in the Re-prise 3 Hernand was happy by this Enterprise To take so soon our Amiens without blow More happy yet to die yer the Re-prise Els had he dy'de for shame to leave it so Vpon the Reduction of Nantes Nantes would not yeeld so soon they sayd Nor be recovered so good cheap And yet for all defence it made 'T was made to make the Britton Leap Vpon PEACE ◠Souldiers late prest are now supprest Crost and cassierd from further pay Yet will they in this time of rest Take vp their lendings by the Way 2 This PEACE it seemeth doth not sound To all the world for every-where More Sergeants now doo goe the Round Then Souldiers yerst accustom'd were Vpon Captain Coblar A merry Coblar left the warrs To turn vnto his Occupation And asked by his Customers The reason of his alteration 'T hath pleas'd quoth he the King t'ordain That each his Office take again Upon Warre Here vnder this huge heap of stones Lately enterr'd lyes cruell WARRE Pray God long rest her soule and bones Yet there is nothing worse for her Upon Rowland Rob-Church Heer lyeth Rowland that was lately slain In robbing of a wealthy Chappell spyde Yet I beleeue he doth in Heav'n remain Sith onely for the Churches Good he dyde Upon Captaine Catch Heer vnder Captain CATCH is layd Who sixe times chang'd from side to side Of neither side it seem'd afraid He wore a white Scarfe when he di'de Yet som suspect and so doo I For his inconstance showne before That to the Black-band he did fly But now he can revolt no more Upon Sir Nequam Neuter Heer lyeth he who the more safe to pray On both sides Neuter between both abode Whether his Soule is gone I can not say Sith he was nor for Diuell nor for God Pax omnibus vna FINIS A l'honeur de la Paix chantée par Monsieur du NESMF rechantée en Anglois par Monsieur SYLVESTRE SAns Paix rien ne sub siste en Paix tout croist dure Dieu maintient par sa Paix le beau Grand Vniuers Et le Petit bastis de membres si diuers Touts s'entr ' aydans l'vnl ' autre en commune facture Elle vnit a son Dieu l'humaine creature Elle emplit de Citez les Royaumes deserts Elle bride les fols rend les champs couverts De biens donans plaisirs vesture nouriture Enuoy-la donc O Dieu a nos Princes Roys En nos maisons en nous fay que d'vne voix Nous suyvions les accords de ton Nesme admirable Lors a iamais ser as louè de nos Gaulois Par ses chants tout-divins Syluestre en Anglois Redoublerace loz d'vn stile immitable P. CATELLE I'attens le temps THE PROFIT of Imprisonment A PARADOX Written in French by Odet de la Noue Lord of Teligni being Prisoner in the Castle of Tournay Translated by IOSVAH SYLVESTER Acceptam refero To his long-approoued friend M. R. Nicolson I. S. wisheth euer all true content TO thee the same to me as first I meant Friend to the Muses and the well-inclinde Louing and lov'd of euery vertuous minde To thee the same I the same Song present Our mutuall loue 's eternall Monument Wherein our Nephewes shall heer-after finde Our constant Friendship how it was combinde With linkes of kindnes and acknowledgement Accept again this Present in good part This simple pledge of my sincere affection To Tangley Thee and thy Soon-calm-in-hart Perfect good-will supplies all imperfection Chameleons change their colour Guile her game But in both Fortunes Vertue 's still the same A Sonnet of the Author to his Booke THe body ouer prone to Pleasures and delights Of soft fraile dainty flesh and to selfe-ease addicted Abhors Imprisonment as a base paine inflicted To punish the defaults of most vnhappy wights The soule as much surpriz'd with loue of heauenly sights And longing to behold the place that appertaines-her Doth loath the body as a Prison that detaines-her From her high happines among the blessed sprights Then sith both body and soule their bondage neuer brooke But soule and body both doo loue their libertie Tell tell me O my Muse who will beleeue our Booke He that hath learn'd a-right both these to mortifie And serue our Sauiour Christ in body and in spirite Who both from thrall hath freed by his owne only merit A Paradox That Aduersity is more necessary then Prosperitie and that of all afflictions close Prison is most pleasant and most profitable HOw-euer fondly-false a vain Opinion seeme If but the Vulgar once the same for right esteeme Most men account it so so in absurdest things Consent of multitude exceeding credit brings Nor any meane remaines when it is once receiued To wrest it from the most of erring minds deceiued Nay whose shall but say they ought to alter it He headlong casts himselfe in dangers deepest Pit For neuer nimble Barke that on aduenture runnes Through those blew bounding Hills where hoarie Neptune wunnes Was set-vpon so sore with neuer-ceast assault Maintain'd on euery side by winds and waters salt When raging most they raise their roughest tempest dreaded As th' idiot multitude that Monster many-headed Bestirres it selfe with wrath spight furie full of terror Gainst whatsoeuer man that dares reproue her error Who vndertakes that taske must make account at first To take hot warres in hand and beare away the worst Therefore a many Workes worthy the light haue died Before their birth in brests of Fathers terrified Not by rough deeds alone but euen by foolish threats Yet onely noise of words base cowards onely beats Then feare who list for me the common peoples crie And who so list be mute if other-minded I Scorning the feeble force of such a vaine indeuour Will freely spight of feare say what I censure euer And though my present State permit me not such scope Mine vn-forbidden pen with Errors pride shall cope Close Prison now a-daies th' extreamest miserie The world doth deeme I deeme direct the contrarie And there-with-all will proue that euen Aduersities Are to be wished more then most Prosperities And for Imprisonment though that be most lamented Of all the griefes wherewith men feare to be tormented Yet that 's the Sate most stor'd with pleasure and delight And the most gain-full too to any Christian wight A Paradox no doubt more true then creditable The which my selfe sometimes haue also thought a fable While guile-full vanities fed not but fill'd my minde For strengthening sustenance with vn-substantiall winde I hated Death to death I also did detest All sicknes and disease that might a man molest But most I did abhorre that base esteemed State Which to subiections Law our selues doth subiugate And our sweet life enthralls vnto anothers will For as my fancie wisht I would haue walked still Death thought I soone hath done and euery griefe besides The more extreame it is the lesser time abides But now besides that I esteemd the
their sacred ornaments beside Anon he wonders at the differing graces Tongues gests attires the fashions and the faces Of busie-buzzing swarms which still hee meets Ebbing and flowing ouer all the streets Then at the signes the shops the waights the measures The handy-crafts the rumors trades and treasures But of all sights none seems him yet more strange Then the rare beautious stately rich Exchange Another while he maruails at the Thames Which seems to bear huge mountains on her streams Then at the faâ—-built Bridge which he doth iudge More like a tradefull City then a Bridge And glancing thence a-long the Northren shoar That princely prospect doth amaze him more For in that Garden man delighted so That rapt he wist not if hee wak't or no If he beheld a true thing or a fable Or Earth or Heav'n all more then admirable For such excess his extasie was small Not hauing spirit enough to muse withall He wisht him bundred-fold redoubled senses The more to taste so rare sweet excellences Not knowing whether nose or ears or eyes Smelt heard or saw more sauors sounds or Dies But Adams best and supreame delectation Happines of the first Man before his fall Was th' often haunt and holy conuersation His soule and body had so many waies With God who lightned Eden with his Rays For spirits by faith religiously refin'd 'Twixt God and man retain a middle kinde And Vmpires mortall to th' immortall ioyn And th' infinit in narrow clay confine Som-times by you O you all-faining Dreams We gain this good but not when Bacchus steams Of the visions of the spirit And glutton vapours ouer-flowe the Brain And drown our spirits presenting fancies vain Nor when pale Phlegm or Saffron-coloured Choler In feeble stomacks belch with diuers dolor And print vpon our Vnderstandings Tables That Water-wracks this other flamefull fables Nor when the Spirit of lies our spirits deceiues And guile-full visions in our fancy leaues Nor when the pencil of Cares ouer-deep Our day-bred thoughts depainteth in our sleep But when no more the soules chief faculties Are sperst to sereue the body many waies When all self-vned free from dayes disturber Through such sweet Trance she findes a quiet harbour Where som in riddles som more plain exprest Shee sees things future in th' Almighties brest And yet far higher is this holy Fit Of the certainty of the visions of the spirit the body being at rest When not from flesh but from flesh-cares acquit The wakefull soule it self assembling so All selfly dies while that the body though Liues motion-les for sanctified wholly It takes th' impression of Gods Signet Soly And in his sacred Crystall Map doth see Heav'ns Oracles and Angels glorious glee Made more then spirit Now Morrow Yesterday To it all one are all as present aye And though it seem not when the dream 's expir'd Like that it was yet is it much admir'd Of rarest men and shines among them bright Like glistring Starrs through gloomy shades of night But aboue all that 's the divinest Trance Of diuine extraordinary visions and Reuelations When the soules eye beholds Gods countenance When mouth to mouth familiarly he deales And in our face his drad-sweet face hee seales As when S. Paul on his deer Masters wings Was rapt aliue vp to th' eternall things And he that whilom for the chosen flock Made walls of waters waters of a rock O sacred flight sweet rape loues soueraign bliss Of the excellency of such visions and Reuelations Which very loves deer lips dost make vs kiss Hymen of Manna and of Mel compact Which for a time dost Heav'n with earth contract Fire that in Limbeck of pure thoughts divine Doost purge our thoughts and our dull earth refine And mounting vs to Heav'n vn-mouing hence Man in a trice in God doost quintessence O! mad'st thou man divine in habitude As for a space O sweetest solitude Thy bliss were equall with that happie Rest Which after death shall make vs ever-blest Now I beleeve that in this later guise What manner of visions the first Man had in Eden Man did conuerse in Pleasant Paradise With Heav'ns great Architect and happy there His body saw or body as it were Gloriously compast with the blessed Legions That raign above the azure-spangled Regions ADAM quoth He the beauties manyfold Man is put in possession of EdeÌ„ vnder a conditioÌ„ That in this Eden thou doest heer behold Are all thine onely enter sacred race Come take possession of this wealthy place The Earth's sole glory take deer Sonn to thee This farm's demains leave the Chief right to me And th' only Rent that of it I reserue is One Trees fair fruit to shew thy sute and seruice Be thou the Liege and I Lord Paramount I 'le not exact hard fines as men shall woont For signe of Homage and for seal of Faith Of all the profits this Possession hath I only ask one Tree whose fruit I will For Sacrament shall stand of Good and Ill. Take all the rest I bid thee but I vow By th' vn-nam'd name where-to all knees doo bow And by the keen Darts of my kindled Ire More fiercely burning then consuming fire That of the Fruit of Knowledge if thou feed Death dreadfull Death shall plague Thee and thy Seed If then the happie state thou hold'st of me My holy mildnes nor high Maiesty If faith nor Honour curb thy bold ambition Yet weigh thy self and thy owne Seeds condition Most mighty Lord quoth Adam heer I tender Before Sinne Man was an huÌ„ble and zealous seruant of God All thanks I can not all I should thee render For all thy liberall fauours far surmounting My hearts conceit much more my tongues recounting At thy command I would with boyst'rous shock Goe run my self against the hardest rock Or cast me head long from som Mountain steep Down to the whirling bottom of the Deep Yea at thy beck I would not spare the life Of my deer Phoenix sister-daughter-wife Obaying thee I finde the things impossible Cruell and painfull pleasant kinde and possible But since thy first Law doth more grace afford Vnto the Subiect than the souerain Lord Since bountious Prince on me and my Descent Thou doost impose no other tax nor Rent But one sole Precept of most iust condition No Precept neither but a Prohibition And since good God of all the Fruits in EDEN There 's but one Apple that I am forbidden Euen only that which bitter Death doth threat Better perhaps to look on then to eate I honour in my soule and humbly kiss Thy iust Edict as Author of my bliss Which once transgrest deserues the rigor rather Of sharpest Iudge then mildnes of a Father The Firmament shall retrograde his course Swift Euphrates goe hide him in his source Firm Mountains skip like Lambs beneath the Deep Eagles shall diue Whales in the air shall keep Yer I presume with fingers ends to touch Much less
Kings-euils Dropsie Gout and Stone Blood-boyling Leprie and Consumption The swelling Throat-ache th' Epilepsie sad And cruell Rupture payning too-too bad For their hid poysons after-comming harm Is fast combin'd vnto the Parents sperm But O! what arms what shield shall wee oppose Some not known by their Cause but by their Effects onely What stratagems against those trecherous foes Those teacherous griefs that our frail Art detects Not by their cause but by their sole effects Such are the fruitfull Matrix-suffocation The Falling-sicknes and pale Swouning-passion The which I wote not what strange windes long pause I wot not where I wote not how doth cause Or who alas can scape the cruell wile Some by sundry Causes encreasing and waxing worse Of those fell Pangs that Physicks pains beguile Which being banisht from a body yet Vnder new names return again to it Or rather taught the strange Metempsychosis Of the wise Samian one it self transposes Into som worse Grief either through the kindred Of th' humour vicious or the member hindred Or through their ignorance or auarice That doe profess Apollos exercise So Melancholy turned into Madnes Into the Palsie deep-affrighted Sadnes Th' Il-habitude into the Dropsie chill And Megrim growes to the Comitial-Ill In brief poor Adam in this pitious case Comparison Is like a Stag that long pursu'd in chase Flying for succour to som neighbour wood Sinks on the suddain in the yeelding mud And sticking fast amid the rotten grounds Is over-taken by the eger Hounds One bites his back his neck another nips One puls his brest at 's throat another skips One tugs his flank his haunch another tears Another lugs him by the bleeding ears And last of all the Wood-man with his knife Cuts off his head and so concludes his life Or like a lusty Bull whose horned Crest Another comparison Awakes fell Hornets from their drowsie nest Who buzzing forth assail him on each side And pitch their valiant bands about his hide With fisking train with forked head and foot Himself th' ayr th' earth he beateth to no boot Flying through woods hills dales and roaring rivers His place of grief but not his painfull grievers And in the end stitcht full of stings he dies Or on the ground as dead at least he lies For man is loaden with ten thousand languors An amplification of Mans miseries compared with other Cretures seldomer sick and sooner healed and that by naturall Remedies of their owne hauing also taught Men many practices of Physike All other Creatures onely feel the angors Of few Diseases as the gleaning Quail Onely the Falling-sicknes doth assail The Turn-about and Murram trouble Cattel Madnes and Quincie bid the Masty battel Yet each of them can naturally finde What Simples cure the sickness of their kinde Feeling no sooner their disease begin But they as soon haue ready medicine The Ram for Physik takes strong-senting Rue The Tortois slowe cold Hemlok doth renue The Partridge Black-bird and rich painted Iay Haue th' oyly liquor of the sacred Bay The sickly Bear the Mandrak cures again And Mountain-Siler helpeth Goats to yean But we knowe nothing till by poaring still On Books we get vs a Sophistik skil A doubtfull Art a Knowledge still vnknowen Which enters but the hoary heads alone Of those that broken with vnthankfull toyl Seeks others Health and lose their own the-while Or rather those such are the greatest part That waxing rich at others cost and smart Growe famous Doctors purchasing promotions While the Church-yards swel with their hurtfull potions Who hang-man like fear-less and shame-less too Are prayd and payd for murders that they doo I speak not of the good the wise and learned Within whose hearts Gods fear is wel discerned Who to our bodies can again vnite Our parting soules ready to take their flight For these I honour as Heav'ns gifts excelling Pillars of Health Death and Disease repelling Th' Almighties Agents Natures Counsellers And flowring Youths wise faithfull Governours Yet if their Art can ease som kinde of dolors They learn'd it first of Natures silent Schollers For from the Sea-Horse came Phlehotomies From the wilde Goat the healing of the eys From Stork and Hearn our Glysters laxatiue From Bears and Lions Diets we deriue 'Gainst th' onely Body all these Champions stout Striuesom within and other som without Or if that any th' all-fair Soule haue striken 'T is not directly but in that they weaken Her Officers and spoyl the Instruments Wherwith she works such wonderous presidents But lo foure Captains far more fierce and eger Of foure Diseases of the Soule vnder them cōprehending all the rest That on all sides the Spirit it self beleaguer Whose Constancy they shake and soon by treason Draw the blind Iudgement from the rule of Reason Opinions issue which though self vnseen Make through the Body their fell motions seen Sorrow's first Leader of this furious Crowd Muffled all-over in a sable clowd 1. Sorrow described with her company Old before Age afflicted night and day Her face with wrinkles warped every-way Creeping in corners where she sits and vies Sighes from her hart tears from her blubbered eys Accompani'd with self-consuming Care With weeping Pitty Thought and mad Despair That bears about her burning Coles and Cords Asps Poysons Pistols Halters Kniues and Swords Fouls quinting Enuy that self-eating Elf Through others leanness fatting vp herself Ioying in mischief feeding but with languor And bitter tears her Toad-like-swelling anger And Ielousie that never sleeps for fear Suspitions Flea still nibbling in her ear That leaues repast and rest neer pin'd and blinde With seeking what she would be loath to finde The second Captain is excessiue Ioy 2. Ioy with her Traine VVho leaps and tickles finding th' Apian-way Too-streight for her whose senses all possess All wished pleasures in all plentiousnes She hath in conduct false vain-glorious Vaunting Bold soothing shame-less lowd iniurious taunting The winged Giant lofty-staring Pride That in the clouds her braving Crest doth hide And many other like the empty bubbles That rise when rain the liquid Crystall troubles The Third is blood-less hart-less wit-less Fear 3. Feare her Followers That like an Asp-tree trembles every where She leads bleak Terror and base clownish Shame And drowsie Sloath that counter faiteth lame With Snail-like motion measuring the ground Having her arms in willing fetters bound Foul sluggish Drone barren but sin to breed Diseased begger starv'd with wilfull need And thou Desire whom nor the firmament 4. Desire a most violent Passion accōpanied with others like as Ambition Auarice Anger and Foolish Loue. Nor ayr nor earth nor Ocean can content Whose-looks are hooks whose belly 's bottom-less Whose hands are Gripes to scrape with greediness Thou art the Fourth and vnder thy Command Thou bringst to field a rough vnruly Band First secret-burning mighty-swoln Ambition Pent in no limits pleas'd with no Condition Whom Epicurus many Worlds suffice not Whose
instantly shalt rue If e'r you saw at Sea in Summer weather Simile A Galley and a Caraque cope togither How th' one steers quick and th' other veers as slowe Lar-boord and star-boord from the poop to prowe This on the winde that on her Owres relies This daunteth most and that most damnifies You may conceaue this Fight th' huge Polypheme Stands stifly shaking his steel-pointed beam Dauid dooth trauerse round about him light Forward and back to th' left hand and the right Steps in and out now stoops anon he stretches Then he recoyls on either hand he reaches And stoutly-actiue watching th' aduerse blowes In euery posture dooth himself dispose As when at Cock-pit two old Cocks doo fight Simile Bristling their plumes and red with rage do smight With spurs and beak bounding at euery blowe With fresh assaults freshing their fury so That desperate in their vn yeelding wrath Nothing can end their deadly fewd but death The Lords about that on both sides do bet Look partially when th' one the Field shall get And trampling on his gaudie plumed pride His prostrate Fo with bloody spurs bestride With clanging Trumpet and with clapping wing Triumphantly his Victory to sing So th' Hebrew Hoast and so the Heathen stranger Not free from fear but from the present danger Behold with passion these two Knights on whom They both haue wagerd both their Fortunes sum And either side with voice and gesture too Hartens and cheers their Champion well to doo So earnest all that almost euery one Seems euen an Actor not a looker-on All feel the Skirmish twixt their Hope and Fear All cast their eyes on this sad Theater All on these two depend as very Founders Of their good Fortune or their Fates Confounders O Lord said DAVID as he whirld his Sling Be bowe and Bowe-man of this shaft I fling With sudden flerk the fatal hemp le ts go The humming Flint which with a deadly blowe Pearç't instantly the Pagans ghastly Front As deep as Pistol-shot in boord is wont The villain 's sped cries all the Hebrew band Goliah overthrowne The Dog the Atheist feels Gods heauy hand Th' Isacian Knight seeing the blowe stands still Fro th' Tyrants wound his ruddy soule doth trill As from a crack in any pipe of Lead That conuoyes Water from some Fountaines head Simile Hissing in th' Aire the captiue Stream doth spin In siluer threds her crystall humorthin The Giant wiping with his hand his wound Cries tush 't is nothing but eft soones the ground Sunk vnder him his face grew pale and wan And all his limbs to faint and fail began Thrice heaues he vp his head it hangs as fast And all a-long lies Isaac's dread at last Couering a rood of Land and in his Fall Simile Resembles right a lofty Tower or Wall Which to lay leuel with the humble soil A hundred Miners day and night doo toil Till at the length rushing with thundrous roar It ope a breach to th' hardy Conquerour Then two lowd cries a glad and sad were heard Wherwith reviv'd the vaunting Tyrant stird Re-summoning vnder his weak Controule The fainting Remnants of his flying Soule And to be once more buckling yer he dies With blowe for blowe he striues in vain to rise Such as in life such in his death he seems For euen in death he curses and blasphemes And as a Curre that cannot hurt the flinger Simile Flies at the stone and biteth that for anger Goliah bites the ground and his owne hands As Traytors false to his fel hearts commands Then the Hebrew Champion heads the Infidel With his own sword and sends his soule to Hell Pagans disperse and the Philistian swarms Haue armes for burthen and haue flight for armes Danger behinde and shame before their face Rowting themselues although none giue them chase Armi-potent Omnipotent my God Dauids Thanksgiving for the victory O let thy Praise fill all the Earth abroad Let Izrael through Thee victorious now Incessant songs vnto thy Glory vow And let me Lord said DAVID euer chuse Thee sole for subiect of my sacred Muse. O wondrous spectacle vnheard-of-Sight The Monster 's beaten-down before the Fight A Dwarf a Sheepheard conquers euen vn-armd A Giant fell a famous Captain armd From a fraile Sling this Battery neuer came But 't was the Breach of a Tower-razing Ram This was no cast of an vncertain Slinger 'T was Crosse-bow-shot rather it was the finger Of the All-mightie not this hand of mine That wrought this work so wondrous in our eyne This hath Hee done that by a woman weake Can likewise stone the stout Abimelech Therefore for euer singing sacred Layes I will record his glorious Power and Praise Then Iacob's Prince him ioyfully imbraces Prefers to honours and with fauours graces Imployes him farre and nigh and farre and neere From all sad cares he doth his Soueraigne cleere In Camp he curbs the Pagans arrogance In Court he cures the Melancholy Trance That toyls his soule and with his tunefull Lyre Effectâ— of Musick Expels th' ll Spirit which doth the body tyre For with her sheath the soule commerce frequents And acts her office by his instruments After his pipe she dances and againe The body shares her pleasure and her paine And by exchange reciprocally borrowes Some measure of her solace and her sorrowes Th' Eare doore of knowledge with sweete warbles pleas'd Sends them eft soones vnto the Soule diseas'd With darke black rage our spirits pacifies And calmly cools our inward flame that fries So O Tyrtéus changing Harmonie Examples of the same Thy Rowt thou changest into Victorie So O thrice-famous Princely Pellean Holding thy hart 's reâ—nes in his Tune-full hand Thy Timothie with his Melodious skill Armes and dis-armes thy Worlds-drad arme at will And with his Phrygian Musicke makes the same As Lion fierce with Dorik milde as Lambe So while in Argos the chaste Violon For 's absent Soueraigne doth graue-sweetly groan Queen Clytemnestra doth resist th' alarmes Of lewd Aegysthus and his lustfull Charmes So at the sound of the sweet-warbling brasse The Prophet rapting his soule 's soule a space Refines him selfe and in his fantasie Graues deep the seal of sacred Prophesie For if our Soule be Number some so thought It must with number be refreshed oft Or made by Number so I yeeld to sing We must the same with some sweet Numbers bring To some good Tune euen as a voice sometime Simile That in its Part sings out of tune and time Is by another voice whose measur'd straine Custome and Arte confirms brought in again It may be too that DAVIDS sacred Ditty Quickned with Holy-Writ and couched witty Exorcist-like chaç't Natures cruel Fo Who the Kings soule did tosse and torture so How e'r it were He is in euery thing A profitable seruant to the King Who enuious yet of his high Feats and Fame His Faith and Fortitude distrusts the same And the diuine Torch
