helpe helpe and oppresse The sinfull incolants of his made earth He can redresse and paine paine and redresse The mountaine-miseries of mortall birth Now tyrants you are next this but a show And merry index of your after woe verse 5 6 Your hot-colde misery is now at hand Hot because furies heat and mercies colde Cold because limping knit in frosty band And cold and hot in being shamefast-bolde They cruell were take crueltie their part For misery is but too meane a smart But when the Tygers iawes the Serpents stings Did summon them vnto this lifes decay A pardon for their faults thy mercy brings Cooling thy wrath with pitties sunnie day O tyrants tere your sin-bemired weeds Beholde your pardon sealde by mercies deeds verse 7 8 That sting which pained could not ease the paine Those iaws that wounded could not cure the wounds To turne to stings for helpe it were but vaine To iawes for mercie which wants mercies bounds The stings ô Sauiour were puld out by thee Their iawes claspt vp in midst of crueltie O soueraigne salue stop to a bloody streame O heauenly care and cure for dust and earth Celestiall watch to wake terrestriall dreame Dreaming in punishment mourning in mirth Now knowes our enimies that it is thee Which helpes and cures our griefe and misery verse 9 Our punishment doth end theirs new begins Our day appeares their night is not oreblowne Wee pardon haue they punishment for sins Now we are raisde now they are ouerthrowne Wee with huge beasts opprest they with a flie Wee liue in God and they against God die A flie poore flie to follow such a flight Yet art thou fed as thou wast fed before With dust and earth feeding thy wonted bite With selfe-like food from mortall earthly store A mischiefe-stinging food and sting with sting Do ready passage to destruction bring verse 10 Man beeing grasse is hopt and graz'd vpon With sucking grasse-hoppers of weeping dew Man being earth is wormes vermilion Which eats the dust and yet of bloudy hue In being grasse he is her grazing food In being dust he doth the wormes some good These smallest actors were of greatest paine Of follies ouerthrow of mischiefes fall But yet the furious dragons coulde not gaine The life of those whom verities exhale These follie ouercame they foolish were These mercie cur'd and cures these godly are verse 11 When poysoned iawes and veninated stings Were both as opposite against content Because content with that which fortune brings They eased were when thou thy mercies sent The iawes of dragons had not hungers fill Nor stings of serpents a desire to kill Appal'd they were and struck with timerous feares For where is feare but where destruction raignes Agast they were with wet eye-standing teares Outward commencers of their inward paines They soone were hurt but sooner healde and cured Lest black obliuion had their minds inured verse 12 The lion wounded with a fatall blow Is as impatient as a king in rage Seeing himselfe in his owne bloody show Doth rent the harbour of his bodies cage Scorning the base-housde earth mounts to the skie To see if heauen can yeeld him remedy Oh sinfull man let him example be A patterne to thine eye glasse to thy face That Gods diuinest word is cure to thee Not earth but heauen not man but heauenly grace Nor hearb nor plaister could help teeth or sting But t was thy word which healeth euery thing verse 13 We fooles lay salues vpon our bodies skin But neuer drawe corruption from our minde We lay a plaister for to keepe in sin We drawe foorth filth but leaue the cause behinde With hearbs and plaisters we do guard misdeedes And pare away the tops but leaue the seedes Away with salues and take our Sauiours word In this word Sauiour lies immortall ease What can thy cures plaisters and hearbs afford When God hath power to please and to displease God hath the power of life death help and paine He leadeth downe and bringeth vp againe verse 14 15 Trust to thy downefall not vnto thy raise So shalt thou liue in death not die in life Thou dost presume if giue thy selfe the praise For vertues time is scarce but mischiefes rife Thou mayst offend mans nature is so vaine Thou now in ioy beware of after paine First commeth fury after fury thirst After thirst blood and after blood a death Thou mayst in fury kill whome thou louedst first And so in quassing blood stop thine owne breath And murther done can neuer be vndone Nor can that soule once liue whose life is gone verse 16 What is the body but an earthen case That subiect is to death because earth dies But when the liuing soule doth want Gods grace It dies in ioy and liues in miseries This soule is led by God as others were But not brought vp againe as others are This stirs no prouocation to amend For earth hath many partners in one fall Although the Lord doth many tokens send As warnings for to heare when he doth call The earth was burnt drownd with fire raine And one could neuer quench the others paine verse 17 Althogh both foes God made them then both frends And onely foes to