Skollops and returne the Shels Our sweet Pomgranats want their silver Bells We take the Gift the hand that did present it We oft reward forget the Friend that sent it A blessing given to those will not disburse Some thanks is little better then a curse Great giver of all blessings thou that art The Lord of Gifts give me a gratefull heart O give me that or keepe thy favours from me I wish no blessings with a Vengeance to me THE ARGVMENT Affrighted Manoah and his Wife Both prostrate on the naked earth Both rise The man despaires of life The woman cheares him Samsons birth Sect. 6. WHen time whose progresse mod'rates and out weares Th' extreamest passions of the highest fears By his benignant power had re-inlarg'd Their captive senses and at length discharg'd Their frighted thoughts the trembling couple rose From their unquiet and disturb'd repose Have you beheld a Tempest how the waves Whose unresisted Tyranny out-braves And threats to grapple with the darkned Skies How like to moving Mountaines they arise From their distempred Ocean and assaile Heav'ns Battlements nay when the windes dâ—e faile To breathe another blast with their owne motion They still are swelling and disturbe the Ocean Even so the Danite and his trembling wife Their yet confused thoughts are still at strife In their perplexed brests which entertain'd Continued feares too strong to be refrain'd Speechlesse they stood till Manoah that brake The silence first disclos'd his lips and spake What strange aspect was this that to our sight Appear'd so terrible and did affright Our scattering thoughts What did our eyes behold I feare our lavish tongues have bin too bold What speeches past betweene us Can'st recall The words we entertain'd the time withall It was no man It was no flesh and blood Me thought mine eares did â—ngle while he stood And commun'd with me At each word be spake Me thouâ—ht my heart recoil'd his voyce did shake My very Soule but when as he became So angry and so dainty of his name O how my wonder-smitteâ— heart began To faile O then I knâ—w it was no man No no It was the face of God Our eyes Have seene his face who ever saw 't but dies We are but dead Death dwells within his eye And we have seen 't and we shall surely die Where to the woman who did either hide Or else had overcome her feares replide Despairing Man take courage and forbeare These false predictions there 's no cause of feare Would Heaven accept our offerings and receive Our holy things and after that bereive His servants of their lives Can he be thus Pleas'd with our offerings unappeas'd with us Hath he not promis'd that the time shall come Wherein the fruits of my restored wombe Shall make thee father to a hopefull Sonne Can Heaven be false Or can these things be done When we are dead No no his holy breath Had spent in vaine if they had meant our death Recall thy needlesse feares Heaven cannot lye Although we saw his face we shall not dye So said they brake off their discourse and went He to the field and she into her Tent Thrice forty dayes not full compleat being come Within th'enclosure of her quickned wombe The Babe began to spring and with his motion Confirm'd the faith and quickned the devotion Of his beleeving parents whose devout And heaven-ascending Orizans no doubt Were turn'd to thanks and heart-rejoycing praise To holy Hymnes and heavenly Roundelaies The childe growes sturdy Every day gives strength Vnto his wombe-fed limmes till at the length Th'apparent mother having past the date Of her accompt does only now awaite The happy houre wherein she may obtaine Her greatest pleasure with her greatest paine When as the faire directresse of the night Had thrice three times repar'd her wained light Her wombe no longer able to retaine So great a guest betraid her to her paine And for the toilsome worke that she had done She found the wages of a new borne Sonne 〈◊〉 she call'd his name the childe encreast And hourely suckt a blessing with the brest Daily his strength did double He began To grow in favour both with God and Man His well attended Infancy was blest With sweetnesse in his Childhood he exprest True seeds of honour and his youth was crown'd With high and brave adventures which renown'd His honour'd name His courage was suppli'd With mighty strength His haughty spirit defide And hoast of men His power had the praise â—ove all that were before or since his dayes And to conclude Heav'n never yet conjoyn'd So strong a body with so stout a minde Meditat. 