lashes therefore can Another looke for safetie Shall Heavens Child Be lost be lasht rejected and revil'd Of the worlds Peacocks and shalt not thou A sinner feele the furrowes of his brow See how their Land 's defac'd their Wives defil'd How Famine kills and brings the hungry Child To his untimely grave whose friends are lost Virgins are ravisht new borne Infants tost Upon the souldiers Speares the women ript Up great with Child and so the Babe is stript From th' Bed of his Creation Elders lyes Having Deaths prospect in their aged eyes Imbracing lowly Earth with teares to trave A little favour to finde out their Grave See while their Citie burnes their eyes are drown'd In streames of flowing 〈◊〉 they doe abound In fulnesse yet have wane oh aske not why They long for life and yet they wish to die The tend'rest love is mixed now with hate They 're full of people yet are desolate They have some pleasure yet it â—s but paine Their gaine is losse and yet their losse is gaine For from the thirtie Verse of this third Chapter Our eares sometimes may drinke a heav'nly rapture From the harmonious Spheres which even then Dropt downe these Elegies from the Prophets pen And tells the world that Heav'n takes no delight To over-turne a mortall from his right On Earth it is his wicked sinfull wayes That brings in Death to cut his short-liv'd dayes Thus Love is mixt with anger sweets with sowre Joy midst of sorrow weaknesse matcht with powre Honey is mingled with our poys'ned gall Love with our Lashers Love's the cause of all Love 's in our labour Love is in our losse Love weares the Crowne and Love must beare the Crosse Love makes our Union Love's in our division Love's our direction Love 's in our derision Love's in prosperitie Loves in disaster Love is our servant and yet Love 's our Master Love seemes to be a foe yet Love 's a friend Love did begin our woes and Love will end Our dismall dangers Love commenc'd the fray And Love will turne our Night to shining Day Our Land had been too too unfortunate Like ruin'd Sion but that Love doth wait Upon the hand of Justice and is Crown'd Love gives a Salve when Justice gives a Wound What need we then grudge at Calamitie What is Mortalitie to Eternitie Since our best actions are but gilded ayre And words are wav'ring winde is it so rare For us to suffer trouble doe we merit With our Rebellion that we should inherit The Palace of high Glory and not thinke That Me … s eyes will shut Love somtimes winks To trie our pâ—rchas'd Graces and to know Our best of carriage in the worst of woe But what 's the cause then that the Prophâ—t here In the tumultuous stormes of trembling feare Doth pray against his foes what is it well To crie our worst of enemies downe to Hell Yea it is well not as they are to us Disquiet hatefull base malicious For here in stead of soes they are our friends While they conduct us to our journeyes ends The best and neerest way and then our brest Doth more imbrace that undisturbed rest In swelling soft eternitie beside Our strength of faith could not so well be try'd As by the force of envie but as he Which is our foe is Heavens enemie We ought to beg for his soone dissolution For his conversion or for his confusion Even so let them all perish let each foe O Lord be dasht with one one finall blow From thine Almightie Arme as thou hast made Them moving shadowes so much like a shade Let them soone vanish let thine enemies die And be forgot like their loath'd memorie And then oh then when the world shall behold The Drosse is purged from the purest Gold Which once was intermingled then each knee Shall bow unto thy sacred Majestie With lowly adoration and thy Name Shall be exalted with eternall fame And with a low incomparable grace Thy Saints shall sing in thy most holy place Those ravisht Halelujahs though we here Doe bathe our silent bosomes with a teare CHAP. IV. Verse 1. HOw dull's the finest Gold how quickly dim Is the bright Glory of that Diadem That once adorn'd Jerusalems Browes in State Where is the King the Priest and Potentate Her Priests do faint and in each corner swound Those orient Pearles are scatt'red on the ground As if they were most needlesse high and low Doe all fall blasted to compleat our woe 2 Where are those Noble Worthies Fame presents Sonnes of high honour Natures ornaments And Sions glory in whose serious eye