hard enough My people teare their trembling flesh for food And from their ragged wounds they suck forth blood The Father dies and leaues his pined Course Tinrich his Heire with meate The hungrie Nurse Broiles her staru'd suckling on the hastie coales Deuours one halfe and hides the rest in holes O Tyrant Famin that compell'st the Mother To kill one hungrie Childe to feed an other ELEG II. LAment ô sad Ierusalem lament O weepe if all thy teares be yet vnspent Weepe wasted Iudah let no drop be kept Vnshed let not one teare be left vnwept For angrie Heauen hath nothing left vndon To bring thy ruines to perfection No curse no plague the fierce Almightie hath Kept back to summe the totall of his wrath Thy Citic burnes thy Sion is despoil'd Thy Wiues are rauisht and thy Maides defil'd Famin at home the Sword abroad destroyes thee Thou cry'st to heauen and heauen his caredenyes thee ELEG 12. MAy thy dull senses ô vnhappy Nation Possest with nothing now but desolation Collect their scatter'd forces and behold Thy nouell fortunes ballanc'd with the old Could'st thou ô could thy prosp'rous heart conceiue That mortall powre or art of State could reiue Thy'illustrious Empire of her sacred glorie And make her ruines the Threnodian storie Of these sad times and ages yet to bee Enuie could pine but neuer hope to see Thy buildings crusht and all that glorie ended Which Man so fortifyde and Heauen defended ELEG 13. NE're had the splendor of thy bright renowne Beene thus extinguisht Iudah Thy fast Crowne Had ne're beene spurn'd from thy Emperiall brow Plentie had nurs'd thy soule thy peacefull plough Had fill'd thy fruitfull Quarters with encrease Hadst thou but knowne thy selfe and loued peace But thou hast broke that sacred Truce concluded Betwixt thy God and thee vainly deluded Thy selfe with thine owne strength With deadly feud Thy furious Priests and Prophets haue pursude The mourning Saints of Sion and did slay All such as were more iust more pure then they ELEG 14. O How the Priests of Sion whose pure light Should shine to such as grope in Errors night And blaze like Lamps before the darkned eye Of Ignorance to raise vp those that lye In dull despaire and guide those feet that strey Ay me How blinde how darke how dull are they Fierce rage and furie driues them through the street And like to mad-men stabbe at all they meet They weare the purple Liuerie of Death And liue themselues by drawing others breath Say wasted Sion could Reuenge behold So foule an acted Scene as this and hold ELEG 15. PRophets and sacred Priests whose tongues whilere Did often whisper in th' Eternals eare Disclos'd his Oracles found readie passage Twixt God and Man to carrie heauens Embassage Are now the subiects of deserued scorne Of GOD forsaken and of Man forlorne Accursed Gentiles are asham'd to knowe What Sions Priests are not asham'd to doe They see and blush and blushing flee away Fearing to touch things so defil'd as they They hate the filth of their abomination And chace them forth from their new cōquer'd nation ELEG 16. QVite banisht from the joyes of earth and smiles Of heauen and deeply buried in her spoiles Poore Iudah lyes vnpitied dis-respected Exil'd the World of GOD of Man reiected Like blasted eares among the fruitfull wheate Shee roames disperc'd and hath no certaine seate Her seruile neck 's subiected to the yoke Of bondage open to th' impartiall stroke Of conquering Gentiles whose afflicting hand Smites euery nooke of her disguized Land Of Youth respectlesse nor regarding yeeres Nor Sexe nor Tribe like scourging Prince and Peeres ELEG 17. REnt and deposed from Imperiall state By heauens high Hand on heauen we must awaite To him that struck our sorrowes must appeale Where Heauen hath smit no hand of man can heale In vaine our wounds expected mans reliefe For disappointed Hopes renew a Griefe Aegypt opprest vs in our fathers loynes What hope 's in Aegypt Nay if Aegypt ioynes Her force with Iudah our vnited powers Could ne're preuaile ' gainst such a Foe as our's