poore Meanes alas Not the least part of that Rich Pride affoords For want of Wealth we build a Toomb of Words Which though it cost less shall out-last The proud cloud threatning Battlements Th' aspiring Spires by NILVS plaç't And Hell-deep-founded Monuments For greedy waste of Houres that al things els deuours Spares the sweet Maydes of sacred HELICON And those fayre Ladyes to their Friendes alone This pretious Gift doo give Still after Death to Live THE TRIVMPH OF FAITH To Guy de Faur Lord of Pibrac W. Salustius du BARTAS I Hate those Satyres that the best still bite I hate the shamelesse Penns that sooth the vitious For these be flatterers and those malitious But wise is he can hit the Mean aright I pinch
not oft nor doo I often praise Yet must I needs praise the praise-worthie still I cannot hold my free and forward quill From those whom Heauen adorns with speciall rayes Now all that God doth by retail bestowe On perfect'st men to thee in grosse he giues Therefore my Muse thy praise so often driues For duties sake but not to flatter so Our Age's wonder when thy tongue refin'd By vse and Art in our King's name dilates With Counsails Germain or furr'd Polish States The sweet-tongu'd Cyneas thou doost make vs minde In Priuy counsell when our miseries Thou doost be-moan most Nestor-like thou art And when in Paris Parlament thy part Of Lawes thou plead'st thou seem'st to Scaeuolize Thy Latine Prose dooth match smooth Salusts stile And when thy Pen distils the Nectar sweet Of Helicon where all the Muses meet Me thinks I read sweet Virgill all the while In honour of these gifts this gift I bring Small for my pains great for the Argument But if the Heav'ns had richer treasure lent Thy New-yeeres-gift should be som better thing THE TRIVMPH OF FAITH THE TRIVMPH OF FAITH Canto I. 1 NEer th' hour that Erycin ' Aurora calls And she the Sun sad Morpheus entring in Through 's hornie gate to shew me did begin A sacred Virgin 's stately TRIVMPHALS 2 Then Faith for so she hight bids with celeritie Of Pen and Paper that I make provision To wright the summ of this celestiall Vision To be recorded vnto all Posterity 3 I knowe my taske to be impossible I knowe in this mans eyes are beetle-blinde His eares quite deaf clean voide of sense his minde But hardest things Faith makes most possible 4 Eternall Sun O scatter with thy Light All mistie clouds that make me not to see Thy health-full face and giue true Faith to mee Since Faith sans Faith cannot be knowen aright 5 FAITH sits triumphant on a Carr of gold Of Tubals making where blew Saphires shine Rich Diamonds and many Rubies fine And if ought els the world more costly hold 6 Her glorious Charret's rowling wheels are like The holy wheels the great Ezekiel saw For one self spirit self winde and will doth draw Their restless courses equall both a-like 7 The Bird that led the Roman Standards out The Bird that fixtly can oppose his eyes Against the greatest light in all the skies High through the ayr drawes this rich Coach about 8 Faith flaunts it not in silver silk nor gold Nor pretious scarlet of the Tyrian Die Nor paints her face to hide deformity But as she is she doth her self vnfold 9 Her body that all bodies doth disgrace Like Iuno's Bird is full of watchfull eyes Whose holy glaunces pearce the lofty skies Pearce Air and Heav'n and see God face to face 10 Sh' hath many sweet and flowing tongues to prayse The Lord of Hoasts sh' hath strong and mighty wings Passing the swiftnes of all earthly things That in a moment vp to Heav'n her rayse 11 Her glorious head is compast with a Crown Not made of Olive Pine or Lawrell bough Nor Parsly Wreath which Grecians did allow Th' Olympian games for signals of renown 12 But of fresh Roses pluckt from Honours Tree That never shrink for Winters chilling frost Nor wither not when Titan patcheth most For by the Lord they ever watred be 13 Now stain-les Truth for Standards doth display Two Testaments next Courage marshals right Th' vndaunted Troops that are prepar'd to fight Vnder her Colours into baâ—â—ail-ray 14 Then Constancy bears a two-edged Blade And Patience an impenetrable Shield Whose brightnes hath inforç't more Monsters yield Then that which of grim Gorgon's head was made 15 Next Charity that kindely doth prefer Her neighbours good before her owne vtility Repentance Hope and hearty-milde Humility Doo flank the wings of Faith's triumphant Carr. 16 For Faith indeed without her Maids were vain But as the Sun can never lack his light Nor fire want heat so if we mark-aright Faith cannot want these Hand-mayds in her train 17 Before this Coach there is a Beldam gon That seems at first fairer then Hellen was But neerer view'd she is more foul alas Then fell Megera Alecto ' r Tesiphon 18 She never goes like Faith with open face But seeks for masks vizards and garments gay For cloke on cloke to keep the light away Of her loath'd limbs to hide the foul disgrace 19 Sh' hath tongues like Faith with which she boldly chats Blaspheming Heav'n with filthy vanities Sh' hath eyes like Faith but yet alas those eyes See clear by night by day are blinde as Bats 20 Sh' hath wings like Faith with which she soars on hie Like Icarus she proudly mounts aloft Forgetting that her feathers are so soft Till Phoebus force her waxen wings dofriâ— 21 She whom sans reason men haue Reason hight Since first in Fire the Lord the Air inclos'd In Air the Sea in Sea the Earth dispos'd Hath with milde Faith maintain'd continuall fight 22 Now arming Kings and putting in their brains That nothing less beseems their Royall State Than vnder Faith their Scepters to abate Then to indure her gentle-ruling reans 23 Another-while she puffs with poysony pride Whom their Disciples onely Doctors deem Such as I grant have spent much oyl and time To draw mens soules from the true way too-wide 24 Yet still the Lord who still vpholds the iust