no constant yea nor nay VVould fame intreate some longer time and scope But that he findes impatience in delay VVhile to himselfe he faies shall I obey Confesse my fault wherein I haue offended And pardon craue that all may be amended No no my heart shall never stoope so low To bow to those that vsde to bend to me I am not sure what favour such will shew Wherefore I wil devise some kinde of tree VVhose braunching bowghes might shrowd adulterie Thus reasons he a bird of Balams brood That will not be reclaim'd to any good At last the gapes for breath yet doubtes to speake Because his partners doubtes he doth not know Yet through his teeth this tragique tale doth breake VVhile foaming furie makes him puffe and blow Saith he in Ioachims orchard there doth grow A Masticke tree whose braunches clowd the sonne In whose darke shade the brothels act was done VVhen Daniell heard this vncomposed speach False are quoth he the wordes thou dost report Thy lying lippes thee partiall doe appeach Gods minde to me reavealed doth exhort Thy sinfull bodie from thy soule to sort As one deserving endlesse death to die That darst gainst God and conscience sweare a lie VVhen this was acted him they lead away And bring his brother foorth in open place In whose fell heart fowle cabbin envie lay Her wilde and staring looke sate in his face A wrinkled brovv a pale and megre grace Did murther mischiefe mallice fierce resemble While coÌ„science cold doth cause him quake treÌ„ble To whom younge Daniell saith in zealous mood O seed of cursed Cham ympe of dispight In vaine thy vaunt doth boast of Iuda blood VVhen as thou art lin life a Cananite True nobles should in noble actes delight But thou bewitch'd vvith beautie weart beguiled When thy misleading lust thine heart defiled Thus haue you past your passed liues ill-spent Since first your wanton heartes did traine you in To draw the dames of Israell to your bent Whom you with feare did force and flattry win To ioine with you in acting secreat sinne But this chast Iewish heere of Iuda race Resisted hath your follie to your face Now sith thy tongue hath testifide an act VVhich fame did not reporte but eie did vewe And thou death worthie deemed hast the fact Dissemble not be still a witnesse true Tell vs what tree and in what place it grew VVhose shamlesse shad did shrowd this shamfull sin Pause ere thou speake yet speake and soone begin Hee gravield now in greife and grim dispaire Like bowged barge that sinkes in swallowing sandes Gapes ere he speakes as if he wanted ayre VVhich oft with cloased lippes he countermaundes At length saith he in Ioachims orchard standes Neere fowntain faire a greene thâ—ck braunching Holly Vnder whose shad these wicked wrought their folly Quoth Daniell then your tongues haue you betrayd Your forged he shall light vppon your pates Your wicked heartes your wordes haue heere bewrayd The sword of Iustice that iniustice hates Is readie heere to slay you sinfull mates Provide therefore a treble death to die Of bodie soule and lasting infamie For as you boath haue caussesse sought to spill The guiltlesse blood of this chast Isralite By witnesse false therfore doth Moses will Your blood be shed and we will doe you right Sith that your tongues death-worthy you indite You shall be led where shee should leese her breath And there with stones your selues be done to death Which doome did much delight the standers by VVith greate applause the people do reioyce They clap their handes and fling their cappes on hie The roofe reflectes the Eccho of their voyce VVhile thankfull heartes their eies to heav'n vphoice And tongues pronownce Our God be praysed ever VVhich helpeth his and doth for sake them never These iudges thus disgraded from their states The multitude with readinesse doth ronne To doe that doome on these condemned mates They to acquitted Susan would haue donne VVhile zeale would act what wrong had ill beegonne Thus carelesse commons right or wrong support When they are swayd as sovereignes do exhort For as in man when vapoures vex the braines The giddie head doth feele a whirling fit So fickle heads to feed superiours vaines When as affection holdes the seate of wit Sway to and fro as ruling vapours flit If they say yea an yea doth answere stand If they say no a no is prest at hand And yet sometimes though sotted with content That everie act doth seeme to breed their case Some whiles when wayward vapors gets a vent A toy the least occasion doth displease VVhile thoughtes do eb and flow like surginge sear For who so deales