Knowledge was seated in high Majestie To judge each loose offender Ah me may Such Clouds of Thunder now be Clods of Clay Can the high Potter make such Vessels poore Away vaine honour and delude no more 3 Is Love and Nature banisht and exil'd Can the fond Mother once forget her Child She can and will she does Oh wondrous strange How doth the Glory of Jerusalem change The carelesse Ostridge and the swinish Bore The poys'nous Dragon and the Lyons rose For lack of food yet give their young the brest But Famine lulls these Babes to endlesse rest 4 Alas poore Babe why doth thy dying soule Strive to live longer and thy heart controule Deaths summons to the grave whose ashie hand Shall passe thy soule into the promis'd Land His tongue is parcht with thirst he cannot speake He would implore some Bread but none wil breake It to his pining soule at last his eye Is clos'd in slumbring endlesse Lullaby 5 How is our labour Alchymiz'd to losse How is our Gold and Silver turn'd to drosse How is our Beautie metamorphos'd how Doth furious Famine furrow up our brow He that did feed in Silver dranke in Gold Now starv'd for hunger almost pin'd with Cold And she that once could boast of honor'd birth Lyes now imbracing of her Mother Earth 6 And is there nor a Cause oh wretched wee That we are follow'd with Calamitie Are not our sinnes more great then Sodomes Cryes Which pierc'd the Ayre and fill'd the Azure Skyes With Clouds of dreadfull Thunder Goods and Names In the descending and aspiring flames Were burnt to ashes in a hastie howre By the Almighties unresisted powre 7 Those comely Nazarites whose lovely faces Resembled Snow inricht with am'rous graces Of uncontroubled Love and were more red Then polisht Saphir on whose hoarie head Were threds of tangled Gold in stead of haire Where Love united Art Neglect and Care Love Art and Beautie Honour Grace and Wit Were the indowments of a Nazarite 8 How quickly are they blasted even now Deformitie hangs lurking on that brow That was a while so faire now black as coales Pin'd with the anguish of their hungry soules Love is deformed Grace is unregarded Wisdome despised Honour unrewarded Their skin is with'ted now the Nazarite he Is a black embleme of Deformitie 9 There are degrees in Death yet all doe tend To usher man unto his
hollow-hearted therefore is forsaken And in the dust doth Sions honour lye To be a Proverb for the passers by Who is more slighted and who more revil'd Then the bad Servant or the stubborne Child If Heavens Children disobedient be Their sure reward is Earths indignitie 46 The looks of Envie and the mouth of Fame Act both their hatefull Parts to wound and shame Our Soules Oh this unwelcome howre Why is our glory in th' enemies powre And what can we expect from these our foes But wry-mouth'd slander slaverie and blowes Oh Lord deliver us from th' enemies hand And blast their malice with a counter-mand 47 May not the first suffice Feare and a Snare Alas it is enough what mortall dare Challenge a single Duel with these here Feare brings a Snare and Snares begetteth Feare The next is Hate and Ruine and these be The foure Contrivers of our Tragedie Lord strike the Epilogue and change the Stage And make a Golden of our Iron Age. 48 As when Apollo doth his glory shroud Behind the Curtaine of some darkned Cloud The Ayre lamenting Phoebus absence poures Upon the Earth some drops of weeping showres Thus doth our Sunne set and our sorrowes rise Darkning the light of our benighted eyes And makes our floud-gates send forth showrie streames For the sad losse of Heav'ns illustrious beames 49 Will not the Heavens cleare and will the Day Ne'r break these chaines of Night and come away Why doth this Cypresse Girdle often bind The circled world Ah are we still confin'd To sit in these darke shadowes Must our teares Be still as constant as our nightly feares Our eyes are springs whose streams can never stay Rise sweet-fac'd Phoebus rise and bring the Day 50 Although my heavie heart be thus opprest Although my tott'ring soule be kept from rest Although mine eyes with looking up are blind Although my miserie hath o'rwhelm'd my mind Yet Lord cast but a splendour from thy Throne My heart shall cease to grieve my soule to groane Mine heart my mind my tongue and memorie Shall all in one set forth thy Majestie 51 The eye is but the prospect of the heart A