crown those days which his Creator gave 'T is all the portion he is like to have Verse 19 All such to whom the bounteous hand of heav'n Gives wealth and licence to enjoy it giv'n To sweeten labour may they understands It is a favour from th' Almighties hand Verse 20 Such doubtlesse in their labour shall forget Their painfull sorrows and their toylsome sweat For heav'n hath crown'd their fair desires and sent A peacefull conscience and a pleas'd content SOLILOQUIE V. BVt hark my soul the morning Bels invite thy early paces to a new delight Away away the holy Saints-bell rings Put on thy robes and oyle thy sacred wings Call home thy heart and bid thy Thoughts surcease To be thy Thoughts Go bind them to the peace Take good security or if such fail Commit them to the all-commanding Jail Of thy cram'd bags there to lie close and fast Vntill thy heav'n-atoning vomes be past Confine thy rambling pleasures to the trust of vacant howres And let thy wisdome thrust Indulgent Hagar and her base-born child From thy sad Gates Let them be both exil'd From thy soft bosome Let not Ishmael share With holy Isa'c Isa'c must be heire Nor let thy sorrow-melted heart bemone Thy banisht bondslave nor her thirsty sonne Take thou no care for them Heav'n will supply Their craving thirst with bottles from thine eye Leave all thy servill Fancies in the vaile Mount thou the sacred Hill and there bewaile Thy dying Isa'c whose free gift may be A living pledge betwixt thy God and thee Here maist thou feast thy soule and fill thy brest With heavenly Raptures and with holy Rest Here shall thy Piety sweeten all thy Rains And Grace shall here replieve what Grief distrains Here maist thou shrowd thee from those ev'ls that wait Vpon the frailty of thy frail estate Here may thy Griefs unbosome all their grones And find redresse from the high Throne of Thrones Hast them ô hie thee to that sacred place Why stay'st thou See the widened Armes of Grace Invite thy presence And with open brest Promise fair welcome to so fair a Guest O but my zeal-transported soul take heed Too rash a hast brings oft too dear a Speed Vers 1 Observe thy steps Thy feet are apt to slide If thy misguided paces swerve aside Death waits at either hand to make a prize Of wavering footsteps and miswandring eyes Near the best blessings neighb'ring dangers dwell The very Suburbs of blest Heaven is Hell Thus when thy awfull presence shall draw near These Hallalujous Courts advise and fear Put off thy shoes 'T is holy ground thou tread'st Be not too bold thou dy'st unlesse thou dread'st Now may thy holy boldnesse safely venture To passe these delectable Port and enter Now cloath thy heart with Reverence Be fill'd With secret Raptures Let thy fancy build No Castles here Beware thou banish hence The sinfull objects of invited Sense Make heav'ns command and let thy zealous motion Subscribe to that the cause of thy devotion Let heav'ns direction be thy form and bend Thy endfull heart to make heav'ns glory th' end Worship that 's moulded in Traditious Schooles Is but the Sensuall Sacrifice of Fooles Vers 2 Be wisely carefull what thy lip impart Bring thy soft tongue acquainted with thy heart Be slow to speak and be as quick to hear Heaven loves a single tongue a double eare Vers 4 Make hast to pay what thy vow'd Promise owes Destruction dwels in unperformed Vowes Thus mayst thou break the heart-corroding Fangs Of griping Care and scape the dying Pangs Of living death Here here thou mayst controul Earths power and imparadise thy soul In soft and sacred Rest beyond th'extent Of whining Grief and murm'ring discontent I but my soul grosse vanity even dwels In thy devotion whose ranck offering smels So strong of earth that very heavens deride Our very Altars and abhorre the Pride Of our disguis'd humility which brings Asecret curse upon our holyest things Hence hence my soul proceed those boystrous waves That plunge our frailties This ô this enslaves Our craven'd Spirits so that we even faile Or shrink before the Combat and turn taile To every slight affliction this unlevells Thy even-way'd Peace with indigested evills This sowers all thy sweets sads all thy Rest Nay dispossesses thee even whilst possest Of thy Imperious Treasure O then my soule where shall thy wounds obtain That soveraign balsome who shall ease thy pain In what blest ear will thy complaints find place What holy Altar shall thy arms embrace If here be no protection for opprest And lab'ring souls where shall poor souls have Rest Earths Joyes are vain and they that shall commit Trust in vaine earth are far more vain then it Cap. VI. 1 The vanity of riches without use 3 Of children 6 and old age without riches 9 The vanity of sight and wandring desires 11 The conclusion of vanities Vers 1 THere is an Ev'll which my observing eye Hath taken notice of beneath the skye It is an ev'll frequents the troubled brest Of wretched man and robs him of his rest Vers 2 To see where God hath multipli'd and giv'n What wealth and honor earth can beg of heav'n And yet no pow'r to use it but descends To very strangers O this Grief transcends Vers 3 Who multiply their loynes and years yet have Souls unsuffic'd with good and soil the grave With blemisht and dishonor'd names I say Abortive births are better far then they Vers 4 For he can hardly own a being whom Nature casts forth from the untimely womb Darknesse infolds him in her secret shades His name 's forgotten and his mem'ry fades Vers 5 The worlds surveighing Lamp does not affright The pleasing slumbers of his peacefull night There be no ears no eyes to hear to see The living soul hath not such rest as he Vers 6 Yea though he live a thousand years twice told What worth his eyes can his sad eyes behold Doe they not both arrive not both resort To the dull portals of the self-same Port Vers 7 The best reward of mans laborious sweat Is but a morsell of quotidian meat This may suffice his body Verse but the will Of his insatiate soule what hand can fill Verse 8 What is it then the wisemans labour gains More then the painfull foole by all his pains What wants the poore man that by prudent labour Knowes how to live more then his wealthy neighbour Verse 9 Better enjoy a competence and crave not More wealth then stil desire the wealth we have not To wish what if enjoy'd brings molestation Is but meere vanity and soules vexation Verse 10 The worldly confluence of treasure can Exempt no mortall from the lot of man Nor can his wealth instruct him to withstands The angry strokes of the Almighties hand Verse 11 Since the encrease of wealth procur'd by pain Preserv'd with feare with sorrow lost again Encreaseth griefe in the possessors brest What vantage then hath