with multitudes he findes In manie heades a multitude of mindes While heartes do harbour heapes of homely toyes And heades ar fraught with Chaos of conceiptes There coms continuall trade of chaunging â—oyes Which barter novelties for elder feates As chaunging time doth offer choice of cheates So those which yesterday wrought wrong with might Are busied now in acting of the right For now with hast they hal them from the barre Whome late before they heaved to the bentch No treatie could a day their death deferre While teeres the peoples furie could not quentch Which drue them forth vnto the fatall trentch And piniond bownd them to the stubborne stake Where they their wel-deserved death should take Who living now forlorne past liffes repaire Haue not the heart Gods mercie to intreate But rather seeke with Saul in deepe dispaire VVith bluddie murthring handes life to defeate VVhile gainst the stake their handes they bawle and beat And mind in vaine their dreame their fall their hight VVho wanted grace to take Gods warning â—ight The pitying people pray God turne their hartes But when they see repentance place had none To yeeld those reprobates their due desertes The happiest man doth hurle the heviest stone To make them giue the last life-yeelding grone VVhich done they part and leave the ded their roome And lawd the lord and Danâ—l for his doome VVhome God had made selected instrument To overthrow these wicked and vniust And saue the blood of this chast innocent That with stoute Constancie resisted lust And did not in distresse de frawd her trust But saw her teeres and heard her plainting voyce VVhich made the hearts of thowsandes to reioyce Amongst the rest whose heartes sweet comfort cheeres Heâ—chia happie man and his compeere which erst did weepe for woe shed ioyfull teeres VVhen Ioachims ioy had past this plunging feere And kinsfolkes clowded eâ—e shone bright and cleere All with sweete noates consent in Susaâ—s name Praise God that had preserv'd her from defame But cheifly shee like larke on mounting winges VVhile inward zeale breakes out in open sight Tryumphing in her tunes most sweetely singes The prayse of God his mercie and his might That did relive her wretch and wronged wight And iustly iudge her foes the death to die That would enâ—ombe her fame in infamie
he that stoopes for age For as the mower with his keene edg'd sickle Cuts downe aswell the greene as seeded grasse EveÌ„ so the souldiers sword though teares downe trickle Permitteth not a breathing soule to passe He spareth none that happen in his way Faire wordes chast lookes entreaties beare no sway Then sounded foorth the screitching griesly crie Of slaughtered soules and many a deepe fet groane Of such as murthred yeelde the ghost and die From wounded lungs yeelding a hollow moane While manly men that whilome stoutly stoode Dismembred now lie weltring in their blood Then might be heard and seene with wofull eies The living soules lamenting for the dead Powring out plaintes with sobbes with sighes and cries And bitter teares as bleeding heartes might shed The old lament long life to be forlorne The young repent that ever they were borne The wife shee soundes and yeeldes her vitall breath To see her husband die in wofull case The husband feeles a fit far worse then death To see his wife defild before his face And seely babes poore heartes to perish this That never did offence or thought amisse The mourning mothers tugge and hale their heares To see their slaughtred seede remedilesse The children bath their cheekes with bloudy teares To see their wretched parentes in distresse While help-lesse handes doe trust vnto their feete And leaue poore infantes crawling in the streete For now the men of armes were fled by stealth And every soule was left to shift for one Counsaile did want regard was none of wealth Of kin or friend or who were left alone Who makes not hast death and destruction feeles The happrest wight doth shew the swiftest heeles When souldiers slaughtring sword embrewd with blood Found not a man that durst resistance make Then bedlem minde gan grow to milder moode If mildnesse be as bad a course to take For now vnbridled lust at large doth stray And prowles about for pillage and for pray Had chast Lucrecia dwelt amongst those dames Full many a Tarquin would haue wrought his will Had good Susanna wandred in those flames Her spot-lesse corpes had bin constrain'd to ill While seely lambes the chastest and most iust Became a pray vnto a peysantes lust The matchlesse vessels of magnificence The