Hath still the cause of holy Faith maintain'd Hath still so well her holy side sustayn'd That still her Foes lie groveling in the dust 25 A thousand Princes bound in fetters fast Before her march that her milde Yoak disdeign'd That all the Earth with blood of Saints disteyn'd And Christ his Church with Fire and Sword did waste 26 He that the first in this worlds Pupillage Brain'd his owne brother leads this bloudy crew Cain Then th' hardned Tyrant that did dare pursue Through the Red-Sea Gods chosen Heritage Pharaoh 27 Then saw I him that Zachary did stone Ioash Athalia Ahab wicked Abian Occozias Amon Ahaz and Ioram Then all that sate on the Samarian Throne 28 I saw Senacherib and Him whose Grace Nebuchadnezar Was turn'd to grass proud Hammon and with-all Braue Holophernes and who on the Wall Read how his Kingdom to the Medes should passe Baltsazar 29 Annas and Caiaphas and he that set His hatefull Idoll in the holy Place Which five Iew-brethren bravely did deface Antiochus illustris These all too-late in sad repentance fret 30 The Tyrant too that at our Saviours birth Herod In Cradles kill'd so many Innocents And that vile Iudge whose seared conscience Pilat Condemn'd the guilt-les Iudge of all the earth 31 That viperous Monster of Man-kinde the shame Nero. Who Mother Wives Brethren and Sisters slue Then from a lofty Towr did laugh to view Rome's glittering Spires all on a burning flame 32 With Seuenth Seuerus came accompanied Iule Maximin with fell Maximian Cruell Gallerian fond Domitian That God-less would
Mardochey and the five Maccabees All the right heirs of heart and zeal paternall Receiue their guerdon from the great Eternall And vp again their stooping standards raise 13 Before these Warriours and the Royall band March holy Fathers that with vertue rare And holy Doctrine did the Diuell dare Foyling the force of his infernall hand 14 Enos by whom this World 's great Archi-tect Was call'd vpon leadeth religious That holy Father God took vp from vs Henoch Noah And him whose ship did saue the world Elect. 15 Then Sem and Iapheth and great Abraham Isaak The Faithfull's Father and his faithfull Son And then his Nephew that saw Angels run Iacob Both vp down froÌ„ Heav'n to th' earthly frame 16 Aron Eleazar Phinees full of zeal Good Ioyada and hundred Priests select That were by Heav'n by zeal and Church elect To keep the law the Lord did once reveal 17 His Father who was sent to sweep the way Zacharias Ioseph Of sweet Messias then the man suppos'd To be His Sire then He that Him inclos'd In 's ioyfull arms and sung a Swan-like Lay. Simeon 18 Then Barnabas Titus and Timothy Paul's famous Friends Sins fierce and deadly Foes And he that did by Sol's Eclipse suppose Som greater Sun to be Eclips't than he 19 Then this brave Triumph to adorn the more All on a rowe a hundred Prophets com Which haue so sure fore-told the things to-com As if indeed they had been don before 20 There first coms he that in the Coach of fire Elias By Gods strong Spirit was rapt above the Air Elizeus And then his Seruant that was made his heir Of cloak and knowledge as he did desire 21 He that reproov'd old Ishay's Sceptred Son Nathan For double fault Amos Ezechiel Ioel Semyah Abdiah Daniel And he that three dayes in the Sea did won Ionas 22 With these I see the Sonn of Barachie Zachariah Both Michais Baruc Iehu Ieremias Agg ' Abacuc Nahum and Sophonias Ahias Hosè Esdras Malachie 23 The glorious troop that march before this troop Are Martyrs all who full of constant zeal Their faith infract with their owne blouds did seal And never did to any Tyrant stoop 24 Their blessed bloud is like the morning dewe To make more fertil all the Churches field These are the weapons that inforce to yield The furious foe examples not a fewe 25 For as a fruit-Treelopped in December For one old Trunk many new twigs returns Which Nature kindely with sweet fruit adorns So one sole Martyr many doth ingender 26 First Abel goes then Ioyad's zealous Son That neer the Altar constant yielded breath Esay Iohn Baptist. The next goes he Manasses put to death Then he whose head th' incestuous Dancer won 27 Next Salone and her Sons who rather chose To cross the King than God strengthning each other Even in their death Sons worthy such a Mother And Mother worthy of such Sons as those 28 That Proto-Martyr the yong faithfull Steven Whom th' hatefull Iews with hellish rage did stone Who dying saw Christ Iesus on his Throne Leads those that for like cause their lives have given 29 Som smear'd with honey for the Flies were feasts Som men did eat som were on Gridirons broyl'd Som nayl'd on Crosses som in Caldrons boyl'd And som were throwen to most devouring beasts 30 After the Champions of this humble Troop I see fair Sara Rebecca Rachel Then Debora stout Iudeth and Iahel Who Faiths Viragoes their proud Foes did stoop 31 Then she that rais'd to Royall state and stile â—ester Preserv'd her people in a rank she goes With Naomi Ruth and the Dame that chose Rather to die than Nuptiall bed defile Susanna 32 From these mineeie no sooner trauerseth But I discern three Ladies zealous-led That sought their living Lord among the dead Then Anna Martha and Elizabeth 33 But my weak eyes cannot indure to gaze The Virgin Mary On beaming beauties of that Mother-Maid Who Sier-less bore her Sire yet ever-maid Of Faith and Loue th' inimitable maze 34 This this my Muse this is th' Aurora cleer Which brought the Sun to light the world vnkinde A Virgin pure in body and in minde Christ's Mother Sister Spouse and Daughter deer 35 God's holy Temple and the happy stair Wher-by the Heav'ns came down to dwell with Earth Rich-fraighted Ship Vessell of rarest worth Where Phoebus hid his beams most bright and fair Canto IIII. 1 I Thought to haue been now at my Races end T' haue though vnworthy born away the prise But I fall short my task doth longer rise For half the Trophè is yet hardly penn'd 2 Before Faith's Coach born in convenient height Are curious Tables draw'n by cunning hand Where after guise of warlik Romans stand The Victories of never-conquer'd Faith 3 Heer Iericho's cloud-kissing Towrs doo fall Iosua 6. 