prisoners trouble Much worse me thought the time his martyrdome did double So that to scape that scourge so irk some to my hart I could haue beene content to suffer any smart Lo by blind ignorance how iudgements are mis-led Now that full thirtie monthes I haue experienced That so-much-feared ill 't is now so vs'd to me That I a prisoner liue much more content and free Then when as vnder cloake of a false freedome vaine I was base slaue indeede to many a bitter paine But now I see my selfe mockt euery-where almost And feeble me alone met by a mightie hoast Of such as in this case doo not conceiue as I But doo esteeme themselues offended much thereby And therefore Father deere this weake abortiue Child For refuge runnes betweeneth ' armes of his Grand-sire mild If you accept of it my labour hath his hire For careles of the rest all that I heere desire Is onely that yourselfe as in a Glasse may see The Image of th' estate of my Captiuitie Where though I nothing can auaile the Common-weale Yet I auaile my selfe atleast some little deale Praising th' all-powerfull Lord that thus vouch safes to poure Such fauours manifold vpon meeuery houre Wherof your self yer while so sweet sure proof haue tasted In cruell bitternes of bands that longer lasted Now I beseech his Grace to blesse mine enterprise My heart and hand at once to gouerne in such wise That what I write may nought displeasing him containe For voide of his sweet aide who works he works in vaine Within the wide-spred space of these round Elements Whatsoeuer is indewd with liuing soule and sense Seekes of it selfe selfe-good this instinct naturall Nature her selfe hath grauen in harts of Creatures all And of all liuing things from largest to the least Each one to flie his ill doth euermore his best Thereof it comes we see the wilde Horse full of strength Tamely to take the bit into his mouth at length And so by force we tame each most vntamed beast Which of it selfe discreet of euils takes the least And though that that which seemes to be his chiefe restraint He often-times despise that 's by a worse constraint As when the Lyon fierce feare-lesse pursues the shining Of bright keen-piercing blades and 's royal crest declining Full of the valiant Fire that courage woonts to lend Runnes midst a million swords his whelplings to defend More fearing farre that they their libertie should lose Than on himselfe the smart of thousand wounding blowes But all things haue not now the selfe same goods and ils What helpeth one the same another hurts and kils There 's ods between the good that sauage Beasts do like And that good good indeed which soul-wiseman must seek When Beasts haue store of food and free from foe's annoy Smart-lesse and sound and safe may as they list enioy Their fill of those delights that most delight the sense That that 's the happines that fully them contents But reasonable soules as God hath made mankind Can with so wretched Good not satisfie their mind But by how much the more their inly sight excels The brutish appetite of euery creature els So much more excellent the good for which they thirst Man of two parts is made the body is the worst The Heav'n-born soule the best wherein mans blisse abides In body that of beasts nought hauing els besides This body stands in need of manie an accessorie To make it somewhat seeme the soule receiues this glory That selfly she subsists and her aboundant wealth Vnlike the bodies store is euer safe from stealth Our body took his birth of this terrestriall clod Our spirit it was inspir'd of th' inly breath of God And either of them still striues to his proper place This earth-born stoopes to earth that stics to heauen apace But as the silly bird whose wings are wrapt in lime Faine but in vaine attempts to flie full many a time So our faire soule surcharg'd with this foule robe of mud Is too-too often held from mounting to her GOOD She striues she strikes sometimes she lifts her vp aloft But as the worser part we see preuaileth oft This false fraile flesh of ours with pleasure's painted lure Straight makes her stoop againe downe to the dust impure Happy who th' honour hath of such a victory He crowns his conquering head with more true maiesty Then if he had subdued those Nations by his might Which doo discouer first Aurora's early light And those whom Phoebus sees from his Meridian Mount Th' Anti-podes and all more then the sand to count For small the honour is to be acknowledg'd King And Monarke of the world ones selfe vn-maistering But each man on his head this Garland cannot set Nor is it giuen to all this victorie to get Onely a very few Gods deere-belov'd Elect This happy Goale haue got by Vertues lyue effect Therest soon weary of this fame so painfull War Like well of Heauen but loue the earth aboue it far Some drunk with poysony dregs of worldly pleasures brute Know where true good consists but neuer doo ensue't Some doo ensue the same but with so faint a heart That at the first assault they doo retire and start Some more courageous vow more then they bring to passe So much more easie 't is to say then doo alas And all through too-much loue of this vaine worlds alâ—urements Or too-much idle feare of sufferings and endurements Meerevanities whereto the more men doo incline The farther-off they are from their chiefe Good diuine Therefore so many think themselues so miserables Therefore the aire is fill'd with out-cries lamentable Of such as doâ— disdaine the thing that better is To entertaine the worse with forfeit of their blisse Therefore we see those men that riches doo possesse Afflicted still with care and therefore heauinesse Abandons neuer those that fed with honours fill Fawne vpon Potentates for â—litting fauours still And cause God wot they haue to be at quiet neuer Sith their felicitie is so vncertaine euer Neither are Kings themselues exempted from vexation How-euer Soueraignesway they beare in any Nation For now they wish to win anon feare losse no lesse Yea though for Empire they did this wide world possesse Not one of them withall could full contented be For how man more attaines the more attempteth he Who therfore couets most such soon-past goods vncertain Shall ne'r enioy the ioy of goods abiding certain But who so seeks to build a true content to last On else-what must else-where his first foundation cast For all things here below are apt to alter euer Heere 's nothing permanent and therefore whosoeuer Trusts thereto trusteth to a broken staffe for stay For no earth's vanity can blesse a man for aye We must to make vs blest our firme assurance found Els-where then in this world this change-inthralled ground We must propose our selues that perfect perish-les That true vnfained good that good all danger-les From th' vniust
mend their vertue taste and sauour And Rypen faire the Rest that are behinde The rather if some Clowde of COMFORT drop Amid the Braunches of my blasted Hope Amid the Braunches of my blasted Hope Three Noble pearches had my Muse of late Where Turtle-like groaning Sad tunes she sate But O! curst ENVIE did vntimely lop The First the Next bruiz'd with his Fall did drop The Third remaines growen a great arm of State Most WORTIE So But so prae occupate EVTERPE VVith other MVSES That OVRS hath no scope Wherefore for succour in her wearie flight Hardly pursu'd by that sharpe Vulture WANT Shee 's fain my Liege with your good leaue to light Amid the Top-leaues of Your CEDAR-Plant Where if you daign Her Rest froÌ„ FORTVNE'S wrong Shee shall more sweetely Ende her solemne Song Shee shall more sweetely Ende Her solemne Song If Heaven grant Life and You give leaue to doo-it By adding fitly All those Partes vnto it Which more precisely to Your Praise belong Wherein expresly with a Thankefull tongue To your great Self APOLLO'S self applies-him Yeeldes YOV His Laurells And dooth all agnize-him ERATO Rapt with the VVonder Of Your Uertues Young All the Posthumiall race of that rare Spirit His Swan tunes sweetest neer his latest breath Which of his glory their Childes-part inherit Thogh born alas after their Father's death As Epilogue shall PAYE our gratefull Vowes Vnder the shaddowe of Your Sacred Boughes Vnder the shaddowe of Your Sacred Boughes Great Royall CEDAR of Mounte LIBANON Greater then that great Tree of BABYLON No maruaile if our TVRTLE seek to House Sith CAESAR'S Eagles that so strongly Rouze Th' olde Hâ—gard FALCON hatcht by Pampelon Th' IBERIAN GRIPHIN And not THESE alone POLYMNIA But euerie Birde and Beast With HVMBLE vowes Seekes roost or rest vnder your mighty Bowers So mighty hath th' Almighty made you now O Honour Him who thus hath Honour'd You And build His house who thus hath blessed Yours So STVARTS ay shall stand propt with His Power To Foes a Terrour and to Friendes a Tower To Foes a Terrour and to Friendes a Tower ERROR' 's Defyer and True FAITH'S Defence A Sword to Wrong a Shielde to Innocence Cheering the mild checking the wild with powr The Starre of other States and Sterne of Our The Rod of Vice VERTVE'S Recompence Long liue King IAMES in al MAGNIFICENCE VRANIA And full of DAYES When in his Blis-ful Bowr Heauens king shal crown thee with th' immortal flowr Fall all These Blessings on that forwarde Prince HENRIE our Hope to-Crowne His Excellence A KING at Home abroad a CONQVEROR So Happily that wee may still Conclude Our Sunne did Sette and yet no Night ensew'd SVBSCRIPTIO YOVR MAIESTIES Most loyall Subiect Humble Seruant IOSVAH SYLVESTER The Order of the Bookes or Tracts of this Volume THE FIRST WEEKE containeth Seaven Dayes THE 1. Day pag. 1. THE 2. Day 24. THE 3. Day 59. THE 4. Day 91. THE 5. Day 114. THE 6. Day 144. THE 7. Day 175. THE SECOND WEEK likewise Seauen DAIES whereof Three were neuer finished ADAM 1. Day Eden pag. 215. The Imposture 236. The Furies 254. The Handy-Crafts 276. NOAH 2. Day The Arke pag. 298. Babylon 315. The Colonies 335. The Columnes 358. ABRAHAM 3. Day The Vocation pag. 381. The Fathers 421. The Law 436. The Captains 477. DAVID 4. Day The Tropheis pag. 514. The Magnificence 551. The Schisme 590. The Decay 619. Vrania pag. 656. The Triumph of Faith 672. The Quadrains of Pibrac 697. The miraculous Peace of France 738. A Paradox against Liberty 780. CEs Tempes laurizez du Laurier mesme honeur Ces Yeux contemple-Cieux ou la Vertu se lit Ces traits au front marquez de Scavoir d' Esprit Ne sont que du BARTAS vn ombre exterieur Le Pinçeau n'en peut plus Mais de sa propre Plume Il â—est peint le Dedans dans son divin Volume These laureat Temples which the Laurel grace These Honest Lines these Signes of Wit and Art This Map of Vertues in a Muse-full Face Are but a blush of BARTAS outward part The Pencil could no more But his owne Pen Limms him with-in the Miracle of Men. LECTORIBVS ENGLAND'S Apelles rather OVR APOLLO WORLD' 's wonder SYDNEY that rare more than-man This LOVELY VENVS first to LIMNE beganne VVith such a PENCILL as no PENNE dares follow How theÌ„ shold I in Wit Art so shalow AtteÌ„pt the Task which yet none other can Far be the thought that mine vnlearned hand His heauenly Labour shold so much vnhallow Yet least that Holy-RELIQVE being shrin'd In som High-Place close lockt froÌ„ common light My Country-men should bee debarr'd the sight Of these DIVINE pure Beauties of the Minde Not daring meddle with APELLES TABLE This haue I muddled as my MVSE was able INDIGNIS Hence profane Hands Factors for Hearts profaâ—e Hence hissing Atheists Hellish Misse-Creants Hence Buzzard Kites dazled with Beautie 's glances Hence itching Eares with Toyes and Tales vp-tane Hence Green-sick Wits that relish nought but bane Hence dead lyve Idiots drown'd in Ignorance Hence wanton Michols that deâ—ide my Dance Hence Mâ—mike Apâ—s vaine Follies Counter-pâ—ne Hence prying Critikâ—s carping past your Skill Hence dull Conceipts that have no true Discerning Hence envious Momes converting Good to Ill Hence all at-once that lack or loue not LEARNING Hence All vn-holy froÌ„ the WORLDS BIRTH Feast VRANIA's Grace brookes no vn-worthy Guest OPTIMIS But my best Guest welcom great King of FAERIE Welcom fair QVEEN his vertue 's vertuous Love Welcom right AEGLETS of the ROYAL Eyrie Welcom sound Eares that sacred Tunes approve Welcom pure Hands whose Hearts are fixt aboue Welcom deer Soules that of Art's choise are charie Welcom chaste Matrons whom true zeal doth move Welcom good Wits that grace-full Mirth can varie Welcom milde Censors that mean slips can cover Welcom quick Spirits that sound the depth of Art Welcom MECAENAS each LEARNING-lover Welcom All good Welcom with all my Heart Sit-down I pray and taste of every Dish If Ought mis like You better Cooke I wish Intimo Iosuae Sylvestri Hexasticon VTprodesse suis possit Salustius offert Gallis quod nobis Iosua noster opus Ille ergo eximijs hoc vno nomine dignus Laudibus at duplici nititur hic merito Quem simul Authoris famae charaeque videmus Communi Patriae consuluisse bono Io Bo. Miles Ad Ioshuam Sylvesterum G. Salustij genuinum Interpretem * ⎠* FAre agê divini cultissima lingua Salusti SYLVESTER Clarij ceu fuit ille Dei Elyzij qua parte Iugiconvenerat te Edocâ—it sensus sua verba Senex An mage corpored Herois compage soluta In te Anima Elyzium fecerat ipsa sibi Credo equideÌ„ Samij rata Dogmata sunt Senis vnde Non Translata mihi sed genuina canis Quin Posteritas si pagina prima taceret Interpres dubitet tune vel ille siet Car Fitz-Geofridus Lati-Portensis Iosua
tuis Sic tandem felix te gaudeat Anglia vate Sic te Virgilium norit et ipsa suum Io Mauldaeus Germanus Amicissimo Iosuae Syluestri G. Salustij D. BARTASII interpreti Encomium QVod conspecta Pharus vario dat lumine vasta Aequora sulcanti cum vaga Luna silet Et quod lustratis Phoebi dat flammatenebris Erranti in syluis dum manifestat iter Hoc dat praestanti methodo SALVSTIVS illis Cognitio Sanctae queis placet Historiae Ille dedit Gallis quod nobis IOSVA noster Qui solus patrio ductus amore dedit Ingenium cupitis non fictaque flumina Vatum Hic magnum doctis Hortus acumen habet Musa tua est BARTAS dulcissima Musa videtur Ipsa tamen NOSTRI dulcior esse mihi Si. Ca. Gen. Flexanimo Salustij du Bartas interpreti Iâ— Syluestri carmen Encomiasticon OFt haue I seen sweet fancie-pleasing facts Consort themselues with swart misshapen features To grace the more their soule-subduing graces By the defect of such deformed creatures As Painters garnish with their shadowes sable The brighter colours in a curious Table So English Bartas though thy beauties heer Excell so far the glory of the rest That France and England both must hold thee deer Sith both their glories thou hast heer exprest Shewing the French tongues plenty to be such And yet that ours can vtter full as much Let not thy fairest Heav'n-aspiring Muse Disdaine these humble notes of my affection My faulty lines let faithfull loue excuse Sith my defects shall adde to thy perfection For these rude rimes thus ragged base and poore Shall by their want exalt thy worth the more E. G. In Commendation of du BARTAS and his Translator M. IOSVAH SYLVESTER A SONNET WHile nights black wings the dayes bright beauties hide And while fayre Phoebus diues in western deep Men gazing on the heav'nly stages steep Commend the Moon and many Stars beside But when Aurora's windowes open wide That Sol's clear rayes those sable clouds may banish Then sodainly those petty lights do vanish Vailing the glories of their glistring pride Sa while du Bartas and our Syluester The glorious light of England and of France Haue hid their beams each glowe-worme durst prefer His feeble glimpse of glimmering radiance But now thâ—se Suns begin to gild the day Those twinkling sparks are soon disperst away R. H. In Commendation of this worthy Work FOole that I was I thought in younger times That all the Muses had their graces sowen In Chaucers Spencers and sweet Daniels Rimes So good seems best where better is vnknowen While thus I dream'd my busie phantasic Bad me awake open mine eyes and see How SALVST's English Sun our SYLVESTER Makes Moon and Stars to vaile and how the Sheauâ—s Of all his Brethren bowing do prefer His Fruits before their Winter-shaken Leaues So much for Matter and for Manner too Hath He out gon those that the rest out goe Let Gryll be Gryll let Enuie's vip'rous seed Gnaw forth the brest which bred and fed the same Rest safe Sound truth from fear is euer freed Malice may bark but shall not bite thy Name IOSVA thy Name with BARTAS name shall liue For double life you each to other giue But Mother Enuie if this Arras spunne Of Golden threds be seen of English eyes Why then alas our Cob-webs are vndone But She more subtile than religious-wise Hatefull and hated proud and ignorant Pale swoln as Toade though customed to vaunt Now holds her Peace but O! what Peace hath She With Vertue none Therefore defie her frown Gainst greater force growes greater victory As Camomile the more you tread it down The more it springs Vertue despightfully Vsed doth vse the more to fructisie And so do Thou vntill thy Mausole rare Do fill this World with wonderment and that In Venus Form no clumsie fist may dare To meddle with thy Pencil and thy Plat I fear thy life more till thy goale be run Than Wife his Spouse or Father fears his Son R. R. Malum patienti lucrum An Acrostick Sonnet to his friend M. IOSVA SYLVESTER I IF profit mixt with pleasure merit Praise O Or Works diuine be 'fore profane preferr'd S Shall not this heauenly Work the Workers raise V Vnto the Clouds on Columnes selfly-rear'd A And though his Earth be lowe in Earth interr'd S Shall not du BARTAS Poetspride and glorie I In after Ages be with wonder heard L Liuely recording th' VNIVERSAL Story V Vndoubtedly He shal and so shalt Thou E Eare-charming Eccho of his sacred Voice S Sweet SYLVESTER how happy was thy choise T To Task thee thus and thus to quight thee now E End as thou hast begun and then by right R Rare Muses NON-SVCH shal thy Work be hight R. N. Gen. To the Same HAd golden Homer and great Maro kept In enuious silence their admired measures A thousand Worthies worthy deeds had slept They reft of prayse and we of learned pleasures But O! what rich incomparable treasures Had the world wanted had not this modern glory Diuine du BARTAS hid his heauenly ceasures Singing the mighty World's immortall story O then how deeply is our â—le beholding To Chapman and to Phaer but yet much more To thee deare SYLVESTER for thus vnfolding These holy wonders hid from vs before Those works profound are yet profane but thine Graue learned deepe delightfull and diuine R. N. Du BARTAS His FIRST VVEEK Or Birth of the WORLD Wher-in In SEAVEN DAYES The glorious Work Of The CREATION is diuinely handled In the 1. Day The CHAOS In the 2. Day The ELEMENTS In the 3. Day The SEA EARTH In the 4. Day The HE AVENS SVN MOON c. In the 5. Day The FISHES FOVLES In the 6. Day The BEASTS MAN In the 7. Day The SABAOTH Acceptam refero The first Daie of the First VVeek THE ARGVMENT GOD'S Ayde implor'd the Summ of All propos'd World not eternall nor by Chaunce compos'd But of meer Nothing God it essence gaue It had Beginning and an End shall haue Curst Atheists quipt the Heathen Clarks control'd Doom's glorious Day Star-Doctros blam'd for bold The Matter form'd Creation of the Light Alternate Changes of the Day and Night The Birth of Angels some for Pride deiected The rest persist in Grace and guard th' Elected THou glorious Guide of Heav'ns star-glistring motion The Poet imploreth the gracious assistance of the true God of Hea uen Earth Ayrc and Sea that he may happily finish the work he takes in hand Thou thou true Neptune Tamer of the Ocean Thou Earth's drad Shaker at whose only Word Th' Eolian Scoutes are quickly still'd and stirr'd Lift vp my soule my drossie spirits refine With learned Artenrich This Work of mine O Father graunt I sweetly warbleforth Vnto our seede the WORLD'S renowned BIRTH Graunt gracious God that I record in Verse The rarest Beauties of this VNIVERSE And grant therein Thy Power I may discern That teaching others I
Preacher not the Parasite So Morn and Euening the Third Day conclude And God perceiv'd that All his Works were good THE FOVRTH DAIE OF THE FIRST WEEK THE ARGVMENT The twinkling Spangles of the Firmament The wandring Seav'n Each in a seuerall Tent Their Course their Force their Essence is disputed That they as Beasts doe eat and drink refuted Heav'ns not the Earth with rapid motion roule The famous Stars observ'd in either Pole Heav'ns sloaping Belt the Twelue celestiall Signes Whear Sol the Seasons of the Year confines Dayes glorious Prince Nights gloomy Patroness His Light and Might Her constant Change-fulnes PVre Spirit that rapt'st aboue the Firmest Sphear In the beginning of the fourth booke calling vpon the God of Heauen our Poet prayeth to be lift vp in the Heauens that he may discoursâ— as he ought of the starrs fixed and wandring In fiery Coach thy faithfull Messenger Who smiting Iordan with his pleighted Cloak Did yerst diuide the Waters with the stroak O take me vp that far from Earth I may From Sphear to Sphear see th' azure Heav'ns To-Day Be thou my Coach-man and now Check by Ioule With Phoebus Chariot let my Chariotroule Driue on my Coach by Mars his flaming Coach Saturn and Luna let my wheels approach That having learn'd of their Fire-breathing Horses Their course their light their labour and their forces My Muse may sing in sacred Eloquence To Vertues Friends their vertuous Excellence And with the Load-stone of my conquering Verse Aboue the Poles attract the most perverse And you fair learned soules you spirits diuine To whom the Heav'ns so nimble quils assigne As well to mount as skilfully to limn The various motion of their Taperstrim Lend me your hand lift mee aboue Parnassus With your loud Trebbles help my lowly Bassus For sure besides that your wit-gracing Skill Bears in itself itself's rich guerdon still Our Nephews free from sacrilegious brauls Where Horror swims in bloud about our wals Shall one day sing that your deer Song did merit Better Heav'n better hap and better time to hear-it And though alas my now new-rising Name Can hope heer-after none or little Fame The time that most part of our betterwits Mis-spend in Flattery or in Fancy-Fits In courting Ladies or in clawing Lords Without affection in affected words I mean to spend in publishing the Story Of Gods great works to his immortall glory My rymes begot in pain and born in pleasure Thirst not for Fame the Heathen hope 's chief treasure 'T shall me suffice that our deer France doo breed In happy season som more learned sced That may record with more diuine dexterity Then I haue don these wonders to Posterity Much less may these abortiue Brats of Mine Expect Respect but in respect of Thine Yet sith the Heav'ns haue thus entaskt my layes As darkly Cynthia darts her borrow'd rayes To shadow Thine and to my Countrey render Som small reflection of thy radiant splendor It is inough if heer-by I incite Som happier spirit to do thy Muse more right And with more life giue thee thy proper grace And better follow great du BARTAS trace GOD'S NONE of these faint idle Artizens Heere resuming his course he presecutes the worke of the Creation Who at the best abandon their designes Working by halfs as rather a great deal To do much quickly then to do it well But rather as a workman neuer weary And all-sufficient he his works doth carry To happy end and to perfection With sober speed brings what he hath begun Hauing therfore the Worlds wide Curten spread About the circuit of the fruitfull Bed In the fourth day God created the fixed Stars the two great Lights vid. the Sunne and the Moone together with the other fiue Planets Where to fill all with her vnnumbred Kin Kinde Natures self each moment lyeth in To make the same for euer admirable More stately-pleasant and more profitable He th' Azure Tester trimm'd with golden marks And richly spangled with bright glistring sparks I knowe those Tapers twinkling in the sky Doo turn so swiftly from our hand and eye That man can neuer rightly reach to seeing Their Course and Force and much-much less their Being Of their Course Force Essence and Substance But if coniecture may extend aboue To that great Orb whose mouing All doth moue Th' imperfect Light of the first Day was it Which for Heavn's Eyes did shining matter fit For God selecting lightest of that Light Garnisht Heav'ns seeling with those Torches bright Or else diuided it and pressing close The parts did make the Sun and Stars of those But if thy wits thirst rather seek these things Opinion of the Greek touching the matter of the Stars In Greekish Cisterns then in Hebrew Springs Then I conclude that as of moistfull matter God made the people that frequent the Water And of an Earthy stuff the stubborn droues That haunt the Hills and Dales and Downs and Groues So did he make by his Almighty might The Heav'ns and Stars of one same substance bright To th' end these Lamps dispersed in the Skies Might with their Orb it with them sympathize And as with vs vnder the Oaken bark The knurry knot with branching vains we mark Simile To bee of substance all one with the Tree Although far thicker and more rough it bee So those gilt studs in th' vpper story driven Are nothing but the thickest part of Heav'n When I obserue their Light and Heat yblent Their substance is of Fire Meer accidents of th' vpper Element I thinke them Fire but not such Fire as lasts No longer then the fuel that it wastes For then I think all th' Elements too-little To furnish them only with one days victual And therefore smile I at those Fable-Forges Resutation of such as haue thought that the Stars were liuing creatures that did eat and drinke Whose busy-idle stile so stifly vrges The Heavn's bright Cressets to be living creatures Ranging for food and hungry fodder-eaters Still sucking-vp in their eternall motion The Earth for meat and for their drink the Ocean Sure I perceive no motion in a Star But natural certain and regular Wher-as Beasts motions infinitely vary Confus'd vncertain diuers voluntary I see not how so many golden Postes Should scud so swift about Heav'ns azure coasts But that the Heav'ns must ope and shut som-times Subiect to passions which our earthly climes Alter and toss the Sea and th' Aire estrange From it selfs temper with exceeding change I see not how in those round blazing beams One should imagine any food-fit limbs Nor can I see how th' Earth and Sea should feed So many Stars whose greatnes doth exceed So many times if Star-Diuines say troth The greatnes of the Earth and Ocean both Sith heer our Cattle in a month will eat Seav'n-times the bulk of their owne bulk in meat These Torches then range not at random o're The lightsom thicknes of an vn-firm Floor As heer