temples treasure many a millions mate The wealth of Zedechias excellence The riches of his Lordes and men of state These things were sent away to Babilon As fit for Nabuchadnetzar alone What else was left of Iewels gold and plate Amongst the meaner sort which might be much Each souldier held what so thereof he gate While they with other spoiles themselues enrich And when the pilfring hand had his desire The rest was left to be consum'd withâ— fire Then clims the furious flame the stately tower Each priveleadge doth giue the souldier place The pioner spares nortemple house nor bower The time is spent to spoile and to deface There was not left one monument of fame Which did not feele the force of burning flame The Heav'n-like house the temple of the Lord The worldes eie and onely worke of name Whom once he did delight but now abhord Is raysed downe and robbed of that fame The walles also that hem the citie round By might of men are ev'ned to the ground The seely captiues that had scap'd the sword And were reserv'd as Trophies of the spoile Hange downe their heades and cannot speake a word Or sound adue vnto their natiue soile The servantes loath to see the masters face The subiectes grieue to weigh the princes case Whom haplesse king slight could not yeeld reliefe But as the deere before the nimble dogge He was enforst to stoope vnto his griefe And for a crowne to were a heavie clogge What time his sonnes once slaine before his face He had his eies put out with great disgrace And so blinde captiue led to Babilon To be a bondman to his dying day He left the royall seate of Salomon And now must leaue commaunding and obey Since he that was impyring prince before Is now a fellow prisner and no more Amongst these fettred troopes of thralled states You must suppose transported with the rest Helchia Ioachim and those tragicke mates VVhose natures not their names are heere exprest Were Susan borne or no their glories shine Vnknowne it wantes a Delius to divine But Daniell then past twenty yeares of age In Babilon was growne to great regard Of fame in court the mighty monarches page Dreame secreat Seear and renowned Bard. VVhich knowne I leaue both story and my skill Vnto your courteous censure and good will EVSTATHIA or the CONSTANCIE OF SVSANNA CONTAINING THE PRESERvation of the Godly subversion of the wicked precepts for the aged instructions for youth pleasure with profitte WHen Chaldean glory sate in whinged throane Of flying Fame which far and neere doth waÌ„der In Asian soile in statelie Babilon The worldes monarch and the earthes commander VVhat time no humane forces might vvithstand her Then did stout Syria stoope and Aegypt bovv And Iuda bend before her frowning brow Then princely peeres did ducke and doe her duety Then raisd shee in the aire sky-kissing towers Then did the circled earth admire her beauty Then dwelt there in her braue and matchlesâ—e bowers The hight and sovereigntie of worldlie powers VVhose selfe-ruld handes did sway the scepter royall That kingdomes kept in awe and subiectes loyall Standing this tipe of sading maiestie There dwelt vvithin this state-commaunding towne A Iew a man of passing modestie Helchia hight and he of good renowne Right worthy for his wit to weare a crowne VVho tooke to vvife a faire and louely dame VVhose godly life gaue glory to his fame â—or as the ringe compact by curious art 〈◊〉 of it selfe right seemely to the eâ—e â—ut when the Saphire is his true conserte There doth appeare a fuller maiesty â—er vertue so his fame doth beautifie Her husband was esteem'd among the states And decked with her glory in the gates â—rom which chaste roote in time did spring a rose â—usanna cleapt not borne â—o eate her foode Or make dandling that must feele no blowes Her parentes care was how to teach her good And to invest her minde with modest mood Their reason fond affection had exilde Not bent to make an idoll oâ— their childe â—ometimes the godly mother matron-like â—ith rod in hand to keepe her babe in awe â—ith setled looke and grace demure and meeke â—ould teach her childe the precepts of the law â—nd make her imitate what so shee saw In comely â—esture seemely gate and guise That vse might manners make and doctrine wise And as sweete Aprill showers make Flora flourish â—o her kinde father carefull for his ioy â—ith choice preceptes doth vertue feed and nourish That grace might freely grow without annoy And natures weedes keepe vnder and destroy Whereby it came to passe at bed and bord There past no ill-spent time or idle word And carefull man he led by meere remorse VVhen