them which were their foes That hate begun in earth what in them ends Sins enimies they which made friends of those Both bent both forces vnto single earth From whose descent they had their double birth T is strange that water should not quench a fire For they were heating-cold and cooling hot T is strange that wailes could not allay desire Wailes waters kinde and fire desires knot In such a cause though enimies before They would ioyne friendship to destroy the more The often weeping eies of drie lament verse 18 Doth powre forth burning water of despaire Which warms the caues frō whence the tears are sent And like hot fumes do foule their natures faire This contrary to icie-waters vale Doth scorch the cheekes makes them red pale Here fire and water are conioynde in one Within a red-white glasse of hote and cold Their fire like this double and yet alone Raging and tame and tame and yet was bold Tame when the beasts did kill and felt no fire Raging vpon the causers of their ire verse 19 Two things may well put on two seuerall natures Because they differ in each natures kind They differing colours haue and differing features If so how comes it that they haue one minde God made them friends let this the answer be They get no other argument of me What is impossible to Gods command Nay what is possible to mans vaine eare T is much he thinkes that fire should burne a land When mischiefe is the brand which fiers beare He thinkes it more that water should beare fire Then know it was Gods will now leaue t' enquire verse 20 Yet mightst thou aske because importunate How God preserude the good why because good Ill fortune made not them infortunate They Angells were
is The lesson which she giues thee for thy learning Is euery vertues loue and sins deseruing verse 7 Dost thou desire experience for to know Why how can she be lesse than what she is The growth of knowlege doth from wisdome grow The growth of wisedome is in knowing this Wisedome can tell all things what things are past What done what vndone what are doing last Nay more what things are come what are to come Or words or works or shews or actions In her braines table-booke she hath the summe And knowes darke sentences solutions She knowes what signes and wonders will ensue And when successe of seasons will be new verse 8 Who would not be a bridegroome who not wed Who would not haue a bride so wise so faire Who would not lie in such a peacefull bed Whose canopy is heau'n whose shade the aire How can it be that any of the skies Can there be missing where heau'ns kingdom lies If care-sicke I am comforted with ioy If surfeting on ioy she bids me care Shee sayes that ouermuch will soone annoy Too much of ioy too much of sorrowes fare She alwayes counsels me to keepe a meane And not with ioy too fat with griefe too leane verse 9 Faine would the shrub growe by the highest tree Faine would the mushrome kisse the cedars barke Faine would the seely worme a sporting be Faine would the sparrow imitate the larke Though I a tender shrub a mushrome be Yet couet I the honour of a tree And may I not may not the blossoms bud Doth not the little seed make eares of corne Doth not a sprig in time beare greatest wood Doth not yong eu'nings make an elder morne For wisedomes sake I know though be yong I shall haue praises from my elders tongue verse 10 And as my growth doth rise so shall my wit And as my wit doth rise so shall my growth In wit I growe both growths grow to be fit Both fitting in one growth be fittest both Experience followes age and nature youth Some aged be in wit though yong in ruth The wisedome which I haue springs from aboue The wisedome from aboue is that I haue Her I adore I reuerence I loue Shee 's my pure soule lockt in my bodies graue The iudgement which I vse from her proceedes Which makes me maruelld at in all my deedes verse 11 Although mute silence tie my iudgements tongue Sad secretarie of dumbe action Yet shall they giue me place though I be yong And stay my leisures satisfaction Euen as a iudge which keeps his iudgements mute When clients haue no answer of their sute But if the closure of my mouth vnmeetes And diues within the freedome of my words They like petitioners tongues welcome greetes And with attentiue eare heares my accords But if my words into no limites goe Their speech shall ebbe mine in their ebbing flow verse 12 And what of this vaine world vaine hope vaine show Vaine glory seated in a shade of praise Mortalities descent and follies flow The badge of vanity the houre of daies What glory is it for to be a King When care is crowne and crown is fortunes sling Wisedome is immortalities alline And immortalitie is wisedomes gaine By her the heauens lineage is mine By her I immortalitie obtaine The earth is made immortall in my name The heau'ns are made immortall in my fame verse 13 14 Two spatious orbes of two as spatious climes Shall be the heritage which I possesse My rule in heau'n directing earthly times My raigne in earth commencing earths