20. Batter'd alone by Faith's great Ordinance A coumpt-less hoast of craking Idolants 2. King 18 13 2. Chron. 32 20 Esa. 37 21 By Esaâ—e's Faith is heer confounded all 4 By Faith meek Moses with a zeal-full ire Arms smallest Worms th' Egyptian King to vex Exod. 7 8 9 Daniel by Faith fierce Lyons fury checks Dan. 6. 12 And quenches Dragons hot impoysoning fire 5 Heer Paul by Faith fears not in Mitylene Act. 28 5 The deadly sting of th' vgly Viper-worm Heer myching Ionas sunk in suddain Storm Ionas 22 Of his Deliverance finds a fish the mean 6 Then in another Table that was fram'd By Art exceeding Art I did espie Pale Death blithe Health and frail Infirmity That had by Faith a thousand times been tam'd 7 Moses by Faith doth Myriam leperize Num. 12 10 By Faith Elisha curing Naaman 2. King 6 14 17 The Syrian Prince strikes instantly his man With his Disease for Bribing Covetize 8 A man of God by Faith first strangely dri'd 1. King 13 4 6 Then heal'd again that King 's vnholy hand Who made ten Tribes of God's then chosen Land From God and from their lawfull Prince to slide 9 By Faith Saint Paul stark-blinded Elymas Act. 13 11 By Faith Saint Peter full of iust disdaign With suddain death did smite those periur'd twain That durst dissemble with the Spirit of Grace Act. 5 5 16 10 By Faith young Toby kindely doth restore Tob. 11 11 Act. â— 6 14 10. His Father's sight by sacred Faith likewise Two crooked Cripples are made straight to rise In Listra th' one th' other at Templedore 11 By Faith Saint Paul did a rich Maltois cure Of grievous Flix that him afflicted sore Act. 21 8 By Faith Saint Peter likewise did restore A Palsie-sick that eight yeers did indure Act. 9. 34 12 By Faith Saint Paul did Eutichus re-lyue Act. 20 10 1. King 17 21 2. King 4 33 By Faith Elias rais'd the Sareptite Elisha raysed the young Sunamite At Ioppa Peter Dorcas did
hand he lets We are halfe putrified through sinnes contagious spot And without speedy helpe the rest must wholly rot Cut-off th' infected part then are we sound and free Els all must perish needs there is no remedie Most happy they from whom in this fraile life the Lord With smart of many paines cuts-off the paines abhord Of th' euer-neuer death wherein they lye and languish That heere haue had their ease and neuer tasted anguish But many which as yet the aduerse part approoue Conceiue â—â—not confesse that it doth more behooue By faintless exercise faire Vertue to maintaine Then ouer-whelm'd with Vice at rest to rust in vaine But yâ—â— th extremitie of sufferings doth dismay-them The force where-of they feare would easily ouer-lay them They loue the exercise the chastenings likewise like them But yet they would haue God but seld softly strike-them Els are they prest to runne to ruine with the Diuels They are so sore afeard of false-supposed euils Most wretched is the man that for the feare of nisâ—â—â— All liuely-breathing hopes of happy goodnes stifles Of nifles sir say they seeme all their bitter crosses As nothing nor their paines nor lamentable losseâ— That daily they indure were not the wretches blest If from their heaule load their shoulders were releast Who is not happy sure in misery and woe No doubt prosperity can neuer make him so No moâ—e then he that 's sick should find more ease vpon A glorious golden bed then on a wooden one Man harbours in himselfe the euill that afflicts him And his owne fault it is if discontentment pricks-him And all these outward ills are wrongfully accused Which flesh and blood doth blame for being rightly â—sed They all turne to our good but whoso takes offence Thereby hath by and by his iust rough recompence For neither in their power nor in their proof the same Are euil lauâ— effect but in conceipt and name Which wheÌ„ we lightly waigh the least of vs surmounts them Nor hurt they any one but him that ouer-counts them Neither ought that indeed for euill to be rated Which may by accident be vnto good translated Foâ—â—ll is euer ill and is contrarie euer Directly vnto good so that their natures neuer Can be constrain'd to brooke each other neither yet Can th' â—â—e â—â— euer turn'd to th' other opposite But plainly we perceiue that there 's no languor such But long continuance and custome lighten much Familiarizing so the Fit that how so fret it Euen in th' extremitie one may almost forget it What better proofe of this then those poore Gally-slaues Which hauing been before such Rogues and idle Knaues As shunning seruices to labour were so loth That they would starue die rather then leaue their sloth But being vs'd a while to tug the painfull Oare Labour that yerst they loath'd they now desire the more Or those that are assail'd with burning Feuer-fit Euen then when least of all they dread or doubt of it Who carefully complaine and crie and raue and rage Frying in inward flames the which they cannot swage Yet if it wax not worse the daintiest body makes it In eight daies as a vse and as a trifle takes it Or those that haue sometimes the painfull rack indured Who without change of paine being a while inured The paine that did constraine them to bewaile and weepe Seems them so easie then they almost fall a-sleepe All are noâ— euills then that are surnamed so Sith euill neuer can his nature mingle no Nor turne it into good whereas we plainly see On th' other side that these are changed sodainly And were they ills indeed sith they so little last Were 't noâ—â—â—eriâ— shaâ—e to be so much agastâ— But here againe say they th' ones nature neuer taketh The others nature on but still the stronger maketh His fellow giue him place and onely beareth