little member yet it doth take part Of ev'ry sorrow and our inward griefe The eye relenting doth implore beliefe The heart is hid so are our secret feares But the eye shewes them with its gushing teares What my still troubles are mine eyes doe speake And were it not for teares my heart would breake 52 Run not so fast O ye my following Foes Let me a little breathe betweene your blowes Strike not so thick on my disarmed head Let not your cruell hate so farre be led To bring me as a Bird into Deaths snare Let me have freedome howsoe'r I fare Let me but serve my God in his high Hill And doe your worst my Foes doe what you will 53 Pride and Presumption did me once commit To the low Dungeon where my soule did sit Inveloped in darknesse and cold clay Not making diff'rence 'twixt the night and day And on the mouth of which they cast a stone To keepe me sure or fearing that my mone Should reach the eares of Heaven thus their doome Interr'd and layd me in Earths hollow'd wombe 54 Th' aspiring surges of the swelling Ocean That sometimes kisse the Clouds whose motion Is backt with Thunder Ship and men First tost up toward Heaven then agen They come as swiftly downeward to the brinke Sometimes they soare aloft and sometimes sinke Sometimes my Faith did blow a pleasant gale Till I was sinking then my Faith did faile 55 Out of the bowels of Earths hollow'd Wombe I sometimes whisper'd Ah is this my Tombe Am I interr'd in Earth and am I sent To lye for ever in this Monument Ah hath the Lord forgot his grace and why Doth wrath so long lodge in th' Almighties eye Breathe joy to my sad Soule dear Lord thy breath Gives light in darknesse and a life in death 56 How unbelieving is the heart of man How base and fearefull and how vaine who can Know the delusions that are lodged there How farre from Faith how full of slavish feare My Soule can witnesse Lord thou hear'st my crie What need I then use this tautologie But that it strengthneth Faith which would decay The more thou promisest the more wee 'l pray 57 Love Power and Feare did all at once agree In a low heart to make a harmonie First Love doth cloath the Soule with sweetnesse and Heav'n gives base Earth a pow'rfull countermand And therefore riseth as a Lion strong And thus proclaimes Who dares to offer wrong To this most am'rous Soule while Heav'n is here Blest is the heart where dwels Love Powre and Feare 58 The valiant Champion whose deeds may claime A share of Honour and the breath of Fame His Truth and Valour hath no other Lawes For the desending of the weaker Cause But love to Faith and Vertue even thus Heav'n makes his Name on Earth most glorious By blowing of our dangers and our harme With power and wonder from his Warlike Arme. 59 My Lord I 'm wrong'd th' accused Prisoner cryes Th'Indictment's false th' envious Witnesse lyes You know my Lord the man tells nothing true I will appeale to Heaven and to you Yet may the blinded Judge against the Lawes Hang the poore Prisoner and condemne his Cause But Lord thou art a Witnesse of our state Our Judge our Father Friend and Advocate 60 Rocks cannot save thee nor high mountaines hide thee Seas will not have thee nor the Earth abide thee Day not adorne thee darknesse not protect thee Thy foes will scorne thee and thy friends reject thee Night cannot hide thy black-mouth'd malice nay Thy mistie mid-night's like the midst of day And if the glorious day shall shew my wrong It is not long to day it is not long 61 And as the dazling beames of Heav'ns bright eye Rising aloft in his high Majestie Discov'reth all disasters which are hurld With shades of darknesse in the mantled world Ev'n so my God thy piercing eye thine care Is quick in seeing and most swift to heare Thou seest their consultations judge my Cause By the true tenor of thy righteous Lawes 62 Ah foolish enemie why dost thou wrong Thy silly selfe I know thy envious tongue Would poyson those whose actions God doth love But they this piece of hatred are above Thy plots or black complyance O thou Drone What needst thou whisper when thy heart is knowne But yet goe on thou shalt not lose thy hire In th' infernall Lake of furious fire 63 Doth mirth become a foole it is not fit They should be merry that have got no wit Did I say wit 't is wisdome that I meane There may be wit where wisdome ne'r was seene If wisdome were with wit their Songs would be Not drest with Lines of non-sence Poetrie Sing on vaine Drunkards laugh your merry jeeres I doubt will change there is a time for teares 64 Reward