not thy hand nor let thy tongue upbraid His sacred Person Hee 's by heav'n appointed To be thy Prince O touch not heav'ns Anointed What if he lend the fulnesse of his pow'r To those imperious Spirits that devour Subjects like bread and drinke the loyall blood Of men like water men not once allow'd To plead for life but silently subscribe To those that cannot judge without a Bribe What if his power pleases to commit His past'rall staffe to such as are more fit To kill and eat or recommend his flocks To such dumb dogs of whom nor wolfe nor fox Will stand in awe or show their feares by flight That have not tongues to bark nor teeth to bite Rebell not thou nor in a hostile way Accoast thy Prince Or suffer or obey What if the Common Favorite of the times Vers 6 The Courtly Fool grown great with count'nance climes Vp to a Lordship when the Man of merit Broke on the wheele of Fortune must inherit Nothing but scorne and want and a poore name Betraid to pity and to empty Fame Be thou thy self let not thine eye be evill To a wise heart both hills and dales are levell Vers 17 How happy is that land how blest the Nation Whose Prince directs by Power not by Passion Whose sacred wisdome knowes how great a price True vertue beares and how to punish Vice Whose royall Majesty and princely love Can both incorporate and joyntly move In a self glorious Orbe and from one Sphear Breathe such rare influence of love and fear Into the hearts of Men that all the land Shall cry a Solomon and sweetly stand Rapt with sweet Peace and sacred admiration How happy is that land how blest the Nation CAP. II. 1 Directions for Charitie 7 Death in life 9 and the day of judgement in the dayes of youth are to be thought on Vers 1 VPon the waters let thy bread be cast And thou shalt finde it when some dayes are past Vers 2 Give lib'rall Almes for it 's unknown to thee How full of wants thy after dayes shall be Vers 3 If clouds be full will they deny to powr Their fruitfull Blessings in a lib'rall show'r Or North or South or wheresoere the Tree Shall fall no question it shall fall to thee Vers 4 He that observes the wind shall never sow Who marks the clouds shall never reap nor mow Vers 5 Like as the Embryo's growth within their wombes Is strange to thee and how the soule becomes The bodies inmate ev'n so all the rest Of Heavn's high workes are strangers to thy brest Vers 6 Cast thou thy morning seed upon the land And at the evening hold not back thy hand For who is he can tell thee which of these Shall prosper best or bring the best encrease Vers 7 'T is true the light is sweet and every one Takes pleasure in the world-rejoycing Sunne Vers 8 But who lives many joyfull yeares if he But count how long his after shades shall be In earths darke bosome how can he refraine To think these short-liv'd flattering pleasures vaine Vers 9 Rejoyce ô young man in thy youthfull wayes Let thy heart cheer thee in thy youthfull dayes Delight thine eyes thy heart and take thy way But know that heavens accompt will finde a day Vers 10 Then banish fals-ey'd mirth Be dispossest Of those lewd fires that so inflame thy brest For childhood youth and all their joyes remain But for a season and they all are vain SOLILOQUIE II. SO now my soul thy wisdome-season'd brest May eat and drink and labour and digest Thy carefull morsels and with holy mirth Disperse the clouds of melancholy earth Now maist thou sit beneath thy clustred Vine And presse thy Grapes and drinke thy frolick wine In soft and plenteous Peace and leave to morrow To beare the burden of her selfe-borne sorrow Now maist thou walke secure from all those threats of peevish Fortune and the sly deceits Of flattering pleasure Plenty cannot drown Thine eyes in mirth nor misery cast thee down If the blew Rafters of the falling skies Should leave their spangled Mansion and surprise Thy feeble strength well may their ruines smite thee And grinde thy clod to dust but not affright thee What want'st thou then my soule that may augment The reall happinesse of a true content What vertue 's wanting now whose absence may Encourage boldfac'd vanity to betray Thy even-spunne dayes to sorrow or occasion Thy faire-contriv'd designes to tast vexation Wouldst thou have Honor thou enjoyst it Treasure Thou hast it wouldst thou gain the greater pleasure Of a true noble Spouse whose life may show Vertues rare quintessence Thou hast that too Wouldst thou have hopefull Sonnes to crowne thy Last With Peace and Honor Such rare Sonnes thou hast Thy Princes favour Or thy peoples love All this thou hast Wisdome in things above Thou hast it Knowledge in these Toyes beneath Thou hast it Skill in th' Arts or curious breath Of whispering State All this thou hast Where then Shall thy new wishes fix Rare Man of men I but my soule one good is wanting still To summe a full Perfection and to fill Thy Cruise with happinesse which if possest Thou hast a Diademe crownes all the rest Hadst thou the tongues of men and couldst thou break Thy lips in Oracles Or couldst thou speak The dialects of Angels when they sing Their sacred Canzons to their soveraigne King A tinkling Cymball or the hideous sounds Of discomposed discords or the Rounds Of frolick midnight madnesse would requite Thy wilde attention with as much delight And breathe as sweetly in the Almighties eare If heart-rejoycing Charity be not there Hadst thou what strength the Parnassean Muse Can blesse thy fancy with or heaven infuse Hadst thou a Faith to make the mountaines fly In the vast Orbe like Atomes in thine eye Lesse then those Atomes would thy Faith appeare If faith-confirming Charity be not there Shouldst thou to purchase heaven renounce thy Right Of all thy goods and turne an Anchorite Or should thy courage to deserve the name Of Martyr give thy body to the flame When that blood pleads heav'n will not lend an eare If heav'n-engaging Charity be not there Since then my soul both Faith and Works lie dead Vers 1 If Charity fail be wise and cast thy bread Upon the Waters As the Waters runne Deal thou thy dole untill thy dole be done Man is Gods Husbandry If then the Plough Of carefull want hath struck the furrow'd Brow Vers 6 And make it fit for seed Hold not thy hand He robs himself that faintly sows the Land Stay not for showres The soile if overflowne Will drown thy seed-corn and return thee none Let not some weeds discourage thee to sow The Plough will root them up or if they grow Too sturdy for the Coulters point to kill Fear not thy harvest A hard Winter will Cast not lank grain upon too lean a ground Fair Crops from off all Corn are