redresse One king made two one crowne a double crowne One rule two rules one fame a twice renowne What heauen is this which euery thought containes Wisedome my heau'n my heau'n is wisedoms heau'n What earth is this wherein my bodie raines Wisedome my earth all rule from wisedome giu'n Through her I rule through her I do subdue Through hir I raigne through hir my empire grew verse 15 A rule not tyrannie a raigne not blood An empire not a slaughter house of liues A crowne not crueltie in furies moode A Scepter which restores and not depriues All made to make a peace and not a warre By wisedome concords Queene and discords barre The coldest worde oft cooles the hottest threat The tyrants menaces the calmes of peace Two coldes augmenteth one two heates one heat And makes both too extreame when both encrease My peacefull raigne shall conquer tyrants force Not armes but wordes not battaile but remorce verse 16 Yet mightie shall I be though warre in peace Strong though abilitie hath left his clime And good because my warres and battails cease Or at the least lie smothered in their prime The sence once digged vp with feares amaze Doth rage vntam'd with follies senceles gaze If wisedome doth not harbour in delight It breakes the outward passage of the minde Therfore I place my war in wisedomes might Whose heauie labours easie harbours finde Her company is pleasure mirth and ioy Not bitternes not mourning not annoy When euery thought was ballanced by weight verse 17 18 Within the concaue of my bodies scale My heart and soule did holde the ballance streight To see what thoght was ioy what thoght was waile But when I saw that griefe did weigh down plesure I put in wisedome to augment her treasure Wisedome the weight of immortallitie Wisedome the ballance of all happinesse Wisedome the weigher of felicitie Wisedome the Paragon of blessednesse When in her hands there lies such plenties store Needs must her heart haue twice asmuch and more Her hart haue I conioyned with hir hand verse 19 20 Her hand hath she conioyned with my hart Two soules one soule two hearts one bodyes band And two hands made of foure by amours art Was I not wise in chusing earthly life Nay wise thrice wise in chusing such a wife Was I not good good then the sooner bad Bad because earth is full of wickednes Because my body is with vices clad Anotomy of my sins heauines As doth vnseemely clothes make the skin foule So the sin-inked body blots the soule verse 21 Thus lay my hart plung'd in destructions mire Thus lay my soule bespotted with my sin Thus lay my selfe consum'd in my desire Thus lay all parts ensnared in one gin At last my hart mounting aboue the mud Lay betweene hope and death mischiefe and good Thus panting ignorant to liue or die To rise or fall to stand or else to sinke I cast a fainting looke vnto the skie And sâ—we the thought which my poore hart did think Wisdome my thought at whose seene sight I prai'd And with my hart my minde my soule I said Chapter IX verse 1 2 3 O God of Fathers Lord of heau'n and earth Mercies true soueraigne pitties portraiture King of all kings a birth surpassing birth A life immortall essence euer pure Which with a breath ascending from thy thought Hast made the heau'ns of earth the earth of nought Thou which hast made mortalitie for
duskie vapours hemde in blacke Behold thy downfall ready at thy hand Behold thy hopes wherein thy hazards stand Oh spurne away that blocke out of thy way With vertues appetite and wisedomes force That stumbling blocke of follie and decay That snare which doth ensnare thy treading corse Beholde thy body falls let vertue beare it Beholde thy soule doth fall let wisedome reare it verse 11 Say art thou yong or olde tree or a bud Thy face is so disfigured with sin Yong I doe thinke thou art in what in good But olde I am assur'd by wrinckled skin Thy lips thy tongue thy heart is yong in praying But lips and tongue and heart is olde in straying Olde in adoring idolls but too yong In the obseruance of diuinest lawe Yong in adoring God though olde in tong Olde and too olde yong and too yong in awe Beginning that which doth begin misdeeds Inuenting vice which all thy body feeds verse 12 13 But this corrupting and infecting foode This caterpiller of eternitie The foe to blisse the canker vnto good The new accustom'd way of vanitie It hath not euer beene nor shall it be But perish in the branch of follies tree As her descent was vanities aline So her descending like to her descent Here shall shee haue an end in hell no fine Vaine glory brought her vainely to be spent You know all vanity drawes to an end Then needs must shee decay because her frend verse 14 Is there more follie then to weepe at ioy To make eyes watrie when they should be drie To greeue at that which murders griefes annoy To keepe a shower where the sunne should lie But yet this folly-cloude doth oft appeare When face should smile and watry eie bee cleere The father mournes to see his sonne life-dead But seldome mournes to see