6. HOw pretious were those blessed dayes wherein Soules never startled at the name of Sin When as the voyce of death had never yet A mouth to open or to clame a debt When bashfull nakednesse forbare to call For needlesse skins to cover shame withall When as the fruit-encreasing earth obay'd The will of Man without the wound of spade Or helpe of Art When he that now remaines A cursed Captive to infernall chaines Sate singing Anthems in the heavenly Quire Among his fellow Angels When the Bryer The fruitlesse Bramble the fast growing weed And downy Thistle had as yet no seed When labour was not knowne and man did eate The earths faire fruits unearned with his sweate When wombs might have conceiv'd without the stain Of sin and brought forth children without paine When Heaven could speak to mans unfrighted eare Without the sense of Sin-begotten feare How golden were those dayes How happy than Was the condition and the State of man But Man obey'd not And his proud desire Cing'd her bold feathers in forbidden fire But Man transgrest And now his freedome feeles A sudden change Sinne followes at his heeles The voice calls Adam But poore Adam flees And trembling hides his face behind the trees The voice whilere that ravisht with delight His joyfull eare does now alas affright His wounded conscience with amaze and wonder And what of late was musicke now is Thunder How have our sinnes abus'd us and betrai'd Our desperate soules What strangenes have they made Betwixt the great Creator and the worke Of his owne hands How closely doe they lurke To our distempred soules and whisper feares And doubts into our frighted hearts and eares Our eyes cannot behold that glorious face Which is all life unruin'd in the place How is our nature chang'd That very breath Which gave us being is become our death Great God! O whither shall poore mortalls flie For comfort If they see thy face they dye And if thy life-restoring count'nance give Thy presence from us then we cannot live How necessary is the ruine than And misery of sin-beguiled Man On what foundation shall his hopes relie See wee thy face or see it not we dye O let thy Word great God instruct the youth And frailty of our faith Thy Word is truth And what our eyes want power to perceive O let our
gnaw Prometheus And let poore Ixion turne his endlesse wheele Let Nemesis torment with whips of steele They far come short t' expresse the paines of those That rage in Hell enwrapt in endlesse woes Where time no end and plaguâ—s finde no exemption Where cryes admit no helpe nor place redemption Where fier lacks no flame the flame no beat To make their torments sharpe and plagues compleaâ— Where wretched Soules to tortures bound shall beâ— Serving a world of yeares and not be Freâ— Where nothing's heard but yells and sudden cryes Where â—ier never flakes nor Worme e're dyes But where this Hell is plac'd my Muse stop there Lord shew me what it is but never where Mors tua 1. ¶ CAn he be faire that withers at a blast Or he be strong that ayery Breath can cast Can he be wise that knowes not how to live Or hee be rich that nothing hath to give Can he be young that 's feeble weake and wan So faire strong wise so rich so young is mâ—n So faire is Man that Death a parting Blast Blasts his faire flow'r and makes him Earth at last So strong is Man that with a gasping Breath Hee totters and bequeathes his strength to Deatâ— So wise is Man that if with Death he strive His wisedome cannot teach him how to live So rich is Man that all his Debts b'ing paid His wealth 's the winding-sheet wherein he 's laid So yong is Man that broke with care and sorrow He 's old enough to day to Dye to morrow Why brag'st thou theÌ„ thou worm of five-foot long Th' art neither faire nor strong nor wise nor rich nor 〈◊〉 Mors Christi 2. I Thurst and who shall quench this eager Thurst I grieve and with my griefe my heart will burst I grieve because I thurst without reliefe I thurst because my Soule is burnt with griefe I thurst and dry'd with griefe my heart will dye I grieve and thurst the more for Sorrow's dry The more I grieve the more my thurst appeares Would God I had not griev'd out all my teares I thurst and yet my griefes have