found it so in the studies of Wisdome Vers 1 THus sayes the best of Preachers and of Kings Thus Solomon the Sonne of David sings Vers 2 The greatest happinesse that earth can prize Is all most vaine and vainest vanities Vers 3 What profit can accrue to man what gaines Can crown his actions or reward his paines Beneath the Orbe of heavens surrounding Sunne What worth his labour hath his labour done Vers 4 One Generation gives another way But earth abides in one perpetuall stay Vers 5 The Prince of Light puts on his morning Crown And in the Evening layes his Glory down Where leaving Earth to take a short repose He soon returnes and rises where he rose Vers 6 The troubled Ayre provokes the Southern States And then it blusters at the Borean Gates It whirles about in his uncertain Spheare And rides his unknown Circuit ev'ry where Vers 7 All Rivers to the Seas their Tribute yeild And yet th'Hydropick Seas are never fill'd Their sliding Streams pursue their passage home And drive their hasty Tides frō whence they come Vers 8 The world is all compos'd of Change nor can Her vanity be Character'd by Man The eye 's not satisfi'd and what we heare Fils not the Concave of th' insatiate eare Vers 9 The thing that heretofore hath been we see Is but the same that is and is to bee And what is done is what is to be done There 's nothing that is new beneath the Sunne Vers 10 What Novelty can earth proclaim and say It had no Precedent before this day No no there 's nothing modern times can own The which precedent Ages have not known Vers 11 The deeds of former days expire their date In our collapsed Memories and what Times early Sunshine hath not ripened yet Succeeding Generations shall forget Vers 12 I Solomon whose choice affections owne The Churches service dearer then my Throne Was chosen and anointed King and now Wear Israels Crown upon my studious brow Vers 13 I bent my heart by wisdome to descry What ere subsists beneath the spangled sky With such hard travel hath our God thought good To exercise the soules of Flesh and Blood Vers 14 My thoughts have ponder'd all that hath been done Betwixt the solid Center and the Sunne And loe the object of my Contemplation Is but meer Vanity and soules Vexation Vers 15 Not all this knowledge can reduce the state Of crooked nature to a perfect Straight Nor summe our Ignorances which surmount The language of Arithmeticks Account Vers 16 I view'd my heart and there found greater store Of wisdome then all those that liv'd before No knowledge could remain no wisdome lye Close from mine eare nor clouded from mine eye Vers 17 I gave my all-enquiring heart to know Not wisdome only but ev'n folly too And I perceiv'd that all this Contemplation Was vain and nothing but the souls Vexation Vers 18 For he that labours for much wisdome gaines Grief in th' enjoyment in pursuit but paines And who improves his knowledg strives to borrow A fair advantage to encrease his sorrow SOLILOQUIE I. How are the vain desires of flesh and blood Befoold in that mistaken Thing call'd Good How Travell seeks it How unwearyed hearts Make it the object both of Armes and Arts How many certain obvious ev'lls attend The way to this uncertain Journies end We tyre the night in thought the day in toyle Spare neither sweat nor lucubrated Oyle To seek the thing we cannnot finde or found We cannot hold or held we cannot ground So firm as to resist the various swings Of fickle Fortune or the frowns of Kings Poor fruitlesse Labours of deluded Man How vainly are yee spent How short a Span Of seeming Pleasure serves yee to requite Long Leagues of Travell For one drops delight Of ayry Froth how are yee forc'd to borrow Strong Gales of Hope to sayle through seas of sorrow Why doe we thus afflict our lab'ring soules With dregs of Wormwood and carouse full Bowles Of boyling anguish To what hopefull end Droyle we our crazy bodies and expend Our sorrow-wasted spirits to acquire A Good not worth a breath of our desire A Good whose fulsome sweetnesse cloggs and cloyes The soule but neither lasts nor satisfies How poore an Object pleases And how soone That pleasure finds an end How quickly Noone How quickly Night And what to day we prize Above our soules to morrow we despise Beneath a Trifle What in former Times We own'd as Vertue now we taxe as Crimes What is this World but ev'n a great Exchange Of dear bought pen'worths all compos'd of Change Where frothy Honor may be bought and sold With heart-corrupting eye-beguiling Gold Where sullen wealth and friend-betraying treasure May passe in barter for repented Pleasure Where painted sweetnesse though a grain too light Shall buy a Lords Estate for one poor night Where unstain'd Beauties youth shall buy an old Breath-tainted Churl diseas'd with Gouts and Gold Where Birthrights Blessings nay and soules to boot And yet not deem'd a pen'worth under foot Shall passe for fond delights Where very Names Without an Aliàs to lay after Claimes To a poor Lordship shall be swept away For Clods of earth and those for one nights Play Tell me my puzzled soule What wouldst thou buy Goe in and cheapen Let thy curious eye Make her own choice They will present thy view With num'rous Joyes Buy something that is new Vers 9 Alas there 's nothing new beneath the skye Look further further yet Goe please thine eye Search till the Object and thine eye agrees Vers 8 Thine eye 's not satisfy'd with what it sees Buy something that will last that will remain Vers 2 To after dayes All 's momentary all 's vain I but my soul here 's fairer Merchandise Vers 16 Wisdome and Knowledge That to make thee wise This to instruct thee Come thou needst not fear Too hard a bargain Goe and purchase there Vers 18 Alas much wisdome makes thy grief but double Encrease of Knowledge brings increase of trouble I but my soule the gracious eye of heaven Hath smil'd upon thee His full hand hath given A large addition to thy thriv'n estate Thy Barns and Bags are fill'd Thy servants waite Vpon thy Businesse and their shoulders bear Thy fruitfull Burdens who like Pilots stear Thy reeling Vessell Thou art richly'endow'd With Knowledge Wisdome Judgement and allow'd Some Graines to make thee weight Me thinks thy heart So arm'd with strong Resolves should never start At threatning ev'lls Me thinks thy daring eye If all the Crystall Rafters of the skye Should make one Ruine and that Ruine fall About thine eares should be unmov'd at all No no my soule T is neither Barne nor Purse Cramm'd up with Coyn or Corn canbalk the Curse Entayld upon thy sinne Nor height of Blood Nor all that this mistaken Earth cals Good Vers 17 Not very Knowledge no nor Wisdome can Exempt thee from the Common lot of Man Vers 16 The wisest
