I Why art thou a good fellow that thou bidst me stand yea that I am saide hee why then thou wouldest haue my purse wouldest thou not your purse quoth he why do you think that I stand here to kéepe shéepe why no said I but I thinke rather to take purses Sir saith he I haue taken as good a mans purse as yours before now by my saith not vnlike said I why then saide he neuer tickle me in the teeth with taking a purse but tell mée who you are thou séest who I am saide I but I pray thée tel me wherefore doost thou stand here why quoth he to kéepe out Rogues Rascols and Londoners Then by your leaue sir Rogue saide I And let an honest Londoner passe by No sooner had he heard the name of Londoner but the simple clowne presentlie giues way and standing a loofe farre from mée waues his rustie bill to and fro with these words reitterated twice or thrice You must go that way You must not come this way With that laughing heartelie at the silly hinde to sée into what a tunerous extacie the verie name of Londoner had changed him I set spurres to my horse and rode quite through the towne without farther molestation Within the space of twenty miles distant from the towne aforesaide I had gotten another towne ouer my head the scituation I néed not to stand vpon only the nature of the people and the inhabitants thereof The blacke shadowe of night hauing canopeide the splendant eie of day and twilight being past making entrance into the towne I inquired for lodging at an Inne an Inne it had béen and an Iune it was but that indéed the bush or signe was taken down for all the people told me the Iustices of the Countrey had caused them to be taken awaie and withall that they should lodge no strangers which commandement indéede was verie striâ—…e obserued for I could neither get lodging normeate for any money being driuen to such extremitie and séeing my horse very wearie and that I was destitute of any kinde of prouender I knew not what shift to make till at length this refuge I found Within halfe a mile there was a very faire meadowe cut but the day before and the hay newly made so that wanting all other meanes I made repaire to one of the cockes and slipping the snaffle out of my horses mouth tied the end of his bridle to my legge so that my horse well refreshed him whilst my selfe betooke mee to a little slumbering repose No sooner had the Harbinger of light opened the windowes of the new-borne day but as the necessitie of my busines required I went forward on my iourney I had not rode sixe miles further from those vncharitable people but an honest plaine fearefull Swaine méeting me gaue me the good time of the day and withall saith he Sir if you loue your life ride not that way but ride vp by yonder hedge it is not a quarter of a mile out of your way otherwise I assure you you will ride in great danger I prethie honest fellow saide I why doest thou wish mee to leaue the way are there any that want money which make their stand there no quoth hee but a worse matter for there lies a Gentleman starke dead God-a-mercy good fellow said â—s but if that be the worst I will not God willing leaue the way whereupon arming my selfe with a faithfull resolution I made towards the body where I saw the most lamentablest spectacle that euer mine eyes were guilty of For in the high-way close by a hedges side there lay a very proper Gentleman suted all in blacke a faire scarffe about his neck with a siluer hatched short sword hanging in it a dagger sutable and dead he was but how long before he died I could not learne nor how hee died but those that inhebited nearest to the place tolde me that trauailers suspected it was the Plague hee died of and I could not otherwise imagine my selfe for the cause that shewed the likeliest probability was this that as the Gentleman lay dead booted and spurd so his horse a most lamentable sight went grasing hard by sadled and bridled What became of him I know not nor how they buried him I could not since learne but no doubt after the ordinarie course of the Country like a dogge for in my trauaile I saw another dead in the like sort but he séemed to be a Country Husbandman with a sustian doublet a round paire of cloath hose and a pitchforke by him he lay as I was told two or thrée dayes vnburied vncouered I may say for GOD knowes his buriall was simple If the birds did sing him to the ditch his graue why then hee had a knell otherwise a dogge had a more honest buriall For the manner of his funerall was this euen tumbled into the ditch and couered with a little earth this was all his buriall and all his funerall Oh where is Christianitie become Charitie long since was key cold but at this present I thinke Christianitie in the Country be starke dead Yet London London notwithstanding all thy masse of deadly sinne which thou art burthened with thou yieldest Christian buriall for thy sinfull people yea albeit thy receipt for dead bodies be but a spanne in comparison of the spacious Country yet thou hast with honest respect performed thy last