lately From Ferdinando as a famous Work Vnto Bizantium to the Greatest Turk Wherein a spirit still mouing to and fro Made all the Engin orderly to go And though th' one Sphear did alwaies slowely slide And opposite the other swiftly glide Yet still their Stars kept all their Courses ev'n With the true Courses of the Stars of Heav'n The Sun there shifting in the Zodiack His shining Houses neuer did forsake His pointed Path there in a Month his Sister Fulfill'd her course and changing oft her lustre And form of Face now larger lesser soon Follow'd the Changes of the other Moon O compleat Creature who the starry Sphears Of mans resemblance to his first Paterne which is God Canst make to moue who ' boue the Heav'nly Bears Extend'st thy powr who guidest with thy hand The Day 's bright Chariot and the nightly Brand This curious Lust to imitate the best And fairest Works of the Almightiest By rare effects bears record of thy Linage And high descent and that his sacred Image Was in thy Soule ingrav'n when first his Spirit The spring of life did in thy limms inspire-it For as his Beauties are past all compare So is thy Soule all beautifull and fair As hee 's immortall and is neuer idle Thy Soule 's immortall and can brook no bridle O◠sloath to curb her busie Intellect He ponders all thou peizest each effect And thy mature and settled Sapience Hathsom alliance with his Prouidence He works by Reason thou by Rule Hee 's glory Of th' Heav'nly Stages thou of th' Earthly Story Hee 's great High-Priest thou his great Vicar heer Hee 's Souerain Prince and thou his Vice-Roy deer For soon as euer he had framed thee Other testimonies of the excellency of Man constituted Lord of the World Into thy hands he put this Monarchy Made all the Creatures knowe thee for their Lord And com before thee of their own accord And gaue thee power as Master to impose Fit sense-full Names vnto the Hoast that rowes In watery Regions and the wandring Heards Of Forrest people and the painted Birds O too-too happy had that Fall of thine Not cancell'd so the Character diuine But sith our Soules now-sin-obscured Light Wherein consisteth Mans selicitie Shines through the Lanthorn of our Flesh so bright What sacred splendor will this Starr send forth When it shall shine without this vail of Earth The Soule heer lodg'd is like a man that dwels In an ill Aire annoy'd with noysom smells Excellent comparisons In an old House open to winde and weather Neuer in Health not half an hour together Or almost like a Spider who confin'd In her Webs centre shak't with euery winde Moues in an instant if the buzzing Flie Stir but a string of her Lawn Canapie You that haue seen within this ample Table Of the Creation of Woman made for an ayd to Man and without whom Mans life were miserable Among so many Modules admirable Th' admired beauties of the King of Creatures Com com and see the Womans rapting features Without whom heer Man were but half a man But a wilde Wolf but a Barbarian Brute ragefull fierce moody melancholike Hating the Light whom nought but naught could like Born solely for himself bereft of sense Of heart of loue of life of excellence God therefore not to seme less liberal To Man then else to euery animal For perfect patern of a holy Loue To Adams half another half he gaue Ta'en from his side to binde through euery Age With kinder bonds the sacred Mariage Euen as a Surgeon minding off-to-cut Simile Som cure-less limb before in vre he put His violent Engins on the vicious member Bringeth his Patient in a sense-less slumber And grief-less then guided by vse and Art To saue the whole sawes off th' infected part So God empal'd our Grandsiers liuely look Through all his bones a deadly chilness strook Siel'd-vp his sparkling Eys with Iron bands Led down his feet almost to Lethè Sands In brief so numm'd his Soul's and Body's sense That without pain opening his side from thence He took a rib which rarely he refin'd And thereof made the Mother of Mankinde Grauing so liuely on the liuing Bone All Adams beauties that but hardly one Could haue the Louer from his Loue descry'd Or know'n the Bridegroom from his gentle Bride Sauing that she had a more smiling Ey A smoother Chin a Cheek of purer Dy A fainter voice a more inticing Face A Deeper Tress a more delighting Grace And in her bosom more then Lillie-white Two swelling Mounts of Ivory panting light Now after this profound and pleasing Traunce Their Mariage No sooner Adams rauisht eyes did glaunce On the rare beauties of his new-com Half But in his heart he gan to leap and laugh Kissing her kindely calling her his Life His Loue his Stay his Rest his Weal his Wife His other-Self his Help him to refresh Bone of his Bone Flesh of his very Flesh. Source of all ioyes sweet Hee-Shee-Coupled-One Their Epithalamie or wedding Song Thy sacred Birth I neuer think vpon But rauisht I admire how God did then Make Two of One and One of Two again O blessed Bond O happy Mariage Which doost the match 'twixt Christ and vs presage O chastest friendship whose pure flames impart Two Soules in one two Hearts into one Hart O holy knot in Eden instituted Not in this Earth with bloud and wrongs polluted Profan'd with mischiefs the Pre-Scaene of Hell To cursed Creatures that ' gainst Heav'n rebell O sacred Cov'nant which the sin-less Son Of a pure Virgin when he first begun To publish proofs of his drad Powr Diuine By turning Water into perfect Wine At lesser Cana in a wondrous manner Did with his presence sanctifie and honour By thy deer Fauour after our Decease The commodities of Mariage We leaue behinde our liuing Images Change War to Peace in kindred multiply And in our Children liue eternally By thee we quench the wilde and wanton Fires That in our Soule the Paphian shot inspires And taught by thee a loue more firm and fitter We finde the Mel more sweet the Gall less bitter Which heer by turns heap vp our human Life Eu'n now with ioyes anon with iars and strife This done the Lord commands the happy Pair Propagation by the blessing of God With chaste embraces to replenish Fair Th' vnpeopled World that while the World endures Heer might succeed their liuing Pourtraitures He had impos'd the like precept before On th' irefull Droues that in the Desarts roar The fethered Flocks and fruitfull-spawning Legions That liue within the liquid Crystal Regions Thence-forth therefore Bears Bears ingendered The Dolphins Dolphins Vulturs Vulturs bred Men Men and Nature with a change-less Course Still brought forth Children like their Ancestors Vnnaturall Cōiunctions produce monstrous Births Though since indeed as when the fire hath mixt-them The yellow Gold and Siluer pale betwixt them Another Metall
that we should be humble Nay there is nought in our deer Mother found But Pythily som Vertue doth propound O! let the Noble Wise Rich Valiant Be as the base poore faint and ignorant And looking on the fields when Autumn shears There let them learn among the bearded ears Which still the fuller of the flowery grain Bow down the more their humble heads again And ay the lighter and the less their store They lift aloft their Chaffie Crests the more Let her that bound-less in her wanton wishes The Palme-Tree that we should be chast Dares spot the Spouse-bed with vnlawfull kisses Blush at the least at Palm-Trees loyalty Which never bears vnless her Male be by Thou thou that prançest after Honors prize Cinamon teacheth Diligence and Prudence While by the way thy strength and stomach dies Remember Honor is like Cinamon Which Nature mounds with many a million Of thorny pricks that none may danger-les Approach the Plant much less the Fruit possess Canst thou the secret Sympathy behold The Sunne and the Marigold direct vs vnto Christ the Sun of Righteousnes Betwixt the bright Sun and the Marigold And not consider that we must no less Follow in life the Sun of Righteousness O Earth the Treasures of thy hollow brest Are no less fruitfull Teachers then the rest For as the Lime doth break and burn in Water And swell and smoak crackle and skip and scatter Lyme in water teacheth vsto shew our vertue in extremitie Waking that Fire whose dull heat sleeping was Vnder the cold Crust of a Chalky Mass He that to march amid the Christian Hoast Yeelds his hearts kingdom to the holy-Ghost And for braue Seruice vnder Christ his Banner Looks to be crown'd with his Chief Champions honor Must in Affliction wake his zeal which oft In Calmer times sleeps too-securely soft And opposit as the rich Diamond The Diamond exhorteth to Constancy The Fire and Steel doth stoutly both withstand So the true Christian should till life expire Contemn proud Tyrants raging Sword and Fire Or if fell Rigour with som ruth-les smart A little shake the sinnews of his heart He must be like the richest Minerall Gold in the furnace to magnanimity purity Whose Ingots bow but never break at all Nor in the Furnace suffer any loss Of waight but Lees not of the Gold but dross The pretious Stone that bears the Rain-bowes name The stone Iris to edification of our Neighbour Receiues the bright face of Sols burnisht flame And by reflection after it displaies On the next obiect all those pointed rayes So whoso hath from the Empyreall Pole Within the centre of his happy Soule Receiv'd som splendor of the beams divine Must to his Neighbour make the same to shine Not burying Talents which our God hath giv'n To be imploy'd in a rich trade for Heav'n That in his Church he may receiue his Gold With thirty sixty and an hundred fold As th' Iron toucht by th' Adamant's effect The needle in the Mariners compasse sheweth that we shuld incessantly looke on Christ our onely load starre To the North Pole doth ever point direct So the Soule toucht once by the secret powr Of a true liuely Faith looks every howr To the bright Lamp which serues for Cynosure To all that sail vpon the Sea obscure These presidents from liue-les things collected Lessons from liuing Creatures Breed good effects in spirits well affected But lessons taken from the things that liue A liuelier touch vnto all sorts doo giue Vp vp ye Princes Prince and People rise Bees to subiects and to Princes And run to School among the Hony-Flies There shall you learn that an eternall law Subiects the Subiect vnder Princes aw There shall you learn that a courageous King To vex his humble Vassals hath no sting The Persian Prince that princely did conclude The Marlin to the vnthankeful So severe laws against Ingratitude Knew that the Marlin hauing kept her warm With aliue Lark remits it without harm And least her frend-bird she should after slay She takes her flight a quite contrary way Fathers if you desire your Children sage The Eagle so Parents Should by their Blessings bless your crooked age Train them betimes vnto true Vertues Lore By Aw Instruction and Example more So the old Eagle flutters in and out To teach his yong to follow him aboue If his example cannot timely bring His backward birds to vse their feeble wing He leaues them then som dayes vnfed whereby Sharp hunger may at length constiain them fly If that prevail not then he beats them both With beak and wings to stir their fearfull sloath You that to haste your hated Spouses end The Turtle to Wedlock-breakers Black deadly poyson in his dish doo blend O! can ye see with vn-relenting eyes The Turtle-Doue sith when her husband dies Dies all herioy for never loues she more But on dry bowghs doth her dead Spouse deplore Thou whom the freedom of a foolish tongue Wilde geese to Bâ—bblers Brings oft in danger for thy neighbours wrong Discreetly set a hatch before the door As the wise Wilde-geese when they over-soar Cilician Mounts within their bills doo bear A pebble-stone both day and night for fear Least rauenous Eagles of the North descry Their Armies passage by their cackling Cry O! Mothers can you can you O vnkinde Diuers Fishes to vnnaturall Mothers that will â— not nour se their owne Children Deny your Babes your breasts and call to minde That many Fishes many times are fain Receiue their seed into their wombs again Lucinas sad throes for the self-same birth Enduring oft it often bringing forth O! why embrace not we with Charity Dolphins to the cruell The living and the dead with Piety Giving these succour sepulture to those Even as the Dolphins doo themselues expose For their lyue fellows and beneath the Waues Cover their dead-ones vnder sandy Graues You Children whom past hope the Heav'ns benignity The wild Kid to children Hath heapt with wealth and heaved-vp to dignity Doo not forget your Parents but behold Th' officious Kids who when their Parents old With heavy Gyues Elds trembling fever stops And fetters-fast vpon the Mountain-tops As carefull purveyours bring them home to brouz The tendrest tops of all the slenderest boughs And sip self-thirst-les of the Riuers brink Which in their mouths they bring them home to drink For House-hold Rules read not the learned Writs Of the Stagirian glory of good wits The Spiders to Man and Wife Nor his whom for his honny-steeped stile They Proverbiz'd the Attik Muse yer-while Sith th' onely Spider teacheth euery one The Husbands and the Huswifes function For for their food the valiant Male doth roam The cunning Female tends her work at home Out of her bowels wooll and yarn she spitteth And all that else her learned labour fitteth Her waight's the spindle that doth twist the twine
Not for th' effect it had but should haue kept If Man from duty never had mis-stept For as the ayr of those fresh dales and hills Preserved him from Epidemik ills This fruit had ever-calm'd all insurrections All civill quarrels of the cross complexions Had barr'd the passage of twice childish age And ever-more excluded all the rage Of painfull griefs whose swift-slowe posting-pase At first or last our dying life doth chase Strong counter-bane O sacred Plant divine The excellencie of that Tree What metall stone stalk fruit flowr root or ryne Shall I presume in these rude rymes to sute I Vnto thy wondrous World-adorning Fruit The rarest Simples that our fields present-vs Heal but one hurt and healing too torments vs And with the torment lingring our relief Our bags of gold void yer our bulks of grief But thy rare fruits hid powr admired most Salveth all sores sans pain delay or cost Or rather man from yawning Death to stay Thou didst not cure but keep all ills away O holy peer-less rich preseruatiue We cannot say what Tree it was Whether wert thou the strange restoratiue That suddainly did age with youth repair And made old Aeson yonger then his heir Or holy Nectar that in heav'nly bowrs Eternally self-pouring Hebé pours Or blest Ambrosia Gods immortall fare Or els the rich fruit of the Garden rare Where for three Ladies as assured guard A fire-arm'd Dragon day and night did ward Or pretious Moly which Ioues Pursuiuan Wing-footed Hermes brought to th' Ithacan Or else Nepenthé enemy to sadnes Repelling sorrows and repealing gladnes Or Mummie or Elixir that excels Save men and Angels every creature els No none of these these are but forgeries But toyes but tales but dreams deceipts and lies But thou art true although our shallow sense May honour more then sound thine Excellence The Tree of Knowledge th' other Tree behight Of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Euill Not that itselfly had such speciall might As mens dull wits could whet and sharpen so That in a moment they might all things knowe 'T was a sure pledge a sacred sâ—gne and seal Which being ta'n should to light man reveal What ods there is between still peace and strife Gods wrath and loue drad death and deerest life Solace and sorrow guile and innocence Rebellious pride and humble obedience For God had not depriv'd that primer season Of the excellence of mans knowledge before Sin The sacred lamp and light of learned Reason Mankinde was then a thousand fold more wise Then now blinde Error â—ad not bleard his eys With mists which make th' Athenian Sage suppose That nought hee knowes saue this that nought hee knowes That euen light Pirâ—â—oâ—s wavering fantasies Reave him the skill his vn skill to agnize And th' Abderite within a Well obscure As deep as dark the Truth of things immure Hee happy knew the Good by th' vse of it How he knew good and euill before Sinne. He knew the Bad but not by proof as yet But as they say of great Hyppocrates Who though his limbs were numm'd with no excess Nor stop this throat nor vext his fantasie Knew the cold Cramp th' Angine and Lunacy And hundred els-pains whence in lusty flowr He liv'd exempt a hundred yeers and foure Or like the pure Heav'n-prompted Prophets rather Whose sight so cleerly future things did gather Because the World's Soule in their soule enseal'd The holy stamp of secrets most conceal'd But our now knowledge hath for tedious train Oâ— mans knowledge sincâ— his Fall A drooping life and over-racked brain A face forlorn a sad and sullen fashion A rest-less toyl and Cares self-pining passion Knowledge was then even the soules soule for light The spirits calme Port and Lanthorn shining bright To straight steptfeet cleer knowledge not confus'd Not sowr but sweet not gotten but infus'd Now Heav'ns eternall all-fore-seeing King Why the Lord put man in the Garden of Eden Who never rashly ordereth anything Thought good that man having yet spirits sound-stated Should dwell els-where then where he was created That he might knowe he did not hold this place By Natures right but by meer gift and Grace That he should never taste fruits vn-permitted But keep the sacred Pledge to him committed And dress that Park which God without all tearm On these conditions gaue him as in farm God would that void of painfull labour he Of his exercise there Should liue in Eden but not idlely For Idlenes pure Innocence subuerts Defiles our body and our soule peruerts Yea soberest men it makes delicious To vertue dull to vice in genious But that first travell had no sympathy With our since-travails wretched cruelty Distilling sweat and panting wanting winde Which was a scourge for Adams sin assign'd For Edens earth was then so fertile fat 4. Comparisons That he made onely sweet Essayes in that Of skilfull industry and naked wrought More for delight then for the gain he sought In brief it was a pleasant exercise A labour lik't a pain much like the guise Of cunning dauncers who although they skip â— Run caper vault traverse and turn and trip From Morn till Even at night again full merry Renue their daunce of dauncing never weary Or else of Hunters that with happy luck 2. Rousing betimes som often breathed Buck Or goodly Stagge their yelping Hounds vncouple Winde lowd their horns their whoops hallows double Spur-on and spare not following their desire Themselues vn-weary though their Hackneis tyre But for in th' end of all their iolity Ther 's found much stifness sweat and vanity I rather match it to the pleasing pain Of Angels pure who ever sloath disdain 3. Or to the Suns calm course who pain-less ay 4. About the welkin posteth night and day Doubtless when Adam saw our common ayr Adam admireth the beauties of the World in generall He did admire the mansion rich and fair Of his Successors For frosts keenly cold The shady locks of Forrests had not powl'd Heav'n had not thundred on our heads as yet Nor given the earth her sad Diuorces Writ But when he once had entred Paradise But most especially of the Garden of Eden The remnant world he iustly did despise Much like a Boor far in the Country born Who never having seen but Kine and Corn Oxen and Sheep and homely Hamlets thatcht Which fond he counts as Kingdoms hardly matcht When afterward he happens to behold Our welthy London's wonders manifold In this comparison my Author setteth down the famous City of Paris but I haue presumed to apply it to our own City of London that it might be more familiar to my meere English and vn-trauaild Readers The silly peasant thinks himself to bâ— In a new World and gazing greedily One while he Art-less all the Arts admires Then the faire Temples and their top-less spires Their firm foundations and the massie pride Of all