Monuments of thy name Vers 5 Plant Orchards for thy Pleasure Deck thy Bowers With dainty fruits and delectable Flowers Vers 6 Cut Waterworks instruct the silver Tide To wanton up and down Teach her to slide In soft Meanders through the fluid veynes Of the green breasted stream-embroydred Plaines Ravish thy soule with Musick and refresh The wasted spirits of thy unwieldy flesh With high-bred Raptures Let harmonious Ayres Compose the discords of thy droyling Cares Take pleasure in thy pale-enclosed Grounds And let the Rhet'rick of thy deep-mouth'd Hounds perswade thy head-strong sorrows so to fly Before thy Heard as they before the Cry Alas Alas my poor deluded soule Think'st thou to quench thy fire with oyle or for to coole Thy flame with Cordials Can thy born disease Expect a Cure from such Receipts as these No no those Bellowes mount the blaze the higher Thou leap'st but from the Pan into the fire Vers 12 I but my soule me thinks a wise forecast Though not redresse the mischiefes that are past May claim some kind of priv'ledge to prevent The ev'lls that future Changes may present If not what harm what disconvenience lies Vers 13 In being foole what vantage to be wise Vers 15 Both fool and wise must pay an equall shot At Natures Table have the self-same lot Why then my soule since sorrow needs must haunt Thy life condemn'd to labour cease to daunt Thy bold endeavours with the sense of Care Cheare up thy whining heart and take thy share Vers 24 Of all thy labours eat and drink and let Thy sense enjoy the wages of thy Sweat T is all thy Portion Take what may be had Bad is the best Then make the best of bad Sweeten thy pains Mixe pleasure with thy sorrow Who knows to day what shall betide to morrow Cap. III. 1 By the necessary change of times vanity is added to humane travail 11 There is an excellency in Gods workes 16 But as for man God shall judge his works there and here he shall be like a beast Verse 1 THe great Creator in his wise decree Hath pitcht a Time when every Change shal be And through his watchfull providence hath given A season to each purpose under heaven Verse 2 There is a time appointed for our birth And there 's a time for earth to turn to earth There is a time to plant A time wherein To pluck those plants thus planted up again Verse 3 There is a season when to build ev'n so There is a season to demolish too There is a season to inflict a wound And there 's another season to make sound Verse 4 There is a time for tears to drown thine eye A time to laugh and lay thy sorrows by There is a time to mourn A time to meet The sprightly Musick with thy num'rous feet Verse 5 There is a due appointed season either To scatter stones or gather stones together There is a time t' embrace and there be spaces Of time appointed to refrain embraces Verse 6 There is a time to gain and there 's ordain'd An other time to lose the thing we gain'd There is a time to recollect and lay Thy treasure up a time to cast away Verse 7 There is a time appointed when to rend And there 's a time appointed when to mend A time for silence and a time to break Reserved silence there 's a time to speak Vers 8 A time to love and there 's a time t' abate Our warm affections there 's a time to hate A time of war and there 's a time to cease The Bloody Battell There 's a time for Peace Vers 9 If heavens decree thus bound the works of men What profit gains the fruitlesse worker then What boots our Travell or those works of ours If all our plots depend on heav'nly pow'rs Vers 10 Nor are our actions or their secret ends Govern'd by chance nor doe our works depend On hoodwink'd Fortune no pleas'd heaven thinks good To exercise the souls of flesh and blood Vers 11 What ere he did is fair and timely done He gave the world for man to muse upon Whose eye with admiration may discover The motion not the progresse of the Mover Vers 12 I know that from the works of flesh and blood As they are mans there can arise no good Unlesse perchance to qualify with oyle The soule-afflicting vin'gre of his toyle Vers 13 Or if it happen that his soul may eat And drink and reap the harvest of his sweat To sweeten sorrows may we understand It is a gift from the Almighties hand Vers 14 I know that heavens Decree is seal'd and free From alteration a most firme Decree And so ordain'd that the presumptuous Race Of man may fear the Majesty of his face Vers 15 The thing that is hath been and what of old Hath been succeeding ages shall behold The great Disposer keeps the self-same track And calls his timely revolutions back Vers 16 I view'd the Chair of Judgement where I saw In stead of Righteousnesse perverted Law I view'd the Courts of Equity and spy'd Corruption there and Justice warp'd aside Vers 17 O then thought I the Judge of heav'n shall do Right to the wicked and the righteous too For there 's a time true Justice shall proceed On ev'ry Purpose upon every Deed. Vers 18 Then puzzel'd in my thoughts I thus advis'd Heav'n suffers mortals to be exercis'd In their own miseries that they may see They 'r not more happy then the sensuals bee Vers 19 To man and beast the self-same lots befall Man dies so dies the Beast alas they all Enjoy one breath what Royalties remain To Man above a Beast For both are vain Vers 20 Both travell to the self-same place Both tend Their paces to the self-same Journies end The substance of their flesh is both the same But dust to dust both turn from whence they came Vers 21 What curious Inquisitor doth know The place whereto ascending soules doe goe Or can renown'd Philosophy declare Whither the dying spirits of beasts repair Vers 22 This rightly weigh'd it seems the better choyce For man to suck his labours and rejoyce 'T is all the Portion he is like to have Who knows the entertainments of the Grave SOLILOQUIE III. COme now my Soule thou hast with toylsome paines Outworn the day and with thy dear-bought gains Thou hast refresht thy spirits and at length With lusty diet hast redeem'd thy strength Thou hast forgot thy labours and thy Rest Hath crown'd Contentment in thy peacefull brest Art thou now pleas'd What can thy heart require More then thou hast to fill thy vast desire True if my bubble life could get a Lease Of this small Rest nay if the present Peace Were but secur'd from this succeeding sorrow Long since design'd to the next neighb'ring morrow It were some happinesse and would present A large proportion of a short Content But Change the Moth of transitory things Vers 1 That 's never worse then