made a Floud But teares are salt I grieve and thurst for blood I grieve for blood must send reliefe I thurst for blood for blood for blood must ease my griefe I thurst for sacred blood of a deare Lambe I grieve to thinke from whence that deare blood came 'T was shed for me O let me drinke my fill Although my griefe remaine entier still O soveraigne pow'r of that Vermilian Spring Whose vertue neither heart coÌ„ceives nor tongue can sing Fraus Mundi 3. I Love the World as Clients love the Lawes To manage the uprightnesse of my Cause The World loves me as Shepheards doe their flockes To rob and spoile them of their fleecy lockes I love the World and use it as mine Inne To bait and rest my tyred sarkeise in The World loves me For what To make her 〈◊〉 For filthy sinne she sels me timely shame She 's like the Basiliske by whose sharpe eyes The living object first discover'd dyes Forth from her eyes empoysoned beames do durâ—â— Dyes like a Basiliske discerned first We live at jarres as froward Gamesters doe Still guarding nor regarding others foe I love the World to serve my turne and leave her 'T is no deceit to coâ—zen a Deceiver She 'll not misse me I lesse the world shall misse To lose a world of griefe t' enjoy a world of Blâ—sse Gloria Coeli 4. EArth stands immov'd and fixt her situation Admits no locall change no alteration Heaven alway moves renewing still his place And ever sees us with another Face Earth standeth fixt yet there I live opprest Heaven alway mooves yet there is all my rest Enlarge thy selfe my Soule with meditation Mount there and there bespeake thy habitatioâ— Where joies are full pure not mixt with mourniâ—â— All endlesse and from which is no returning No theft no cruell murther harbours there No hoary-headed Care no sudden Feare No pinching want no griping-fast oppression Nor Death the stipend of our first transgression But dearest Friendship Love and lasting Plâ—â—sure Still there abides without or stint or measure Fulnesse of Riches comfâ—â—â—t sempeternall Excesse without a surfetting And Life Eternall Dolor Inferni 5. THe Trump shall blow the dead awak'd shal rise And to the Clouds shall turn their wondring eies The heav'ns shal ope the Bridegroom forth shal come To judge the World and give the World her doome Ioy to the Iust to others endlesse smart To those the Voyce bids Come to these Depart Depart from Life yet dying live for ever For ever dying be and yet Dye never Depart like Dogs with Devils take your lot Depart like Devils for I know you not Like Dogs like Devils goe Goe howle and barke Depart in darknesse for your deeds were darke Let râ—aring be your Musicke and your Food Be flesh of Vipers and your drinke their blood Let Fiends afflict you with Reproach and Shame Depart depart into Eternall Flame If Hell the Guerdon then of Sinners be Lord give me Hell on earth Lord give mee heav'n with thee vv vv Iam deâ—ine Tibia versus FINIS Hadassa Horat. Ode 6. â—onamur tenues grandia nec pudor â—mbellisque Lyrae Musapotens vetat By Fra. Quarles LONDON Printed for IOHN MARRIOT 1632. A PREFACE TO THE READER A Sober veine best suits Theologie If therefore thou expect'st such Elegancy as takes the times affect some subject as will beare it Had I laboured with over-abundaÌ„ce of fictions or flourishes perhaps they had exposed mee censurable and disprized this sacred subject Therefore I rest more sparing in that kinde Two things I would treate of First the matter secondly the manner of this History As for the matter so farre as I have dealt it is Canonicall and indited by the holy Spirit of God not lyable to errour and needs no blanching In it Theologie sits as Queene attended by her handmaid Philosophy both concurring to make the understanding Reader a good Divine and a wise Moralist As for the Divinitie it discovers the Almighty in his two great Attributes in his Mercy delivering his Church in his Iustice confounding her enemies As for the Morality it offers to us the whole practick part of Philosophy dealt 〈◊〉 into Ethicks Politicks and Oeconomickâ— 1. The Ethical part the object wherof is thâ— manners of a private man ranges throâ—â—â— the whole booke and empties it selfe 〈◊〉 the Catalogue of Morall vertues either thâ—â— that governe the body as Fortitude Châ—â— 9. 2. and Temperance Chap. 1. 8. or thoâ—â— which direct the soule either in outwaâ—â— things as Liberalitie Chap 1. 3. Magnifâ—cence Chap. 1. 6. Magnanimity Chap. 2. â— and Modesty Chap. 6. 12. or in conversatioâ— as Iustice Chap. 7. 9. Mansuetude Chap 5 c. 2. The Politicall part the object whereof publike Societie instructs first in the behaviour of a Prince to his Subject in punishâ—â— his vice Chap 7. 10. in rewarding of vertuâ—