Aegypt that once did feel heauens scourge for grieuing His Flock would now refinde it for relieuing ELEG 18. SO the quick-sented Beagles in a view O're hill and dale the fleeing Chace pursue As swift-foot Death and Ruine follow mee That flees afraid yet knowes not where to flee Flee to the fields There with the Sword I meet And like a Watch Death stands in euery street No Couert hides from Death no Shade no Cells So darke wherein not Death and Horror dwells Our Dayes are numbred and our Number 's don The emptie Houre-glasse of our glorie 's run Our sinnes are summ'd and so extreame 's the score That Heauen could not doe lesse nor Hell doe more ELEG 19. TO what a downfall are our fortunes come Subiected to the suffrance of a Doome Whose lingring torments Hell could not conspire More sharpe Then which Hell needs no other fire How nimble are our Foemen to betray Our soules Eagles are not so swift as they Where shall wee flee Or where shall sorrow finde A place for harbour Ah what prosp'rous winde Will lend a Gale whose bountie ne're shall cease Till we be landed on the I le of peace My foes more fierce then emptie Lions are For hungrie Lions woed with teares will spare ELEG 20. VSurping Gentils rudely haue engrost Into their hands those fortunes we haue lost Deuoure the fruits that purer hands did plant Are plump and pamp'red with that bread we want And what is worse then death a Tyrant treades Vpon our Throne Pagans adorne their heades With our lost Crownes Their powers haue disioynted The Members of our State and heauens Anoynted Their hands haue crusht and rauisht from his Throne And made a Slaue for Slaues to tread vpon Needes must that flock be scatter'd and accurst Where Wolfes haue dar'd to seize the Shepheard first ELEG 21. VVAxefat with laughing Edom with glad eyes Behold the fulnesse of our miseries Triumph thou Type of Antichrist and feede Thy soule with ioy to see thy brothers seede Ruin'd and rent and rooted from the earth Make haste and solace thee with earely mirth But there 's a time shall teach thee how to weepe As many teares as I thy lips as deepe Shall drinke in sorrowes Cup as mine haue don Till then cheere vp thy spirits and laugh on Offended Iustice often strikes by turnes Edom beware for thy next neighbour burnes ELEG 22. YEe drooping sonnes of Sion ô arise And shut the Flood-gates of your flowing eyes Surcease your sorrowes and your ioyes attend For Heauen hath spoke it and your griefes shall end Beleeue it Sion seeke no curious signe And waite heauens pleasure as heauen waited thine And thou triumphing Edom that doest lye In beds of Roses thou whose prosp'rous eye Did smile to see the Gates of Sion fall Shalt be subiected to the selfe-same thrall Sion that weepes shall smile and Edom's eye That smiles so fast
vnfold thy Word ELEG 21. WOunded and wasted by th' eternall Hand Of Heauen I grouell on the ground my Land Is turn'd a Golgotha before mine eye Vnsepulchred my murthred people lye My deadlye rudely scattred on the stones My Cawsies all are pau'd with dead mens bones The fierce Destroyer doth alike forbeare The Maidens trembling and the Matrons teare Th' impartiall sword spares neither Foole nor Wise The Old mans pleading nor the Infants cryes Vengeance is deafe and blinde and shee respects Nor Young nor Old nor Wise nor Foole nor Sexe ELEG 22. YEeres heauy laden with their months retire Months gone their date of numbred dayes expire The Dayes full howerd to their period tend And Howres chac'd with light foot minutes end Yet my vndated Euills no time will minish Though Yeers Months though Daies Howers finish Feares flock about me as inuited Guests Before the Portalls at proclaimed feasts Where Heauen hath breath'd that man that state must fall Heauen wants no Thunder-bolts to strike withall I am the Subiect of that angrie Breath My Sonnes are slaine and I am mark'd for death SIONS ELEGIES Threnodia III. ELEG 1. ALl you whose vnprepared lips did taste The tedious Cup of sharpe affliction caste Your wondings eyes on me that