shall direct my pen to paint the Story Of wretched mans forbidden-Bit-lost glory What Spell shall charm th' attentiue Readers sense What Fount shall fill my voice with eloquence So that I rapt may rauâ—sh all this I LE With graue-sweet warbles of my sacred stile Though Adams Doom in euery Sermon common And founded on the error of a woman Weary the vulgar and be iudg'd a iest Of the profane zeal-scoffing Atheïst Ah! Thou my God euen Thou my soule refining He hath recourse to God the onely giuer of all sufficiency and dex teritie in good and holy things In holy Faith's pure furnace cleerely shining Shalt make my hap farr to surmount my hope Instruct my spirit and giue my tongue smooth scope Thou bountious in my bold attempts shalt grace-me And in the rank of holiest Poets place-me And frankly grant that soaring neer the sky Among our Authors Eagle-like I fly Or at the least if Heav'n such hap denay I may point others Honors beautious Way WHILE Adam bathes in these felicities The enemy of God enuieth Man and plotteth his destruction Hell's Prince sly parent of revolt and lies Feels a pestiferous busie-swarming nest Of neuer-dying Dragons in his brest Sucking his bloud tyring vpon his lungs Pinching his entrails with ten thousand tongues His cursed soule still most extreamly racking Too frank in giuing torments and in taking But aboue all Hate Pride and Enuious spight His hellish life doo torture day and night For th' Hate he bears to God who hath him driv'n Iustly for euer from the glittering Heav'n To dwell in darknes of a sulph'ry clow'd Though still his brethrens seruice be allow'd The Proud desire to haue in his subiection Mankinde in chain'd in gyues of Sins infection And th' Enuious heart-break to see yet to shine In Adams face Gods Image all diuine Which he had lost and that Man might atchieue The glorious bliss his Pride he did depriue Growen barbarous Tyrants of his treacherous wil Spur-on his course his rage redoubling stil. Or rather as the prudent Hebrue notes 'T is that old Python which through hundred-throats Doth proudly hiss and past his wont doth fire A hell of Furies in his fell desire His enuious hart self-swoln with sullen spight Brooks neither greater like nor lesser wight Dreads th' one as Lord as equall hates another And iealous doubts the rising of the other To vent his poyson this notorious Tempter His subtiltie in executing his Designes Meer spirit assails not Eue but doth attempt her In fained form for else the soule diuine Which rul'd as Queen the Littlâ—-worlds designe So purely kept her Vow of Chastitie That he in vain should tempt her Constancy Therefore he fleshly doth the Flesh assay Suborning that her Mistress to betray A subtle Pandar with more tycing sleights Then Sea hath Fish or Heav'n hath twinkling lights For had he beene of an ethereall matter Why he hid him in a Body Of fiery substance or aiereall nature The needfull help of language had he wanted Whereby Faiths ground-work was to be supplanted Sith such pure bodies haue nor teeth nor tongues Lips artires nose Palate nor panting lungs Which rightly plaç't are properly created True instruments of sounds articulated And further-more though from his birth h 'had had Why he appeared not in his owne likenes nor transformed him into an Angel of light Hart-charming cunning smoothly to perswade He fear'd malitious if he care-less came Vn-masked like himself in his own name In deep distrust man entring suddainly Would stop his ears and his foul presence fly As opposite taking the shining face Of sacred Angels full of glorious grace He then suspected least the Omnipotent Should think man's Fall scarce worthy punishment Much like therefore som theef that doth conceiue Similâ— From trauailers both life and goods to reaue And in the twi-light while the Moon doth play In Thetis Palace neer the Kings high-way Himself doth ambush in a bushy Thorn Then in a Caue then in a field of Corn Creeps to and fro and fisk eth in and out And yet the safety of each place doth doubt Till resolute at last vpon his knee Taking his leuell from a hollow Tree He swiftly sends his fire-wingd messenger At his false sute t' arrest the passenger Our freedoms felon fountain of our sorrow Thinks now the beautie of a Horse to borrow Anon to creep into a Haifers side He hides him vnder diuers figures Then in a Cock or in a Dog to hide Then in a nimble Hart himself to shroud Then in the starr'd plumes of a Peacock proud And least he miss a mischief to effect Oft changeth minde and varies oft aspect At last remembring that of all the broods Why he chose the Serpent In Mountains Plains Airs Waters Wildes and Woods The knotty Serpent's spotty generation Are filled with infectious inflammation And though they want Dogs teeth Bores tusks Bears paws The Vultures bill Buls horns and Griphins claws Yea seem so weak as if they had not might To hurt vs once much less to kill vs quite Yet many times they treacherously betray vs And with their breath look tongue or train they slay vs He crafty cloaks him in a Dragons skin All bright-bespect that speaking so within That hollow Sagbuts supple-wreathing plies The mouer might with th' Organ sympathize For yet the faith-less Serpent as they say With horror crawl'd not groueling on the clay Nor to Mankinde as yet was held for hatefull Sith that 's the hire of his offence ingratefull But now to censure how this change befell Sundry opinions hereupon Our wits com short our words suffice not well To vtter it much less our feeble Art Can imitate this sly malitious part Somtimes me seems troubling Eues spirit the Fiend 1 Made her this speaking fancy apprehend For as in liquid clouds exhaled thickly Water and Ayr as moist doe mingle quickly The euill Angels slide too easily As subtile Spirits into our fantasie Somtimes me seems She saw wo-worth the hap 2 No very Serpent but a Sepents shape Whether that Satan plaid the Iuggler there Who tender eys with charmed Tapers blear Trans-forming so by subtile vapoury gleams Mens heads to Monsters into Eels the beams Or whether Diuels hauing bodies light Quick nimble actiue apt to change with sleight In shapes or shewes they guilefull haue propos'd In brief like th' Air whereof they are compos'd For as the ayr with scattered clouds be-spred Is heer and there black yellow white and red Resembling Armies Monsters Mountains Dragons Rocks fiery Castles Forrests Ships and Wagons And such to vs through glass transparent cleer From form to form varying it doth appear So these seducers can growe great or small Or round or square or streight or short or tall As fits the passions they are moued by And such our soule receiues them from our ey Somtimes that Satan only for this work 3 Fain'd him a Serpents shape wherein
rare gloryl reach thy happy hand Reach reach I say why doost thou stop or stand Begin thy Bliss and doo not fear the threat His audacioâ—s impudence Of an vncertain God-head onely great Through self-aw'd zeal put on the glistring Pall Of immortality doe not fore-stall As enuious stepdame thy posteritie The souerain honour of Diuinitie This parley ended our ambitious Grandam The Apostasâ—e of Eue. Who only yet did heart and ey abandon Against the Lord now farther doth proceed And hand and mouth makes guilty of the deed A nouice Theef that in a Closet spies A Comparison A heap of Gold that on the Table lies Pale fearfull shiuering twice or thrice extends And twice or thrice retires his fingers ends And yet again returns the booty takes And faintly-bold vp in his cloak it makes Scarce findes the doore with faultring foot hee flies And still looks back for fear of Hu-on cries Euen so doth Eue shew by like fear-full fashions The doubtfull combat of contending Passions She would she would not glad sad coms and goes And long she marts about a Match of Woes But out alasâ— at last she toucheth it And hauing toucht tastes the forbidden bit Another comparison liuely expressing the Fall of Man by the prouocation of his wife Then as a man that from a lofty Clift Or steepy Mountain doth descend too swift Stumbling at somwhat quickly clips som lim Of som deer kinsman walking next to him And by his headlong fall so brings his friend To an vntimely sad and suddain end Our Mother falling hales her Spouse anon Down to the gulf of pitchie Acheron For to the wisht Fruits beautifull aspect Sweet Nectar-taste and wonderfull effect Cunningly adding her quaint smiling glances Her witty speech and pretty countenances She so preuails that her blind Lord at last A morsell of the sharp-sweet fruit doth taste Now suddainly wide-open feel they might Siel'd for their good both soules and bodies sight But the sad Soule hath lost the Character The effects of their disobedience And sacred Image that did honour Her The wretched Body full of shame and sorrow To see it naked is inforçt to borrow The Trees broad leaues wher of they aprons frame From Heav'ns faire ey to hide their filthy shame Alas fond death-lings O! behold how cleer The knowledge is that you haue bought so deer In heav'nly things yee are more blinde then Moals In earthly Owls O! think ye silly soules The sight that swiftly through the earth 's solid centres As globes of pure transparent crystall enters Cannot transpearce your leaves or do ye ween Couering your shame so to conceal your sin Or that a part thus clouded all doth lie Safe from the search of Heav'ns all-seeing ey Thus yet mans troubled dull Intelligence Had of his fault but a confused sense As in a dream after much drink it chances Disturbed spirits are vext with rauing fancies Therefore the Lord within the Garden fair The extraordinary presence of God awakes their drousie soules swallowed vp of Sinne and begins to arraign them Mouing bâ—times I wot not I what ayr But super naturall whose breath diuine Brings of his presence a most certain signe Awakes their Lethargie and to the quick Their self-doom'd soules doth sharply press and prick Now more and more making their pride to fear The frowning visage of their Iudge seuere To seck new-refuge in more secret harbors Among the dark shade of those tusting arbors Adam quoth God with thundring maiesty Where art thou wretch what doost thou answer me Thy God and Father from whose hand thy health Thou hold'st thine honour and all sorts of wealth At this sad summon's wofull man resembles Description of the horrible effects of a guilty Conscience summoned to the presence of God A bearded rush that in a riuer trembles His rosie checks are chang'd to earthen hew His dying body drops an yeie deaw His tear-drown'd eys a night of clouds bedims About his eares a buzzing horror swims His fainted knees with feeblenes are humble His faultring feet doe slide away and stumble He hath not now his free bold stately port But down-cast looks in fearfull slauish sort Now nought of Adam doth in Adam rest He feel's his senses pain'd his soule opprest A confus'd hoast of violent passions iarr His flesh and spirit are in continuall warre And now no more through conscience of his error He hears or feesth ' Almighty but with terror And loth he answers as with tongue distraught Confessing thus his fear but not his fault O Lord thy voice thy dreadfull voice hath made Adams answerâ— Me fearfull hide me in this couert shade For naked as I am O most of might I dare not come before thine awfull sight Naked quoth God why faith-less renegate God vrgeth the cause of his deiection and feare Apostate Pagan who hath told thee that Whence springs thy shame what makes thee thus to run From shade to shade my presence still to shun Hast thou not tasted of the learned Tree Whereof on pain of death I warned thee O righteous God quoth Adam I am free Adams reply excusing himself and couertly imputing his Guilt to God Examination of Eue who excuseth her self likewise on another From this offence the wife thou gauest me For my companion and my comforter She made me eat that deadly meat with her And thou quoth God O! thou frail treacherous Bride Why with thy self hast thouseduâ—'t thy Guide Lord answers Eue the Serpent did intice My simple frailty to this sinfull vice Mark heer how He who fears not who reform An example for Indges Magistrates His high Decrees not subiect vnto form Or stile of Court who all-wise hath no need T' examine proof or witnes of the deed Who for sustaining of vnequall Scale Dreads not the Doom of a Mercuriall Yer Sentence pass doth publikely conuent Confront and hear with ear indifferent Th' Offenders sad then with iust indignation Pronounceth thus their dreadfull Condemnation The Sentence of the supreame Iudge against the guilty Prisoners and first of all against the Serpent Ah cursed Serpent which my fingers made To serue mankinde th' hast made thy self a blade Wherewith vain Man and his inueigled wife Self-parricids haue reft their proper life For this thy fault true Fountain of all ill Thou shalt be hatefull'mong all creatures still Groueling in dust of dust thou ay shalt feed I 'le kindle war between the Womans seed And thy fell race hers on the head shall ding Thine thine again hers in the heel shall sting Rebel to me vnto thy kindred curst Against the Woman False to thy husband to thy self the worst Hope not thy fruit so easly to bring-forth As now thou slay'st it hence forth euery Birth Shall torture thee with thousand sorts of pain Each artire sinew muscle ioynt and vain Shall feel his part besides foul vomitings Prodigious longings thought-full languishings With change of colour
and Agent of all accidents With whom at once the three-fold times doe fly And but a moment lasts Eternity O God behold me that I may behold Thy crystall face O Sun reflect thy gold On my pale Moon that now my veiled eys Earth-ward eclipst may shine vnto the skies Ravish me Lord O my soules life reviue My spirit a-space that I may see a-lyue Heav'n yer I die and make me now good Lord The Eccho of thy all-cel estiall Word The power of Gods spirit in his Prophets and the difference between such the distracted frantike Ministers of Satan With sacred fury suddainly he glowes Not like the Bedlam Bacchanalian froes Who dauncing foaming rowling furious-wise Vnder their twinkling lids their torch-like eys With ghastly voice with visage grizly grim Tost by the Fiend that fier cely tortures them Bleaking and blushing painting shreeking swouning With wrath-les wounds their sense-les members wounding But as th' Imperiall Airy peoples Prince With stately pinions soaring hy from hence Cleaues through the clouds and brauely-bold doth think With his firm eye to make the Suns eye wink So Adam mounted on the burning wings Of a Seraphick loue leaues earthly things Feeds on sweet Aether cleaues the starry sphears And on Gods face his eys he fixtly bears His brows seem brandisht with a Sun-like fier And his purg'd body seems a cubit higher Then thus began hee Th' ever-trembling field Adam declares to his Son in how many Daiet the World was created Of scaly folk the Arches starry seeld Where th' All-Creator hath disposed well The Sun and Moon by turns for Sentinell The cleer cloud-bounding Ayr the Camp assign'd Where angry Auster and the rough North-winde Meeting in battail throwe down to the soil The Woods that midling stand to part the broyl The Diapry Mansions where man-kinde doth trade Were built in Six Dayes and the Seav'nth was made The sacred Sabbaoth So Sea Earth and Ayr And azure-gilded Heav'ns Pavilions fair Shall stand Six Dayes but longer diversly Then the dayes bounded by the Worlds bright eye The First begins with me the Seconds morn How many Ages it shall endure Is the first Ship-wright who doth first adorn The hils with Vines that Shepheard is the Third 1. Adam That after God through strange Lands leads his Heard 2. Noah And past mans reason crediting Gods word 3. Abraham His onely Son slayes with a willing sword The Fourth 's another valiant Shepheardling 4. Dauid That for a Cannon takes his silly sling And to a Scepter turns his Shepheards staff Great Prince great Prophet Poet Psalmograph The Fift begins from that sad Princes night 5. Zedechias That sees his children murdred in his sight And on the banks of fruitfull Euphrates Poor Iuda led in Captiue heauiness 6. Messias Hoped Messias shineth in the Sixt Who mockt beat banisht buried cruci-fixt For our foul sins stil-selfly-innocent Hath fully born the hatefull punishment The Last shall be the very Resting-Day Th' Ayr shall be mute the Waters work shall stay 7. Th' Eternall Sabbath The Earth her store the stars shall leaue their measures The Sun his shine and in eternall pleasures We plung'd in Heav'n shall ay solemnize all Th' eternall Sabbaoths end-less Festiuall Considerations of Adam vpon that which shuld be fall his Posterity vnto the end of the first World destroyed by the Flood according to the relation of Moses in Genesis in the 4. 5. 6. and 7. chapters Alas what may I of that race presume Next th' irefull Flame that shall this Frame consume Whose gut their God whose lust their law shall be Who shall not hear of God nor yet of me Sith those outrageous that began their birth On th' holy groundsill of sweet Edens earth And yet the sound of Heav'ns drad Sentence hear And as ey-witness of mine Exile were Seem to despight God Did it not suffize O lust full soule first to polygamize Suffiz'd it not O Lamech to distain Thy Nuptiall bed but that thou must ingrain In thy great-Grand-sires Grand-sires reeking gore Thy cruell blade respecting nought before The prohibition and the threatning vow Of him to whom infernall powrs do bow Neither his Pasports sealed Character Set in the fore-head of the Murderer Courage good Enos re-advance the Standard Of holy Faith by humane reason slaunder'd And troden-down Inuoke th' immortall powr Vpon his Altar warm bloud-offrings pour His sacred nose perfume with pleasing vapour And teend again Trueth 's neer-extinguisht Taper Thy pupil Henoch selfly-dying wholly Earths ornament to God he liueth solely Lo how he labours to endure the light Which in th' Arch-essence shineth glorious-bright How rapt from sense and free from fleshly lets Sometimes he climbs the sacred Cabinets Of the diuine Ideas euer-lasting Having for wings Faith fervent l'rayer and Fasting How at sometimes though clad in earthly clod He sacred sees feels all inioyes in God How at somtimes mounting from form to form In form of God he happy doth transform Lo how th' all-fair as burning all in loue With his rare beauties not content aboue T' haue half but all and ever sets the stairs That lead from hence to Heav'n his chosen heirs Lo now he climeth the supernall stories Adiew deer Henoch in eternall glories Dwell there with God thy body chang'd in quality Of Spirit or Angel puts on immortality Thine eys already now no longer eys But new bright stars doe brandish in the skyes Thou drinkest deep of the celestiall wine Thy Sabbaoth's endless without vail in fine Thouseest God face to face and neervnite To th' ONE-TRINE Good thou liv'st in th' Infinite But heer the while new Angell thou dost leaue Fell wicked folk whose hands are apt to reaue Whose Scorpion tongues delight in sowing strife Whose guts are gulfs incestuous all their life O strange to be beleev'd the blessed race The sacred Flock whom God by speciall grace Adopts for his even they alas most shame-less Do follow sin most beastly-brute and tame-less With lustfull eys choosing for wanton Spouses Mens wicked daughters mingling so the houses Of Seth and Cain preferring foolishly Frail beauties blaze to vertuous modesty From these profane foul cursed kisses sprung A cruell brood feeding on bloud and wrong Fell Gyants strange of haughty hand and minde Plagues of the World and scourges of Man-kinde Then righteous God though ever prone to pa Seeing his milde-ness but their malice harden List plead nolonger but resolues the fall Of man forth-with and for mans sake of all Of all at least the living creatures gliding Along the ayr or on the earth abiding Heav'ns crystall windows with one hand he opes Whence on the World a thousand Seas he drops With th' other hand he gripes and wringeth forth The spungy Globeof th' execrable Earth So straightly prest that it doth straight restore All liquid flouds that it had drunk before In every Rock new Rivers doe begin And to his aid the snowes com tumbling in
The Pines and Cedars haue but boughs to showe The shoars do shrink the swelling waters growe Alas so-many Nephews lose I heer Amid these deeps that but for mountains neer Vpon the rising of whoseridges lofty The lusty climbe on every side for safety I should be seed-less but alas the Water Swallows those Hils and all this wide Theater Is all one Pond O children whither fly-you Alas Heav'ns wrath pursues you to destroy-you The stormy waters strangely rage and roar Rivers and Seas haue all one common shoar To wit a sable water-loaden Sky Ready to rain new Oceans instantly O Sonn-less Father O too fruitfull haunches O wretched root O hurtfull hatefull branches O gulfs vnknowen O dungeons deep and black O worlds decay O vniversall wrack O Heav'ns O Seas O Earth now earth no more O flesh O bloud Heer sorrow stopt the door Of his sad voice and almost dead for woe The prophetizing spirit forsook him so NOAH The SECOND DAY Of The SECOND WEEK Containing 1. THE ARK 2. BABYLON 3. THE COLONIES 4. THE COLVMNES Acceptam refero The ARKE THE I. PART OF THE II. DAY OF THE II. WEEK THE ARGVMENT Noah prepares the Ark and thither brings With him a Seed-payr of all liuing things His exercise a ship-board Atheist Cham His holy Fathers humble Zeal doth blame And diversly impugns Gods Prouidence Noah refells his Faith-less arguments The Flood surceast Th' Ark-landed Blood forbid The Rain-bowe bent what it pre-figured Wine drowneth Wit Cham scoffs the Nakednes Of 's sleeping Sire the Map of Drunkennes IF Now no more my sacred rimes distill A Preamble wherin by a modest Complaint the Poet stirs vp the Readers attention and makes himselfe way to the inuocation of the name of God With Art-less ease from my discustom'd quill If now the Laurell that but lately shaded My beating temples be dis-leav'd and vaded And if now banisht from the learned Fount And cast down head-long from the lofty Mount Where sweet Vrania sitteth to indite Mine humbled Muse flag in a lowely flight Blame these sad Times ingratefull cruelty My houshold cares my healths infirmity My drooping sorrows for late grieuous losses My busie suits and other bitter crosses Lo there the clogs that weigh down heavily My best endevours whilom soaring high My harvest's hail the pricking thorns and weeds That in my soule choak those diviner seeds O gracious God! remove my great incumbers Kindle again my faiths neer-dying imbers Asswage thine anger for thine own Sons merit And from me Lord take not thy holy Spirit Comb gild and polish more then ever yet This latter issue of my labouring wit And let not me be like the winde that proudly Begins at first to roar and murmur loudly Against the next hils over-turns the Woods With furious tempest tumbles-vp the floods And fiercely-fell with stormy puffs constrains The sparkling flints to roule about the Plains But flying faints and every league it goes One nimble feather of his wing doth lose But rather like a River poorly-breeding In barren Rocks thence drop by drop proceeding Which toward the Sea the more he flies his source With growing streams strengthens his gliding course Rowles roars and foams raging with rest-less motion And proudly scorns the greatnes of the Ocean THE DOOMS of Adam lackt not long effect For th' angry Heav'ns that can without respect The comming of the Flood and Building of the Ark. Of persons plague the stubborn Reprobate In Waters buried th' Vniuersall-state And never more the nimble painted Legions With hardy wings had cleft the ayrie Regions We all had perisht and the Earth in vain Had brought such store of fruits and grass and grain If Lamechs Son by new-found Art directed That huge vast vessell had not first erected Which sacred refuge kept the parent-payrs Of all things moving in the Earth and Ayrs Now while the Worlds-re-colonizing Boat Noahs exercises aboord the Ark. Doth on the waters over Mountains float Noe passeth not with tales and idle play The tedious length of dayes and nights away But as the Sommers sweet distilling drops Vpon the medowes thirsty yawning chops Re-greens the Greens and doth the flowrs re-flowr All scorcht and burnt with Auster's parching powr So the care-charming hony that distills From his wise lips his house with comfort fils Flatters despair dries tears calms inward smarts And re-aduanceth sorrow-daunted harts Cheer ye my children God doth now retire These murdering Seas which the revenging ire Of his strict Iustice holy indignation Hath brought vpon this wicked generation Arming a season to destroy mankinde The angry Heav'ns the water and the winde As soon again his gracious Mercy will Clear cloudy Heav'ns calm windes and waters still His wrath and mercy follow turn by turn That like the Lightning doth not lightly burn Long in a place and this from age to age Hides with her wings the faithfull heritage Our gracious God makes scant-weight of displeasure And spreads his mercy without weight or measure Somtimes he strikes vs to especiall ends Vpon our selues our Children or our friends In soule or body goods or else good names But soon he casts his rods in burning flames Not with the fist but finger he doth beat vs Nor doth hethrill so oft as he doth threat-vs And prudent Steward giues his faithfull Bees Wine of his wrath to rebell Drones the Lees. And thus the deeds of Heav'ns Iust-gentle King The Second Worlds good Patriarch did sing Cham full of impiety is brought-in answering his Father and diuersly impugning the wisdom irreprohensible Prowidence of God Almighty and All-mercifull and the humble religious Zeal of Noah But brutish Cham that in his brest accurst The secret roots of sinfull Atheisme nurst Wishing already to dis-throne th' Eternall And self-vsurp the Maiesty supernall And to himself by name of Iupiter On Afrik sands a sumptuous Temple rear With bended brows with stout and stern aspect In scornfull tearms his Father thus be-checkt Oh! how it grieves me that these servil terrors The scourge of Cowards and base vulgars errors Haue ta'n such deep root in your feeble brest Why Father alwayes selfly thus deprest Will you thus alwaies make yourself a drudge Fearing the fury of a fained Iudge And will you alwaies forge your self a Censor That weighs your words and doth your silence censure A sly Controuler that doth count your hairs That in his hand your hearts keys ever bears Records your sighes and all your thoughts descries And all your sins present and past espies A barbarous Butcher that with bloudy knife Threats night and day your grieuous-guilty life O! see you not the superstitious heat Of this blinde zeal doth in your minde beget A thousand errors light credulity Doth drive you still to each extreamity Faining a God with thousand storms opprest Fainter then Women fiercer then a Beast Who tender-hearted weeps at others weeping Wails others woes and at the onely peeping Of others bloud in suddain swoun deceases In