try'd Yet hath his boldnesse termâ—d himselfe upright And tax't th' Almighty for not doing right His Innocence with Heaven doth he plead And that unjustly he was punished O Purity by Impudence suborn'd He scorn'd his Maker and is justly scorn'd Farre be it from the heart of man that He Who is all Iustice yet unjust should be Each one shall reape the harvest he hath sowne His meed shall measure what his hands hath done Who is 't can claim the Worlds great Soveraignty Who rais'd the Rafters of the Heavens but He If God should breathe on man or take away The breath he gave him what were man but Clay O let thy heart th' unbridled tongue conuince Say Dare thy lips defame an earthly Prince How darst thou then maligne the King of Kings To whom great Princes are but poorest things He kicks down kingdoms spurns th'emperial crown And with his blast puffes mighty Monarchs down 'T is vaine to strive with him and if he strike Our part 's to beare not fondly to mislike Misconstruing the nature of his drift But husband his corrections to our thrift If he afflict our best is to implore His â—lessing with his Rod and sin no more What if our torments passe the bounds of measure It unbefits our wils to stint his pleasure Iudge then and let th' impartiall world advise How farre poore Iob thy judgement is from wise Nor are these speeches kindled with the fire Of a distempred spleene but with desire T' inrich thy wisdome lest thy fury tye Presumption to thy rash infirmity Meditat. 16. FOr mortals to be borne waxe old and dye Lyes not in Will but bare Necessity Common to beasts which in the selfe degree Hold by the selfe-same Patient even as we But to be wiâ—e is a diviner action Of the discursive Soule a pure abstraction Of all her powers united in the Will Ayming at Good rejecting what is Ill It is an Influence of inspired breath Vnpurchased by birth unlost by death Entail'd to no man no not free to all Yet gently answers to the eager cal Of those that with inflam'd affections seeke Respecting tender youth and age alike In depth of dayes her spirit not alway lyes Yeeres make man Old but heaven returnes him Wise Youths Innocence nor riper ages strength Can challenge her as due Desired length Of dayes produced to decrepit yeeres Fill'd with experience and grizly hayres Can claime no right th' Almighty ne're engages His gifts to times nor is he bound to Ages His quickning Spirit to sucklings oft reveales What to their doting Grandsires he conceales The vertue of his breath can unbenumme The frozen lips and strike the speaker dumme Who put that moving power into his tongue Whose lips did right the chast Susanna's wrong Vpon her wanton false Accusers death What secret fire inflam'd that fainting breath That blasted Pharo Or those ruder tongues That schoold the faithlesse Prophet for the wrongs He did to sacred Iustice matters not How sleight the meane be in it selfe or what In our esteemes so wisedome be the message Embassadours are worthied in th'Embassage God sowes his harvest to his best increase And glorifies himselfe how e're he please Lord if thou wilt for what is hard to thee I may a Factour for thy glory bee Then grant that like a faithfull servant I May render backe thy stocke with Vsury THE ARGVMENT God reapes no gaine by mans best deeds Mans misery from himselfe proceeds Gods Mercy and Iustice are unbounded In workes of Nature man is grounded Sect. 17. ELihu thus his pausing lips againe Disclos'd said rash Ioâ— dost thou maintaine A rightfull cause which in conclusion must A vow thee blamelesse and thy God unjust Thy lawlesse words implying that it can Advantage none to live an upright man My tongue shall schoole thee and thy friends that would Perchance refell thy reasons if they could Behold thy glorious Makers greatnesse see The power of his hand say then can He Be damag'd by thy sinne or can He raise Advantage by the uprightnesse of thy wayes True the afflicted languish oft in griefe And roare to heaven unanswer'd for reliefe