his sonne dead-liu'd Hee cares for earthly lodge not heau'ns bed For death in life not life in death suruiu'd Keeping the outward shadow of his face To worke the inward substance of disgrace verse 15 Keeping a shew to counterpoize the deed Keeping a shadow to be substance heire To raise the thing it selfe from shadowes seed And make an element of liuelesse aire Adoring that which his owne hands did frame Whose hart inuention gaue whose tong the name But could infection keepe one setled place The poyson would not lodge in euery brest Nor feede the hart the minde the soule the face Lodging but in the carcasse of her rest But this Idolatry once in mans vse Was made a custome then without excuse verse 16 Nay more it was at tyrannies commaund And tyrants cannot speake without a doome Whose iudgement doth proceed from heart and hand From heart in rage from hand in bloudy tombe That if through absence any did neglect it Presence should pay the ransome which reiect it Then to auoide the doome of present hate Their absence did performe their presence want Making the image of a kingly state As if they had new seed from sins olde plant Flattring the absence of olde mischiefes mother With the like forme and presence of another verse 17 Making an absence with a present sight Or rather presence with an absent view Deceiuing vulgars with a day of night Which know not good from bad nor false from true A crafts-man cunning in his crafty trade Beguiling them with that which he had made Like as a vane is turn'd with euery blast Vntill it point vnto the windie clime So stand the people at his worde agast Hee making olde new forme in new-olde time Defies and deifies all with one breath Making them liue and die and all in death verse 18 They like to Tantalus are fed with shoes Shewes which exasperat and cannot cure They see the painted shadow of suppose They see her sight yet what doth sight procure Like Tantalus they feed and yet they starue Their foode is caru'd to them yet hard to carue The crafts-man feeds them with a staruing meat Which doth not fill but empty hungers gape Hee makes the idoll comely faire and great With well limnd visage and best fashioned shape Meaning to giue it to some noble view And faine his beautie with that flattring hue verse 19 Enamour'd with the sight the people grew To diuers apparitions of delight Some did admire the portraiture so new Hew'd from the standard of an olde trees hight Some were allur'd through beutie of the face With outward eye to worke the soules disgrace Adored like a God though made by man To make a God of man a man of God T is more then humaine life or could or can Though multitudes applause in error trode I neuer knew since mortall lifes abod That man could make a man much lesse a God verse 20 Yes man can make his shame without a maker Borrowing the essence from restored sin Man can be vertues foe and vices taker Welcome himselfe without a welcome in Can he doe this yea more oh shamlesse ill Shamefull in shame shamelesse in wisedomes will The riuer of his vice can haue no bound But breakes into the ocean of deceit Deceiuing life with measures of dead ground With carued idols disputations baite Making captiuitie cloth'd all in mone Bee subiect to a God made of a stone verse 21 Too stony hearts had they which made this lawe Oh had they beene as stony as the name They neuer had brought vulgars in such awe To be destructions pray and mischiefes game Had they beene stone-dead both in looke fauour They neuer had made life of such a sauour Yet was not this a too sufficient doome Sent from the roote of their sin-oregrowne tong To cloud gods knowledge with hel mischiefs gloome To ouerthrowe truths right with falshoods wrong But dayly practised a perfect way Still to begin and neuer end to stray verse 22 23 For either murders pawe did gripe their harts With whispring horrors drumming in each eare Or other villanies did play their parts Augmenting horror to newe strucken feare Making their hands more then a shambles stall To slay their children ceremoniall No place was free from staine of blood or vice Their life was markt for death their soule for sin Marriage for fornications thawed ice Thought for despaire body for eithers gin Slaughter did either end what life begunne Or lust did end what both had left vndone verse 24 25 The one was sure although the other faile For vice hath more competitors then one A greater troupe doth euermore auaile And villanie is neuer found alone The bloud-hound folows that which slaughter kild And theft doth folow what deceit hath spild Corruption mate to infidelitie For that which is vnfaithfull is corrupt Tumults are schoole fellowes to periury For both are full when either one hath supt Vnthankfullnes defiling and disorders Are fornications and vncleannes borders See what a sort of rebells are in armes verse 26 To root out vertue to supplant her raigne Opposing of them selues against all harmes To the deposing of her empires