manly breast a womans heart possesses And who remorse-less lets at any season The stormy tyde of ragetransport his reason And thunders threats of horror and mishap Hides a Bears heart vnder a humane shape Yet of your God you one-while thus pretend He melts in tears if that your fingers end But akea-while anon he frets he frowns He burns he brains he kils he dams he drowns The wildest Boar doth but one Wood destroy A cruell Tyrant but one Landannoy And yet this Gods outrageous tyranny Spoyls all the World his onely Empery O goodly Iustice One or two of vs Have sinn'd perhaps and mov'd his anger thus All bear the pain yea even the innocent Poor Birds and Beasts incurr the punishment No Father no 't is folly to infer it God is no varying light inconstant spirit Full of revenge and wrath and moody hate Nor savage-fell nor suddain passionate Nor such as will for som small fault vndoo This goodly World and his owne nature too All wandring clouds all humid exhalations All Seas which Heav'n through many generations Hath hoorded-vp with selfs-weight enter-crusht Now all at once vpon the earth have rusht And th' endless thin ayr which by secret quils Had lost it self within the windes-but hils Dark hollow Caves and in that gloomy hold To ycy crystall turned by the cold Now swiftly surging towards Heav'n again Hath not alone drown'd all the lowly Plain But in fewe dayes with raging Flouds o're-flowen The top-less Cedars of mount Libanon Then with iust grief the godly Father gall'd Answers of Noah to all the blasphemies of ChaÌ„ and his fellow-Atheists A deep sad sigh from his harts centre hal'd And thus repli'd O false rebellious Cham Mine ages sorrow and my houses shame Through self-conceipt contemning th' holy-Ghost Thy sense is baend thine vnderstanding lost And O I fear Lord falsifie my fear The heavy hand of the high Thunderer Shall light on thee and thou I doubt shaltbe His Furies obiect and shalt testifie By thine infamous lifes accursed state What now thy shame-less lips sophisticate I God be prays'd knowe that the perfect CIRCLE 1. Answer God is infinit immutable Almighty and incomprehensible Whose Center 's every-where of all his circle Exceeds the circuit I conceiue aright Th' Al-mighty-most to be most infinit That th' onely ESSENCE feels not in his minde The furious tempests of fell passions winde That mooveless all he moves that with one thought He can build Heav'n and builded bring to nought That his high Throne 's inclos'd in glorious Fier Past our approach that our faint soule doth tier Our spirit growes spright-less when it seeks by sense To sound his infinit Omni-potence I surely knowe the Cherubins do hover With flaming wings his starry face to cover Nonesees the Great th' Almighty Holy-ONE But passing by and by the back alone To vs his Essence is in-explicable Wondrous his wayes his name vn-vtterable So that concerning his high Maiesty So that men caÌ„not speak of Him but improperly Our feeble tongues speak but improperly For if we call him strong the prayse is small If blessed spirit so are his Angels all If Great of greats he 's voide of quantity If good fayr holy he wants quality Sith in his Essence fully excellent All is pure substance free from accident Why we cannot speak of God but after the manner of men Therefore our voice too-faint in such a subiect T' ensue our soule and our weak soule her obiect Doth alwayes stammer so that ever when 'T would make Gods nameredoubted among men In humane phraze it calls him pittifull Repentant iealous fierce and anger-full Yet is not God by this repentance thus 2. Answere The Repentance and the change which the Scripture attributeth to God is far from Error and defect Of ignorance and error taxt likevs His iealous hatred doth not make him curious His pitty wretched nor his anger furious Th' immortall Spirit is ever calmly-cleer And all the best that feeble man doth heer With vehemence of som hot passion driv'n That withripeiudgement doth the King of Heav'n Two comparisons explaning the same Shall a Physician comfortably-bold Fear-less and tear-less constantly behold His sickly friend vext with exceeding pain And feel his pulse and give him health again And shall not th' euer-self-resembling God Look down from Heav'n vpon a wretched clod Without he weep and melt for grief and anguish Nor cure his creature but himself must languish And shall a Iudge self-angerless prefer To shamefull death the strange adulterer As onely looking fixly all the time Not on the sinner but the sinfull crime And shall not then th' Eternall Iusticer 3. Answer Iustice being a ver tue in Man cannot be a vice in God Condemn the Atheist and the Murderer Without selfs-fury O! shall Iustice then Be blam'd in God and magnifi'd in men Or shall his sacred Will and soverain Might Be chayn'd so fast to mans frail appetite That filthy sin he cannot freely hate But wrathfull Rage him self ly-cruciate Gods sacred vengeance serues not for defence 4. Answer God doth not punish Offenders for defence of his owne Estate but to maintain vertue coÌ„found vice Of his own Essence from our violence For in the Heav'ns above all reach of ours He dwels immur'd in diamantine Towers But to direct our lives and laws maintain Guard Innocence and Iniury restrain Th' Almighty past not mean when he subuerted Neer all the World from holy paths departed 5. The iniquitie of the world deserued exereame punishment For Adams Trunk of both our Worlds the Tree In two fair Branches forking fruitfully Of Cain and Seth the first brought forth a sute Of bitter wilde and most detested fruit Th' other first rich in goodnes afterward With those base Scyons being graft was marr'd And so produced execrable clusters Worthy so wicked and incestuous lusters And then alas what was ther to be found Pure iust or good in all this Earthly Round Cain's Line possest sinne as an heritage 6. When all are generally depraved all merite to be destroyed Seth's as a dowry got by mariage So that alas among all humane-kinde Those mongrell kisses marr'd the purest minde And we even we that have escaped here 7. The least imperfect passe condemnation euen then when they are most liuely chasticed This cruell wrack within our conscience bear A thousand Records of a thousand things Convincing vs before the King of kings Whereof not one for all our self-affection We can defend with any iust obiection God playd no Tyrant choaking with the floods 8. God destroying the workmaÌ„ doth no wrong to the Tools if he break and batter them wâ—th their Maister The earthly Bands and all the ayrie broods For sith they liv'd but for mans seruice sole Man raz'd for sin out of the Liuing Roule Those wondrous tools and organs excellent Their Work-man reft remain'd impertinent Man's only head of all that draweth breath
Pearl and Gold From Russia Furres to keep the rich from cold From Florence Silks From Spayn Fruit Saffron Sacks From Denmark Amber Cordage Firres and Flax From France and Flanders Linnen Woad and Wine From Holland Hops Horse from the banks of Rhine In brief each Country as pleas'd God distribute To the Worlds Treasure payes a sundry Tribute Man lord of the World which for the commodity of his life contributes bountifully all maner of necessaries And as sometimes that sumptuous Persian Dame Out of her Pride accustomed to name One Prouince for her Roab her Rayl another Her Partlet this her Pantofles the tother This her rich Mantle that her royall Chain This her rare Bracelets that her stately Train Euen so may Man For what wilde Hill so steep What so waste Desart what so dangerous Deep What Scaso wrackfull or so barren shoar In all the World may be suppos'd so poor But yields him Rent and free from enuious Spight Contributes frankly to his Lifes Delight The same more especially dilated in the particulars Th' inammell'd Valleys where the liquid glass Of siluer Brooks in curled streams doth pass Serue vs for Gardens and their flowerie Fleece Affoords vs Sythe-work yeerly twice or thrice The Plains for Corn the swelling Downs for Sheep Small Hills for Vines the Mountains strangely-steep Those Heav'n-climbe Ladders Labyrinths of wonder Cellars of winde and Shops of sulphury Thunder Where stormie Tempests haue their vgly birth Which thou mis-call'st the blemish of the Earth Thinking profane that God or Fortune light Made them of enuie or of ouersight Bound with eternall bounds proud Emperies Bear mighty Forrests full of Timber-Trees Whereof thou buildest Ships and Houses fair To trade the Seas and fence thee from the Ayr Spew spacious Riuers full of fruitfull Breed Which neighbour-Peoples with their plenty feed Fatten the Earth with fresh sweet fertill mists Driue gainfull Mills and serue for Forts and Lists To stop the Furie of Warres waste-full hand And ioyn to th' Sea the middle of the Land The Wyldes and Desarts which so much amaze-thee Are goodly Pastures that do daily graze-thee Millions of Beasts for tillage and besides Store thee with flesh with Fleeces and with Hides Yea the vast Sea which seems but only good To drown the World and couer with his Flood So many Countries where we else might hope For thrifty pains to reape a thankfull Crop Is a large Lardar that in brynie Deeps To nourish thee a World of Creatures keeps A plentious Victualler whose prouisions serue Millions of Citties that else needs must starue Like half-dead Dolphins which the Ebb le ts lie Gasping for thirst vpon the sand a-drie ' Tincreaseth Trade Iournies abbreuiates The flitting Clouds it cease-les exhalates Which cooling th' ayr and gushing down in rain Make Ceres Sons in sight to mounta-main But shall I still be Boreas Tennis-ball Here as it were wearied with so long a voyage from so broad bottom-les an Ocean in imitation of the inimitable Author the Translator hoping kind entertainmeÌ„t puts in for the Port of England whose happy praises hee prosecutes at large Concluding with a zealous Praier for preseruation of the King and prosperity of his Kingdoms Shall I be still stern Neptunes tossed Thrall Shall I no more behold thy natiue smoak Deer Ithaca Alas my Barkis broak And leaks so fast that I can rowe no more Help help my Mates make haste vnto the shoar O! we are lost vnless som friendly banks Quickly receiue our Tempest-beaten planks Ah courteous ENGLAND thy kinde arms I see Wide-stretched out to saue and welcom me Thou tender Mother wilt not suffer Age To snowe my locks in Forrein Pilgrimage That fel Bresile my breath-les Corps should shrowd Or golden Peru of my Praise be prowd Orrich Cathay to glory in my Verse Thou gav'st me Cradle thou wilt giue me Herse All-haile deer ALEION Europ's Pearl of price The Worlds rich Garden Earths rare Paradise Thrice-happy Mother which ay bringest-forth Such Chiualry as daunteth all the Earth Planting the Trophies of thy glorious Arms By Sea and Land where euer Titan warms Such Artizans as do wel-neer Eclipse Fair Natures praise in peer-les Workmanships Such happy Wits as Egypt Greece and Rome At least haue equall'd if not ouer-com And shine among their Modern learned Fellows As Gold doth glister among paler Yellows Or as Apollo th' other Planets passes Or as His Flowr excels the Medow-grasses Thy Riuers Seas thy Cities Shires do seem Ciuil in manners as in buildings trim Sweet is thine Ayr thy Soyl exceeding Fat Fenç't from the World as better-worth then That With triple Wall of Water Wood and Brass Which neuer Stranger yet had power to pass Saue when the Heav'ns haue for thy haynous Sin By som of Thine with false Keys let them in About thy borders O Heav'n-blessed I LE There neuer crawls the noy som Crocodile Nor Bane-breath'd Serpent basking in thy sand Measures an Acre of thy flowry Land The swift foot Tiger or fierce Lioness Haunt not thy Mountains nor thy wilderness Nor rauening Wolues worry thy tender Lambs Bleating for help vnto their help-les Dams Nor subtle Sea-Horse with deceiptfull Call Intice thy Children in thy Floods to fall What though thy Thames and Tweed haue neuer rowl'd Among their grauel massie grains of Gold What though thy Mountains spew no Siluer-streams Though euery Hillock yield not pretious Gemms Though in thy Forrests hang no Silken Fleeces Nor sacred Incense nor delicious Spices What though the clusters of thy colder Vines Distill not Clarets Sacks nor Muscadines Yet are thy Wolls thy Corn thy Cloath thy Tin Mines rich enough to make thee Europes Queen Yea Empress of the World Yet not sufficient To make thee thankfull to the Cause efficient Of all thy Blessings Who besides all this Hath now nine Lustres lent thee greater Bliss His blessed Word the witnes of his fauour To guide thy Sons vnto his Son their Sauer With Peace and Plenty while from War and Want Thy neighbours Countries neuer breathed scant And last not least so far beyond the scope Of Christians Fear and Anti-Christians Hope When all thy Fall seem'd to Prognosticate Hath higher rais'd the glory of thy State In raysing STVARDS to thy regal Throne To Rule as Dauid and as Salomon With prudence Prowess Iustice and Sobrietie Thy happy People in Religious Piety Otoo-too happy too-too fortunate Knew'st thou thy Weal or wert thou not ingrate But least at last Gods righteous wrath consume-vs If on his patience still we thus presume-vs And least at last all Blessings had before Double in Curses to torment-vs more Deer Mother ENGLAND bend thine aged knee And to the Heav'ns lift vp thy hands with me Off with thy Pomp hence with thy Pleasures past Thy Mirth be Mourning and thy Feast a FAST And let thy soule with my sad soule confesse Our former sins and â—oul vnthankefulnes Pray we the Father through th' adopting Spirit Not measure vs
according to our merit Nor strictly weigh at his High Iustice Beam Our bold Rebellions and our Pride extream But for his Son our deer Redeemer's sake His Sacrifice for our Sins Ransom take And looking on vs with milde Mercies Ey Forgiue our Past our Future Sanctifie That neuer more his Furie we incense To strike as Now with raging Pestilence Much less prouoke him by our guilt so far To wound vs more with Famine and with War Lord cease thy wrath Put vp into thy Quiuer This dreadfull shaft Deer Father vs deliuer And vnder wings of thy protection keep Thy seruant IAMES both waking and a-sleep And furthermore we with the Psalmist sing Lord giue thy iudgements to our Lord the King Psalm 72. And to his Son and let there aye be one Of his Male Seed to sit vpon his Throne To feed thy Folk in Iacob and aduance In Israel thy deer Inheritance And long-long-liued full of Faith and Zeal Reform like Asa Church and Common-weal Raysing poor Vertue razing proudest Vice Without respect of Person or of Price That all bold Atheists all Blasphemers then All Popish Traytors may be weeded clean And Curst be All that say not heer Amen FINIS THE COLVMNES THE IIII. PART OF THE II. DAY OF THE II. WEEK THE ARGVMENT Seth's Pillars found Heber instructs his Son In th' vse therof and who them first begun Opens the One and findes on seuerall Frames Foure liuely Statues of foure louely Dames The Mathematiks furnisht each apart With Equipages of their seuerall Art Wonders of Numbers and Geómetrie New Obseruations in Astronomy Musiks rare force Canaan the Cursed cause Of Hebers stop and BARTA swittie pause IF euer Lord the purest of my Soule Being about to treat of the Mâ—thematicks our Poet heâ—r imploreth especiall assistance in handling so high and difficult a Subiâ—ct In sacred Rage were rapt aboue the Pole If euer by thy Spirit my spirit inspir'd Offred thee Layes that learned France admir'd Father of Light Fountain of learned Art Now now or neuer purge my purest part Now quintessence my Soule and now aduance My care-free Powrs in som celestiall Trance That purg'd from Passion thy Diuine address May guide me through Heav'ns glistring Palaces Where happily my deer VRANIA'S grace And her fair Sisters I may all imbrace And the melodious Syrens of the Sphears Charming my senses in those sweets of theirs So rauished I may at rest contemple The Starrie Arches of thy stately Temple Vnto this end that as at first from thee Our Grand-sires learn'd Heav'ns Course and Qualitie Thou now mai'st prompt me som more lofty Song As to this lofty Subiect doth belong AFTER THAT Mens strife-hatching haut Ambition The occasion and ground of this Discourse Had as by lot made this lowe Worlds partition Phalec and Heber as they wandred sand A huge high Pillar which vpright did stand Much like a Rock amid the Ocean set Seeming great Neptunes surly pride to threat Whereon a Pharos bears a Lanthorn bright To saue from Shipwrack those that sayl by night And afterward another nigh as great But not so strong so stately nor so neat For on the flowrie field it lay all flat Built but of Brick of rusty Tyles and Slat Whereas the First was builded fair and strong Of Iasper smooth and Marble lasting long What Miracles what monstrous heaps what Hills Phalecs Question Heav'd-vp by hand what Types of antike Skills In form-les Forms quoth Phalec Father showe For th' Ages past I knowe full well you knowe Pray teach me who did both these Works erect About what time and then to what effect Old Seth saith Heber Adams Scholler yerst Hebers answer Who was the Scholler of his maker first Hauing attain'd to knowe the course and sites Th' aspect and greatnes of Heav'ns glistring Lights He taught his Children whose industrious wit Through diligence grew excellent in it For while their flocks on flowrie shoars they kept Of th' Eastern Floods while others soundly slept Hushing their cares in a Night-shortning nap Vpon Obliuions dull and sense-les Lap They liuing lusty thrice the age of Ravens Observ'd the Twinkling Wonders of the Heav'ns And on their Grand-sires firm and goodly ground Asumptuous building they in time doo found But by Tradition Cabalistâ—k taught That God would twice reduce this world to nought By Flood and Flame they reared cunninglie This stately payr of Pillars which you see Long-time safe-keeping for their after-Kin A hundred learned Mysteries therein This hauing sayd old Heber drawing nigher The openìng of the Pillars Opens a Wicket in the Marble Spire Where Phalec following soon perceive they might A pure Lamp burning with immortal light As a mean person who though oft-disgraç't By churlish Porters is conuaigh'd at last Simile To the Kings Closet rapt in deep amaze At th' end-les Riches vp and down doth gaze So Phalec fares O father cries he out What shapes are these heere placed round about So like each other wrought with equall skill That foure rain-drops cannot more like distill What Tools are these what diuine secrets lie Hidden within this learned Mysterie These foure quoth Heber Foure bright Virgins are The liberall Sciences Heav'ns Babes and Sisters the most fair and rare That e're begot th' eternall Spirit ex-pir'd From double Spirit or humane soule admir'd This first that still her lips and fingers moues Arithmetike And vp and down so sundry-wayes remoues Her nimble Crowns th' industrious Art it is Which knowes to cast all Heav'ns bright Images All Winters hail and all the gawdy flowrs Wherewith gay Flora pranks this Globe of ours Shee 's stately deckt in a most rich Attire All kinde of Coyns in glistering heaps ly by-her Vpon her sacred head Heav'n seems to drop A richer showr then fell in Danâ—es Lap A gold-ground Robe and for a Glass to look Down by her girdle hangs a Table-book Wherein the chief of her rare Rules are writ To be safe-guarded from times greedy bit Mark heer what Figure stands for One the right Her Numbers Root of all Number and of Infinite 1 Loues happiness the praise of Harmonie Nurcerie of All and end of Polymnie No Number but more then a Number yet Potentially in all and all in it 2 Now note Two's Character One's heir apparant As his first-born first Number and the Parent 3 Of Female Payrs Heer now obserue the Three Th' eldest of Odds Gods number properly Wherein both Number and no-number enter Heav'ns deerest Number whose inclosed Center Doth equally from both extreams extend The first that hath beginning midst and end The Cubes-Base Foure a ful and perfect summ 4 Whose added parts iust vnto Ten doo com Number of Gods great Name Seasons Complexions Windes Elements and Cardinall Perfections Th' Hermaphrodite Fiue neuer multipli'd 5 By'tself or Odd but there is still descri'd His proper face for three times Fiue arriue Vnto Fifteen Fiue Fiues to Twenty fiue The
Embryon Th' eternall Plot th' Idea fore-conceiv'd The wondrous Form of all that Form receiv'd Did in the Work-mans spirit divinelyly And yer it was the World was wondrously Th' Eternall Trine-One spreading even the Tent Of th' All-enlightning glorious Firmament Fill'd it with Figures and in various Marks The repourtray'd Tables of his future Works See heer the pattern of a silver Brook In heauen are patterns of all things that are in earth Which in and out on th' azure stage doth crook Heer th' Eagle plays there flyes the rav'ning Crowe Heer swims the Dolphin there the Whale doth rowe Heer bounds the Courser there the Kid doth skip Heer smoaks the Steer the Dragon there doth creep There 's nothing precious in Sea Earth or Ayr But hath in Heav'n som like resemblance fair Yea even our Crowns Darts Launces Skeyns and Scales Are all but Copies of Heav'ns Principals And sacred patterns which to serue all Ages Th' Almighty printed on Heav'ns ample stages Yea surely durst I but why should I doubt A third witty pleasant and elegant reaso of the names aforesayd To wipe from Heav'n so many slanders out Of profane Rapin and detested Rapes Of Murder Incest and all monstrous Scapes Wher-with heerafter som bold-fabling Greeks Shall foully stain Heav'ns Rosy-blushing cheeks Heer could I showe that vnder euery Signe Th' Eternall grav'd som Mystery divine Of 's holy City where as in a glass To see what shall heer-after com-to-pass As publik and autentik Rowles fore-quoting Confusedly th' Euents most worthy noting In his deer Church his Darling and Delight O! thou fair Chariot flaming braue-ly bright Plaustrum Which like a Whirl-winde in thy swift Career Rapt'st vp the Thesbit thou do'st alwayes veer About the North-pole now no more be-dabbling Thy nimble spoaks in th' Ocean neither stabling Thy smoking Coursers vnder th' Earth to bayt Boâ—tes The while Elisha earnestly doth wayt Burning in zeal ambitious to inherit His Masters Office and his mighty Spirit That on the starry Mountain after him He well may manage his celestiall Teem Close by him Dauid in his valiant Fist Hercules Holds a fierce Lions fiery flaming Crest Heer shines his golden Harp and there his Crown Lyra. Corona Borealis Vrsa minor Pleiades Cuspis There th' vgly Bear bears to his high renown Seav'n shining Stars Lo heer the whistling Launce Which frantick Saul at him doth fiercely glaunce Pure Honours Honour Prayse of Chastity O fair Susanna I should mourn for thee And moan thy tears and with thy friends lament Andromeda Cassiopeia Cepheus With Heav'n-lift-eyes thy wofull punishment Saue that so timely through Heav'ns prouidence Yong Daniel saues thy wronged Innocence Perseus And by a dreadfull radiant splendor spread From Times-Child Truth not from Medusa's head Caput Medusa Condemns th' old Leachers and eft-soons vpon Their cursed heads there hayls a storm of stone Also as long as Heav'ns swift Orb shall veer A sacred Trophee shall be shining heer In the bright Dragon of that Idoll fell Draco Which the same Prophet shall in Babel quel Wher-to more fit may Pegasus compair Pegasus Than to those Coursers flaming in the ayr Before the Tyrant of less-Asia's fury Vsurps the fair Metropolis of Iury Wher-to the Coach-man but Ezechiel That so well driues the Coach of Israel Wher-to the Swan but to that Proto-Martyr Cygnus The faithfull Deacon which endureth torture Yea death for his dead Lord whom sure to meet So neer his end sings so exceeding sweet Wher-to the Fish which shineth heerso bright Piscis Borealis But to that Fish that cureth Tobies sight Wher-to the Dolphin but to that meek Man Delphinus Who dry-shod guides through Seas Erythean Old Iacobs Fry And Iordans liquid glass Makes all his Host dry without boat to pass And furthermore God hath not onely graven On the brass Tables of swift-turning Heav'n His sacred Mot and in Triangle frame Trigonos His Thrice-One Nature stamped on the same Ophiucus But also vnder that stout Serpent-Slayer His Satan-taming Son Heav'ns glorious heir Who with the Engin of his Cross abates Th' eternall Hindges of th' infernall Gates And vnder that fair Sun-fixt-gazing Foul Aquila The God of Gods deer Minion of his Soule Which from his hand reaves Thunder often-times His Spirit his Loue which visits earthly Climes In plumy shape for this bright winged Signe In head and neck and starry back in fine No less resembles the milde simple Doue Than crook-bild Eagle that commands aboue What shall I say of that bright Bandeleev Which twice-six Signs so richly garnish heer Th' Years Vsher doth the Paschal Lamb fore-tell Aties The Bull the Calf which erring Israell Taurus Sets vp in Horeb. These fair shining Twins Gemini Those striving Brethren Isaacs tender Sons The fourth is Salomon who Crab-like crawls Cancer Backward from Vertue and fowl Swine-like fals In Vices mire profanest old at last In soule and body growen a-like vn-chaste Leo. The fift that Lion which the Hair-strong Prince Tears as a Kid without Wars instruments Virgo The sixt that Uirgin euer-maiden Mother Bearing for vs her Father Spouse and Brother The next that Beam which in King Lemuels hand Libra So iustly weighs the Iustice of his Land The next that Creature which in Malta stings Scorpio Th' Apostles hand and yet no blemish brings For 't is indifferent whether we the same A spotted Scorpion or a Viper name Th' Archer is Hagars Son The Goat I ghess Sagittarius Capricornus Aquarius Is Arons Scape-Goat in the Wildernes The next the deer Son of dumb Zacharias Gods Harbinger fore-runner of Messias Who in clear Iordan washeth clean the sin Of all that rightly do repent with-in These Two bright Fishes those wher-with the Lord Pisces Through wondrous blessing of his powtfull Word Feeds with fiue Loaues vpon Asphaltis shoar Abundantly fiue thousand Folk and more But turn we now the twinkling Globe and there Let 's mark as much the Southern Hemi-sphear Ah! know'st thou not this glorious Champion heer Orion Which shines so brightly by the burning Steer Eridanus 'T is Nun's great Son who through deep Iordan leads His Army dry-shod and triumphant treads Canis Canicula â—epus On Canaan Currs and on th' Ammorrean Hare Eoyl'd with the fear of his victorious war See th' ancient Ship which over windes and waues Triumphing safe the Worlds seed-remnant saues Lo heer the Brasen Serpent shines whose sight Hydra Cures in the Desart those whom Serpents bite Heer th' happy Rau'n that brings Elias cates Corvus Heer the rich Cup where Ioseph meditates Cratera Centaurus His graue Predictions Heer that Heav'nly Knight Who prest appearing armed all in white To Maccabeus with his flaming spear So deep at last the Pagan Wolf doth tear Lupus Ara. That on Gods Altar yerst profan'd so long Sweet Incense