obsequios and dutie to thy dead and hast interred the liuelesse bodies of almost fortie thousand of thy deceased Inhabitants yea and brought thy yonger children more liker to a bridall bed then to an earthly grane decked with odoriserous flowers and garlands and hundreds of people with mournfull hearts attending on them Which speciall instance of Christianitie no doubt but the Lord will reward in mercie Therefore thou poore remainder of that famous Citie nowe at the last remember thy sinnes and while thou hast time call for grace the Lord is readie euerie minute of an houre to heare thée he hath lent thée longer daies then thy deceased brethren to sée if thou wilt yet turne vnto him and leaue to sinne But without all question if thou be stubborne and wilt still persist in thy wickednes as the fall of them hath beene great thine will be greater Wherefore while thou hast time now in thy most miserie call to the Lord for mercie repent thée of thy former sinnes and perswade thy selfe the Lord will not onely heare thée but relieue thée and send thée comfort in thy extremitie for hee reioyceth more in the conuersion of one sinfull soule then in all the glories of the greatest potentate of the world Experience hath euer taught vs that if but the least member of the body be distempered the whole body is out of quiet much more if the head being the principall member be neuer so little troubled So fares it with the body of this Land England the admired Iland of the world whose head thou art London distressed London whose very eye
Londoners THEIR ENTERtainment in the Countrie Or the whipping of Runnawayes Wherein is described LONDONS MISERIE THE COVNTRIES CRVELTIE AND MANS INHVMANITIE OS HOMINI SVBLIME DEDIT AT LONDON Printed by H. L. for C. B. 1604. London to thy Citizens especially to such right Honourable right Worshipfull and others as were thy true-borne ministring comfort to thee in time of visitation Health peace and plentie THat London hath beene honorable for her state admired for her wealth and famous for her nurcerie what liuing soule hath not heard or seene That she is now most miserable and ouer-whelmed with sorrowes deluge witnesse these lines of lamentation oh time of heauines that such royaltie should be prest with miserie But of her miserie I haue writ at large the iudgement whereof right Honorable right Worshipfull and wise relieth on your fauourable censures who haue both aucthoritie to conuict and knowledge to commend If therfore out of this poesie of greene hearbs gathered out of a spacious Country garden you make your seuerall choices of some though but of few to your contents I shall thinke my trauailes richly guerdoned suruay them curiouslie and you shall find much varietie but especially of Rue Wormwood and Tyme But indeede wee may rue the time that euer that bitter weede Wormewood became so sweete a Nosegay My labour is past my booke newly come from the presse and it is in your hands to be censured if therefore it passe with your good likings my desires are accomplished and my expectation satisfied In hope wherof I rest The vvhipping of Runnawayes EUen then when Peace Plenty like a paire of true borne Twins kissed most louingly embraced one another not onlie in the middle center but also in euery priuate angle and skirt of this stourishing Iland-Euen then at that swéetest instant of loue and amitie when the thought of man could not haue comprehended a more blessed time then then I say note but the suddaine alteration of Fortune was transformed our so happy and prosperous estate But alas why should I exclaime against Fortune which is nothing else but the idle fantasie of ignorant men when indéede the repentant returning from our intollerable sinnes might haue continued our blisse and happines What should I say what should I write but that our Summum bonum became our omnimoda miseria our good our worse by that vnexpected change such is the reward of sinne No sooner was the Lady of felicity the diuine Eliza departed from this Chaos of iniquitie as one too worthy the gouernment of so wicked a people by reason of her gentle chasticements but in the selfe same houre of her departure did our almightie Father not leaue vs destitute but gaue in place of our deceased Soueraigne a royall King of an excellent and princelike substance moulded with a diuine spirit ordained before for the full felicitie of this languishing Realme to the end that our disobedience may blush at the sight of his so gratious respecting vs such a Prince I say that one wrincle seated in his browe should dart such terror to the heart of sinne that not one of vs should dare to offende the sacred Deitie of the Almightie But alas such and so great was the root of wickednes grafted in our hardened hearts that as before so still do the forward branches of horrible sinne spring vp in vs wherwith we make vs arborss to shadowe our lasciuious desires vayling one sinne vnder another without either respect or feare The King of Kings the Almightie glorious Essence