sway Till that return'd againe driue it againe away Nay that can neuer be for neuer perfect good Can by his contrarie be banisht though withstood For good is euer good and where so e're it goe Euill doth euer striue but with too strong a foe There is no reason then these good or ill to call That alter in this sort and neuer rest at all Neither to blesse or blame them for the good or ill That euer in her selfe our soule concealeth still For if that from without our bale or else our blisse Arriued euermore withall must follow this That alwaies vnto all selfe ill selfe paine would bring Selfe good one selfe content but t is a certaine thing They are not taken for their qualitie and kind But rather as th' affects of men are most inclin'd One loosing but a crowne hath lost his patience quight Another hauing lost fiue hundred in a night Is neuer moâ—'d aiote though hauing lesse in store Then th' other hath by ods his losse might grieue him more One being banished doth nothing but lament Another as at home is there as well content And one in prison pent is vtterly dismaide Another as at home liues there as well appaid Needs must we then confesse that in our selues doth rest That which vphappieth vs and that which makes vs blest In vs indeed the ill which of our selues doth grow And in vs too the good which from God's grace doth flow To whom it pleaseth him true good that none can owe-yet Saue those on whom the Lord vouch safeth to bestow-it And that the bitter smart of all the paines that wring-vs From nothing but our sinne receiueth strength to sting-vs Yea surely in our selues abides our miserie Our Grand-sire Adam left vs that for Legacie When he enthrall'd himselfe vnto the Law of sin Wherein his guilty heires their griefe-full birth begin The Lord had giuen to him a Nature and a feature Perfect indeed and blest aboue all other creature And of this Earthly world had stablisht him as King Subiecting to his rule the reanes of euery thing His spirit within it selfe noselfe-debates did nurse Hauing no knowledge yet of better nor of worse His body euer blithe and healthfull felt no war Of those foure qualities that now doo euer iarre Nor any poysony plant nor any Serpent fell Nor any noysome beast could hurt in any deale He might without the taste of bitter death attaine Vnto the Hauen of Heauen where all true Ioyss doo raigne And had he not misdone he might haue well bequeath'd The same inheritance to all that euer breath'd How happy had he been if he had neuer eaten Th' vnlawfull fatall fruit that double Death did threaten O that he neuer had preferd the Serpents flatter Before th' eternall Law of all the worlds Creator You shall be said the Fiend like supreame Deities This sweet fruites sugred iuice shall open both your eyes Which now your tyrant God enuying all your blisse Blindes with a filmy vaile of black Obscurities Least that you should become his equals in degree Knowing both good and ill as well as euer he
bands of Chus on Gerar greene Shall I forget him who preparing fight Iosaphat 'Gainst Ammon Seir and Moabs Idoll might Saw ech of their three hoasts on others fall And with them selfs their selfs disconfit all Yet for their sinnes God gaue them in the hands Of Calde Kings who conquered all their Lands And took King Zedekee and made an end Of that Impire till God did Cyrus send Who set them free and gaue them of his grace Two rulers of their owne And now this place Is kept by sacred Ioachim whose powers Consists not onely within Sions towers But Edom Sidon Moab and we all Do knowe his strength and knowes him principall Now Sir you hear the progresse first and last Of Isâ—acs race in order as it past One while the Lord enhaunst them to the skie One while he drew them downe in deepe to lie ' But were he Iudge or Prince or King of might ' Who reul'd the Hebrews policie aright ' While they observ'd th' alliance made before ' By their forefathers who to God them swore ' In happy state all others they surpast ' And vnderfoote their proudest foes were cast ' And all the world that their destruction sought ' Against their state and name preuailed nought ' But contrary as oft as they astraide ' From God their guide he on their shoulders laid ' The Barbare yock of Moâ—b and oft-times ' Of Palestine and Ammon for their crimes ' The heauie hand of God was seen to be ' On their ingratefull infidelity Now if so be that any odious sinne Prouoke their Lord his Iustice to begin Then mine not you their towers and tourets tall Nor bring the wrack som engine to their wall Nor place thy battries braue nor yet aduenter With thy courageous camp the breach to enter For if Libanus mount or Carmell faire Or Niphathaei should parke them from repaire If Ynde and Nilus with the Rhene and Rhone To close them round about should run in one For their defence yet shall they notwithstand With all their force thy flurious fighting â—and But if they haue not broke the â—and indeed That God with Abraham made and with his seede Beware my Lord beware to touch or moue These people that the Lord so much doth loue For though south Aùtan would dispeople his Lands And bring the blackest Moores to swarme in bands If Northren Boreas vnder his banners colde Would bring to field his hideous Souldiers bold If Zephyrus from sweet Hesperia coste Would send his chosen armed men to Hoste If Eurus for to aide thine enterprise Would bring his men from whence the sun doth rise Yet all their numbers hudge and forces strong Can neuer do to Israell any wrong Nor hurt one hair if their great God say nay That God will them defend because he may With one small blast confound all Kings that darre As thou doest now prouoke him vnto warre Then like as ye behold the quiet see Not raging when the windes ingendring be But blauncheth first then growes in little space In wallowing waves to flowe with fomy face And lastly beates