sin-polluted dust embrac'd enclos'd In the foule armes of thy owne base Corruptions How is thy will disturb'd with th'interruptions Of crosse desires desires not knowing where To finde a Center rambling here and there Which like their objects alterable rome Like idle Vagrants without Passe or home Review thy selfe my soule Cast up thy dayes They are but few Thy life is but a blaze Goe take take an Inventory of those Joyes Which thy false Earth allowes They are but Toyes To mock the frailty of thy flatter'd Sense Attended with a thousand discontents Hath Heaven enricht thy paynes with thriving drifts Of mighty Gold endow'd thy wind with gifts Of sacred Art Or glorifi'd thy thy name With honor posted on the wings of Fame What is there then that lyes in earths election To rayse thy happinesse to more high perfection I but my soule what great what higher hand Vers 4 Shall stop the mouth of Envy Or command Her snake-devouring fangs to keep the peace Vpon thy worryed Name To every Lease Of earths best granted happinesse belongs The sharp Proviso of malicious tongues They they shall blast thy fortunes leave a Tang Vpon thy new-broach'd Honor They shall hang Like Burres upon thy welfare and destroy Like th' Easterne worm the Gourd of all thy Joy Or if thou chance to scape the whispering tongue Vers 1 Of secret Envy Force and bold-fac'd Wrong May hap to roar upon thy full-mouth'd Sailes And rude Oppression with her Harpy nailes May gripe thy fair Prosperity and grate Vpon the vastnesse of thy great estate Or if those forain dangers should forbeare To make assault or made prove lesse severe From out thy very bosome may arise Intestine Foes to make thy peace their prize Verse 5 If that dull worme that cloaths the mossy land With rags but kisse thy bosome-folded hand It eats thy Treasure with a secret Rust And layes thy bed-rid Honour in the Dust Or if thy droyling hand should once beslave Verse 8 Thy glorious freedome with a thirst to have And take thee prisner to thy loose desires Thy happinesse even whilst enjoy'd expires Or if a liberall Content should crown Thy Gold with Rest and make thine own thine own Verse 9 Perchance thou want'st a Partner that may share In all thy fortunes or if sped an heyre Whose worth and hopefull merits may revive Thy honor'd Dust and keep thy name alive Or if the pleased hand of heaven subscribe Verse 13 To those desires a self-conceipt may bribe Thy passion-guided Will to take up Arms ' Gainst soveraign Reason at whose bold Alarm's Thy false affections may rise up and shake Thy fancy-baffled Judgment and so make A Gap for mischief which may recommend Thy reeling Fortunes to a ruinous End Now tell me O my soule wherein can earth Deserve thy pains or gratify thy birth In framing equall happinesse nay in freeing Thy partiall heart from unrepented Beeing O is' t not better not to thirst at all Then thirst in vain or quench thy thirst with Gall Vers 3 Are not the Cloysters of the Barren wombe Far more desiderable then to come Into the wilde into the common Hall Of troubled Natures factious Court where all Move in their Orbs of Care and severall wayes Fulfill their Revolutions of sad dayes Vers 2 Are not the shady Bowres of death more sweet Then the bold Sunshine where we howrely meet Fresh ev'lls like Atomes whose deluding breath Tickles our fancies till we laugh to death Our day of birth leads in our days of Trouble My soul prize not this earth this Toy this Bubble Cap. V. 1 Vanities in divine service 8 in murmuring against oppression 9 and in riches 18 Joy in riches is the gift of God Vers 1 ATtend thy footsteps when thou drawest near The house of God and be more apt to hear Then give the Sacrifice of fools which know Not in their sacrifice whatev'll they doe Vers 2 Let not thy tongue be rash Commit no wast Of words before thy God by over hast Since he from heav'n beholds thy actions here All lavish babling let thy lips forbeare Vers 3 As dreams and rest-disturbing fancies flow From floods of businesse which by day we doe So multitude of words are daily sprung From th' idle fountain of a foolish tongue Verse 4 When thou hast bound thee to thy God by vow Defer not payment but perform it thou Discharge thy bonds for heaven takes no delight In fools that violate the faith they plight Verse 5 Far safer 't is thy vows were never made Then having promis'd payment never pai'd Verse 6 Let not thy lips ensnare thee plead not thou Before thy Angel 'T was too rash a vow O why shoutd'st thou provoke thy God and dare His curse upon thy practise and thy pray'r Verse 7 Dreams oft are vain and folly ' is mixt among The language of a multiloquious tongue But let the wisdome of thy lips appear Before thy God with reverentiall fear Verse 8 Seest thou perverted Justice in the land And poor men grip'd beneath th'oppressours hand Stand not amaz'd Th' Almighty views their way And there be pow'rs at hand more high then they Verse 9 The fruitfull surface of the pregnant soyl Enrich'd by the laborious ploughmans toyl Brings forth to all nay very Kings doe build Their whole subsistence from the fertil field Verse 10 'T is not full heaps of eye-rejoycing gold Can feed or screen thy nakednesse from cold Nor can the piles of treasur d wealth sustain Thy drooping spirits This is also vain Verse 11 As goods encrease ev'n so their number who Must share thy goods encrease encreaseth too What hath the owner more then they but this What they consume his eyes behold as his Verse 12 How sweetly pleasant is the sleep of such As labour eat they little or eat much When as the wealth of idle Owners keep Their heart from quiet and their eyes from sleep Verse 13 There is an ev'll that happens now and then Beneath the Sun among the sons of men Oft have I seen encreasing riches grow To be their great-made O wners overthrow And vex their souls with Care and then repay Unprosp'rous pains with grief and melt away Verse 14 His wealth is fled and when he should transfer it Upon his heire there 's nothing to inherit Verse 15 Look how he came into the world the same He shall goe out as naked as he came Of what his lab'ring arm hath brought about His dying hand shall carry nothing out Verse 16 This is a wounding Grief that as he came In ev'ry point he shall return the same What profit can his soules affliction find That toyls for ayre and travels but for wind Verse 17 The pilgrimage of his laborious days Is sordid and obscure and all his ways Are blockt with troubles and his souls disquiet To gain his very life-sustaining diet Verse 18 I hold it therefore the most happy lot To eat and drink and reap what pains hath got To