Ev'n when they ment most finely foote the Ball. And so haue mist the goale and to their cost Lament too late things past recovery lost Yea some which seeme in shevv to seeke it most â—n secret heart proue trevants treasure wasters One seely thought marres all the maiden bost Which soone betides these great tentation tasters Yea tis a booke-case pend by our great masters In vaine chast flesh a mayden name doth win Where yeelding thoughts haue given consent to sin All are not maides that vow they vvill not wed All are not virgins that are maides esteemed All are not chast that shun the nuptiall bed All are not true Dianaes that are deemed Chast Sara was not single when shee seemed Abused Thamar wore a virgins weede And might haue cloak'd false Amnons foule misdeede A droane doth sometimes in a bees place stand The single life no seale of maiden head Some batch'lers be but traitours in the band Worse foes to virgin wealth then those that wed Who when the foe appeares their force is fled Like Gedeons host faint cowardes prone to yeeld Scant one of ten is chosen for the field Yet quaint encomiast-like with wordes at wil You paint them out with praises at your pleasure VVhile making hast to preconize your skill You make the coate before you take the measure And to entize young tyrons with your treasure Like gold-sicke Alcumistes you pamper in A golden tincture on a peece of Tin VVhat praise peculiar to the thing you paint Which fits not modest mariage more divine Yet to canonize maiden-head a saint You put no ods betweene the saint and shrine To make a painted brow the brighter shine You parasite with praises to her face And causlesse clowd dame wedlocke with disgrace Nay rather say this buxome pleasing wife VVhile shee her toilesome fieldes of houshold tilleth And weanes her children to a Godly life In this her care the Lordes behest fulfilleth Sith that shee doth the thing his wisedome willeth And therefore well may take the vpper-hand Of her vvhose warrant hath not one command Nay rather reason mariage preservation Is lawded loved honored far and neere VVhose sacred rightes haue solemne observation VVhose ancient priviledge hath not his peere VVhose daily fruites are dainties held most deere And adde the cause for which shee is required The most commodious things are most desired VVhat if her house be neighbour to annoyes The blame be theirs not hers that dwelleth by them For if we walke in faire and easie waies That haue some noysome brambles growing nie them That rent our cloathes before we can descrie them The fault is not in fairenesse or the way But our owne folly or the brambles stay In Breschith booke it resteth in record Reporting Register of mans creation That when great Ihova by his powerfull word Made shapelesse man to his owne shape and fashion He first gaue nuptiall rightes for propagation As glorious ground-worke where he vvould begin That building which his prescience laboureth in And did in blessing knit this sociall band Endowd vvith vvorldly empire and earthes treasure Whilst purest nature did vnstained stand In easterne Eden place of passing pleasure When giving Adam of his Evahâ— seasure Ioind two in one inseperable vnion To represent him and his church communion Yea vvhen false man fell to Apostasie Misled by Sathan and his owne freewill Had spoild himselfe and plagu'd his progeny And chang'd his seas of ioies for flouds of ill The matrimoniall state continued still A mithredate to cure sius poysned sting The Bezoar stone that should healthes blessing bring For as a playster to repell despaire Paine ceasing med'cine to an aking sore God promise made that Eve should haue an heire Should bruze hell-serpents head and make him rore And to repaire those ruins added more To faithâ—ull Abr'am when he thus professed That in his seede all nations should blessed VVhen eake loves hot-spur Lamech over bold VVith one sweete fayre could not fowle lust suffice But let desire go loose and vncontrold And chose him mates in number to his eies VVhilst following age was wedded to his guise True wedlocke went to wracke and nature then Straunge mixtures made straung monsters out of men It greived God to see vngratfull man Pollute the earth with rape and ravishment VVhile to sweete bayted sin all headlong ran Ne would in time become true penitent Hee like a champion full of discontent VVith wreakful waters did these wicked wast Not one preserued but the wedded chast And as it were a warning heereto made VVhen nature ruld with law