for super-Intendent there The supream Voice placed in every Sphear A Syren sweet that from Heav'ns Harmony Inferiour things might learn best Melody And their rare Quier with th' Angels Quier accord To sing aloud the prayses of the Lord In 's Royall Chappell richly beautifi'd With glist'ring Tapers and all sacred Pride Simile Where as by Art one selfly blast breath'd out From panting bellowes passeth all-about Winde-Instruments enters by th' vnder Clavers Which with the Keys the Organ-Master quavers Fils all the Bulk and severally the same Mounts every Pipe of the melodious Frame At once reviving lofty Cymbals voice Flutes sweetest ayr and Regals shrillest noyse Even so th' all-quickning spirit of God above The Heav'ns harmonious whirling wheels doth move So that-re-treading their eternall trace Th' one bears the Treble th' other bears the Base A foure-folde Consort in the humors seasons and Elements But brimmer far than in the Heav'ns heer All these sweet-charming Counter-Tunes we hear For Melancholy Winter Earth belowe Bear ay the Base deep hollow sad and slowe Pale Phleagm moist Autumn Water moistly-cold The Plummet-like-smooth-sliding Tennor hold Hot-humid Bloud the Spring transparent Air The Maze-like Mean that turns and wends so fair Curst Choler Sommer and hot-thirsty Fire Th' high-warbling Treble loudest in the Quire And that 's the cause my Son why stubborn'st things The power of Musike towards all things Are stoopt by Musick as reteining springs Of Number in them and they feeble live But by that Spirit which th' Heav'ns dance doth drive Sweet Musik makes the sternest men-at-Arms Let-fall at once their anger and their Arms Towards Men. It cheers sad soules and charms the frantik fits Of Lunatiks that are bereft their wits It kils the flame and curbs the fond desire Of him that burns in Beauties blazing Fire Whose soule seduced by his erring eyes Doth som proud Dame devoutly Idolize It cureth Serpents bane-full bit whose anguish In deadly torment makes men madly languish The Swan is rapt the Hinde deceiv'd with-all And Birds beguil'd with a melodious call Towards Beasts Birdes Plies Fishes Th' Harp leads the Dolphin and the buzzing swarm Of busie Bees the tinkling Brass doth charm O! what is it that Musik cannot doo Sith th' all-inspiring Spirit it conquers too And makes the same down from the Empyreall Pole Descend to Earth into a Prophets soule With divine accents tuning rarely right Towards God himselfe Vnto the rapting Spirit the rapted Spright Sith when the Lord most moved threatneth most With wrathfull tempest arming all his Hoast When angry stretching his strong sinnewy arms With bended back he throwes down thundry storms Th' harmonious sighs of his heart-turning Sheep Supple his sinnews lull his wrath a-sleep While milde-ey'd Mercy stealeth from his hand The sulph'ry Plagues prepar'd for sinfull Man But while that Heber eloquently would Conclusion of the 2. Day of the 2. Week Olde Musikes vse and excellence haue told Curst Canaan seeking Iordans fatall course Past by the Pillars and brake his Discourse And mine with-all for I must rest me heer My weary Iourny makes me faint well-neer Needs must I craue new ayd from High and step A litle back that I may farther leap The ende of the Second Day of the Second Week ABRAHAM The THIRD DAY Of The SECOND WEEK Containing 1. THE VOCATION 2. THE FATHERS 3. THE LAWE 4. THE CAPTAINS Acceptam refero The VOCATION THE I. PART OF THE III. DAY OF THE II. WEEK THE ARGVMENT ABRAM from Chaldé is Divinely CALL'D How Blest abroad His parted Nephew Thrall'd In Sodom's ayd to Chedorlaomer Rescu'd by Him Type of that bloudy War Melchisedec His Hap congratulates Ismael great but GOD confederates With promis'd Isaak and his CHRIST-kin Seed Which shall in number even the Stars exceed Lot harbors Angels sav'd from Sodom's Fire His Wife Transform'd His Daughter 's foul Desire VNtill this Day deer Muse on every side Within straight lists thou hast been boundifi'd Pend in a Path so narrow every-where Thou couldst not manage onely heer and there Reaching thine arms over the Rails that close Thy bounded Race thou caught'st som fragrant Rose Som Gilly-flowr or som sweet Sops-in-Wine To make a Chaplet thy chaste brows to binde But now behold th' art in the open Plain Where thou maist liuely like the Horse of Spain Simile That having burst his halter and his holde Flings through the field where list him vncontrol'd Coruet and turn run prance advance and pride-thee As sacred fury of thy Zeal shall guide-thee Th' whole World is thine hēceforth thy Sythe may mowe The fairest Crop that in Fame's fields doth growe And on the Sea of richest Histories Hulling at large a hundred Victories A hundred Rowts a hundred Wonders new Com huddling in in heaps before thy view So that I fear lest trayn'd with various sent Thou be at fault in this vast Argument And least the best choice in so bound-less Store Painthee no less now than did Want before But wotst thou what my Muse my deer delight My care my comfort we will follow right The modest hand of a fair Shepheardling Simile Who doth not rudely spoyl the flowry Spring Of all her painted beauties nor deface All in one day a pleasant Gardens grace But mannerly amid the Quarters seeks Such rarest flowrs as best her fancy likes And heer a blew one there a red she pulls A yellow heer and there a white she culls Then bindes them with her hair and blessed over With a chaste kiss she sends them to her Lover Wee 'l ouer-run the Annalls of all Ages And choosing-out the chiefest Personages And Prodigies amid the Hebrew Story Wee 'l offer them on th' Altar of Gods glory For He I hope who no less good then wise First stirr'd vs vp to this great Enterprise And gaue vs heart to take the same in hand For Level Compass Rule and Squire will stand Will change the Pebbles of our puddly thought To Orient Pearls most bright and bravely wrought And will not suffer in this pretious Frame Ought that a skilfull Builders ey may blame Or if he suffer ought 't shall be som trace But of that blindnes common to our Race T' abate my glory and to giue me proof That mortall I build but with mortall stuff IAMES richest Iem of Scots and Scotland's Praise Dedication to the Kings Maiestie Who with the same hand that the Scepterswayes On Heav'n-faln paper in a golden stile Doost happily immortall lines compile And new Apollo vnder Others names Singst in thy Childehood thine Ownefuture Fames To whom but thee should I these Verses vow Who through the World hast made me famous now And with a liberall learned hand indew'd My Muse with lustre of a Royall Sute Before so ragged that she blusht wel-neer That her chaste Sisters should so homly see-her The scorn of Art of Helicon the shame Vsurping wrong VRANIA'S sacred Name Through thee she 's Heav'nly O wise worthy
Prince May'st thou surmount all those in Excellence Which haue before thee Rul'd th' hard-ruled Scots And ruder Picts painted with Martiall spots That first Fergusius glory of his dayes Ev'nus and Donald may enuy thy Praise And even the Scott'sh or rather th' Hebrew Dauid Iesses great son so holily-behaved Give place to thy Renown and therewithall Give thee his Zeal and Heart heroïcall And all his best which doth thee best belong As he hath given thee his sweet Harp and Song THOVGH profane service of Idolatry Had drown'd the whole Earth vniversally Though shame-less sin born with the COLONIES Through all the World through all did Tyrannize Yet in Chaldea was their chiefest Seat Their strength in Shinaar and that City great Built on the slymy strand of Euphrates Was the proud Palace where they held their Feasts So that even Sem's and Heber's sacred Ligne Where God his grace yet seemed to confine Sucking the Sin-bane of Assyrian aire Did like the Heathen every day impaire Simile Forgot the true God followed rashly-rude The gross grand Error of the multitude Degeneriz'd decay'd and withered quight Likesom rare Fruit-Tree over-topt with spight Of Bryers and Bushes which it sore oppress With the sowr shadow of their Thorny tress Till choakt withall it dies as they do growe And beareth nought but Moss and Misseltoe But God desirous more for vs then him The Calling of Abraham In som one stock to saue Faith's sacred stem Like as before from the All-drowning Flood He sav'd the worlds seed in an Ark of wood Marks Abram for his owne and from false Rites To men to Beasts to Stocks to Stones to Sprights Him gratiously to his owne Service drawes Not by meer Conduct of exteriour cause As by contempling th' Artship richly-rare Which gilds the Seeling of this Globe so fair Earthsfruitfull power producing goodly-green From so small seeds so huge and mighty Treen Flowrs fragrant aier so fresh and divers-died Seas foaming Course whose ever-Tilting Tide Ebbing or flowing is confin'd to Season Bounded with lists guided with reans of Reason But by the motion of his Spirit which seals In our hearts Centre what his word reveals And prudently in his fit time and place Dispensing frankly his free gifts of Grace Doth inwardly bear-witnes and aver-it Vnder our Spirits that'â—is God's Holy Spirit The sacred Faith of Abram languisht not In Idleness but alwayes waakt and wrought The fruits of a true faith and the effect thereof And ever lively brought forth Patience Humility Hope Bounty Innocence Love fervent Zeal Repentance Temperance Sincerity and true Perseverance Fruits that like Load-stones haue avertue given Through Faith to draw their Father-Tree to Heav'n And guide the soules to God the spring of life Of 's kins-man Lot and Sara his deer Wife Who with him following the Almighti's call Wend to the strand where Iordans course doth craul Their owne deer Country willingly forsake And true-religious less account do make Of goods and lands and quiet-lifes content Than of an end-les friend-les Bannishment O sacred ground of Vertu 's sole perfection O shield of Martyrs Prophets sure direction Soule 's remedy O contrite heart's Restorer Tears-wiping tame-grief Hopes guide hunting horror Path of Salvation Pledge of Immortality O lively FAITH through thy admired quality How many wonders doost thou work at once When from Sin 's slumbers thou hast waakt vs once And made vsmly in our spirits conceiue Beauties that never outward eyes perceiue Alas said Abram must I needs forgoe Natural conside rations to haue stopped the Iourney of Abraha These happy fields where Euphrates doth flowe Heer first I drew this vitall air and pleas'd With my births news my Mothersthroes I eas'd Heer from her tender brest as soft as silk My tender gums suckt my first drop of milk Heer with the pleasure of mine infant-smile Her Cares and Cumbers I did oft beguile Heer my chaste Sisters Vnkles Aunts and Kin My prity prattling haue delighted in Heer many a time I want only haue clung And on my Fathers wrinkled neck haue hung Heer I haue past my Lad-age fait and good Heer first the soft Down on my chin did bud Heer I haue learn'd Heav'ns Motions and the nature And various force of Fire Air Earth and Water Heer I haue show'n the noblest tokens forth Both of my Mindes and of my Bodies worth Heer I have spent the best part of mine age Heer I possess a plentious Heritage Heer I haue got me many friends and fame And by my Deeds attain'd a glorious Name And must I hence and leaue this certain state To roam vncertain like a Runnagate O're fearfull Hils and thorough foaming Torrents That rush-down Mountains with their roring currents In dreadfull Desarts where Heav'ns hottest beam Shall burn without within vs Thirst extream And gloomy Forrests full of ghastly fear Of yelling Monsters that are dwelling there To seek a Country God knowes where and whither Whose vnknowen name hath yet scarce sounded hither With staff in hand and wallet at our back From Town to Town to beg for all we lack To guise ourselues like counterfaiting Ape To th' guise of Men that are but Men in shape T' haue briefly nothing properly our owne In all the World no not our Grave-place knowen Is' t possible I should endure to see The sighs and tears my friends will shed for me O! can I thus my Native soyl forsake O! with what words shall I my farwell take Farwell Chaldea deer delights adieu Friends Brothers Sisters farwell all of you Farwell for ever Can I thus alas Rudely vnwinde me from the kinde embrace Of their deer arms that will me faster holde 2. Comparisons Than trembling Ivie doth the Oak enfolde Or then the Vine doth with her crawling spray The boughs of Elm her limber limbs to stay Can I expose with perill of my life Th' vn-vulgar beauties of my vertuous wife To the none-sparing lust of that loose Nation That brutely burns in all abhomination Besides what rigour nay what paricide To hale from Tygris shoat to Iordans side A weak olde-man a man so weak and olde He scarse can creep without our help and holde Yet 't must be so for so the Lord commands His resolution aboue al discour se of reason A carnall man on carnal reason stands But for all Reasons Faith suffizeth me Who lodge with God can never House-less be Then cheerly marcht he on and though the age And death of Terah slow'd his pilgrimage Therest of His he doth conduct in fine To Canaan since called Palaestine Where God pours down such flouds of goods vpon them The great blessing of God on his obedience And bountiously bestowes such blessings on-them That their abundance shortly seems t' exceed God's Promises and their desires indeed Their fruitfull Heards that hill and dale do haunt Resemble not the breed of th' Elephant Which slowe in coupling and in calving more Pyning her Master so long time
last He saith now sure I knowe 'T is God 't is God the God that loues me so Loues keeps sustains whom I so oft haue seen Whose voice so often hath my comfort been Illuding Satan cannot shine so bright Though Angelliz'd No 'T is my God of Might Now feel I in my Soule to strength and stir-it The sacred Motions of his sacred Spirit God this sad Sacrifice requires of me Hap what hap may I must obedient be The sable Night dis-log'd and now began Aurora's Vsher with his windy Fan Gently to shake the Woods on every side While his fair Mistress like a stately Bride With flowrs and Gems and Indian gold doth spangle Her louely locks her Louers looks to tangle When gliding through the Ayr in Mantle blew With siluer fring'd shee drops the Pearly deaw With her goes Abram out and the third day Arriues on Cedrons Margents greenly-gay Beholds the sacred Hil and with his Son Loaden with sacred wood he mounts anon Anon said Isaac Father heer I see Knife fire and faggot ready instantly But wher 's your Hoste Oh! let vs mount my Son Said Abram God will soon prouide vs one But scant had Isaac turn'd his face from him A little faster the steep Mount to climbe Yer Abram changed cheere and as new Winâ— Simile Working a-new in the new Cask in fine For beeing stopt too-soon and wanting vent Blowes-vp the Bung or doth the vessell rent Spews out a purple stream the ground doth stain With Bacchus colour where the cask hath layn So now the Tears which manly fortitude Did yerst as captiue in the Brain include At the deer names of Father and of Son On his pale Cheeks in pearly drops did run His eye 's ful vessels now began to leak And thus th' old Hebrew muttering gan to speak In submiss voyce that Isaac might not hear His bitter grief that he vnfoldeth heer Sad spectacle O now my hap-les hand Thou whetst a sword and thou do'st teend a brand The brand shal burn my heart the sword 's keen blade Shall my bloods blood and my lifes life inuade And thou poor Isaac bearest on thy back Wood that shall make thy tender flesh to crack And yield'st thee more for mine than thine amiss Both Priest and Beast of one same Sacrifice O hapless Son O more then hap-less Sire Most wicked wretch O what mis-fortune dire In-gulfs vs heer where miserable I To be true godly must Gods law deny To be true faithful must my faith transgress To be God's Son I must be nothing less Than Isaacs Sire and Isaac for my sake Must Soyl and Sire and life and all forsake Yet on he goes and soon surmounts the Mount And steel'd by Faith he cheers his mournful Front Much like the Delian Princess when her Grace Simile In Thetis Waues hath lately washt her face He builds his Altar lays his wood ther-on And tenderly bindes his deer Son anon Father said Isaac Father Father deer What do you turn away as loth to hear O Father tel me tel me what you mean O cruelty vn-knowen Is this the mean Wherby my loyns as promised long-since is Shal make you Grand-sire of so many Princes And shal I glorious if I heer do dy Fil Earth with Kings with shining Stars the Sky Back Phoebus blush go hide thy golden head Retire thy Coach to Thetis watery Bed See not this savage sight Shal Abram's minde Be milde to all and to his Son vn-kinde And shal great Abram do the damned deed That Lions Tygres Boars and Bears would dread See how incenst he stops his ear to me As dreaming stil on 's bloody mystery Lord how precise see how the Paricide Seems to make conscience in less sins to slide And he that means to murder me his Son Is scrupulous in smaller faults to run Yet Father hear me not that I desire With sugred words to quench your Anger 's fire In Gods's name reap the Grain yourself haue sowen Com take my life extracted from your own Glut with my blood your blade if you it please That I must die welcom my death mine ease But tell me yet my fault before I die That hath deserv'd a punishment so high Say Father haue I not conspir'd your death Or with strong poyson sought to stop your breath Haue I deuis'd to short my Mother's life Or with your Foestaen part in any strife O thou Ethereal Palace Crystalline God's highest Court If in this heart of mine So damned thoughts had ever any place Shut-vp for ever all thy Gates of Grace Against my Soule and neuer let that I Among thy winged Messengers do flie If none of these Abram for I no more Dare call thee Father tell me further-more What rests besides that damned I haue don To make a Father Butcher of his Son In memorie that fault I fain would haue That after God's I might your pardon craue For such offence and so th' Attonement driven You liue content and I may die forgiuen My Son said Hee thou art not hither brought By my fell furie nor thine own foul fault God our God calls thee and He will not let A Pagan sword in thy deer blood be wet Nor burning Plague nor any pining pain With Languor turn thy flesh to dust againe But Sacrifiç'd to him for sweet perfume Will haue thee heer within this fire consume What Fears my Loue my Life my Gem my Ioy What God commands his seruants must obey Without consulting with frail Flesh and Blood How he his promise will in time make good How he wil make so many Scepters spring From thy dead dust How He All-wise wil bring In his due season from thy sense-less Thighes The glorious Son of righteousnes to rise Who shal the Mountains bruise with yron Mace Rule Heav'n and Earth and the Infernal place For he that past the course of Natures kinde First gaue thee birth can with his sacred Winde Raise thee again out of the lowest iust Ten-thousand means he hath to saue the iust His glorious wisdom guides the worlds society With equall Reans of Power and of Piety Mine own sweet Isaac deerest of my seed Too sweet alas the more my grief doth bleed The more my loss the more with cease-less anguish My vexed Bowels for thy lack shall anguish Adue deer Son no longer mine but his Who call's thee hence let this vn-happy kiss Be the sad seal of a more sad Fare-wel Than wit can paint or words haue powr to tell Sith God commands and father you require To haue it so com Death no longer dire But glorious now com gentle death dispatch The Heav'ns are open God his arms doâ—h reach T' imbrace my Soule O! let me brauely fly To meet my Lord and Death's prowd darts defie What Father weep you now Ah! cease those showrs Weep not for me for I no more am yours I was the Lords yer I was born you knowe And he but lent me for a while to you Will you recoyl and