haue drunke vp Those dregs whereof you onely kist the Cup I am the Man ' gainst whom th' Eternall hath Discharg'd the lowder volley of his wrath I am the man on whom the brow of night Hath scowl'd vnworthy to behold the light I am the Man in whom th'Almightie showes The dire example of vnpattern'd woes I am that Pris'ner ransome cannot free I am that Man and I am onely Hee ELEG 2. BOndage hath forc'd my seruile necke to faile Beneath her load Afflictions nimble Flaile Hath thrasht my soule vpon a floore of stones And quasht the marrow of my broken bones Th' assembled powres of Heauen enrag'd are eager To roote me out Heauens souldiers doe beleager My worried soule my soule vnapt for fleeing That yeelds o'reburthen'd with her tedious being Th' Almighties hand hath clouded all my light And clad my soule with a perpetuall night A night of torments and eternall sorrow Like that of Death that neuer findes a morrow ELEG 3. CHain'd to the brazen pillars of my woes I striue in vaine No mortall hand can loose What Heauen hath bound My soule is wall'd about That Hope can nor get in nor Feare get out When e're my wauering hopes to Heauen addresse The feeble voice of my extreame distresse He stops his tyred eares without regard Of suit or Sutor leaues my prayers vnheard Before my faint and stumbling feet he layes Blocks to disturbe my best aduised wayes I seeke my peace but seeke my peace in vaine For euery way 's a Trap each path's a Traine ELEG 4. DIsturbed Lions are appeas'd with blood And rauenous Beares are mild not wanting food But heauen ah heauen will not implored bee Lions and Beares are not so fierce as Hee His direfull vengeance which no meane confines Hath crost the thriuing of my best designes His hand hath spoil'd me that erewhile aduanc't me Brought in my Foes possest my Friends against me His Bowe is bent his forked Rouers flye Like darted haile stones from the darkned skye Shot from a hand that cannot erre they bee Transfixed in no other marke but mee ELEG 5. EXil'd from Heauen I wander to and fro And seeke for streames as Stags new striken doe And like a wandring Hart I flee the Hounds With Arrowes deeply fixed in my wounds My deadly Hunters with a winged pace Pricke forwards and pursue their wearie chace They whoope they hallow me deride and flout me That flee from death yet carrie death about me Excesse of torments hath my soule deceiu'd Of all her ioyes of all her powres bereiu'd Ocurious griefe that hast my soule brim-fill'd With thousand deaths and yet my soule not kill'd ELEG 6. FOllow'd with troopes of feares I flie in vaine For change of places breedes new change of paine The base condition of my low estate My'exalted Foes disdaine and wonder at Turne where I list these these my wretched eyes They finde no objects but new miseries My soule accustom'd to so long encrease Of paines forgets that shee had euer peace Thus thus perplext thus with my griefes distracted What shall I doe Heauens powers are compacted To worke my'eternall ruine To what friend Shall I make moane when Heauen conspires my end ELEG 7. GReat GOD what helpe ah me what hope is left To him that of thy presence is bereft Absented from thy fauour what remaines But sense and sad remembrance of my paines Yet hath affliction op'ned my dull eare And taught me what in weale I ne're could heare Her scourge hath tutor'd me with sharpe corrections And swag'd the swelling of my proud affections Till now I slumbred in a prosp'rous dreame From whence awak'd my griefes are more extreame Hopes newly quickned haue my soule assur'd That griefes discour'd are one halfe recur'd ELEG 8. HAd not the milder Hand of mercy broke The furious violence of that fatall stroke Offended Iustice struck we had beene quite Lost in the shaddowes of eternall night Thy mercy Lord is like the morning Sun Whose beames vndoe what sable night hath don Or like a streame the Current of whose course Restrain'd awhile runnes with a swifter force Oh let me swelter in those sacred beames And after bathe me in