pitch of Pride And end oh sad Divisions end beside Your selves Earths Power Device and all The helpe of Hell can never worke our fall Come sweet-fac'd Vertue come and banish Vice Come Union make our Land Earths Paradise Come Loves triumphant Lawes and you shall be The Presidents of our Tranquilitie You orient glitt'ring Pearles that Earth count Toyes Shew us some glances of Celestiall joyes By Vertues raritie Truth Peace and Love You are those Sisters which doe dwell above Archt in the highest Glory are no lesse Then Royall Twins in matchlesse blessednesse Oh if our blacknesse may not blast your bloome Or if our stamm'ring words may finde a roome In your most sacred eares let Truth expell Those damned Errors that arise from Hell And let harmonious Peace heale up our Skarre And give a counter-mand to threatning Warre And then the last and loveliest of the three â—et Beautie looke upon Deformitie And make us like to you oh let our shame Love your blest memorie in immortall fame And as you move in your harmonious Spheares So guide our earthly bodies let our teares Wash off Deformitie which did annoy Make us an embleme of Loves highest joy Or else we shall if not by you thus blest â—ine out those dayes we number to our rest CHAP. V. Verse 1. REmember Lord our evils let them be Character'd in Gold in thy blest Memorie That lasting Register that righteous Scroule Conscience Vice-royall to th' immortall Soule Shall stand to witnesse while the sinner cryes To some vast mountaine to eclipse his eyes From the Tribunall Throne then Lord make roome For Furie let th' enemie have his doome 2 Our faire Inheritance like a short Song Is done and gone and thus we passe along Like Times benighted Shadowes so are we Tyred in pursuit of Earths Vanitie Yea Vanitie indeed were it not thus Why is the world so constant various Why should our Houses Vineyards and our paine Be our inraged enemies present gaine 3 Our dearest Fathers in their honoured Age By Death were summon'd from Earths troubled Stage And now they slumber now they rest and lye Rockt in Deaths Chariot with lost Lullaby Our tender Mothers having lost their Loves Mourne like th' amorous Widow'd Turele-Doves And we their sonnes who live in desolate Tents Are silent Ruines of their Monuments 4 The pleasant Rivers whose sweet erystall streames Refresht our soules with plentie like the beames Of orient Phoebus when he makes his way To cloathe all mortals with a Sun-shine day Yet these our Waters and our Wood is sold By weight and measure for the price of Gold Nay more then Gold our Bondage that may tell Coyne with affliction hath no paralell 5 The almost-tyred Horse would rest his Load From his gall'd shoulders in the dustie Road But for the Driver thus poore we would borrow An inch of respit for an age of sorrow We are as Horses to th'eitlemies yoakes Laden with burthens and pursu'd with stroakes Of our foes envie now we know how blest Is the rare royaltie of purchas'd Rest 6 What heapt-up Plentie had our flourisht Land Once for to glory in when her high hand Was stretcht to other Nations in reliefe For wealth and honour she was counted chiefe Among Earths Royall Princes now even she Of late inthroned in Earths Majestie Is sold to AEgypt and to Ashur so We earne our bread to linger out our woe 7 And it is just we should so while that we Live in knowne Folly and Iniquitie Our Fathers they have sinn'd we bear their Names And their Rebellion and why not their shames Our Fathers finn'd and dy'd and are we better Then our fore-fathers was not man a debter Since th' old words Creation by folly why Doth sinfull man then thinke so much to die 8 What in the world is more accounted vaine Then servants for to rule or fooles to raigne Over th'honour'd Age even such are we While we are captiv'd to Captivitie Thus Earth is various and mans renowne Is but a Dreame not worth the writing downe And if his glory be an idle Theame Who can expect realitie in a Dreame 9 Famine is feeble yet the hungry soule Is strong and valiant and he dares controule A thousand eminent dangers if that he May feed his hunger and necessitie Thus with the perill of our dearest breath We got our living in the spight of death In bondage