abundant in his Lap And He good Subiect with his Kingdom ever T' increase th' Immortall Kingdom doth indevour His swelling Standards never stir abroad Till he haue Cald vpon th' Almighty God He never Conquers but in heav'nly Songs He yeelds the Honor where it right belongs And evermore th' Eternals sacred Prayse With Harp and Voice to the bright Stars doth raise Scarce was he born when in his Cradle prest His Pöesi◠The Nightingale to build her tender nest The Bee within his sacred mouth seeks room To arch the Chambers of her Hony-comb And th' Heav'nly Muse vnder his roof descending As in the Summer with a train down-bending We see som Meteor winged brightly-fair With twinkling rayes glide through the crystal Aier And soudainly after long-feeming Flight To seem amid the new-shav'n Fields to light Him softly in her Iuory arms she folds His smiling Face she smylingly beholds She kisses him and with her Nectar kisses Into his Soule she breathes a Heav'n of Blisses Then layes him in her lap and while she brings Her Babe a-sleep this Lullabie she sings Liue liue sweet Babe the Miracle of Mine VRANIA's Lullaby Liue euer Saint and growe thou all Divine With this Celestiall Winde where-with I fill Thy blessed Boosom all the World ful-fill May thy sweet Voice in Peace resound as far And speed as fair as thy drad Arm in War Bottom nor bank thy Fames-Sea never bound With double Laurels be thy Temples Crownd See Heav'n-sprung Spirit see how th' allured North Of thy Childs-Cry shril-sweetly warbling forth Al-ready tastes the learned dainty pleasures See see yong Father of all sacred Measures See how to hear thy sweet harmonious sound About thy Cradle here are thronging round Woods but with ears floods but their fury stopping Tigres but tame Mountains but alwayes hopping See how the Heav'ns rapt with so sweet a tongue To list to thine leaue their owne Dance and Song O Idiot's shame and Envy of the Learned O Verse right-worthy to be ay eterned O richest Arras artificial wrought With liueliest Colours of Conceipt-full Thought O royal Garden of the rarest Flowers Sprung from an Aprill of spiritual Showers O Miracle whose star-bright beaming Head When I behold even mine owne Crown I dread Never els-where did plentious Eloquence Excellencie of the Psalmes of Dauid In every part with such magnificence Set-forth her Beauties in so sundry Fashions Of Robes and Iewels suting sundry Passions As in thy Songs Now like a Queen for Cost In swelling Tissues rarely-rich imbost With Pretious Stones neat Citty-like anon Fine Cloth or Silke or Chamlet puts she on Anon more like som handsom Shepheardesse In courser Cloaths she doth her cleanly dresse What e're she wear Wooll Silk or Gold or Gems Or Course or Fine still like her Self she seems Fair Modest Cheerfull fitting time and place Illustring all even with a Heav'n-like grace Like prowd lowd Tigris ever swiftly roul'd Now through the Plains thou powr'st a Flood of gold Now like thy Iordan or Meander-like Round-wyndingnimbly with a many-Creek Thou runn'st to meet thy Self's pure streams behind thee Mazing the Meads where thou dost turn and winde-thee Anon like Cedron through a straighter Quill Thou strainest out a little Brook or Rill But yet so sweet that it shall ever be Th' immortall Nectar to Posterity So cleer that Poésie whose pleasure is To bathe in Seas of Heav'nly Mysteries Her chastest feathers in the same shal dip And deaw with-all her choicest wormanship And so deuout that with no other Water Deuoutest Soules shal quench their Thirst heer-after Of sacred Bards Thou art the double Mount Of faith-full Spirits th' Interpreter profound Of contrite Harts the cleer Anatomy Of euery Sore the Shop for Remedy Zeal's Tinder-box a Learned Table giving To spirituall eyes not painted Christ but living O divine Volume Sion's cleer deer Voice Saints rich Exchecker full of comforts choice O sooner shal sad Boreas take his e wing At Nilus head and boist'rous Aust r spring From th' icie floods of Izeland than thy Fame Shall be forgot or Honour fail thy Name Thou shalt surviue through-out all Generations And plyant learn the Language of all Nations Nought but Thine Aiers through Air Seas shall sound In high-built Temples shall thy Songs resound Thy sacred Verse shall cleer Gods clowdy face And in thy steps the noblest Wits shall trace Grose Vulgar hence with hands profanely-vile So holy things presume not to defile Touch not these sacred stops these silver strings This Kingly Harp is only meet for Kings And so behold towards the farthest North Ah see I see vpon the banks of FORTH Whose force-full stream runs smoothly serpenting A valiant learned and religious King Whose sacred Art retuneth excellent This rarely-sweet celestiall Instrument And Dauid's Truchman rightly doth refound At the Worlds end his eloquence renown'd Dombertans Clyde stands still to hear his voyce Stone-rowling Tay seems the rat to reioyce The trembling Cyclads in great Loumond-Lake After his sound their lusty gambols shake The Trees-brood Bar-geese mid th' Hebridian wave Vnto his Tune their far-flow'n wings doo wave And I my Self in my pyde * A kinde of light mantle made of a thin checkerd Cloth worne by the Hilmen in Scotland and now much vsed with vs for Saddle-clothes Pleid a-slope With Tune-skild foot after his Harp doo hop Thus full of God th' Heav'n Sirene Prophet-wise Powres-forth a Torrent of mel-Melodies In DAVIDS praise But DAVIDS foule defect Was yet vn-seen vncensur'd vn-suspect Oft in fair Flowers the bane-full Serpent sleeps Somtimes we see the bravest Courser trips And som-times Dauid's Deaf vnto the Word Of the Worlds Ruler th' everlasting Lord His Songs sweet fervor slakes his Soules pure Fire Is dampt and dimm'd with smoak of foul desire His Harp is layd a-side he leaves his Layes And after his fair Neighbors Wife he neighs Bersabé hathing Fair Bersabé's his Flame even Bersabé In whose Chaste bosom to that very day Honor and Loue had happy dwelt together In quiet life without offence of either But her proud Bewty now and her Eyes force Began to draw the Bill of their Diuorce Honor giues place to Loue and by degrees Fear from her hart Shame from her forehead flies The Presence-Chamber the High street the Temple These Theaters are not sufficient ample To shew her Bewties if but Silke them hide Shee must haue windowes each-where open wide About her Garden-Baths the while therin She basks and bathes her smooth Snow-whiter skin And one-while set in a black Iet-like Chair Perfumes and combes and curls her golden hair Another-while vnder the Crystall brinks Her Alabastrine well-shap't Limbs she shrinks Like to a Lilly sunk into a glasse Like soft loose Venus as they paint the Lasse Born in the Seas when with her eyes sweet-flames Tonnies and Tritons she at-once inflames Or like an Iuory Image of a Grace Neatly inclos'd in a thin Crystall Case Another-while vnto the bottom diues And
are rough-cast with the richest Stones Cast in Deuises Emblems Scutchions Yet leaving all this Greatnesse of her owne She comes to view the State of SALOMON To hear his Wisedom and to see his Citty Refuge of Vertues School of Faith and Pitty A iust Reproose of all obstinate Recusants You that doo shut your eyes against the rayes Of glorious Light which shineth in our dayes Whose spirits self-obstin'd in old musty Error Repulse the Truth Th' Almighties sacred Mirror Which day and night at your deaf Doors doth knock Whose stubbornnesse will not at all vn-lock The sacred Bible nor so much as look To talke with God into his holy Book O fear you not that this great Princesse shall Of thank-les Sloath one-day condemn you all Who both a Woman Queen and Pagan born Ease Pleasures Treasures doth despise and scorn To passe with great pains and with great expence Long weary Iourneys full of diffidence And nobly trauels to another Land To hear the words but of a mortall Man Her Time 's not lost there rapt she doth contemple The sumptuous bewties of a stately TEMPLE The lofty Towers of hundred Towns in one A pompous Palace and a peer-les Throne Wals rich with-out furnisht in richer sort Number of Servants doth adorn the Court But more their Order there no noise is heard Each his owne Office only doth reguard And in one instant as the quaverings Of a quick Thumb moues all the divers strings Of a sweet Guittern and its skill to grace Causeth a Trebble sound a Mean a Base So SALOMON discreetly with a beck A wink a word doth all the Troop direct Each of his Servants hath his proper Lesson And after his Degree each hath his fashion This Queen yer parting from her fragrant Iles Arm'd her with Riddles and with witty Wyles T' appose the King and she resolues she wil With curious Questions sift and sound his Skill But lo what Oedipus The Law-learn'd Sage Which at the Bar hath almost spent his age Cannot so soon a common Doubt decide Where Statutes Customs and Book-Cases guide As he dissolues her Gordian-knots and sees Through all her nights and even at pleasure frees Such Doubts as doubt-les might haue taskt t'vntwist The Brachman Druïde and Gymnosophist And knowing Good becomes more Good the more It is en-common'd he applies there-fore T' instruct her in the Faith and enuious-idle His brains rich Talent buries not in Idle Alas I pity you alas quoth He Poore Soules besotted in Idolatry Who worship Gold and Silver Stocks and Stones Mens workmanship and Fiends Illusions And who by your sage Mages Lore miss-led So-many Godlings haue imagined Madame there is but one sole God most-High Th' Eternall King nay self-Eternity Infinite All in all yet out of all Of Ends the End of Firsts Originall Of Lights the Light Essencesur-passing Essence Of Powers pure Act of Acts the very Puissance Cause of all Causes Ocean of all Good The Life of Life and of all Bewty Flood None-seen All-Seer Starr's-guide Sight of Seeing The Vni-forme which giues all Formes their Beeing God and One is all One whoso the Vnitie Denies he Atheist disannuls Diuinity Th' Vnity dwels in God i th' Fiend the Twine The greater World hath but one Sun to shine The lesser but one Soule both but one God In Essence One in Person Trinely-odde Of this great Frame the Parts so due-devis'd This Body tun'd so measur'd sympathiz'd This TEMPLE wheresuch Wealth and Order meet This Art in every part cannot proceed But from one Pattern and that but from one Author of all who all preserues alone Else should we see in set Batalions A hundred thousand furious Partizans The World would nource civill intestine Wars And wrack itself in itselfs factious Iars Besides God is an Infinite Divinity And who can think of more than one Infinity Seeing the one restrains the others might Or rather reaues its name and being quight Therfore O Pagans why doo you confine The Infinite in narrow Walls of lime Why shut you Him in a base Trunk or Tree Why paint you Whom no mortall eye can see Why offer you your carnall seruices Vnto the Lord who a meer Spirit is Why then doo you sayd she by our example Incloseth ' Immortall in this Earthly TEMPLE Lock him within an Arke and worse than we Feed him with Fumes and bloody Butcherie This Sacred House so fair reply'd he then Is not to contain God but godly men Which worship him and we doo not suppose That He whose Arms doo Heav'n and Earth inclose Is closed in a Chest but th' ancient Pact The solemne Couenant and the sure Contract Which leagues vs with our God and each with other And holy Bond holds Heav'n and Earth together As for our Incense Washings Sacrifices They are not as is thought Our vain Devices But God 's their Aurthor and himself Ordains These Elements wherby he entertains And feeds our vnderstanding in the hope Of his deer Son of all these Things the Scope Setting before vs th' Only Sacrifice Which in CHRIST'S Blood shall wash-out all our vice Come then O Lord Come thou Lawes finisher Great King great Prophet great Selfs-Offerer Come come thou thrice-Great Refuge of our State Come thou out Ran çome Iudge and Advocate Milde Lambe Salue-Serpent Lion generous Vn-challeng'd Vmpire betwixt Heav'n and Vs Come thou the Trueth the Substance and the End Of all our Offrings whither all doo tend Come ô MESSIAS and doo now begin To Raign in Sion to triumph of Sinne And worshipped in Spirit and Truth restore Vpon the Earth the Golden Age of yore Accept this Queen as of all Heathen Princes The deer First-Fruits take on thee our Offences That stript of Adam's Sinfull sute in fine With sacred Angels we in Heav'n may shine The Queen nigh sunk in an Amaze-full Swoun Bespake him thus My Lord prattling Renown Is wont in flying to increase so far That she proclaims things greater than they are Simile And rarest Spirits resemble Pictures right Wherof the rarest seem more exquisite Far-off then neer but so far as thy Fame Ezcels all Kings thy Vertues passe the same Thy peer-les Prayse stoops to thy Learned tongue And envious bruit hath done thy Wisedom wrong So may I say even so ô SCOTISH King Application to the Kings Maiestie Thy winged Fame which far and wide doth ring From th' edge of Spain hath made me venturously To crosse the Seas thy Britain's end to see Where Lord what saw I nay what saw I not O King Heav'n-chosen for som special Plot Worlds Miracle ô Oracle of Princes I saw so much my Soule mistrusts my Senses A gray-beards Wisedom in an amber-bush A Mars-like Courage in a Maid-like blush A settled Iudgement with a supple Wit A quick Discourse profound and pleasing yet Virgil and Tully in one spirit infus'd And all Heav'ns Gifts into one Head diffus'd Persist O King glory on glory mount And as thy Vertues thine owne Fame surmount So
steams Stopt with dead bodies so that never-more It should haue seen the Ocean as before Nor payd the Tribute that his Duty craues Saue that the crimsin holp the crystall waues Praysed be God sayd Iuda praysed be The Lord of Hoasts the King of Maiesty That moawes his Foes that doth his owne protect That holds so deer the blood of his elect That fights for vs and teacheth vs to fight Conquer and triumph of the Pagan's might And finally doth punish Tyrants fel With their owne swords to saue his Israel But notwithstanding Ieroboam's Plot Wicked generatioÌ„ of the wicked His third Successor yet succeeds him not A barbarous Fury raigneth in his Race His bloudy Scepter shifteth hands apace Nadab his son and all his seed beside Feels cursed Baasha's cruell Paricide And Baasha's issue is by Zimri slain Zimri by Zimri then doth Omri raign Omri accursed for his owne transgression But more accursed for the foule succession Of such a Son as Achab sold to Sin That boldly brings Sidonian Idols in Builds vnto Baal and of all Kings the worst Weds Iezabel adds Drunkenness to Thirst. Blinde Superstition's like a drop of Oyl 2. Similes Still spreading till it all a Garment spoyl Or like a spark fall'n in a floor of Mat Which soon inflameth all the Chamber that Fiers the whole House the House the Town about Consuming all and never going-out Till Goods and Bodies Towrs and Temples high All in a Toomb of their owne ashes lye When one begins how little be 't to stray From the diuine Law 's little-beaten way We cursed fall into the black Abysse Of all foul Errrors every Sin that is Donns sacred Mask and monsters most ahhord Killing the Saints we think to please the Lord As Achab did who vanquisht with the spel Speach grace and face of painted Iezabel Presumes to lay his sacrilegious hand On th' oyled Priests that in Gods presence stand Of honest Men his Towns depopulates Lessens the Number of his Noble States T' augment his Lands and with the bloud of His Wrights th' Instruments of his new Purchases But slain at last by th' Hoast of Benhadad His Son * Ahaziah succeeds him and almost as bad He breaks his neck and leaues his fatall place To 's brother Ioram last of Achab's race An odious race th' alliance of whose blood Corrupts the Heirs of Iosaphat the good Causing his Son charm'd with Athalia's wile In 's Brother's bloud his armed arms to file And Ahaziah's giddy brain t' infect With the damn'd Error of Samarian Sect. But though these Kings did openly oppugn And stubbornly the King of Heav'n impugn Though Abrah'ms issue now degenerate Did but too-neer their Princes imitate Though over all a Chaos of confusion A Hell of Horror Murder and Delusion A Sea of Sins contempt of God and Good Cover'd these Kingdoms as another Flood God left not yet that Age without his Oracles A hundred Prophets strong in word and miracles Resist their rage and from sad drowning keep The wracked planks on th' Idol-Ocean deep Cleer Sommer Noons need not a candle-light Simile Nor sound Physician but clean opposite So in our Soules the more Sin 's Floods do flowe The more God makes his Mercie 's Gulf to growe For his Embassage in sad Achab's dayes Elijah the Prophet Thes bite Elijah did th' Almighty rayse Who burning-bold in spirit and speach cries-out In Achab's ears and all his Court about O impious Achab fear'st thou not quoth he The sulphury flames and Thunder-bolts that be Already roaring in the dreadfull fist Of God the Lord that doth the proud resist Revengeth wrongs th' outrageous Heathen's Hammer Terror of Terrors and all Tyrants Tamer Doost thou not knowe He threats to Israel A Heav'n of Brass if they his grace repel Reiect his loue and get them other Loues Whoring about with forrain Gods in Groves God cannot lie His dreadfull Threatnings ever Draw dreadfull Iudgements if our Sin persever As the Lord lives this thirsty yawning Plain In seav'n six Month's drinks not a drop of Rain No sooner spoken but in present view Description of the extreame Drought in Israel for three years and a half The Heav'ns begin to change their wonted hew Th' Aire deadly thick doth quickly vanish quight To a sad Day succeeds a sadder Night A bloudy vapour and a burning cloud By day begirt the Sun all coaly-browd By night the Moon denies to fading Flowrs Her silver sweat and pearly-purled showrs The Welkin 's studded with new Blazing-Stars Flame-darting Lances fiery crowns and Cars Kids Lions Bears wrapt in prodigious Beams Dreadfull to see and Phoebus as it seems Weary of travail in so hote a time Rests all the while in boyling Cancer's clime Hills lately hid with snowe now burn a main May hath no Deaw nor February Rain Sad Atlas Nieces and the Hunter's Star Have like effect as the Canicular Zephyre is mute and not a breath is felt But hectik Auster's which doth all things swelt And panting-short puffs every-where vpon The withered Plains of wicked Shomeron Th' vnsavorie breath of Serpents crawling o're The Lybians pest-full and vn-blest-full shoar Now Herbs to fail and Flowrs to fall began The miserable effects therof Mirtles and Bayes for want of moist grew wan With open mouth the Earth the aid doth crave Of black-blew Clouds cleer Kishon's rapid wave Wars now no more with Bridges arched round Sorek for shame now hides him vnder ground Mokmur whose murmur troubled with the noise The sleeping Shepheards hath nor stream nor voice Cedron's not Cedron but late Cedron's bed And Iordan's Current is as dry as dead The beam-brow'd Stag and strong-neckt Bull do ly On palc-faç't banks of Arnon also dry But neither sup nor see the Crystal Wave Ouer the which so often swom they have The lusty Courser that late scorn'd the ground Now lank and lean with crest and courage downd With rugged tongue out of his chained mouth With hollow-flanks panting for inward drouth Rouling his Bit but with a feeble rumor Would sweat for faintnes but he wanteth humour The Towr-backt Camel that best brooketh Thirst And on his bunch could have transported yerst Neer a whole Houshold now is able scant To bear him self he is so feebly-faint Both yong and olde both of the base and best Feel a fel Aetna in their thirstie brest To temper which they breath but to their wo For for pure air they sup into them so A putride thick and pestilentiall fume Which stuffs their Lights and doth their lives consume Ther 's not a Puddle though it strangely stink But dry they draw't Sea-Water's dainty Drink And fusty-Bottles from beyond-Sea South Bring Nile to Somer for the Kings owne mouth For though the Lord th' whole Land of Syria smights Th' heat of his Anger on Samaria lights With greatest force whose furious Prince implies The Prophet Cause of all these miseries Therefore he fearing Achab's ragefull hate Down to Brook Châ—rith's hollow
askt in vain For what is it Elijah cannot do If he be hungry Fouls and Angels too Becom his Stewards Fears he th' armed Bands Of a fel Tyrant from their bloody hands To rescue him Heav'n his confederate Consumes with Fire them and their fierie hate Or would he pass a Brook that brooks no bay Nor Bridge nor Bank The Water giues him way Or irks him Earth To Heav'n alive he hies And sauing Henoch onely He not-dies This Man of God discoursing with his heir Elijah taken vp aliue into Heaven Of th' vpper Kingdom and of Gods Affair A sodain whirl-winde with a whiffing Fire And flaming Chariot rapts him vp intire Burns not but fines and doth in fashion strange By death-les Death mortall immortall change A long-tail'd squib a flaming ridge for rut Seems seen a while where the bright Coach hath cut This sacred Rape nigh rapt Elisha too Who taking vp his Tutors Mantle tho Follows as far as well he could with ey The fire-snort Palfreys through the sparkling Sky Crying My father father mine fare-well The Chariots and the Horse of Izrael The Thisbian Prophet hangs not in the Air Amid the Meteors to be tossed there As Mists and Rains and Hail and hoarie Plumes And other Fierie many-formed Fumes Amid the Air tumultuous Satan roules And not the Saints the happy heav'nly Soules Nor is he nailed to some shining Wheel Ixion-like continually to reel For CHRIST his flesh transfigur'd and divine Mounted aboue the Arches Crystalline And where CHRIST is from pain and passion free There after death shall all his Chosen bee Elijah therfore climbs th' Empyreal Pole Where ever-blest in body and in soule Contemns this World becoms an Angel bright And doth him firm to the TRINE-ONE vnite But how or why should He this vantage haue Yer CHRIST right call'd the first-fruits of the Grave O happy passage O sweet sacred Flight O blessed Rape thou raptest so my spright In this Dispute and mak'st my weaker wit So many wayes to cast-about for it That I confess the more I do contend I more admire and less I comprehend For lack of wings then biding heer belowe With his Successor I proceed to showe How soon as he took-vp his Cloak to bear-it Elizeus or Elisha Within Elisha shin'd Elijah's Spirit By powr whereof immediatly he cleaves An vn-couth way through Iordan's rapid waves Past hope he gives to the Sunamian Wife A Son and soon restores him dead to life With sodain blindness smightes the Syrian Troup The which in Dothan did him round in coup Increaseth bread and of a pound of Oyl Fills all the Vessels in a Town that while His hoary head in Bethel laught to scorn Is veng'd by Bears on forty children torn Naaman's cleans'd and for foul Simonie Gehazi's punisht with his Leprosie Mends bitter Broath he maketh Iron swim As porie Cork vpon the Water's brim Rich Iericho's sometimes sal-peetry soil Through brinie springs that did about it boil Brought forth no fruit and her vn-holsom Brooks Voyded the Town of Folk the Fields of Flocks The Towns-men therefore thus besought the Seer Thou seest our Citie 's situation heer Is passing pleasant but the ground is naught The Water worse we pray thee mend the fault Sweeten our Rivers make them pleasanter Our Hills more green our Plains more fertiler The Prophet calls but for a Cruse of Salt O strangest cure to cure the brynie fault Of all their Floods and casting that in one Foul stinking Spring heals all their streams anon Not for an houre or for a day or twain But to this Day they sweet and sound remain Their Valley walled with bald Hills before But even a horror to behold of-yore Is now an Eden and th' All-circling Sun For fruitfull beauty sees no Paragon There labour-les mounts the victorious Palm There and but there growes the all-healing Balm There ripes the rare cheer-cheek Myrobalan Minde-gladding Fruit that can vn-olde a Man O skilfull Husbands giue your fattest Plains Five or six earths spare neither cost nor pains To water them rid them of weeds and stones With Muck and Marle batten and baste their bones Vnles God bless your Labour and your Land You plough the Sea and sowe vpon the sand This Iurie knowes a Soil somtimes at least Sole Paradise of all the proudest East But now the brutest and most barren place The curse of God and all the Worlds disgrace And also Greece on whom Heav'ns yerst so good Rain nothing now but their drad Furie's Flood The grace of God is a most sure Revenue A Sea of Wealth that ever shall continew A never-failing Field which needs not ay The cool of Night nor comfort of the Day What shall I say This sacred Personage Not only profits to his proper Age But after life life in his bones hee leaves And dead the dead he raiseth from their graves Nor is Elisha famous more for Miracles Than for the Truth of his so often Oracles He showes the Palms and Foils of Israell Benhadad's death the Raign of Hazael Beyond all hope and passing all appearance Deiected Ioram's neer relief he warrants For now the Syrian with insulting Powrs The fiege and Famine of Samaria So streict besiegeth the Samarian Towrs That even al-ready in each nook agrising Fell wall-break all-break Famin ill-advising Howls hideously even the bare bones are seen As sharp as kniues thorough the emptie skin Of the best bred and each-man seems almost No Man indeed but a pale ghastly Ghost Som snatch the bread from their owne Babes that pine Som eat the Draff that was ordain'd for Swine Som doo defile them with forbidden flesh Som bite the grass their hunger to refresh Som gold for Birds-dung waight for waight exchange Som of their Boots make them a Banquet strange Som fry the Hay-dust and it savorie finde Som Almond-shels and Nut-shels gladly grinde Som mince their Fathers Wills in parchment writ And so devoure their Birth-right at a bit The King when wearie he would rest awhile Dreams of the Dainties he hath had yer-while Smacks swallows grindes both with his teeth and iaws But only winde his beguil'd bellie draws And then awaking of his owne spare Diet Robbs his owne brest to keep his Captains quiet He is importun'd heer and there about Aboue the rest a Woman skrieketh out In moornfull manner with disheueled haire Her face despight her fashion showes despaire O! stay my Liege heat hear a grieuous thing Mothers eat their owne Children Iustice great Ioram Iustice gentle King O no not Iustice did I Iustice craue Fondling in Iustice thou canst nothing haue But a iust death nay but a Torture fell Nay but a Torment like the pains of Hell Yet even this Plea is worse then death to me Then grant me Iustice Iustice let it be For O! what horror can restrain desire Of iust Revenge when it is once afire My Lord I bargain'd and to bind the Pact By solemn Oath I sealed the Contract