noting the stubbornes of so stiffnecked a people and séeing that notwithstanding all his threatnings thundred into our eares by his Prophets the holy Ministers of his word we would not repent but still perseuer in our abhominable wickednesse euen then when wee thought our selues most secure and shadowed euen vnder the wings of happines Did the God of Iustice the high Almighty one commaund his Angell to vnsheath his sword which séemed euen to haue rusted in the scabberd by meanes of his long suffering and much patience and with that rod of his seuere correction to lay on heauy load vpon the burthened backs of sinners Oh how vnwillingly did hee procéede to this deadly medicine like a carefull Phisitian trying all salues for cure before he put his patient to extreamest paine Yea he hath often tolde vs so by the tongs of his Prophets and like a louing Father sull many times intreated vs wicked and sinfull people euen at our owne dores to abstaine from the filthy desires of the flesh but we regarded them not neither was there any no not one that feared the iudgments of the highest Wherefore béeing ouercome wâ—th the intollerablenes of our sins at last as it were breaking forth into such like words Since they so slightly regard those whom I haue sent with the tongs of fathers kindely intreating them to refraine from sinne and they like disobedient children respect them not neither him that sent them he gaue this charge to the Angell of his iudgment Let them féele in full measure the Iudgments of the highest Therefore sinite them with the Plague and Pestilence that they may know that I the true and liuing God can bridle the lofty heads of the wicked And forthwith was his power by his iust iudgment of Plague and Pestilence showen vnto vs when after we had felt his scourge heauy vpon vs we could then cry out and say we haue sinned Lord wee haue sinned Oh forbeare thy rod c. You know most kinde respected Readers that the first stroke of visitation lighted on the very heart of this Realme London the mother of Cities and the Nurce of Countries euen in the prime and on the neck of Englands new borne happines when the swéets of Flora began to diaper the deasie spangled pauement of the earth vpon the high pinacles of which admired City the messenger of God as I may say sitting ready to strike at the commandement of the Lord those and in such places as his masters should giue him in chardge At length but yet alas too soone fell the reward of sinne gently on the Skirts which we terme the Subburbs of the City The reason why it pleased God to strike the exteriour members before the interiour parts I meane the Subburbs before the body of the City may demonstrate vnto vs that the Lord would yet looke downe in mercy on the body if that the perishing of some loose members may cause repentance For as in a faire and costly garment after it is framed by the labor of the workeman and through his negligence or mistaking it chance to bee made somewhat vnfit or with some other fault and therefore dooth displease the owner yet if it may bee mended by altering the skirts or extremest parts without taking asunder of the whole he will be drawn to a better liking of it So the Lord that euer taketh delight in sparing and shewing pitty and doth seeke to recall manie into
thou art to illuminate and lighten the darke members of the same yea whose Sunne thou art which kéeping thy diurnall course through Englands element doest dart such comfortable influence from thy Horison that soke vp all distilling teares of sorrowe But now alas for so much as that head of ours aketh that eye of ours winketh and that Sunne of ours setteth howe can that body of ours choose but perish What resteth then but that each seuerall member according to his place lament the heads distemperature endeuouring and labouring by all possible meanes for some precious balme to cure that same deadly headake That balme must be the mercie and compassion of the highest which is to be obtained onelie by prayer with a hartie repentance of our wicked sinnes Know wee the meanes yet will not séeke redresse Know we a salue Yet suffer the sore to ranckle no meruaile then if the Pace of death lie so heauie vpon vs. Why should Nature haue so little féeling in vs that wee the inferiour members should suffer our head to perish when that a little little harty sorrow would salue a thousand wounds Wéepe therefore O thou Country-man wéepe not onely with vs but for vs I meane for wofull London thy head who is nowe visited for sinne Let not her affliction be thy securitie let not her plagues flatter thée and make thée thinke that thou art frée from sinne because thy visitation is the lesse For well maist thou perceaue that the selfe same scourge though not in such terrible manner yet in some measure it stealeth vpon thy Townes and Uillages Therfore perswade thy selfe vnlesse Londons affliction enforce thy speedie reformation it is to be feared that thou wilt taste the like miserie Wherefore with London doe thou ioyne in