slaverie labour toyle and paine While the Sword randevouz'd upon the plaine 10 Those Alabaster bodies whose rare faces Were drest with sweetnesse fit for th' imbraces Of undefiled Love now now alas Those flourishing flowers are but like the grasse The with'ring dying grasse parcht up with heat Black as the Oven thus for want of meat Poore Sion is deform'd with sinne and shame While Warre and Famine hath eclips'd our fame 11 Now wickednesse is ripe now sinne doth climbe Now Pride aspireth to the wings of Time Now fire is kindled in th'Adulterers eye With hideous flames whose wandring sparkles flye To catch at ev'ry object which he may Shewing black impudence in height of day Deflowring Maidens and defiling Wives They make their mem'rie stink like their loath'd lives 12 The valiant Prince whose Royaltie did shine Through Clouds of Envie now the foes combine By Death to dim his Glory and the head Of the wise Elder is dishonoured Base Earth these are thy gifts and therefore wee Dishonour Vertue by our honouring thee Let thine owne servants love thee which doe spend Time in vaine folly to an idle end 13 How is illustrious Sion now declin'd From her high Dignitie her young men grinde In the laborious Mill the flowred Age Whose strength and valour taught them to ingage In fields of bloudie Warre when the proud foe Could often witnesse their owne overthrow Though now we are in woe our Children crie Under their heavie burthens till they die 14 Those Lawes are cancell'd too which sometimes we Did memorize in immortall memorie The holy Elder sits not in the Gate With Heav'ns authoritie to predominate Our mirth is alcumiz'd to funerall Songs And like sad Elegies to tell our wrongs To other Nations while our following teares Feeds our sad eye-lids as our mirth the eares 15 The royall Tones which sometimes was afforded From the rare Instrument whose strings recorded A well-measur'd evennesse whose sweet story Emblem'd the harmonie of highest glory And Loves eternall joy now all is gone Our Dance is ended merriment is moane Our Musick metamorphos'd and our mirth Sings this sad Song oh false deluding Earth 16 Oh false deluding Earth honour and pow'r And all thy glory is as a swift-run howre Whose hastie minutes whose laborious sand Doth run to over-take the wandring hand Of Sols beshadow'd Dyall thus our Crowne Of Earthly Royaltie Time trampleth downe Woe to our soules that we have sinn'd for why Sinne makes up miserie with mortalitie 17 Therefore our hearts are sad therefore our sleepe Forsakes our eye-lids therefore doe we weepe Therefore our soules are
his Quill In vaine what man ere found the Prophet ly'd He writ your Ruine when he prophesy'd And then he pray'd for 't too if prayer may Not worke your fall why did the Prophet pray But to our Sceane why are our soes so heartie In their darke deeds there is a praying partie Waits at the gate of Heaven for a Seale To binde the Furies up in burning Steele And send the foes of Heav'n to travell on Fearefull Cocytus and black Phleaeton And the infernall Styae then you shall share In endlesse torments of the Churches Prayer Nay you will know the price of Prayer before That Death hath quite wip'd out Dame Natures Skore When your sick soules upon your lips shall sit And Death shall ' rest you with a high Court Writ And when thy feet and hanâ—â— by Death are bound And all about thee seeme to dance the Round And when thy envious eyes are almost blinde And when Hells hort or hath possest thy minde With their tormenting feares and when the Bell Shall tell thy tort'ring Conscience that new Hell Is readie to receive thee when the thing Thy couz'ned Soule did love are o◠〈◊〉 â—ings 〈◊〉 flye away when they shall sell and pawne Thy … pt-up goods and when the Curtaine 's drawne And all thy friends shall leave thee with a Crie And Death begins to close thy darkned eye How would thy Soule then prize one houre to pray And give a thousand worlds that Death would stay His summons but a while and let him speake A word to Heaven though his words be weake But now it is too late alas the eares Of Heaven's shut and neither cryes nor teares Cannot availe what can the sinner say His heart is hardned and he cannot pray Oh that he could then one repenting story Of faithfull pray'r turnes miserie to glory And then an Habeas corpus comes apace To bring the Pris'ner to