man to be possest Verse 12 Who knows what 's good for man in this dull blaze Of life his swift his shadow flying dayes Or who can tell when his short houre is run Th' event of all his toyle beneath the Sun SOLILOQUIE VI. WHat meant that great-creating Pow'r to frame This spatious Vniverse Was not his name Glorious enough without a Witnesse Why Did that corrected Twilight of his eye Vnmussle darknesse and with morning light Redeeme the day from new baptized night What meant that sacred Rower to command Divorce betwixt united Sea and Land Why wrapt heearth as yet untouch with showers In a greene Robe embroid'red all with flowers What meant the Beames of his refulgent eyes To print their Image in the crystall skyes What princely guests with all their num'rous traine Did he expect was he to entertaine That his magnificent his bounteous hand Made such Provision both by sea and land What royall State 's at hand what Potentate On whom must all these Royall armies wait Who worthy of so great a preparation Is th' object of such royall expectation What Prince is to be borne What glorious birth Is to be celebrated Groaning earth Brought forth a lump not much above a span A little naked puling thing cal'd Man Man a poore shiftlesse transitory thing Borne without sword or shield not having wing To fly from threatning danger not an arme To grapple with those num'rous ev'lls that swarme About his newborne frailty warpt aside From faire obedience to rebellious Pride Man whose frame the great Three-One advis'd And with a studied hand epitomiz'd The large voluminous and perfect story Of all his workes The Manuall of his Glory Man in whose soule the all Eternall drew The Image of himselfe for earth to view With feare and wonder in whose sov'raign eye He breath'd the flames of dreadfull Majesty Fill'd him with power entrusted to his hand Earths Empire and the lower worlds command Crown'd him with glory made him little lower Then heav'n-bred Angels that excell in power O but my soule how is that hand asham'd Of his owne work How is this frame unfram'd How is this Manuall blotted Every word How interlin'd How is this Image blurr'd How are those sparkes of Majesty that were So bright now baffled with degen'rous feare How is that power that was bred and borne The earth Commander now become the scorne of dunghill Passion shipwrackt with the Gust of every fatuous and inferiour Lust How is the Sunbright Honor of his Name Eclipst How is his Glory cloath'd with shame Reflect upon thy self my soule Enquire Into the vastnesse of thy vaine desire What would'st thou have which being had may fill Th'unfathom'd Gulf of thy insatiate will Thou level'st at a Good Wherein consists The Good thou level'st at To what strange Lists Is her conceal'd Omnipotence confin'd Where is this will-commanding Saint enshrin'd Is not her royall person gone to view The Mines of Ophir or the rich Peru Or is she gone to oyle the wings of Time With unctious pleasures in some foraine Clime Or is she mounted on the slippery Throne Of staggering Honor there disguis'd unknowne Alas my soule if heaven should suit thy store With thy desire thou wouldst desire yet more Verse 2 Or if spring tides of Gold should a degree Transcend thy wish perchance it would want thee Verse 3 What if a num'rous Off-spring should proclame A perpetuity to th'lasting Name Or if the even-spun ' Twine should be extended Till thou could'st number Nations all descended From thine owne loynes yet if the sparing hand of wayward Providence should chance to brand Vers 5 Thy dayes with poverty th' abortive birth Is more indebted to the gracious earth Then thou whose shadow-grasping hand even tires Vpon the vanity of thy vast desires Nay if both heav'n and earth should undertake T' extract the best from all Mankinde to make One perfect happy man and thou wert Hee Thy finite fortunes still would disagree Vers 7 With thy insatiate soule Some Qualmes of earth Hereditary to thy humane Birth Would print thy pamper'd soule with such a fresh And lively Character of feeble flesh That all thy Joyes doe Fortune what shee can May not exempt thee from the Lot of Man Cap. VII 1 Remedies against vanity are a good name 2 Mortification 7 Patience 11 Wisdome 23 The difficultie of wisdome Vers 1 A good reputed Name is sweeter farre Then breaths of Aromatick Oyntments are And that sad day when first we drew our breath Is not so happy as the day of death Vers 2 Better it is to be a fun'rall guest Then finde the welcomes of a frolick feast There may'st thou view thy end and take occasion T' enrich thy thoughts with fruitful contemplation Vers 3 Better to cloud thy face with griefe then show The lavish wrinkles of a laughing brow For by the sad demeanour of thine eyes The heart 's instructed and becomes more wise Vers 4 The wise mans sober heart is always turning His wary footsteps to the house of mourning But fools consume and revell out the night In dalliance and the day in loose delight Vers 5 The vertue of a wise mans fair reproof Brings greater benefit to a mans behoof Then all those eare-bewitching sweets that can Belch from the language of a foolish Man Vers 6 Look how the crackling thorns under the pot Blaze for a season but continue not Ev'n so doe foolish flatt'ries entertain Our souls with joy but all that joy is vain Vers 7 When wise men turn Oppressors they have crackt Their understandings in the very Act And the acceptance of a Bribe destroyes The grounds of Judgement and it blinds her eyes Vers 8 In all attempts the onset does not lend So sweet a satisfaction as the end And he whose gentle spirit is endow'd With meeknesse is far better then the proud Vers 9 Let not thy hot-mouth'd spirit entertain Too sudden passion with too slack a rain For rash and unadvised anger rests Embosom'd and abides in foolish brests Vers 10 Let not thy murm'ring tongue desire to know Why former dayes were not so bad as now Where heav'n declares a Will no wise mans eye Should search a Cause or lips enquire a why Vers 11 Wisdome is profitable to advance Mans welfare joyned with inheritance By this conjunction profit doth arise To those that toile beneath the sweltring skies Vers 12 Wisdome's a Guard and treasure a defence To supersede our wants reliev'd from thence Vers 13 Wisdom's th'extract of knowledge and convays To the possessor everblasting days O let thy thoughts enquire and understands The well-weigh'd works of the Almighties hand What he hath setled in a crooked state No industry of man can make it straight Vers 14 In thy good day take pleasure and be wise In thy bad day have patience and advise For heav'n gives both by turns to let man see How alterable earthly pleasures bee Vers 15 Much have I seen in this my short-liv'd