Yet is not Heaven unjust for their fond cry Their sinne bewailes not but their misery Cease then to make him guilty of thy crimes And waite his pleasure that 's not bound to times Nor heares vaine words The sorrowes thou art in Are sleight or nothing ballanc'd with thy sin Thy lips accuse thee and thy foolish tongue To right thy selfe hath done th' Almighty wrong Hold back thine answer let thy flowing streame Find passage to surround my fruitfull Theame I 'le raise my thoughts to plead my Makers case And speake as shall befit so high a place Behold th' Almighitie's meeke as well as strong Destroyes the wicked rights the just mans wrong Mounts him to honour If by chance he stray Instructs and shewes him where he lost his way If he returne his blessing shall encrease Crowning his joyes with plenty and sweet peace If not th' intailed sword shall ne're depart His stained house but pierce his hardned heart Ah sinfull Iob these plagues had never bin Had'st thou beene guiltlesse as thou boasts of sin But thy proud lips against their Maker plead And draw downe heapes of vengeance on thy head Looke to thy selfe seek not to understand The secret causes of th' Eternals hand Let wisdome make the best of misery Know who inflicts it aske no reason why He will's beyond thy reach and his Divine And sacred knowledge farre surpasseth thine Ah! rather praise him in his workes that lye Wide open to the world before thine eye His meaner Acts our highest thoughts o'retops He pricks the clouds stils down the raine by drops Who comprehends the lightning or the thunder Who sees who heares theÌ„ unamaz'd with wonder My troubled heart chils in my quivering brest To relish these things and is dispossest Of all her powers who ever heard the voyce Of th' angry heavens unfrighted at the noyse The beast by nature daz'd with sudden dread Seekes out for covert to secure his head If God command the dusky clouds march forth Into a Tempest From the freezing North He beckens Frost and Snow and from the South He bloweth Whirlewinds with his angry Mouth Presumptuous Ioâ— if thou canst not aspire So high to comprehend these things admire Know'st thou the progresse of the rambling clouds From mortal eyes when gloomy darkness shrouds The lamps of heaven know'st thou the reason why Can'st thou unriddle heavens Philosophy Know'st thou th' unconstant nature of the weather Or whence so many Winds proceed and whither Wer 't thou made privy or a standerâ—by When God stretcht forth his spangled Canopy Submit thy selfe and let these secâ—ets teach How farre his Myst'ries doe surmount thy reach For Hee 's Almighty and his sacred will Is just nor renders an unearned ill His workes are objects for no soaring eyes But wheresoe're he lookes he findes none wise Meditat. 17. THe World
Strangers Fate Should be neglective of his owne estate Where is this love become in later age Alas 't is gone in endlesse pilgrimage From hence and never to returne I doubt 'Till revolution wheele those times about Chill brests have starv'd her here and she is driven Away and with Astraea fled to heaven Poore Charity that naked Babe is gone Her honey's spent and all her store is done Her winglesse Bees can finde out ne're a bloome And crooked Aâ—â— doth usurpe her roome Nepenthe's dry and Love can get no drinke And curs'd Arâ—enâ—e flowes above the brinke Brave Mariners the world your names shal hallow Admiring that in you that none dare follow Your friendship 's rare and your conversion straÌ„ge From Paganisme to zeale A sudden change Those men doe now the God of heaven implore That bow'd to Puppets but an houre before Their zeale is fervent though but new begun Before their egge-shels were done off they runne And when bright Phoebus in a Summer tide New risâ—n from the bosome of his Bride Enveloped with misty fogges at length Breakes forth displaies the mist with Southerne strength Even so these Mariners of peerlesse mirrour Their faith b'ing veil'd within the mist of errour At length their zeale chac'd ignorance away They left their Puppets and began to pray ¶ Lord how unlimited are thy confines That still pursu'st man in his good designes Thy mercy 's like the dew of Hermon hill Or like the Oyntment dropping downward still From Aarons head to beard from beard to foote So doe thy mercies drench us round about Thy love is boundlesse Thou