the banks and ships vnshrouds With wrackfull waues vphoist to highest clouds So almost all the princes of that hoste With inward anger gan to be emboste As oft as they the prayse of God did heare So to his speech encreast their spitefull chear Which in the end to blasphemy them brought Th' immortall God of Gods to set at nought Kill and cut off quoth they this traytour fine Whose subtill talke with all his whole engine Pretends to saue these Hebrews from our hands And threats vs with vaine Gods of forraine Lands For if it please you noble prince to send But twenty men of value that are â—end Within your camp these recklesse rebels then Shall be a pray to all your warlike men O wicked wight but then the Uizroy stout With power appeasde the murmur of the route And to him said O shameles Prophet thou What Sibyll or what charmer tell me now What Diuell or Daemon so doth thee inspire That Izrell shall of vs haue his desire Such men as with no God can be content But such as pleased Moses to inuent Of his owne head a God that hath no power â—lasphemic For to deliuer them nor thee this hower Haue we an other God or king of kings Then our great Persian Monark now that rigns Whose barded horse ore runns the Nations all Whose armed men out of these mountaines tall Shall rake these Rebels that from Egypt came To this where they vniustly keep the same Dye dye thou shalt O wretch thy toung vntrue And double heart shall haue their wages due But foole what speake I thus no haste a while Thy blood O villaine shall not me defile So iust a paine so soone thou shalt not haue For thy deceipt so soone to go to graue ' For in a wretches sodaine death at ones ' Their long some ill is buried with their bones But to that end I may prolong thy strife In Bethull town I will prolong thy life Where euerie howre thou shalt haue such affraye To dye vndead a thousand times a day Till time with them who thou so strong hast thought To shamefull end with them thou shalt be brought What wherefore temblest thou and art so pale What sorrow makes thy heart so soone to faile If God be God as thou right now hast said Then of thy faith giue witnesse vndismaid A marshall of the campe then being prest Who was not yet so cruell as the rest There tooke this demy Pagan Ammons Lord And sent him bound to Bethull with a cord Then euen as in his clawes the kite doth beare The chirping chicken throu the weather cleare While that the cackling hen belowe on ground Bewayles her bird with vaine lamenting sound So in like woe his worthy men were left For that so worthy a chief was them bereft The Townsmen then beholding neere their wall These Miscreants to armour straight they fall Yâ—lad in plate and mail and runnes in bands And fearcely fronts their foes with steele in hands As fast as done the riuers doun the hils That with their murmur hudge the deepes vpfils The Heathen seeing this retirde away And left the Lord of Ammon for a pray To th' Hebrew soldiers who did him constraine Though he was willing with them to remaine When all the folke with prease about him past His eyes and hands vp to the pole he cast ' And thus he spake O God that great abides ' Vpon th' Immortall seat and iustly guides ' The ruled course of heav'n whose liuing spreete ' Reuiuing spreds and through all things doth fleete ' I render thee O God immortall prayse ' For that before I end my wofull dayes ' Now from th' vnfruitfull stock thou doest me race 'To graft me in thy fruitfull tree of grace ' Where in despite of all contrary strife ' I shall bring forth the fruits of lasting life And ye O Iacobs sonnes
Incessantly beset with battell great One while her feare refeld her first entent One while her action iust her courage lent Then sayd she Iudith now is time go to it And saue thy people Nay I will not do it I will I will not Go fear not again Wilt thou the sacred gestning then prophane Not it prophane but holier it shall stand When holy folke are helped by my hand But shamefull liues the tray tour euermore No trayt or she who doth her towne restore But murdrers all are of the heav'n forsaken All murder-is not for murder alwayes taken Alas are they not murdrers sleyes their Prince This tyrant is no prince of my prouince But what if God will haue vs vnder his-awe Hee 's not of God that fights against his lawe For then should Ahud Iahell and Iehew Be homiâ—ids because they tyrants slew But what they were commanded of the Lord To such an act my hart should soone accord Alas my hart is weak for such a deed Th' are strong ynough whom God doth strength at need But when 't is done who shall my warrant be God brought me here God will deliuer me What if the Lord leaue thee in Heathen hands Were this Duke dead I fear no death nor bands But what if they pollute thee like a slaue My body with my hart they shall not haue Thus she resolued in her minde at last Her hands and eyes vnto the heauen she cast And with an humble voyce to God she prayd O gratious God that alwayes art the ayd To thy beloued Izak I thee pray To strength my hand euen my right hand this day That I may make this bloody tyrant dye That to discepter thee would skale the skye But since thy goodnesse hath preserued me And brought my bote so near the shoare to be Grant that some sleepy drinke I may prouide To dull this tyrants hart and daunt his pride To th' end that I may free thy congregation Vnto thy honour and our consolation This prayer done she looked round about And heard this dronken prince in sleeping rout Then stept she to his sword that by him stood Which oft had bath'd the world with humain blood But as she preast this tyrant for to quell Fear reft the sword from her and downe she fell And lost at once the strength of hart and corse O God quoth she now by thy mighty force Restore my strength This said with pale annoy She rudly rose and stroke this sleeping Roy So fell that from his