day Among the rest the just man snatcht away In his just works whilst wicked find successe And prosper in their long-liv'd wickednesse Vers 16 Since then th'upright mans recompence is such Be not too wise nor righteous over much Why should thy too much righteousnesse betray Thy danger'd life and make thy life a prey Vers 17 Nor let the flesh suggest thee or advise Thy thoughts to be too wicked too unwise Why should thy folly captivate thy breath And make thee prisner to untimely death Vers 18 In all thy courses therefore it is best To lodge uprightnesse in thy constant brest For he that feareth the Almighty shall Outwear his evâ—ll or find no ev'll at all Vers 19 Wisdome affords more strength more fortifies The undejected courage of the wise Then all the twisted pow'r of those that are The Guides of Cities or their men of warre Vers 20 Yet is there none beneath the crystall skyes So just in action or in word so wise That doeth always good or hath not bin Sometimes polluted with the stains of sin Vers 21 At passions language stop thy gentle eare Lest if thy servant curse thee thou shouldst hear Vers 22 For oftentimes thy heart will let thee see That others likewise have been curs'd by thee Vers 23 This wisdome by my travell I attain'd And in my thoughts conceiv'd that I had gain'd No common height but on a strict revise I found my wisdome came far short of wise Vers 24 Objects far distant secrets too profound What eye can entertain what heart can sound Vers 25 I bent my studious heart to search and pry Into the bosome of Philosophy I gave my self to understands the Art Of folly and the madnesse of the heart I found the harlots ways more bitter are Vers 26 Then death whose arms are Ginnes whose heart 's a snare Whom heav'n doth favour shall decline her Gates But sinners shall be taken by her baites Vers 27 Loe this I have observ'd the Preacher says By strict enquest into their sev'rall ways Vers 28 Whereof my restlesse my laborious mind Would make discov'ry but despairs to find Among a thousand men perchance that one May be trac'd out but among women none Vers 29 Loe here the fruits of all my disquisition Only to know the devious condition Of poor degen'rous man whose first estate Heav'n copied from himself upright and straight SOLILOQUIE VII SInce then my Soul the frail and false Estate Of fading happinesse cannot create The least contentment in thy various minde Whose fancy-guided motion cannot finde The point of Rest but like the boyling waves Tost in the storms of Earth sometimes outbraves The threatning Firmament then at a breath Darts down and dashes at the dores of death Since waxen-winged Honour is not void of danger whether aim'd at or enjoy'd Since heart-enchaunting Profit hath not fruit But care both in fruition and pursuit Since Pleasure like a wanton itch doth breed In the ranck flesh but scratcht untill it bleed Since laughter is but madnesse and high diet Th' officious Pander of our owndisquiet Since glorious Buildings and magnifique Towers Fructiferous Orchards odoriferous Bowers Full clusterd Vineyards Beauties and the choice Of Musick both by Instrument and voice Can lend thy heart no full content nor still The various clamours of th' insatiate will Since humane wisdome is but humane trouble And double knowledge makes our sorrow double Since what we have but lights our wish to more And in the height of plenty makes us poore And what we have not too too apt to crave Ev'n dispossesses us of what we have Nay since the very act of our devotion Can bring no Rest nor qualifie the motion Of our unbounded thoughts to sweeten out This span of frailty plung'd and orb'd about With floods of Bitternesse Since none of these Nor all can crowne our labours nor appease Our raging hearts O my deceived soule Where wilt thou purchase Peace Who shall controule Who shall suppresse those Passions that contest Within the kingdome of thy troubled brest Whither to what strange Region wilt thou fly To finde content and baulk that vanity Which haunts this bubble earth and makes thee still A slave to thy infatuated will Call home thy selfe Inspect thy selfe anew And take thy Birthright to afresh review Thou art immortall art divine by birth A spark of heav'n Thou art not borne of earth Earth is the footstoole of thy heavenly Throne Made for thy baser parts to trample on Look not so low my soule There 's nothing there Fit for thy sacred view It is no Sphere For thee to move in No let worms and beasts And salvage brutes trade there and lay their Gests Of progresse to surround with weary paces The base Confines of those inferiour Places I but my soule th' Alliance of my flesh Claimes kindred there takes pleasure to refresh Her wasted body there Earth is her mother The worme her sister and the beast her brother T is true she is thy spouse Heav'n ty'd the knot For none to loose but Heav'n I know her Lot Is mortall fraile and being born of earth Corrupt and weares the Badges of her birth If she transgresse it 's thou must beare the blame And all her deeds reflect upon thy name O then beware and if she needs must goe To visit earth first let her frailty know How apt she is to fall and she how prone To blurre and stayne thy honor and her owne Verse 1 A name unblemisht with the sinfull soyle Of sordid earth is as a precious Oyle Which like a soveraigne Antidote prevents That plague of vanity which earth presents Then tell her tell her that her mother Earth Must give her buriall as she gave her birth Tell her ô tell her Every gaspe of breath Are minuts moving to the howr of death And let her know The house of mourning brings Verse 2 More profit then the Palaces of Kings Tell her Lesse re all happinesse doth dwell In a full Banquet then a passing Bell Verse 3 Arme her with patience apt to entertaine Verse 8 Thy wise reproofs but if her passion raigne Correct it wisely Teach her sober eye Verse 10 A willing ignorance in things too high If liberall earth should chance to crowne her store Verse 11 Let her wise modesty receive no more Then she can manage Pilots that are wise Proportion out their Canvase to the skies Let not her knowledge with the Eagle fly Vnles her wisdome have an Eagles eye Verse 12 Wisdome digests what Knowledge did devoure Things sweet in tast are indigested sowre Verse 14 In prosp'rous fortunes let her joy be such That in hard times she may not grieve too much Verse 25 Let her count wisdome as her chiefest good And the price easie whether sweat or blood Verse 29 And let the Perclose of her thoughts be this To study what Man was and what Man is So now my soule thy well instructed flesh May visit earth and with her