nunâ—npative How sore hee did detest flesh-mongers trade Fell traytors that do wedlocks wracke contriue From Sodoms flames he kept chast fower alive So to preserve chast Saraes bed vnspotted Hee plagued kings whom beautie had bee sotted But in the true transcript of Goddes owne hand Transplendant star how bright doth wedlocke shine Hee vnderprops her empire with commannd Dyrectes her lore with lawes as with a line Condemnes to death her subiectes that decline And when her peace is rent by ielous iarres Hee sets the way to cease her civill warres And vvhile her lasting glasse of glory ronnes He blots her foes faire brow with fowle disgraces But doth vouchsafe to call her children sonnes Enfranchizing her fruit with freedomes mace Doth nicke their counterfeit with name of base As slips of sin and fruites of basest folly Whose rootes he rooteth out as seede vnholly And that fierce Mars with sterne and sower aspect Should nothing hinder Venus influence He Mars his might doth countermaund and checke But gâ—ues her power protection and defence In maryed mates to act benevolence When to the Brides faire groome for loue he spares One yeare exempt from warres and worldly cares Even so the nations led by natures light Din sâ—intilles of the soules synterisis Did patron ze her peace with good fore-sight And to maintaine her princely port in blisse Restrain'd with lawes wild lust that walkes amisse Denouncing death or danger to her foes That darst gainst their states friend themselues appose Thus hath all times and tongues well entertained her Gods faithfull servant and mans fastest friend And those condemn'd to shame that haue disdeign'd her And if I augure right shall to the end When man in vaine doth gainst the Lord contend Ne can the state or pollititian misse her While he for his sweete Sions sake doth blisse her VVhose company giues comfort in distresse Two heades at neede yeeld more advice then one Two walkers in the way may falles redresse Two bodies sooner warme then post alone Two hands to helpe are better far then none How man man misse her comfort doe her right To passe the lingring day or tedious night Shee concord doth augment by consanguinity Sometimes shee standes the counterpawne of peace Shee doth enlardge loues boundes by new affinitie Shee arbitrating vmpire warres doth cease Shee still imploies the common-wealthes increase Her ympes in youth are loues sweete pawnes and
Yea while her silent heart doth thankes record Her restlesse notes do reach beyond the skie VVhose endlesse ioy was in her gratious Lord. To him in hymnes and tuned psalmodie VVhich did transmute her mones to melodie shee giues the glorie of her victories As David when he foyld his enemies The mighty Lord saith shee Is my defence and might My king my guide my God My champion for to fight The combate of my truth and conscience triall He is my Anchor-hold My refuge rest and port My horne of saving health and eke my strongest fort Gainst whose coÌ„mand there standeth no denial VVhen over-flowing floodes Of raging fierce despight And great commaund of Lordes And men of power and might With dreadful threats of death did make me quiver I did implore his aide In deepenesse of distresse VVho heard my â—ust complaint And wrought my due redresse He sent me aide and did my soule deliver On him therefore I will In danger crie and call VVho can both heere and helpe He heeres and helpeth all He none but he is worthie to be praised Deathes swallowing sorrowes hem'd Me round on ev'rie side VVith renting paines of hel In danger to haue dide But he my life from ravening graâ—e hath raised He from my strongest foes Hath set me captiue free Because he had a loue And favour vnto me WhoÌ„ cunningly they sought to haue prevented But while he held me vp I could not swaie nor swarue They sought in vaine to spill The thing he did preserue And so to late their labour lost repented By him I made escape From handes of Tyrantes stout His power did put them downe And helpe his hand-maide out That power also will strongly keep them vnder He trampleth with his feete Bold traitours that rebell He makes their hurtfull tongues Their owne destruction tell Thus for his saintes he acteth workes of wonder VVhose workes are all divine VVhose mercies manifold His waies past finding out his word as finest gold His iudgement iust his providence vnspotted O let thine arme O Lord My feeble hand susteine O let thy holy sp'rite VVithin my heart remaine O let thy loue be still to me allotted I looke with wakefull eles Vnto thine holy lawes