shoulders flew his powle And from his body fled his Ethnique â—owle Hie way to hell His bulk all blood bestaind Lay still his head in Iudiths hand remaind The which her maid put vp into a sack Thus throw the camp they close away do pack Empeacht of none For those that had her seen Supposde she went as she had wonted been The nights before vnto the valley whear They thought she went to serue Diana clear When Iudith chaste came near the Hebrew wall Let in quoth she for our great God of all Hath broke this night the whole Assyrian power And raysd the horne of Izak at this hower Then men amazde of her vnhoped state About her ran assembling at the gate Where holy Iudith on a hill was mounted And all her chaunce from point to point recounted And there discov'ring drew out of the sack The bloody head of th' enmy of Izak The Citizens that saw how she did stand With th' end of Assurs head in her right hand They praysed God who by her hand had slain And punished that traytour in humain ' But most of all Duke Ammon did admire ' The worke of God Then he t' escape they re ' Of Iacobs God who aydes the weakest part ' He shortly circumcis'd his flesh and hart ' O God that rightly by foresight diuine ' Repels the purpose of all mens engine ' Who for to lead th' elect to destnyed health ' Even when it seemes them fardest from their wealth ' Of ill thou drawes the good and som in ill ' Thou lets them runne thy Iustice to fulfill ' O Lord the vile desire of blood and sak ' Made Holopherne to warre vpon Izak ' But where that he would Izaks blood haue shed ' He lost his owne for Izak on his bed ' Thus thy good grace hath made his vain inuention 'To take effect contrary his intention ' So Paul became a Saint who was a Pharisee ' And of a tyrant teacher of thy veritee ' So was the theefe that hong with our Messias ' For all his sinne preserued with Elias ' His vitious corps could haue no life here downe ' His soule by grace yet got a heav'nly crowne ' Change then O God the harts of christian princes ' Who sheds the faithfuls blood in their prouinces ' Let thou that sword that thou giues them to guide ' Vpon thy enmies onely be applyde ' Vpon those tyrants whose vnrighteous horne ' Deteins the Land where thy dear sonne was borne ' Not on the backs of those who with humilitie ' Adores the Triple one great God invnitie Then at commandement of this widow chaste A soldier tooke the tyrants head in haste And for to giue the Hebrews hart withall He fixed it vpon the foremost wall Their fathers came and sonnes and wiues and mayds Who erst had lost amongst the Heathen blayds Their sonnes their parents maks and louers dear With heauie harts and furious raging chear They pild and paird his beard of paled hew Spet in his face and out his tongue they drew Which vsde to speak of God great blasphemies And with their fingers poched out his eyes The rife remembrance of so late an ill Made vulgar folke such vengeance to fulfill This while Aurora ceased to embrace Her ancient loue and rose with ruddy face Vpon the Indian heaven the warriours strong That kept the towne now sorted forth in throng Enarmed all with such a hydeous sound As seemde the elements foure for to confound And break the bands that keeps them in their border Retyring them vnto their olde disorder The Pagan watches next the Cities side Awaked with this din start vp and cryde Alarme Alarme like fearfull men agast Then through the Camp the hote Alarum past Som takes his neighbours armour first he findes Confusion And wrong on armes the braceâ—â— both he bindes Som takes a staf for hast and leaues his launce Som madling runnes som trembles in a traunce Som on his horse ill sadled ginnes to ride And wants his spurres som boldly do abide Som neither wakes nor sleeps but mazing stands Som braue in words are beastly of their hands This brute from hand to hand from man to man Vnto the Pagans Court at last it ran Then Bagos Eunuch sadly forth he went T' awake the sleeping Ethnique in his tent And knockt once twise or thrise with trembling hand But such eternall sleep his temples band That he had past already miserable Of Styx so black the
end-less simple vnpalpable For whether that the Soule the Mint of Art The Seat of the Soule Be all in all or all in euery part Whether the Brain or Heart doo lodge the Soule O Seneca where where could'st thou enroule Those many hundred words in Prose or Verse Which at first hearing thou could'st back rehearse Notable examples of excellent Memories Where could great Cyrus that great Table shut Wherein the Pictures and the names he put Of all the Souldiers that by thousands wander'd After the fortunes of his famous Standard In what deep vessell did th' Embassader Of Pyrrhus whom the Delphian Oracler Deluded by his double-meaning Measures Into what Cesterns did he pour those Treasures Of learned store which after for his vse In time and place he could so fit produce The Memorie is th' Eyes true Register The Peasants Book Times wealthy Treasorer Keeping Records of Acts and accidents What s' ever subiect vnto humane sense Since first the Lord the Worlds foundations laid Or Phoebus first his golden locks displaid And his pale Sister from his beaming light Borrow'd her splendor to adorn the Night So that our Reason searching curiously Through all the Roules of a good Memory And fast'ning closely with a Gordian knot To past euents what Present Times allot Fore-sees the Future and becomes more sage More happily to lead our later age And though our Soule liue as imprison'd here In our frail flesh or buried as it were Of the quicke swiftnes and sodain motion of the Soule comprehending all things in HeaueÌ„ and Earth In a dark Toomb Yet at one flight she flies From Caipè t' Imaus from the Earth to Skies Much swifter then the Chariot of the Sun Which in a Day about the World doth run For somtimes leauing these base slymy