earth Disturb thy peace or interrupt thy mirth If heav'n hath crown'd thy labours with successe Enjoy it freely Eat and drink and blesse The gracious Giver Let thy soul rejoyce And take a chearfull pleasure in the choice Of all delights and what his bounty gave With a free hand fear not thou to receive With a free heart Refresh thy fainting head Verse 8 With precious Oyles and change thy carefull bread To feasts of Joy Or if a Crosse should greet Thy frolique soul march bravely on and meet Adversity half way and with a heart Too great for earth to wrong shake hands and part Chear then my soul Let not the rubs of earth Disturb thy peace or interrupt thy mirth Goe sweeten up thy labours and thy life Verse 9 With fresh delights Rejoyce thee in the wife And partner of thy bosome Let her brest Suffice thee as the Center of thy rest Deny thy heart no pleasure that may lye Within the lawfull limits of thine eye Verse 10 Take time while time shall serve To morrow may Be none of ours Come come be wise to day And teach thy labours to bestow their sorrow On those that practise to be fooles to morrow CAP X. 1 observations of wisdome and folly 16 Of Riot 18 Slothfulnesse 19 and money 20 Mens thoughts of Kings ought to be reverenced Verse 1 LOok how dead flies though few in number soil Corrupt and putrefy the purest Oil Ev'n so a little folly stains his fame Whom fair Repute for Wisdome lends a name Verse 2 A wise mans heart is plac'd at his right hand His plots and counsels are of strong command But hearts of fools are weak and rash bereft Of sage advice their hearts are at their left Verse 3 Nay if their steps but measure out the way Their Garb their Looks their Language do betray Their folly read by whomsoere they meet Themselves proclaime their selves in ev'ry street Vers 4 If thy Superior happen to incense His jealous wrath at thy suppos'd offence Doe thou thy part and yeild for yeilding slakes The raging flame that great transgression makes Verse 5 I see an ev'll beneath the Sun that springs From error reigning in the breasts of Kings Verse 6 Fools are made Statesmen and command at Court And men of parts are made the lower sort Verse 7 So have I seen proud servants mounted high On Lordly Steeds and Lords to lackey by Verse 8 He that shall dig a pit that shall prepare A snare shall be ensnar'd in his own snare And he that tramples down a hedge shall meet A Serpent to salute his trampling feet Vers 9 He that shall shake a stone-compacted wall Shall undergoe the danger of the fall Who undertakes to cleave the knotty Oak Shall be a painfull Partner in the stroak Vers 10 But if th'unwhetted edge be blunt the arm Must give more strength and so receive more harm But if he challenge wisdome for his guide Wisdome will doe what painfull strength deni'd Vers 11 The rash reproving mouth of fools are arm'd Like unenchaunted serpents if not charm'd Vers 12 The wise mans words are gracious where they goe But foolish language doth themselves o'rethrow Vers 13 Folly brings in the Prologue with his tongue Whose Epilogue is Rage and open wrong Vers 14 The fool abounds in tongue there 's none can know What his words mean or what he means to doe Vers 15 The tedious actions of a fool doth try The patience of the weary stander by Because his weaknesse knows not how to lay His actions posture in a Civill way Vers 16 Woe to the Land whose Princes wisdome sways The scepter in the nonage of her days And whose grave Rulers that should haunt the seat Of sacred Justice rise betime to eat Vers 17 Blessed art thou ô Land when as thy King Derives his royall blood from th' ancient spring Of Majesty and Rulers timely diet Serves to maintain their strength and not their riot Vers 18 By too much slothfulnesse the building fals Into decay and ruine strikes her wals And through the sluggish posture of his hand The weather-beaten house forgets to stand Vers 19 Who eats and drinks and frolicks uncontrol'd Maintaining riot with his wanton gold Vers 20 Curse not the King nor them that bear the sword No not in thought tho thought express no word The fowls of heav'n shall vent such hideous things And swift Report shall fly with secret wings SOLILOQUIE X. BVt ah my soul How closely folly cleaves To flesh and blood How mungrell nature weaves Wisdome and Folly in the self-same Loome Like webbe and woof whereby they both become One perfect Webbe to cloathe our imperfections With Linsy-woolsy and our mixt affections With foolish wisdome O how full of earth Was our first Ore which at our sinfull birth Was taken from the Womb Now purifi'd In sacred Fires and more then seven times tri'd In sharp afflictions furnace yes how base Our Bullion is not worthy of the Face That makes us currant O how apt and prone Is flesh and blood to fall if let alone But one poor Minute Most in danger then To be surpris'd and foyl'd with Folly when Our bold Presumption tempts our thoughts to prise Our wisdoms overmuch and seem too wise Vers 1 How one rash action O how one dead Flie Embalm'd in thy sweet Oyle does putrefie Thy Box of Spikenard How it casts a shame Vpon the beauty of thy honour'd Name O then my soul take heed to keep thy heart Vers 2 At thy right hand There there she will impart Continuall secrets and direct thy ways In sacred Ethicks sweetning out thy days With season'd Knowledge knowledge past the reach Of black-mouth'd Error shall instruct and teach Thy tongue wise silence Wisdome when to break Thy closed lips and Judgement how to speak Shee 'l teach thee Christian Policy and how Vers 4 To keep thee safe when as thy Princes brow Shall threaten death even when the flame shall flye Like horrid Lightning from his wrathfull Eye I but the rage of Princes oftentimes Darts Lightning at the Person not his Crimes And their misguided will oft times demands Obedience there where Conscience countermands Take heed my soul Thou tread'st upon the Ice Be not too vent'rous here nor too too nice Rush not too bold thou mayst as soon convince An â—rror in thy Conscience as thy Prince To lay commands upon indifferent things Is a sole Royalty belongs to Kings If here thy conscience doubt the Book of Life Must cast the balance and decide the strife If this way thy enforc'd obedience then Must stoop If that Please rather God then men If th' Embers of his rage should chance to lye Rak'd up or furnace from his angry eye Vers 4 Quit not thy duty 'T is thy part t' asswage The jealous flames of his consuming rage What if through Error or misguided will He leaves the way to Good and cleaves to Ill Lend him thy Prayers Lament advise perswade Lift