heartie prayers that the Lord in mercie would looks downe vpon vs that not onely the remainder of the Citie but also the body of the Country may be so vnited together in his feare and loue that so long as they haue any being héere in this world his name by them may be glorified they glorified by him in the world to come But to procéed no sooner had I mounted the vsuall walks for shepheards the downes of Buckingham but I might heare a Swayne tuning on his harsh pipe such notes ofsorrow and withall singing to the same so sad an aelegie that his pretie Ewes lest grazing and would not séede for mourning the effect whereof followeth An Aelegie No wonder though I waile my sheepe are poore Yet sorrowes naught auaile for all my store The Sommers prime is winter vnto mee My flocks are gaunt no wonder though they be My ioy and comfort dies drown'd vp in woe Ny Lambes by my moist eies my sorrowes know They scorne to liue since they my liuing feare And pyne to see their masters pining cheere Hust silence leaue thy caue thy caue obscur'd And deigne my woes a graue woes long endur'd Though thou leaue me yet take my sorrows to thee Or leauing them alas thou doost vndoe mee Silence mou'd to pitty Sy wherefore vndon Shep. Wayling for a City Woeful London Whil'st London smyl'd my stocks did feede them ful Skipping for ioy that London had their wull Woe is mee they die now cause they feede not Shepheard Swaynes must flie nowe cause they speed not Yet when I pipe and sing that London smileth My sheep reuiue againe and death beguileth Wherefore silence pittie my Lambes mourning Ioine in our sad dittie till woes turning weepe by you Sy. Mourne Swaynes mourne sheep and silence wil And as you weepe for mercie Shepeheards cry you This passionate dittie was no sooner ended but I drewe néere the place whence I heard that vnexpected lamentation where on a banck of mosse I found a true loue knot of Shepheards all woe begun euen all strooken into an extacie of whom I demaunded the cause of sorrowe one of them more free of spirit then the rest willing to satisfie my demaund to the intent I might mourne with them brake into these termes of exclamation Oh Spring of sorrowes Sommer of lamentations Autumne of woes Winter of heauines oh times of miserie when will your contagion haue an end your seuerall aires haue béen infectious whereby manie thòusands haue perished Neuer since I knew the contented life of a slvaine did I so long sucke on the sower dug of infelicitie for wee were wont to smile howeuer Fortune frowned but now alas as much subiect to passion as discontent it selfe wherefore kind stranger saide he perswade thy selfe that it is some extraordinarie affliction that forceth such distilling teares from Shepheards sunne dried eies Oh London and there made a colon whereuppon all the rest of the shepheards ioyntlie with him did beare seuerall parts in this sad following Eglogue The Aeglogue Burst burst poore harts you haue no longer hope Captiue our eies vnto eternall sleepe Let all our sences haue no further scope Let death be Lord of vs and all our sheepe Or if we liue thus liuing let vs crie die ' Heauens blesse faire London or poore Shepheards Cry cry aloude as they that heare our crying May crie with vs and fainting fall a dying FINIS To discribe the particular sorrowes of euery griened soule were as impossible as to number Calice sands as the prouerb goes the lamentation is so generall And that not only amongst the Swaines but the whole Countrie and especiallie amongst Clothiers and their poore seruiceable people for since the memorie of man almost there hath not béene knowne she like He that was woont to emploie manie hundreds in his worke cannot now help twenty poore insomuch that it procures such emulation and malice twixt them that are wrought and the rest wanting worke that it euen brings a confusion amongst them And in this case what should the Clothier doo some come to him on their knées some with wringing hands some crying with Infants in their armes but all of them with such pittifull lamentation that it pitties the amazed Clothier in such sort that he is weary of life At length thinking to giue them reasonable satisfaction he pleadeth that the want of sale for cloth at London is the cause he hath so little imployment But alas this woulde not satisfie the poore multitude so great is their distresse and such an vnanswerable argument is importunate necessitie And thus I may tell you neuer was cloth better cheape amongst Clothiers yet seldome hath wooll béene known more déere vnto them and of money I dare say that most of them neuer knew the like want though they haue money foorth to great value and the cause of this saie they is only Londons visitation If then the mittigation of the pestilent affliction laide vppon that Citie would relieue the want of many thousand poore soules as it is well knowne to euery one of vs it would why then let vs vse the meanes to take away the effect that is praier to lessen sinne that God in mercie would pittie Londons