I know the chaunging courses of the yeares And the diuision of all differing climes The situation of the stars and spheres The flowing tides and the flow-ebbing times I know that euery yeare hath his foure courses I know that euery course hath seuerall forces I know that nature is in euery thing Beasts furious winds rough men wicked are whose thoghts their scurge whose deeds their iugmēts sling Whose words and works their perill and their care I know that euery plant hath difference I know that euery roote hath influence verse 21 True knowledge have I got in knowing truth True wisedome purchased in wisest wit A knowledge fitting age wit fitting youth Which makes me yong though olde with gaine of it True knowledge haue I and true wisedomes store True hap true hope what wish what wold I more Known things I needs must know sith not vnknown My care is knowledge she doth heare for me All secrets know I more because not showne My wisedome secret is and her I see Knowledge hath taught me how to heare knowne causes Wisedome hath taught me secrecies applauses verse 22 23 Knowledge and wisedome knowne in wisest things Is reasons mate discretions centinell More then a trine of ioyes from vertues springs More then one vnion yet in vnion dwell One for to guide the spring sommer the other One haruests nurse the other winters mother Foure mounts and foure high mounters all foure one One holy vnion one begotten life One manifolde affection yet alone All one in peaces rest all none in strife Sure stable without care hauing all power Not hurtfull doing good as one all foure This peacefull army of foure knitted soules verse 24 Is marching vnto peaces endles warre Their weapons are discretions written roules Their quarrell loue and amitie their iarre Wisedome director is captaine and guide All other take their places side by side Wisedome deuides the conflict of her peace Into foure squadrons of foure mutuall loues Each bent to war and neuer meanes to cease Her wings of shot her disputation moues Shee warres vnseene and pacifies vnseene Shee is wars victory yet peaces Queene verse 25 Shee is the martiall trumpet of alarmes And yet the quiet rest in peaces night Shee guideth martiall troupes she honours armes Yet ioyns she fight with peace and peace with fight Shee is the breath of Gods and heauens power Yet peaces nurse in being peaces flower A flowing in of that which ebbeth out An ebbing out of that which floweth in Presumption she doth hate in being stout Humilitie though poore her fauours win Shee is the influence of heauens flow No filth doth follow her where ere shee goe verse 26 Shee is that spring which neuer hath an ebbe That siluer-coloured brooke which hath no mud That loome which weaues and neuer cuts the webbe That tree which growes and neuer leaues to bud Shee constant is vnconstancie her foe Shee doth not flow and ebbe nor come and goe Phoebus doth weepe when watrie cloudes approach Shee keeps her brightnes euerlastingly Phoebe when Phoebus shines forsakes nights coach Hir day is night and day immortally The vndefiled mirrour of renowne The image of Gods power her vertues crowne verse 27 28 Discretion knowledge wit and reasons skill All foure are places in one only grace They wisedome are obedient to her will All foure are one one in all foures place And wisedome being one she can do all Sith one hath foure all subiect to one call Her selfe remaining selfe the world renewes Renewing ages with perpetuall youth Entring into the soules which death pursues Making thē Gods friends which were frends to truth If wisedome doth not harbour in thy minde God loues thee not and that thy soule shall finde For how canst thou be lead without thy light verse 29 30 How can thy eyles soule direct her way If wanting her which guides thy steps aright Thy steps from night into a path of day More beautifull then is the eye of heau'n Guilding her selfe with her selfe-changing steau'n The stars are twinckling handmaides to the moone Both moone and stars handmaids to wisdomes sunne These shine at middest night this at mid-noone Each new begins their light when each hath done Pale-mantled night followes red mantled day Vice followes both but to her owne decay Chapter VIII verse 1 WHo is the Empresse of the worlds confine The Monarchesle of the foure cornerd earth The Princesse of the seas life without fine Commixer of delight with sorowes mirth What soueraigne is shee which euer raignes Which Queene-like gouerns al yet none cōstrains Wisedome ó flie my spirit with that word Wisedome ó lodge my spirit in that name Fly soule vnto the mansion of her lord Although thy wings be findged in her flame Tell her my blacknes doth admire her beautie I le marie her in loue serue her in dutie verse 2 If marry her God is my father God Christ is my brother Angells are my kin The earth my dowrie heauen my aboade My rule the world my life without my sin Shee is the daughter of immortall Ioue My wife in heart in thought in soule in loue Happy for euer hee that thought in hart Happy for