these siluer streames To thee alone my sorrowes shall appeale Hath Earth a wound too hard for Heauen to heale ELEG 9. IN thee deare Lord my pensiue soule respires Thou art the fulnesse of my choice desires Thou art that sacred Spring whose waters burst In streames to him that seekes with holy thurst Thrice happy man thrice happy thirst to bring The fainting soule to so so sweet a Spring Thrice happy he whose well resolued brest Expects no other aide no other rest Thrice happy he whose downie age hath bin Reclaim'd by scourges from the prime of sin And earely season'd with the taste of Truth Remembers his Creator in his youth ELEG 10. KNowledge concomitates Heauens painfull rod Teaches the soule to know her selfe her GOD Vnseiles the eye of Faith presents a morrow Of ioy within the sablest night of sorrow Th' afflicted soule abounds in barest neede Sucks purest honie from the foulest weede Detests that good which pamper'd reason likes Welcomes the stroke kisses the hand that strikes In roughest Tides his well-prepared brest Vntoucht with danger findes a Hauen of rest Hath all in all when most of all bereauen In Earth a Hell in Hell he findes a Heauen ELEG 11. LAbour perfected with the euening ends The lampe of heauen his course fulfill'd descends Can workes of Nature seeke and finde a rest And shall the torments of a troubled brest Impos'd by Natures all-commanding GOD Ne're know an end ne're finde a period Deare soule despaire not whet thy dull beliefe With hope Heauens mercy will
o'recome thy griefe From thee not him proceedes thy punishment Hee 's slowe to wrath and speedie to relent Thou burn'st like gold consumest not like fuell O wrong not Heauen to thinke that Heauen is cruell ELEG 12. MOuntaines shall mooue the Sun his circling course Shall stop Tridented Neptune shall diuorce Th' embracing floods from their beloued Iles Ere Heauen forgets his seruant and recoiles From his eternall vow Those those that bruise His broken reedes or secretly abuse The doubtfull Title of a rightfull Cause Or with false bribes adulterate the Lawes That should be chaste these these th' Almightie hath Branded for subiects of a future wrath Oh may the iust man know th' Eternall hastens His plagues for trialls loues the Childe he chastens ELEG 13. NO mortall power nor supernall might Not Lucifer nor no infernall spright Nor all together ioyn'd in one commission Can thinke or act without diuine permission Man wills Heauen breathes successe or not vpon it What good what euill befals but heauen hath done it Vpon his right hand Health and Honours stand And flaming Scourges on the other hand Since then the states of good or euill depend Vpon his Will fond mortall thou attend Vpon his Wisedome Why should liuing Dust Complaine on Heauen because that Heauen is iust ELEG 14. O Let the ballance of our euen-pois'd hearts Weigh our afflictions with our just desarts And ease our heauie scale Double the graines We take from sinne Heauen taketh from our paines Oh let thy lowly-bended eyes not feare Th' Almighties frownes nor husband one poore teare Be prodigall in sighes and let thy tongue Thy tongue estrang'd to Heauen crie all night long My soule thou leau'st what thy Creator did Will thee to doe hast done what he forbid This this hath made so great a strangenesse bee If not diuorce betwixt thy GOD and thee ELEG 15. PRepar'd to vengeance and resolu'd to spoile Thy hand iust GOD hath taken in thy toile Our wounded soules That Arme which hath forgot His wonted mercy kills and spareth not Our Crimes haue let a Barre betwixt thy Grace And Vs thou hast eclipst thy glorious Face Hast stopt thy gracious Eare lest prayers enforce Thy tender Heart to pitie and remorse See see great GOD what thy deare Hand hath done We lye like drosse when all the gold is gone Contemn'd despis'd and like to Atomes flye Before the Sunne the scorne of euery eye ELEG 16. QVotidian feuers of reproach and shame Haue chill'd our Honour and renowned Name We are become the By-word and the scorne Of Heauen and