heaps With cheereful spring aboue the Clouds she leaps Glides through the Aire and there she learns to knowe Th' Originalls of Winde and Hail and Snowe Of Lightning Thunder Blazing-Starrs and storms Of Rain and Ice and strange Exhaled Forms By th' Aires steep-stairs she boldly climbs aloft To the Worlds Chambers Heav'n she visits oft Stage after Stage she marketh all the Sphears And all th' harmonious various course of theirs With sure account and certain Compasses She counts their Starrs she metes their distances And differing pases and as if she found No Subiect fair enough in all this Round She Mounts aboue the Worlds extreamest Wall Far far beyond all things corpóreall Where she beholdes her Maker face to face His frowns of Iustice and his smiles of Grace The faithfull zeal the chaste and sober Port And sacred Pomp of the Celestiall Court What can be hard to a sloath-shunning Spirit Spurr'd with desire of Fames eternall merit Of learned curious pleasant marueilous and more then humane inuention of mans wit Look if thou canst from East to Occident From Island to the Moors hot Continent And thou shalt nought perfectly fair behould But Pen or Pencill Grauing-tool or Mould Hath so resembled that scarce can our ey The Counterfait from the true thing descry The brazen Mare that famous Myron cast Which Stallions leapt and for a Mare imbraç't The liuely picture of that ramping Vine Which whilom Zeuxis limn'd so rarely fine That shoals of Birds beguiled by the shapes Of Caruing and Painting Peckt at the Table as at very Grapes The Marble Statue that with strangest fire Fondly inflam'd th' Athenian Youths desire Apelles Uenus which allur'd well-neer As many Loues as Venus self had heer Are proofs enough that learned Painting can Can Goddess-like another Nature frame But th' Art of Man not only can compack Features and forms that life and Motion lack The subtle conclusions of the Mathematikes witnes Archytas Doue But also fill the Aire with painted shoals Of flying Creatures Artificiall Fowls The Tarentines valiant and learned Lord Archytas made a wooden Doue that soar'd About the Welkin by th' accorded sleights The Eagle and the Flie of Iohn de Monte-Regio or Regi-Montanus And counterpoiz of sundrie little weights Why should I not that wooden Eagle mention A learned Germanes late-admir'd inuention Which mounting from his fist that framed her Flew far to meet an Almain Emperour And hauing met him with her nimble train And weary wings turning about again Follow'd him close vnto the Castle Gate Of Noremberg whom all the Showes of State Streets hangd with Arras Arches curious built Loud-thundring Canons Columns richly gilt Gray-headed Senate and Youth's gallantise Graç't not so much as onely This Deuise Once as this Artist more with mirth then meat Feasted some friends that he esteemed great From vnder 's hand an iron Flie flew out Which hauing flowen a perfect Round-about With weary wings return'd vnto her Master And as iudicious on his arm she plaç't-her O diuine wit that in the narrow womb Of a small Flie could finde sufficient room For all those Springs wheels counterpoiz and chains Which stood in stead of life and spur and rains Yea you your selues ye bright Celestiall Orbs Astronomy Although no stop your rest-less Daunce disturbs Nor stays your Course yet can ye not escape The hands of men that are but men in shape A Persian Monarch not content well-nigh The king of Per sia his Heauen of Glass With the Earths bounds to bound his Empery To raign in Heav'n rais'd not with bold defiance Like brauing Nimrod or those boistrous Giants Another Babel or a heap of Hills But without mouing from the Earth he builds A Heav'n of Glass so huge that there-upon Somtimes erecting his ambitious Throne Beneath his proud feet like a God he saw The shyning Lamps of th' other Heav'n to draw Down to the Deep and thence again aduance Like glorious Brides their golden Radiance Yet had the Heav'n no wondrous excellence Saue Greatnes worthy of so great a Prince But who would think that mortall hands could mould Admirable Dialls Clocks namely at this Day that of Straesbourg New Heavn's new Stars whose whirling courses should With constant windings though contrary waies Mark the true mounds of Years and Months and Daies Yet 't is a story that hath oft been heard And by graue Witnes hundred times auerr'd That that profound Briareus who of yore As selfly arm'd with thousands hands and more Maintain'd so long the Syracusian Towrs 'Gainst great Marcellus and his Roman Powrs The Engines of Archimedes and his Spheare Who fier'd his foes Fleet with a wondrous Glass Who hugest Vessels that did euer pass The Tiâ—rhen Seas turn'd with his onely hand From Shoar to Sea and from the Sea to Land Framed a Sphear where euery Wandring Light Of lower Heav'ns and th' vpper Tapers bright Whose glistering flames the Firmament adorn Did of themselues with ruled motion turn Nor may we smother or forget ingrately The Heauen of Siluer sent by the Emperour Ferdinand to Solyman the great Turk The Heav'n of Siluer that was sent but