euer he that heart in thought Happy the soule of both which beares both part Happy that loue which thoght har◠soule hath sought The name of loue is happiest for I loue her Soule heart and thoughts loues agents are to proue her verse 3 Ye parents that would haue your children rulde Here may they be instructed rulde and taught Ye children that would haue your parents schoolde Feeding their wanton thirst with follies draught See here the schoole of discipline erected See here how yong and old are both corrected Children this is the Mistris of your blisse Your schoolemistris reformer of your liues Parents you that do speake thinke do amisse Here 's she which loues and lifes direction giues She teacheth that which God knowes to be true She chuseth that which God would chuse for you verse 4 What is our birth poore naked needy cold What is our life poore as our birth hath beene What is our age forlorne in being old What is our end as our beginnings scene Our birth our life our age our end is poore what birth what life what age what end hath more Made rich it is with vanities vaine show If wanting wisedome it is follies game Or like a bended or vnbended bow Ill fortunes scoffe it is good fortunes shame If wisedome be the riches of thy minde Then can thy fortune see not seeing blinde verse 5 6 Then if good fortune doth begin thy state Ill fortune cannot end what she begins Thy fate at first will still remaine thy fate Thy conduct vnto ioyes not vnto sins If thou the bridegroome art wisedome the bride Ill fortune cannot swimme against thy tide Thou marrying her dost marry more than she Thy portion is not faculties but blisse Thou needst not teaching for she teacheth thee Nor no reformer she thy mistris
she wise alone If alter olde for new we do olde wrong Call her still wisedome mistris of our soules Our liues deliuerer from our foes controules verse 16 To make that better which is best of all Were to disarme the title of the power And thinke to make a raise and make a fall Turne best to worst a day vnto an houre To giue two sundry names vnto one thing Makes it more commoner in Ecchoes sling She guides mans soule let her be calld a Queene Shee enters into man call hir a sprite Shee makes them godly which haue neuer beene Call her her selfe the image of her might Those which for vertue plead she prompts their tong Whose sute no tyrant nor no King can wrong verse 17 Shee stands as barre betweene their mouth and them She prompts their thoghts their thoghts prompts speeches sound Their tongues reward is honours diadem Their labours hire with duest merit crown'd Shee is as iudge and witnes of each heart Condemning falshood taking vertues part A shadow in the day star in the night A shadow for to shade them from the sunne A star in darkenes for to giue them light A shade in day a star when day is done Keeping both courses true in being true A shade a starre to shade and lighten you verse 18 19 And had she not the sunnes hot burning fire Had scorcht the inward pallace of your powers Your hot affection coolde your hot desire Two heats once met make coole distilling showers So likewise had not wisedome beene your star You had beene prisoner vnto Phoebes car Shee made the red-sea subiect to your craues The surges calmes the billowes smoothest wayes Shee made rough winds sleepe silent in their caues And Aeole watch whom all the winds obayes Their foes pursuing them with death and doome Did make the sea their church the waues their tome verse 20 21 They furrowed vp a graue to lie therin Burying themselues with their owne handie deed Sin dig'd a pit it selfe to bury sin Seed plowed vp the ground to scatter seed The righteous seeing this same sodaine fall Did praise the Lord and ceas'd vpon them all A glorious prise though from inglorious hands A worthy spoile though from vnworthy hearts Tosst with the Oceans rage vppon the sands Victorious gaine gained by wisedomes arts Which makes the dumbe to speak the blind to see The deafe to heare the babes haue grauitie Chapter XI verse 1 2 3 WHat he could haue a hart what hart a thought what thoght a tong what tong a shew of fear Hauing his ship balanste with such a fraught Which calms the euer-weeping oceans tears Which prospers euery enterprise of warre And leades their fortune by good fortunes starre A Pilate on the seas guide on the land Through vncouth desolate vntroden way Through wildernes of woe which in woes stand Pitching their tents where desolation lay In iust reuenge incountring with their foes Annexing wrath to wrath and blowes to blowes verse 4 But when the heate of ouermuch alarmes Had made their bodies subiect vnto thurst And broyld their hearts in wraths-allaying harmes With fiery surges which from body burst That time had made the totall summe of life Had not affection stroue to end the strife Wisedome affectionating power of zeale Did coole the passion of tormenting heate With water from a rocke which did reueale Her deare deare loue placde in affections seate She was their