Earth of Heauen and Earth forlorne Our captiu'd soules are compast round about Within with troopes of Feares of Foes without Without within distrest and in conclusion We are the haplesse children of Confusion Oh how mine eyes the riuers of mine eyes O'reflow these barren lips that can deuise No Dialect that can expresse or borrow Sufficient Metaphores to show my sorrow ELEG 17. RIuers of marish teares haue ouer-flowne My blubberd cheekes my tongue can finde no Tone So sharpe as silence to bewaile that woe Whose flowing Tides an Ebbe could neuer knowe Weepe on mine Eyes mine eyes shall neuer cease Speake on my Tongue forget to hold thy peace Cease not thy teares close not thy lips so long Till Heauen shall wipe thine eyes heare thy tongue Whatheart of brasse what Adamantine brest Can know the torments of my soule and rest What stupid braine ah me what marble eye Can see these these my Ruines and not crye ELEG 22. YEt sleepes thy Vengeance Can thy Iustice bee So slowe to them and yet so sharpe to mee Dismount iust Iudge from thy Tribunall Throne And pay thy Foemen the deserued lone Of their vnjust designes Make fierce thy hand And scourge thou them as they haue scourg'd my land Breake thou their Adamantine hearts and pound them To dust and with thy finall curse confound them Let horror seize their soules ô may they bee The scorne of Nations that haue scorned Thee O may they liue distrest and die bereauen Of earths delights and of the ioyes of Heauen SIONS ELEGIES Threnodia IIII. ELEG 1. ALas what alterations Ah how strange Amazement flowes from such an vncouth change Ambitious Ruine Could thy razing hand Finde ne're a subiect but the Holy Land Thou sacrilegious Ruine to attempt The House of GOD Was not heauens house exempt From thy accursed Rape Ah me Behold Sion whose pauement of refulgent gold So lately did reflect so bright so pure How dimme how droffie now ah how obscure Her sacred stones lie scatter'd in the street For stumbling blocks before the Leuites feet ELEG 6. FOule Sodome and incestuous Gomorrow Had my destruction but ne're my sorrow Vengeance had mercy there Her hand did send A sharpe beginning but a sudden end Iustice was milde and with her hastie flashes They fell and sweetly slept in peacefull Ashes They felt no rage of an insulting Foe Nor Famine pinching furie as I doe They had no sacred Temple to defile Or if they had they would haue helpt to spoile They dyde but once but I poore wretched I Die many deaths and yet haue more to die ELEG 7. GOld from the mint Milke from the vberous Cow Was ne're so pure in substance nor in show As were my Nazarites whose inward graces Adorn'd the outward lustre of their faces Their faces robb'd the Lilly and the Rose Of red and white more faire more sweet then those Their bodies were the Magazens of perfection Their skins vnblemisht were of pure complexion Through which their Saphire-colour'd veines descride The Azure beautie of their naked pride The flaming Carbuncle was not so bright Nor yet the rare discolour'd Chrisolite ELEG 8. HOw are my sacred Nazarites that were The blazing Planets of my glorious Sphaere Obscur'd and darkned in Afflictions clowd Astonisht at their owne disguize they shrowd Their foule transformed shapes in the dull shade Of sullen darknesse of themselues afraide See how the brother gazes on the brother And both afrighted start and flie each other Black as their Fates they crosse the streets vnkend The Sire his sonne The friend disclaimes his friend They they that were the flowers of my Land Like with'red Weedes and blasted Hemlock stand ELEG 9. IMpetuous Famin sister to the Sword Left hand of Death Childe of th' infernall Lord Thou Tort'rer of mankinde that with one stroake Subiects the world to thy imperious yoake What pleasure tak'st thou in the tedious breath Of pined mortalls or their lingring death The Sword thy generous brother 's not so cruell He kills but once fights in a noble Duell But thou malicious Furie dost extend Thy spleene to all whose death can finde no end Alas my haplesse weare can want no woe That feeles the rage of Sword and Famin too ELEG 10. KInde is that Death whose weapons doe but kill But we are often slaine yet dying still Our torments are too gentle yet too rough They gripe too hard because not