art apt and free To turne to Man when Man returnes to thee THE ARGVMENT They cast the Prophet over boord The storme alay'd They feare the Lord A mighty Fish him quick devoures Where he remained many houres Sect. 6. EVen as a member whose corrupted sore Infests and rankles eating more and more Threatning the bodies losse if not prevented The wise chirurgion all faire meanes attented Cuts off and with advised skil doth choose To lose a part then all the body lose Even so the feeble Sailors that addresse Their idle armes where heaven denyes successe Forbeare their thrivelesse labours and devise To roote that Evill from whence their harms arise Treason is in their thoughts and in their eares Danger revives the old and addes new feares Their hearts grow fierce and every soule applies T' abandon mercy from his tender eyes They cease t' attempt what heaven so long withstood And bent to kill their thoughts are all on blood They whisper oft each word is Deaths Alarme They hoyst him up Each lends a busie arme And with united powers they entombe His out-cast body in Thetis angry wombe Whereat grim Neptune wip't his fomy mouth Held his tridented Mace upon the South The windes were whist the billows danc't no more The storme allay'd the heavens left off to rore The waves obedient to their pilgrimage Gave ready passage and surceast their rage The skie grew cleare and now the welcome light Begins to put the gloomy clouds to flight Thus all on sudden was the Sea tranquill The Heav'ns were quiet and the Waves were still As when a friendly Creditor to get A long forborne and much-concerning debt Still plies his willing debter with entreats Importunes daily daily thumps and beates The batter'd Portals of his tyred eares Bedeafing him with what he knowes and heares The weary debter to avoid the sight He loathes shifts here and there and ev'ry night Seekes out Protection of another bed Yet ne'rethelesse pursu'd and followed His eares are still laid at with lowder volley Of harder Dialect He melancholy Sits downe and sighs and after long foreslowing T' avoid his presence payes him what is owing The thankfull Creditor is now appeas'd Takes leave and goes away content and pleas'd Even so these angry waves with restlesse rage Accosted Ionas in his pilgrimage And thundred Iudgement in his fearefull eare Presenting Hubbubs to his guilty feare The waves rose discontent the Surges beat And every moments death the billowes threat The weather-beaten Ship did every minuit Await destruction while hee was in it But when his long expected corps they threw Into the deepe a debt through trespasse due The Seagrew kinde and all her frownes abated Her face was smooth to all that navigated 'T was sinfull Ionah made her storme and rage 'T was sinfull Ionah did her storme asswage With that the Mariners astonisht were And fear'd Iehovah with a mighty feare Offring up Sacrifice with one accord And vowing solemne vowes unto the Lord. But he whose word can make the earth's foundatioÌ„ Tremble and with his Word can make cessation Whose wrath doth mouÌ„t the waves toss the Seas And make theÌ„ calme smooth wheÌ„ e're he please This God whose mercy runs on endlesse wheele And puls like Iacob Iustice by the heele Prepar'd a Fish prepar'd a mighty Whale Whose belly was both prison-house and baile For retchlesse Ionah As the two leaf'd doore Opens to welcome home the fruitfull store Wherewith the harvest quits the Plowmans hope Even so the great Leviathan set ope His beame-like Iawes prepar'd for such a boone And at a morsell swallow'd Ionah downe 'Till dewy-check't Aurora's purple dye Thrice dappell'd had the ruddy morning skie And thrice had spred the Curtaines of the morne To let in Titan when the day was borne Ionah was Tenant to this living Grave Embowel'd deepe in this stupendious Cave Meditat. 