mother twice she nurst them twice Mingling their heat with cold their fire with ice verse 5 From whence receiude they life from a dead stone From whence receiude they speach from a mute rock As if all pleasure did proceed from mone Or all discretion from a senslesse blocke For what was each but silent dead and mute As if a thorny thistle should beare fruit T is strange how that should cure which erst did kill Giue life in whome destruction is enshrinde Alas the stone is dead and hath no skil Wisedome gaue life and loue t was wisedomes minde Shee made the store which poysoned her foes Giue life giue cure giue remedy to those verse 6 7 Blood-quaffing Mars which washt himselfe in gore Raignde in her foes thirst-slaughter-drinking hearts Their heads the bloody store-house of bloods store Their minds made bloody streames disburst in parts What was it else but butchery and hate To przie yong infants bloud at murders rate But let them surffet on their bloody cup Carowsing to their owne destructions health We drinke the siluer-streamed water vp Which vnexpected flow'd from wisedomes wealth Declaring by the thirst of our dry soules How all our foes did swimme in murders boules verse 8 What greater ill than famine or what ill Can be compared to the fire of thirst One be as both for both the body kill And first brings torments in tormenting first Famine is death it selfe and thirst no lesse If bread and water doe not yeelde redresse Yet this affliction is but vertues triall Proceeding from the mercy of Gods ire To see if it can finde his truths deniall His iudgements breach attempts contempts desire But oh the wicked sleeping in misdeede Had death on whom they fed on whom they feede verse 9 Adiudgde condemnd and punisht in one breath Arraignde tormented torturde in one lawe Adiudgde like captiues with destructions wreathe Arraignde like theeues before the barre of awe Condemnd tormented torturde punished Like captiues bold theeues vnastonished Say God did suffer famine for to raigne And thirst to rule amongst the choisest hart Yet father-like he easde them of their paine And proou'd them how they could endure a smart But as a righteous King condemnd the others As wicked sonnes vnto as wicked mothers verse 10 For where the diuel raignes there sure is hell Because the tabernacle of his name His mansion-house the place where he doth dwell The cole-blacke visage of his nigrum fame So if the wicked liue vpon the earth Earth is their hell from good to worser birth If present they are present to their teares If absent they are present to their woes Like as the snaile which shewes all that she beares Making her backe the mountaine of her shoes Present to their death not absent to their care Their punishment alike where ere they are verse 11 Why say they mournd lamented greeude and wailde And fed lament with care care with lament Say how can sorrow be with sorrow bailde When teares consumeth that which smiles hath lent This makes a double prison double chaine A double mourning and a double paine Captiuitie hoping for freedomes hap At length doth pay the ransome of her hope Yet frees her thought from any clogging clap Though backe be almost burst with yrons cope So they indurde the more because they knew That neuer till the spring the flowers grew verse 12 And that by patience commeth hearts delight Long-sought for blisse Long far fet happines Content they were to die for vertues right Sith ioy should be the pledge of heauines
gaine O double knot of treble miseries Oh treble knot twice thrice in villanies O idoll-worshipping thou mother art Shee procreatresse of a he offence I know thee now thou bearst a womans part Thou nature hast of her shee of thee sence These are thy daughters too too like the mother Black sins I dim you all with inckie smother verse 27 My pen shall be officious in this scene To let your harts blood in a wicked veine To make your bodies cleare your soules as cleane To cleanse the sinkes of sin with vertues reine Behold your cole-blacke blood my writing inke My papers poysoned meate my pens fowle drinke New christned are you with your owne new blood But madde before sauage and desperate Prophecying lies not knowing what was good Liuing vngodly euermore in hate Thundring out oathes pale Sergeants of despaire Swore and forswore not knowing what you were verse 28 Now looke vpon the spectacle of shame The well-limnd image of an ill-limnd thought Say are you worthy now of praise or blame That such selfe-scandall in your owne selues wrought You were heart-sicke before I let you blood But now heart-well since I haue done you good Now wipe blinde folly from your seeing eies And driue destruction from your happy mind Your follie now is wit not foolish-wise Destruction happinesse not mischiefe blinde You put your trust in idoles they deceiude you You put your trust in God and he receiude you verse 29 Had not repentance grounded on your soules The climes of good or ill vertue or vice Had it not flowde into the tongues