as fast shall shortly crye The Prophet IEREMIE his Prayer for the distressed people of IERVSALEM and SION GReat God before whose all-discerning eye The secret corners of mans heart doe lye As open as his Actions which no Clowde Of secrecie can shade no shade can shrowde Behold the Teares ô harken to the Cryes Of thy poore Sion Wipe her weeping eyes Binde vp her bleeding wounds ô thou that art The best Chirurgeon for a broken heart See how the barb'rous Gentiles haue intruded Into the Land of Promise and excluded Those rightfull Owners from their iust possessions That wander now full laden with oppressions Our Fathers ab their sauage hands haue slaine Whose deaths our widdow-mothers weepe in vaine Our Springs whose Crystall plentie once disburst Their bounteous fauours to quench euery thurst Our lib'rall Woods whose palsie-shaken tops To euery stranger bow'd their yeelding lops Are sold to vs that haue no price to pay But sweat and toile the sorrowes of the day Oppressors trample on our seruile necks We neuer cease to groane nor they to vexe Famin and Dearth haue taught our hands t' extend To Ashur and our feeble knees to bend To churlish Pharoe Want of bread compells Thy sernants to begge Almes of Infidells Our wretched Fathers sinn'd and yet they sleepe In peace and haue left vs their sonnes to weepe We we extracted from their sinfull loynes Are guiltie of their sinnes Their Ossa ioynes To our high Pelion Aye their crimes doe stand More firmely entayled to vs then our Land We are the slaues of seruants and the scorne Of slaues of all forsaken and forlorne Hunger hath forc'd vs to acquire our food With deepest danger of our dearest blood Our skins are wrinckled and the fruitlesse ploughs Of want haue fallow'd vp our barren browes Within that Sion which thy hands did build Our Wiues were rauisht and our Maides defil'd Our sauage Fee extends his barb'rous rage To all nor sparing Sexe nor Youth nor Age They hang our Princes on the shamefull Trees Of Death respect no Persons no Degrees Our Elders are despised whose gray haires Are but the Index of their doting yeares Our flowring youth are forced to fulfill Their painfull taskes in the laborious Mill Our Children faint beneath their loades and crye Opprest with burthens vnder which they lye Sages are banisht from Iuditiall Courts And Youth takes no delight in youthfull sports Our ioyes are gone and promise no returning Our pleasure 's turn'd to paine our mirth to mourning Our Hand hath lost her Sword our Head his Crowne Our Church her Glorie our Weale her high Renowne Lord we haue sinn'd and these our sins haue brought This world of griefe O purchace dearely bought From hence our sorrowes and from hence our Feares Proceed for this our eyes are blinde with Teares But that aye that which my poore heart doth count Her sharpest torture is Thy sacred Mount Sacred Mount Sion Sion that diuine Seate of thy glorie 's raz'd her tender Vine Laden with swelling Clusters is destroyd And Foxes now what once thy Lambs enioyd But thou O thou Eternall God whose Throne Is permanent whose glorie 's euer One Vnapt for Change abiding still the same Though Earth consume and Heauen dissolue her frame Why dost thou ah why dost thou thus absent Thy glorious Face Oh wherefore hast thou rent Thy Mercy from vs O! when wilt thou bee Attond to them that haue no trust but Thee Restore vs Lord and let our soules possesse Our wonted peace O let thy Hand redresse Our wasted fortunes Let thine Eye behold Thy scatter'd Flocke and driue them to their Fold Canst thou reject that People which thy Hand Hath chose and planted in the promis'd Land O thou the Spring of mercy wilt thou send No ease to our Afflictions no end FINIS Reade Iosephus de Antiq. Iud. lib. 10. cap. 10. Gen. 35. 12.