6. LO Death is now as alwaies it hath bin The just procured stipend of our sinne Sinne is a golden Causie and a Road Garnisht with joyes whose pathes are even broad But leads at length to death and endlesse griefe To torments and to paines without reliefe Iustice feares none but maketh all afraid And then fals hardest when t is most delaid But thou reply'st thy sinnes are daily great Yet thou sittst uncontrold upon thy seat Thy wheat doth flourish and thy barnes do thrive Thy sheepe encrease thy sonnes are all alive And thou art buxom and hast nothing scant Finding no want of any thing but want Whil'st others whom the â—quint-ey'd world counts holy Sit sadly drooping in a melancholy With brow dejected and downe-hanging head Or take of almes or poorely begge their bread But young man know there is a Day of doome The Feast is good untill the reck'ning come The time runnes fastest where is least regard The stone that 's long in falling falleth hard There is a dying day thou prosp'rous foole When all thy laughter shall be turn'd to Doole Thy roabes to tort'ring plagues fel tormenting Thy whoops of Ioy to howles of sad lamenting Thy tongue shall yell and yawle and never stop And wish a world to give for one poore drop To flatter thine intolerable paine The wealth of Pluto could not then obtaine A minutes freedome from that hellish rout Whose fire burnes and never goeth out Nor house nor land not measur'd heaps of wealth
Can render to a dying man his health Our life on earth is like a thred of flax That all may touch and being roucht it craks ¶ As when an Archer shooteth for his sport Sometimes his shaft is gone sometimes 't is short Somtimes o' th left haÌ„d wide sometimes o' th right At last through often tryall hits the White So death sometimes with her uncertaine Rover Hits our Superiours and so shoots over Sometimes for change shee strikes the meaner sort Strikes our Inferiours and then comes short Sometimes upon the left hand wide shee goes And so still wounding some shee strikes our foes And sometimes wide upon the right hand bends There with Imperiall shafts she strikes our friends At length through often triall hits the White And so strikes us into Eternall night ¶ Death is a Kalender compos'd by Fate Concerning all men never out of Date Her dayes Dominicall are writ in blood She shewes more bad daies than she sheweth good She tels when dayes monthes termes expire Meas'ring the lives of mortals by her squire ¶ Death is a Pursivant with Eagles wings That knocks at poore mens door gates of Kings Worldling beware betime death sculks behind thee And as she leaves thee so will Iudgement find thee THE ARGVMENT Within the bowels of the Fish Ionah laments in great anguish God heard his pray'r at whose command The Fish disgorg'd him on the Land Sect 7. THen Ionah turn'd his face to heav'n and pray'd Within the bowels of the Whale and said I cry'd out of my balefull misery Vnto my God and he hath heard my cry From out the paunch of hell I made a noyse And thou hast answer'd me and heard my voyce Into the Deeps and bottome thou hast throwne me Thy Surges and thy Waves have past upon me Then Lord aid I from thy refulgent sight I am expell'd I am forsaken quite Nay'thelesse while these my wretched eyes remaine Vnto thy Temple will I looke againe The boystrous Waters compast me about My body threats to let her pris'ner out The boundlesse depth enclosed me almost dead The weeds are wrapt about my fainting head I liv'd on earth rejected at thine hand And a perpetuall pris'ner in the Land Yet thou wilt cause my life t' ascend at length From out this pit O Lord my God my Strength When as my soule was over-whelm'd and faint I had recourse to thee did thee acquaint With the condition of my woefull case My cry came to thee in thine holy Place Who so to Vanities themselves betake Renounce thy mercies and thy love for sake To thee I 'le sacrifice in endlesse dayes With voyce of thankes and ever-sounding praise I 'le pay my vowes for all the world records With one consent Salvation is the Lords But he whose word 's a deed whose breath 's a law Whose just command implies a dreadfull awe Whose Word prepar'd a Whale upon the Deepe To tend and wait for Ionah's fall and keepe His out-cast body safe and soule secure This very God whose mercy must endure When heaven earth when sea all things faile Disclos'd his purpose and bespake the Whale To redeliver Ionah to his hand Whereat the Whale disgorg'd him on the land Medita 7. I Well record a holy Father sayes He teaches to deny that faintly prayes The suit surceases when desire failes But whoso prayes with fervency prevailes For Prayr's the key that opes th' eternall gate And findes admittance whether earl ' or late It forces audience it unlockes the eare Of heavens great God though deafe it makes him heare Vpon a time Babel the worlds faire Queene Made drunk