Thy statutes are my staffe And stay in ev'ry cause To doe thy will my will I finde affected That which I see is ill And hatefull in thy sight That doe I seeke to shun And flie with maine and might Least that my soule by sin should be infected Thou art a living God O blest be thou my king VVhich hast thy servant freed From tempting Sathans sting And reard my fame on high by wicked wroÌ„ged And hast confounded them That sought my greatest ill By working of my heart Vnto a wicked will To act such lewd designes as lust had longed They fought to end my life And gaue me doome to die Because my holy faith I would not falsifie Pretending right they worke what wrong them listed They vsed power to put Integritie to shame And ment an innocent To burie in defame Hadst thou not Lord their iudgement false resisted Thus hast thou bin my God Most mercifull to me Not wonne by my desert But of thy mercie free My workes I know deserue to be reiected But thy kinde promise made To helpe the godlie heartes Doth binde thee more then all Our deedes or good desertes To keepe protect and saue thy saintes elected Therefore I will sowne foorth Thy praise to ev'rie eare And shew thine endlesse power To nations farre and neere To Sathans and his kingdomes great confusion I haue bin am and will Remaine thine handmaide still Mine heart my thoughtes mine eies Shall waite vpon thy will This is my vow and setled resolution Thus did shee spend her following time of life In heavens contemplation and delight And lived long a ioious happie wife Of passing cariage and a worthie wight A foe to frawd and fastest friend to right VVho living in the world no worldling was But prest to bring a world of good to passe And as a bird escaped from the ginne Thinkes ev'ry bended twigge to be a trappe So shee that dangerously had snared bin VVith true remembrance of her former hap Surveâ—es her steppes to shunne each afterclap And feares to giue a fawning eie good grace In old or young in noble or in base At length when age had plotted lifes decay And sicknesse wrought in weakenesse more and more And that shee thought death had no long delay Shee cald her children taught in godlie lore And did bestow these precepts kept in store VVho come in place with dutious loving hearts Shee thus to them her carefull minde impartes Deare children cease with sad lamenting griefe And malancholicke moanes to waile my state Your sobbing hearts doe yeeld me no reliefe But vexing torments in my heart innate Leaue then for plaintes and teares are not in date No no if they could life in body hold VVeaye would weepe we would buy teares for gold But vaine it is to kicke against a pricke And sinne to take Gods scourge impatiently My debt to death to pay I must not sticke For why you know that all are borne to die Then must I yeeld for ther's no remedie And pay my due that I to nature owe For time requires and God will haue it so The strongest Lyon stoopes to conqu'ring death The aged oake at length doth change his hue In time the long liv'd Phoenix leeseth breath Thrice aged Enoch yeeldes to natures due Sith then tis so and what I saie is true And time doth trie that all things must decaie Then sure I know I haue not long to staie Therefore marke well the counsaile that I giue Revolue it in your mindes my children deere For it shall most prevaile if that you liue VVhen friends and worldly goods you haue not heere First worship God and to his lawes giue eare Set him your load-starre and your lampe of light His lawes the line to lead your liues aright Vse diligence in doing of your dueties To those superiours rulers over you Doe good to all bend thereto all your studies Sing not the Syrens song that proues vntrue Though trothlesse Absalon be faire in view VVith Ionathan doe faithfull still remaine Shun Ismaels bloudie teares and subtill braine Plaie not the cowards in your countries good Spend in her canse your deerest breath and wealth And though prosperitie hath you withstood And frowning world denies gal-sugred pelfe Be not dismaide esteeme your heav'nlie health For that shall yeeld you comfort in distresse VVhen world and friends haue left you comfortlesse Flie still aspiring mindes yet seeke renowne VVin it by vertue and by manly might Franke not rebellious flesh but keepe it downe Like not those painted dames that doe delight Lyllies are fowle in smell though faire in sight And though they tice with baites with teeres with moanes Yet minde that painted tombes haue rotten bones My sonnes if you must liue in wedlocke bandes Loue for vertue