enrowles Ascribing mischiefes hate with good aduice Your tong had spild your soul your soul your tong Wronging each function with a double wrong Your first attempt was placed in a show Imaginary show without a deed The next attempt was periury the foe To iust demeanors and to vertues seede Two sins two punishments and one in two Makes two in one and more than one can do verse 30 Foure scourges from one paine al comes from sin Single yet double double yet in foure It slayes the soule it hems the body in It spills the minde it doth the heart deuoure Gnawing vpon the thoughts feeding on blood For why she liues in sin but dies in good She taught their soules to stray their tongs to sweare Their thought to thinke amisse their life to die Their heart to erre their mischiefe to appeare Their head to sin their feete to treade awry This sceane might well haue bin destructions tent To pay with paine what sin with ioy hath spent Chapter XV. verse 1 But God will neuer die his hands with bloud His heart with hate his throne with crueltie His face with furies map his browe with cloud His raigne with rage his crowne with tyrannie Gratious is he long-suffering and true Which ruleth all things with his mercies view Gratious for where is grace but where he is The fountaine-head the euer-boundlesse streame Patient for where is patience in amisse If not conducted by pure graces beame Truth is the moderator of them both For grace and patience are of truest groth verse 2 For grace-beginning truth doth end in grace As truth-beginning grace doth end in truth Now patience takes the moderators place Yong-olde in suffering olde-yong in ruth Patience is olde in being alwaies yong Not hauing right nor euer offering wrong So this is moderator of Gods rage Pardoning those deeds which wee in sin commit That if wee sin shee is our freedomes gage And wee still thine though to be thine vnfit In being thine ô Lord wee will not sin That we thy patience grace and truth may win verse 3 O grant vs patience in whose grant we rest To right our wrong and not to wrong the right Giue vs thy grace ô Lord to make vs blest That grace might blesse blisse might grace our sight Make our beginning and our sequell truth To make vs yong in age and graue in youth Wee know that our demaunds rest in thy will Our will rests in thy word our worde in thee Thou in our orisons which dost fullfill That wished action which wee wish to bee T is perfect righteousnes to know thee right T is immortalitie to know thy might verse 4 5 In knowing thee we know both good and ill Good to know good and ill ill to know none In knowing all wee know thy sacred will And what to do and what to leaue vndone We are deceiu'd not knowing to deceiue In knowing good and ill wee take and leaue The glasse of vanitie deceit and showes The painters labour the beguiling face The diuers-coloured image of suppose Cannot deceiue the substance of thy grace Only a snare to those of common wit Which couets to be like in hauing it verse 6 The greedy lucre of a witlesse braine This feeding auarice on sencelesse minde Is rather hurt then good a losse then gaine Which couets for to loose and not to finde So they were coloured with such a face They would not care to take the idols place Then be your thoughts coherent to your words Your words as correspondent to your thought T is reason you should haue what loue affords And trust in that which loue so dearely bought The maker must needs loue what he hath made And the desirers free of either trade verse 7 Man thou wast made art thou a maker now Yes t is thy trade for thou a potter art Tempring softe earth making the clay to bow But clayie thou dost beare too stout a hart The clay is humble to thy rigorous hands Thou clay too tough against thy Gods commaūds If thou want'st slime beholde thy slimie faults If thou want'st clay beholde thy clayie breast Make them to be the deepest centres vaults And let all clayie mountaines sleepe in rest Thou bear'st an earthly mountaine on thy back Thy harts chiefe prison-house thy souls chief wrack verse 8 Art thou a mortall man and mak'st a God A God of clay thou but a man of clay O suds of mischiefe in destruction sod O vainest labour in a vainer playe Man is the greatest worke which God did take And yet a God with man is nought to make Hee that was made of earth would make a heau'n If heauen may be made vpon the earth Sins heires the ayres sins plants the planets seau'n Their God a clod his birth true vertues dearth Remember whence you came wither you goe Of earth in earth from earth to earth in woe verse 9 No quoth the potter as I haue beene clay So will I end with what I did begin I am of earth and I doe what earth may I am of dust and therefore will I sin My life is short what then I 'le make it longer My life is weake what then I 'le make it stronger Long shall it liue in vice though short in length And fetch immortall steps from mortall stops Strong shall it be in sin though weake in strength Like mounting Eagles on high