like God be honoured 33 Then saw I him that served Sapores For foot-stoole base I saw Aurelian Valeriâ—â— Decius Lycinus and Hostilian And fell Maxentius marching next to these 34 I saw great Traian learn'd Aurelius And learned Dioclesian all which three Among wise Caesars might well praysed be Had they not been 'gainst Christians barbarous 35 Iustin Theodorus Constantinus Sonne Anâ—stasius Heraclius Ualence Constance Manuel And that Bizantian Prince that did mis-tell A foure-fold Essence in the onely ONE Comnâ—â—â—â—s 36 Then Goaths and Uandals Gens'ric Trasimond Honorius Theodorus Totilas Alaricus and Rhotoris alas Who Rome and Afrik with S 〈…〉 blood haue drown'd 37 But who is this that laden so with chains By thousand hang-men racked with despight By thousand furies tortur'd day and night For God-les deeds receiues so righteous pains 38 'T is Mahomet who more by Mauors Art Sergius a Nestorian Monk holp Mahomet to make his Alcoran Than 's Alcaron Bird of a Friers nest Hath all subdu'd the wealthy golden East And won with-all the triple world's best part 39 I see Prince Saladine of match-les force But th' Alcaron too-deeply favouring Haly th' Caliphe and the wanton King That did our Maids on Edess Altars force 40 With wrath and woe old Ottoman opprest Too-late repentance in his face presents And Mahomet the second much laments That he the Greekish Emperie supprest 41 So the proud scorn of scourge-Turk Tamberlain Baiazeth That in an iron Cage was cooped straight And he that first presum'd to passe the Streight Which Europ's bounds divides from th' Asian 42 Then he that quittance did with Scythia cry And over Sea his Scepter rais'd again Mahomet 3 And Amurath that did repell amain Uincenslaus that first had made him fly 43 Orcan the Phrigian s fear and Calipine Who foil'd Sigismond's hoast his Father fear'd And Baiazeth that being haughty rear'd By Germain Tropheis did their peace repine 44 He that his Sire and Brother put to death Selim â— Is with a Cable kill'd his Son that quail'd Th' Hungarian King and Rhodes and Bud assail'd Solyman With trembling fear now quakes like Aspen leaf 45 And neer this Solyman ther doth remain An empty room for him that yet survives Selim. Who by our Kings strange iars so richly thrives That proud he threats both Germany and Spain 46 O wretched Christians while your civillrage Gainst your owne hearts doth arme your proper hands O see you not the Turks invade your Lands And safely spoyl the Lords choise heritage 47 The discord growen 'twixt the Bulgarian King And th' Eastern Caesar even the Bridge it was For hate-Christ Turks the Hellespont to pass And so in Greece a Pagan Scepter bring 48 The discord of two brethren Morea lost And O! I fear lest Christians home-bred frayes Dejecting quite Christs name and all his prayse Bring Turks to land in farthest Western coast 49 Forget then Christians your vn-christian iarrâ— Your civill strife for wagging of a straw Ioyn harts hands and all ioynt weapons draw In Faith's defence to fight Iehoua's warrs 50 In Asia and Egypt make your Forces knowen Recover Gaza Aâ—tioch Ascalon Tyre Sidon Ioppa and King Dauids Throne And Famagosta lost a yeer agon Canto II. 1 THough bloody Tyrants had in every age Busiris Altars Bulls of Phalaris Gemonid Ladders making Land and Seas And fire and air racks of their beastly rage 2 Yet could they neuer wound the Church so much As haue the Writings of the worldly Wise Which on mens soules doo felly tyrannize The tortures onely did the bodies touch 3 These Sages puft with self-conceited pride Dare to controule th' Almighties match-less work Where mystik Secrets from our senses lurk The search wherof the Lord hath vs deni'd 4 And though the spred of our too-feeble wings Scant rayse vs from the ground they mount aloft Even vp to Heav'n where they do measure oft By their Wits compass God's eternall things 5 Their knowledge is but meerly ignorance They lose the truth in seeking it too much For Truth doth still conceal her self from such And to the humble doth herself advance 6 Truth alwayes dwels within the holy Tables Of God's liue Word not in our wanton brain Which dayly coyning som strange Error vain For Gold takes Lead for Truth electeth Fables 7 Long time their reasons were with Reason riâ—e To wrack the Church and Faith to ruinate But now I see they doo detest too late Their former errors and their former life 8 In formost rank march all Gymno-sophists 1 The ancient Sages of the world Follow'd by all the cunning Persian Mages Th' old French Druids learned Calde-Sages And flower of all the Brachmane-sophists 9 Pathagoras Zeno Xenophanes 2 Philosophers Greeks Latins Parmenides merrie Democritus Empedocles and sad Heraclitus Archytas Naucides Nausiphanes 10 Brief all the Doctors of the Latin Sect Tearing their Tresses melting into tears Beating their breasts detest those Dreams of theirs And so the greatest of the Greeks Elect. 11 Anaximander Anaximenes Mylesian Thales Anaxagoras Gnawen with continuall care cry out alas On their owne Errors and so Socrates 12 Cleanthes and Chrysippus next to these With Zeno Stoâ—kâ— that haue often stray'd And next the Cynâ—ks all as ill-appay'd Diogenes Crates Antisthones 13 There the grand Patrons of each Aâ—adem Plato Speusippus and Zenocrates Clytomachus Crantor Carneades And he that labours to conciliate them 14 There mourns in vain Pirrhon Son of Plistarchus That fond beleeues not what his ears do hear Eyes see nose smells tongue tastes and hands do bear Then Timon Hecate and Anaxarchus 15 There the Stagirian that with learned vain Aristotle In 's Works includes the Encyclopedy Sorrie t' haue led so many soules awry With Strato and Theophrastus doth complain 16 There carnall Epicurns wayls with tears And Metodorus next to whom there came Both Aristippâ— Aretas and that same Vile wretch that coyn'd a worser sect than theirs 17 I mean that Monster Theodorus hight Who shame-less sayes Ther is no God at all And that the Wise may when occasionâ— fall Be Lyer Traytor Theef and Sodomite 18 Alas how true the Proverb proves too plain Saying Bad weeds grow euery-where a-pace But wholsom hearbs scant spring in any place Without great labour and continuall pain 19 O Graecians Baen thy mortifying mores To growe in Rome the swelling Seas haue crost From Rome too soon over the Alps have past As far as France and all her neighbour shoars 20 Thy deadly Plant now buds on Iustice Throne In Christian Camps and Courts of Christian Kings In Church and Chair and every-where so springs That with thy thistles all is over-growen 21 But now return we to our task again All these Wise-men of God have false defin'd Of Cheefest-good Soules or wrong place assign'd Where dead we feel or end-les peace or pain 22 Those that since Christ true Son of righteousness 3. Deceiptfull Sophists and Apostataes opeÌ„ Enemies
to digest Whose tongue is still true Trumpet of the minde A body testing when it hath no rest A waxen mildnes in a steely minde A soule tra-lucent in an open brest Which others thoughts through boany wals can finde Whose front reflects maiestical-humillity Whose graue-sweet looke commandingly-intreats Which in one instant fear and loue begets A King still warring to obtain tranquillity To saue his Country scorning thousand dangers Mirrour of Fraunce and miracle of Strangers SONNET 15. If that before thee fall rebellious Towers If battered walls before thy Souldiers loofe If hugest Rocks be pearced by thy powers If 'gainst thine Armes no armour be of proof If that our fields flowe with Iberian blood If that thy Campe compos'd of many a Caesar Can by no dismall dangers be withstood Iousting with Gyants as it were at pleasure If lofty Mountains to thine homage vail If valleys rise to bulwarke thee about If for thy sake rivers doo flowe and fail 'T was neither Canons nor our conflicts stout Nor strength nor stomack got these victories No 't was thy presence Henry and thine eyes SONNET 16. They be to blame then that thy boldnes blame For having put thy self so oft in danger Sith against Rebels and against the Stranger Thy looks like lightning did thy Troops inflame Fraunce fought before all bloody faint and lame Craving thine aid to venge her hatefull wrong When like a Lion to preserue her yong Thou lay'dst about thee to redeem the same Then had'st thou cause to hazard so thy life In extream perils extream remedies But spare thee now thy State is free from strife Soveraign our safety in thy safety lies Codrus could keep his onely by his death Thou thine alone by thine owne living breath SONNET 17. What wreath were worthy to becom thy Crown What Carr-Triumphant equall with thy worth What marble statue meet for thy renown Thou that hast rais'd the Lilly of the Earth What honourable Title of Addition Dost thou deserue who ioyning might with mildenes Hast sav'd this great Ship from a sad perdition Nigh lost in th' Ocean of warrs civill wildenes O modern Hercules thy Countries Father Hope not of vs thy iust-deserved meed Earth is too-base in Heav'n expect it rather Our Laurels are too-pale to crown thy deed Who thus hast salv'd the vniversall Ball For th' health of Fraunce imports the health of all SONNET 18. Pardon me Henry if Heav'ns siluer raine Dewing thy Pearles impearle mine humble Laies And if my verse void both of price and paine Presume thy Vertues passing-price to praise Pardon great King if that mine Infant Muse Stutter thy name and if with skill too-scant I limne thee heare let zeale my crime excuse My steel's attracted by thine Adamant For as the Sunne although he doo reflect His golden Rayes on grosser Elements Doth neuer spot his beautiful aspect So though the praises of thine Excellence Doo brightly glister in my gloomie stile They nothing lose of their first grace the while SONNET 19. Now sith as well by conquest as succession France is thine owne O keepe it still therefore 'T is much to conquer but to keepe possession Is full as much and if it be not more Who well would keepe so plentifull a portion Must stablish first the Heav'nly Discipline Then humane Lawes restraining all extortion And Princely wealth with publike weale combine A Princes safety lyes in louing People His Fort is Iustice free from Stratagem Without the which strong Cittadels are feeble The Subiects loue is wonne by louing them Of louing them n' oppression is the triall And no oppression makes them euer loyall SONNET 20. Bold Martialists braue Imps of noble birth Shining in steele for Fraunce and for your King Yee Sonnes of those that heretofore did bring Beneath their yoke the pride of all the earth It is an honour to be high-descended But more t' haue kept ones Country and fidelitie For our owne vertues make vs most commended And Truth 's the title of all true Nobilitie Your shoulders shoar'd vp Fraunce euen like to fall You were her Atlas Henry Hercules And but for you her shock had shaken All But now she stands stedfast on Ciuill PEACE Wherefore if yet your war-like heat doo worke With holy Armes goe hunt the hatefull Turk SONNET 21. But you that vaunt your antike Petigrees So stately tymbring your surcharged shields Perking like Pines aboue the lower Trees Ouer the Farmers of your neighbour fields Is' t lack of loue or is it lack of courage That holds you Snaile-like creeping in your houses While ouer all your Countries Foes doo forrage And rebell out-rage euery corner rouses If no example of your Ancesters Nor present instance of bright-armed Lords The feeble Temper of your stomack stirres If in your liues yee neuer drew your swords To serue your King nor quench your Countries flames Pardon me Nobles I mistooke your names SONNET 22. You sacred Order charg'd the Church to watch And teach the holy Mysteries of Heav'n From hence-forth all seditious plots dispatch And Father-like to all be alwaies euen Through superstition stirre to strife againe Reuolts a mischiefe euermore pernicious Pluck vp abuses and the hurtfull graine Sprung from the Ignorant and Auaricious Auoid Ambition common cause of strife Your reuerend Robe be free from staines of blood Preach holy Doctrine prooue it by your life Fly Idlenes choose exercises good To wit all workes of liuely faith and pietie So to your fold shall flock the blest Societie SONNET 23. You graue assembly of sage Senators Right Oracles yee Ephori of Fraunce Who for the States and Iustice maintenance Of Sword and Balance are the Arbitrers That from hence-forth against all enemies Our PEACE may seat her in a setled Throne Represse the malice of all mutinies Which through th' aduantage of these times haue growne At a lowe tyde 't is best to mend a breach Before the flood returne with violence 'T is good in health to counsaile with a Leach So while a People's calme from insolence 'T is best that Rulers bridle them with awe And for the future curbe the lewd with law SONNET 24. People lesse setled then the sliding sand More mutable then Proteus or the Moone Turn'd and return'd in turning of a hand Like Euripus ebbe-flowing euery Noone Thou thousand-headed head-les Monster-most Oft slaine like Antheus and as oft new rising Who hard as steele as light as winde arttost Chameleon-like each obiects colour prysing Vnblinde thy blinde soule opethine inward sight Be no more Tinder of intestine flame Of all fantastike humors purge thy spright For if past-follies vrge yet griefe and shame Lo like Obliuions law to cure thy passion State-stabling Peace brings froward minds in fashion SONNET 25. Engins of Uulcan Heav'n-affrighting wonders Like brittle glasse the Rocks to cyndars breaking Deafning the windes dumbing the loudest thunders May yee be bound a thousand yeeres from speaking Yee hate-peace Hacksters flesht in Massacres Be you for euer banisht from our
tools To help our knowledge with as in all other Shools God euer cares for those that fear his name for loue And if that any such such inconvenience proue If any money need or els through ample distance Be destitute of friends he gets them for assistance The fauour of their foes whose harts he handles so How euer they intend his childrens ouerthrowe That his of what they need haue euermore inough According as he knowes to be to their behoof Now say that we consent say som that this is true But what if somwhat worse then all this worst ensue What if he be enforc't his Countrey to forsake What if continuall fits his sickly body shake What if he lose at once his wealth and reputation Repleat on euery side with euery sharp vexation Can he still keep his ioy and can he still retain Such means to profit still for all his grief and pain Concerning his content it 's alwayes all a-like Whether that euery grief particularly strike Or whether all at once he feel their vt most anger And if he be surpris'd with so extream a languor That as I sayd before the spirit it in force Through suffering of the smart that doth afflict the corps To leaue his Offices so that he cannot write Nor read nor meditate nor study nor indight It is so quickly past that in comparison Regarding so great good 't is not to think vpon For by a mighty grief our life is quickly ended Or els by remedy itself is soon amended And if it be but mean then is it born the better And so vnto the soule it is not any letter Besides we must conceiue our spirit as opprest With fainting wearines somtimes desireth rest To gather strength again during which needfull pawse We are not to be blam'd sith need the same doth cause So that the time that 's lost while such sharp pangs do pain May be suppos'd a time of taking breath again In prison to conclude a man at once may tâ—â—e All manner of extreams of earthly misery In which respect perhaps the worsesom deem of it Being as 't were the Butt that all men striue to hit But I esteem the same the perfecter for that For if one crosse alone can make vs eleuate Our groueling earth-desires from cogitations base To haue recourse to God and to implore his grace Seeking in him alone our perfect ioy and blisse Much more shall many griefs at once accomplish this For many can doo more then one without respect And still the greater cause the greater the effect Indeed say other-som these reasons haue som reason But then whence comes it that so many men in Prison With hundred thousand pains pincht and oppressed sore In steed of bettering there wax worser then before In steed of sweet content doo still complain and crie In steed of learning more lose former industry Though in apparance great your sayings seem but iust Yet plain experience sure we think is best to trust That hidden vertue â—are that so great good atchiues Lies in the Prisoners hart not in his heauy Gyues The good growe better there the bad become the wurse For by their sinne they turn Gods blessing into curse And that 's the cause the most are mal-content and sad Sith euer more the good are fewer then the bad But wherefore doth not God to all vouchsafe this grace Proud earth-worms pawse we there let 's fear before his face Admiring humbly all his holy Iudgements high Exceeding all too far our weak capacitie The Potters vessell vile doth vs our lesson showe Which argues not with him why he hath made it so Much less may we contend but rather rest content With that which God hath giuen He is omnipotent All gracious and all good most iust and perfit wise On som he poures a Sea of his benignities On som a shallow Brook on other som a Flood Giuing to som a small to som a greater Good As from eternity hath pleas'd th' eternall Spirit To loue men more or lesse without respect of merit For my part should I liue ten Nestoâ—s yeers to passe Had I a hundred tongues more smooth then Tully's was Had I a voice of steel and had I brazen sides And learning morâ— then all the Helyconian guides Yet were I all too-weak to tell the many graces That in ten thousand sorts and in ten thousand places Ten hundred thousand times he hath vouchsafed me Not for my merits sake but for his mercy free But yet 'mong all the goods that of his liberall bounty I haue receiv'd so oft none to compare accoumpt-I With this close prisonment wherein he doth with-drawe-me Far from the wanton world and to himself doth draw-me I posted on apace to ruin and perdition When by this sharp-sweet Pil my cunning kinde Physition Did purge maugre my will the poysony humor fell Where with my sin-sick hartalâ—oady gan to sivell I lookâ— for nothing lesse then foâ— these miseries And pains that I haue provid the worlds vain vanities Had so seduç'tany soule with baits of sugred bane That it was death to me from pleasure to be tane But crossing my request God for my profit gaue Me quite the contrary to that which I did craue So that my body barring from a freedom small He set my soule at large which vnto sinne was thrall Wounding with musket-shot my feeble arme he cur'd The festring sores of sinne the which my soule endur'd Tripping me from the top of som mean dignity Which drew me vpto climbe the Mount of vanity He rais'd me from the depth of vices darksom Cell The which incessantly did ding me down to Hell Easing me to conclude of all the grief and care Wherewith these false delights forever sauced are He made me finde and feel amid my most annoyes A thousand true contents and thousand perfect ioyes But som perhaps amaz'd wil muse what kinde of pleasure Here I can take and how I passe my time and leasure For in foule idlenes to spend so large a time It cannot be denied to be a grieuous crime First in the morning when the spirit is fresh and fit I suck the honey sweet from foorth the sacred VVrit Wherein by faith we taste that true celestiall bread Whence our immortall soules are euer onely â—ed Then search I out the sawes of other sage Diuines The best here to be had among whose humainlines Supported by the grace of Gods especiall power I leaue the thorn behinde and pluck the healthsom flower Somtimes I doo admire in books of Heathen men Graue-sayings sauoring more a sacred Christian pen Than many of our age whose bold vnlearned pride Thinking to honour God hath err'd on euery side Sometimes when I obserue in euery ancient storie Such vertues presidents trim patterns of true glory I wofully bewaile our wretched wicked dayes Where vertue is despis'd and vice hath all the praise Oft I lament to see so many noble Wits Neglecting Gods high praise that best
and all his family To young and old of either Sexe that while Exod. 9 He sent a plage of scalding botches vile So that the Memphites layd on beds to rest VVith vncouth venim daily were opprest To Medciners the medcine valled not So sore the poisond plague did vnder cot He also smote the for rests herbs and grase The flocks of sheep and euery beast that was Throw poison of th' infected ground so â—ell The Morrain made them all to die or swell So that the Shepheard by the riuer side His flock hath rather dead then sick espide He earthly dust to lothly lice did change And dimd the Ayre with such a cloud so strange Of flyes grashoppers hornets clegs and clocks Exod. 10 That day and night throw houses flew in flocks That with incisions sharpe did sheare the skinnes Of Aegypt Panims throw their proudest ynnes And when the heauen most quiet seemd and fair Th' Eternall sent a tempest through the air And at this Hebrew 's prayer such a reare Of thunder fell that brought them all in feare Here lay a Bull that woodran while he brast There lay the Keeper burnt with thunder blast And now the forrest high that hid the air With many a spreeding arme is spoild and bair So that the sap that grafters keeps with paine Which should restore the stock and leafe againe Is lost alas in lesse then halfe a day The husbands hoped fruite gone to decaye What more th' Eternall darkned so the skye For three dayes space none could another spye That cloude so thick the Memphis rebels fand That they might firmly feele it with their hand It seemd that Phoebus left his ancient Round And dwelt three dayes with men of vnderground And as the sunne at one selfe time is felt With heate to harden clay and wax to melt So Amrams sacred sonne in these proiects Made one selfe cause haue two contraire effects For Izak humbly knew the Lord diuine But Pharo more and more did still repine Like to the corpslet colde the more 't is het With hammers hard more hardnes it doth get Yet when his son was slaine by th' Angels hand Exod. 11 Heyre Amongst the eldest heires of Aegypt Land He was afraide and let them go that night Where pleased them to serue their God of might Who sent a cloud before them all the day By night a Piller of fire to guide their way But so dainly this tyrant did gainstand His former graunt and armd all Aegypt Land With hote pursute against all Iacobs hoste That were encamped on the Red-sea coste Such noyse was neuer since the foraigne tide Brak throw Gibraltar when it did diuide The Calp from Abill or when Sicill strand Diuorced was from her Italia Land As was in these two campes that one with boste That other with their wailings fild the coast It seemd the sounds of furious horse and men With hornes and pypes to heaven resounded then Exod. 14. They murmure O Iuggler said the Iewes what hatefull strife Hath moued thee to change our happie life What are we fishes for to swimme the seas Or are we foules to fly whereas we please Beyond the Sea or ouer hilles to soare Was there not graues for vs on Gossen shoare But in this desart heer to dy or haue The blood-red Ocean Sea to be our graue Then Moses with his quickned rod that tide He smote the sea which fearfull did diuide Discouering land that sunne had neuerseene And staid the sea as there two walles had been Which made a passage dry of ample space For all to passe who were of Isaacs race But contrarie the Red-sea did deuower The barbrous tyrant with his mighty power Who proudly durst himselfe to that present Which opened but to saue the innocent O happy race since God doth arme for thee Both fire and aire the windes the clouds and see Which all vnto thy pay haue whole inclinde Let not consuming time weare out of minde So rare a grace but let thine elders shewe This to their noble seed that shall ensewe And let their sonnes vnto their sonnes recorde Throw all the world these wonders of the Lord. God with Coelestiall breade in time of need His loued Iacob fortie yeare did feede Exod. 6. And gaue them water from the solide stone Which of it selfe had neuer moisture none Their caps their coates and shooes that they did weare God kept all fresh and new full fortie yeer And farther least their soules for want of food Exod. 20. Should faint or faile he of his mercies good Gaue them his law pronounced by his voice His spirit to theirs in him for to reioice So teaching them and vs in precepts ten Our dutie first to God and next to men To th' end that man to man should truely stand And ioyne with God and neuer break that band This mightie Prophet dead Duke Iosua than Iosua Their Captaine stout this Palmy province wan Throw might of God he Scepters did subdew Of thirtie tyrant Kings whom all he slew At his commandement like the thunder sound The Rampers strong fell fearefully to ground Before the Tortuse or the horned Ramme Had bet or mined from their wall a dramme For euen of hornes full hoarse their simple blast An engine was their towres adoune to cast He pray'd the heaven for to prolong the day And made the horses of the sun to stay To th' end the night should not with cloud be cled To saue the faithles that before him fled Now when this Panim scourge with age at last Had left this life and vnto heauen past Then Isaac had of Rulers sundry men Whose glorious acts deserues eternall pen. Who knowes not Samgar Barac and Othoniell Iudges Tha valiant Delbor Ahud and good Samuell What Land O Sampson rings not thy renowne Who sole vnarmed bet an Army down What laude to Iephthe iustly might we low Had he not hurt his owne through hastie vow What hill or dale what flood or fixed ground 〈◊〉 not the famous Gedeons praise resound In later time their kings some good some bad Of all the Hebrew state the ruling had Had I the Harpe of Dauid holy King None other sound but Dauid would I sing 〈…〉 uen as all the deeds that Dauid did 〈…〉 ot be done by none but by Dauid So none but Dauid on his yv'rie harpe The glorious praise of God could onely carpe But here his praise I prease not to proclaime Least I throw want of skill obscure the same Yet leaue I not his Son whom grace diuine Salomon Made no lesserich then wondrous of engine Whose doctrine drew to Salem from all wheare A hundred thousand wyzards him to heare From Araby from Ynde to Affrik shore His toung entyste them with his cunning lore Iosias Shall I forget the kings who ouerthrew Idolatrie and plaç't religion dew Shall I forget that King who saw descend Hezekiah Ierusalem Asa. A winged Hoast Solyma to defend Shall I forget him who before his eene Enchast the