lately From Ferdinando as a famous Work Vnto Bizantium to the Greatest Turk Wherein a spirit still mouing to and fro Made all the Engin orderly to go And though th' one Sphear did alwaies slowely slide And opposite the other swiftly glide Yet still their Stars kept all their Courses ev'n With the true Courses of the Stars of Heav'n The Sun there shifting in the Zodiack His shining Houses neuer did forsake His pointed Path there in a Month his Sister Fulfill'd her course and changing oft her lustre And form of Face now larger lesser soon Follow'd the Changes of the other Moon O compleat Creature who the starry Sphears Of mans resemblance to his first Paterne which is God Canst make to moue who ' boue the Heav'nly Bears Extend'st thy powr who guidest with thy hand The Day 's bright Chariot and the nightly Brand This curious Lust to imitate the best And fairest Works of the Almightiest By rare effects bears record of thy Linage And high descent and that his sacred Image Was in thy Soule ingrav'n when first his Spirit The spring of life did in thy limms inspire-it For as his Beauties are past all compare So is thy Soule all beautifull and fair As hee 's immortall and is neuer idle Thy Soule 's immortall and can brook no bridle O◠sloath to curb her busie Intellect He ponders all thou peizest each effect And thy mature and settled Sapience Hathsom alliance with his Prouidence He works by Reason thou by Rule Hee 's glory Of th' Heav'nly Stages thou of th' Earthly Story Hee 's great High-Priest thou his great Vicar heer Hee 's Souerain Prince and thou his Vice-Roy deer For soon as euer he had framed thee Other testimonies of the excellency of Man constituted Lord of the World Into thy hands he put this Monarchy Made all the Creatures knowe thee for their Lord And com before thee of their own accord And gaue thee power as Master to impose Fit sense-full Names vnto the Hoast that rowes In watery Regions and the wandring Heards Of Forrest people and the painted Birds O too-too happy had that Fall of thine Not cancell'd so the Character diuine But sith our Soules now-sin-obscured Light Wherein consisteth Mans selicitie Shines through the Lanthorn of our Flesh so bright What sacred splendor will this Starr send forth When it shall shine without this vail of Earth The Soule heer lodg'd is like a man that dwels In an ill Aire annoy'd with noysom smells Excellent comparisons In an old House open to winde and weather Neuer in Health not half an hour together Or almost like a Spider who confin'd In her Webs centre shak't with euery winde Moues in an instant if the buzzing Flie Stir but a string of her Lawn Canapie You that haue seen within this ample Table Of the Creation of Woman made for an ayd to Man and without whom Mans life were miserable Among so many Modules admirable Th' admired beauties of the King of Creatures Com com and see the Womans rapting features Without whom heer Man were but half a man But a wilde Wolf but a Barbarian Brute ragefull fierce moody melancholike Hating the Light whom nought but naught could like Born solely for himself bereft of sense Of heart of loue of life of excellence God therefore not to seme less liberal To Man then else to euery animal For perfect patern of a holy Loue To Adams half another half he gaue Ta'en from his side to binde through euery Age With kinder bonds the sacred Mariage Euen as a Surgeon minding off-to-cut Simile Som cure-less limb before in vre he put His violent Engins on the vicious member Bringeth his Patient in a sense-less slumber And grief-less then guided by vse and Art To saue the whole sawes off th' infected part So God empal'd our Grandsiers liuely look Through all his bones a deadly chilness strook Siel'd-vp his sparkling Eys with Iron bands Led down his feet almost to Lethè Sands In brief so numm'd his Soul's and Body's sense That without pain opening his side from thence He took a rib which rarely he refin'd And thereof made the Mother of Mankinde Grauing so liuely on the liuing Bone All Adams beauties that but hardly one Could haue the Louer from his Loue descry'd Or know'n the Bridegroom from his gentle Bride Sauing that she had a more smiling Ey A smoother Chin a Cheek of purer Dy A fainter voice a more inticing Face A Deeper Tress a more delighting Grace And in her bosom more then Lillie-white Two swelling Mounts of Ivory panting light Now after this profound and pleasing Traunce Their Mariage No sooner Adams rauisht eyes did glaunce On the rare beauties of his new-com Half But in his heart he gan to leap and laugh Kissing her kindely calling her his Life His Loue his Stay his Rest his Weal his Wife His other-Self his Help him to refresh Bone of his Bone Flesh of his very Flesh. Source of all ioyes sweet Hee-Shee-Coupled-One Their Epithalamie or wedding Song Thy sacred Birth I neuer think vpon But rauisht I admire how God did then Make Two of One and One of Two again O blessed Bond O happy Mariage Which doost the match 'twixt Christ and vs presage O chastest friendship whose pure flames impart Two Soules in one two Hearts into one Hart O holy knot in Eden instituted Not in this Earth with bloud and wrongs polluted Profan'd with mischiefs the Pre-Scaene of Hell To cursed Creatures that ' gainst Heav'n rebell O sacred Cov'nant which the sin-less Son Of a pure Virgin when he first begun To publish proofs of his drad Powr Diuine By turning Water into perfect Wine At lesser Cana in a wondrous manner Did with his presence sanctifie and honour By thy deer Fauour after our Decease The commodities of Mariage We leaue behinde our liuing Images Change War to Peace in kindred multiply And in our Children liue eternally By thee we quench the wilde and wanton Fires That in our Soule the Paphian shot inspires And taught by thee a loue more firm and fitter We finde the Mel more sweet the Gall less bitter Which heer by turns heap vp our human Life Eu'n now with ioyes anon with iars and strife This done the Lord commands the happy Pair Propagation by the blessing of God With chaste embraces to replenish Fair Th' vnpeopled World that while the World endures Heer might succeed their liuing Pourtraitures He had impos'd the like precept before On th' irefull Droues that in the Desarts roar The fethered Flocks and fruitfull-spawning Legions That liue within the liquid Crystal Regions Thence-forth therefore Bears Bears ingendered The Dolphins Dolphins Vulturs Vulturs bred Men Men and Nature with a change-less Course Still brought forth Children like their Ancestors Vnnaturall Cōiunctions produce monstrous Births Though since indeed as when the fire hath mixt-them The yellow Gold and Siluer pale betwixt them Another Metall