another place This changes Death for Life all miserie Into a Palace of Eternitie Makes him to be Loves Monument beside Death is no Jayler but a gentle Guide If Prayer have this power then why am I So long in telling you their destinie That are the bloudie Actors of these Times And sonnes of Horror why doe these my Rimes Wrong thus your patience and my wearie Pen Not character the rudenesse of these men I le tell you why indeed I did intend But know not to begin nor how to end Is the world mad doe giddie mortalls see Their Soules consist of immortalitie And shall thâ—â— short liv'd Stage this transitorie Unworthy 〈◊〉 still be the worldlings glory Why is the Land in such a hurry why Doth Envie lodge in ev'ry loftie eye Why are our enemies of their wits bereaven Why in their furie doe they rage at Heaven And why thus ruine Earth and thinke it well To cut their passage to the Gates of Hell With their bloud-thirstie Blades what shall I say There is a godly partie that doth pray My foes for your sad Ruine these are them That are the Citizens of Hierusalem And the worlds wondrous Warriors whose cleane hands Are winged battlements for these weakned Lands By such as these th' Assyrians mightie Hoast Whose Gen'rall blasphemed Heav'n and did boast Of Fortitude and Valour yet did run With feare and horror ere the fight begun And yet they had good cause to runne and ride A hundred fourescore and five thousand dy'd That dismall ev'ning by an unseene Arme And Death did triumph in that num'rous swarme That measur'd out their graves others did flie When none pursu'd them with a mightie Crie 'T was Pray'r deliv'red Paul the Churches paine Set Peter loose knockt off his gingling Chaine And saved Barnabas if it be so Then this fore-tells our enemies overthrow Sing Drinke and Sweare Curse Vapour Spoyle and Play The Church ere long will keepe a holy-day In memorie of your Ruine for mine eye Beholds the Day is neere when you shall dye And your black Actions fall 't is very neere In a darke Cloud my foes you well may feare 'T is even at your doores I am sure you shall Have both a suddaine and a finall fall And in your graves when you shall sleepe in dust Your glory dies your Brazen Records rust Like to your rotten Names you shall lay downe A wearie body and a wicked Crowne Then a weake Child may travaile by your grave Nay trample on your honour yet not have 〈…〉 at his bosome you will be 〈…〉 Death lulls you to eternitie 〈…〉 this all proud man can ever doe 〈…〉 â—…owning Envie sleepe in ashes too 〈…〉 oh had now my hand an Eagles Quill 〈◊〉 write high Rhethorick or had I skill â—o picture those rare pleasures in my Lines Or paint those orient beames that ever shines In Loves illustrious Glory I could spend Perpetuall Ages ere I made an end Of embling Immortalitie for those That are the friends of Heaven and the worlds soes Those brave heroick hearts that ever are Above the Clouds upon the wings of Prayer And loftie Contemplation those who feares Sinnes guilt and horror and with silent teares Doe bathe their amorous eye-lids but I le misse The Caract'ring so rare a Paradise Lest I am lost and you too soone be drown'd Sweet Readers in amazement and I wound Your bosomes with Loves arrowes lest your eye Should slumber too much in Loves Lullaby Who can describe their glory lest he be Himselfe wrapt first into eternitie And so deare Land adue let Loves sweet Boy Crowne thee with harmonie of Peace and Joy And purest milke-white Robes cast off thy moanes And let thy voyce utter some ravisht Tones 〈◊〉 a well-measur'd evennesse let thy dayes Be past in puritie and spent in prayse Oh doe but banish sinne then a few yeares Will weare out quite the mem'rie of thy feares Then Heav'n will puffe away this darkned storme And arch thy browes in a victorious forme Give thee all Royaltie and thou shalt ride In Honours Chariot and be dignify'd Adorne thy beautious face with Vertues Gem Impale thy glory with a Diadem For present times thou shalt have Lessons sent For after-Ages a learn'd President He will not leave thee if thy gentle eye Can learne the part of the Spouse loyaltie England farewell goe dearest Nurse adue Forget not Heaven he will thinke of you His lovely Armes thy body shall surround If thy archt browes be with sweet Vertue crown'd Though I may fall yet let this Infant be Thy Guider and a Monument for me FINIS