with choller and enrag'd with spleen Through fell disdaine derraigned war 'gainst them That tender homage to Ierusalem A maiden-fight it was yet they were strong As men of Warre The Battaile lasted long Much blood was shed an spilt on either side That all the ground with purple gore was dyde In fine a Souldier of Ierusalem Châ—â—â—ssa hight the Almner of the Realme Chill'd with an ague and unapt to fight Into Iustitia's Castle too her flight Whereat great Babets Queene commanded all To lay their siege against the Castle wall But poore Tymissa not with warr acquainted Fearing Charissa's death fell downe and fainted Dauntlesse Prudentia rear'd her from the ground Where she lay pale and senselesse in a swound She rub'd her temples and at length awaking She gave her water of Fidissa's making And said Cheare up deare sister though our foe Hath tane us Captives thus besieg'd with woe We have a King puissant and of might Will see us take no wrong and doe us right If we possesse him with our sad complaint Cheare up wee 'l send to him and him acquaint Tymissa new awak'd from swound replies Our Castle is begirt with enemies And troops of armed men besiege our walls Then suer Death or worse than death befalls To her who ere she be that stirs a foote Or rashly dares attempt to venture out Alas what hope have wee to finde reliefe And want the meanes that may divulge our griefe Within that place a jolly Matron dwell'd Whose lookes were fixt and sad her left hand held A paire of equall ballances her right A two-edg'd sword her eyes were quicke bright Not apt to squint but nimble to discerne Her visage lovely was yet bold and sterne â—â—r name Iustitia to her they make Their moane who well advis'd them thus bespake Faire Maidens more beloved then the light â—rue the suffrance of your wofull plight â—ut pitty's fond alone recures no griefe â—ut fruitlesse fals unlesse it yeeld reliefe Cheare up I have a Messenger in store Whose speed is much but faithfull trust is more Whose nimble wings shall cleave the flitting skies And scorne the terrour of your enemies â—ratio hight well knowne unto your King Your message she shall doe and tydings bring Provided that Fidissa travaile with her And so on Christs name let them goe together With that Fidissa having ta'ne her errant And good Oratio with Iustitia's Warrant In silence of the midnight tooke her flight Arriving at the Court that very night But they were both as flames of fier hot For they did fly as swift as Cannon shot But they left sudden cold should do them harme Together clung and kept each other warme But now the kingly gates were sparr'd and lockt They call'd but none made answer theÌ„ they knockt Together jâ—yning both their force in one They knockt againe Yet answer there was none But they that never learn'd to take deniall With importunity made further triall The King heard well although he list not speake Till they with strokes the gate did wel-nie breake In fine the brazen gates flew open wide Oratio moov'd her suit The King replide â—ratio was a faire and welcome guest So heard her suit so granted her request Fraile man observe In thee the practice lies Let sacred Meditation moralize Let Pray'r bee servent and thy Faith intire And
first descend before the ball rebound It must be throwne with force against the ground The seed increases not in fruitfull eares Nor can she reare the goodly stalke she beares Vnlesse bestrow'd upon a mould of earth And made more glorious by a second birth So man before his wisedome can bring forth The brave exploits of truly noble worth Or hope the granting of his sinnes remission He must be humbl'd â—â—rst in sad contrition The plant through want of skill or by neglect If it be planted from the Sunnes reflect Or lacke the dew of seasonable showres Decayes and beareth neither fruit nor flowres So wretched Man if his repentance hath No quickning Sun-shine of a liuely Faith Or not bedew'd with showres of timely teares Or workes of mercy wherein Faith appeares His prayers and deeds and all his forced groanes Are like the howles of dogs and works of Drones The wise Chirurgeon first by letting blood Weakens his Patient ere he does him good Before the Soule can a true comfort finde The body must be prostrate and the minde Truly repentive and contrite within And loathe the fawning of a bosome sin But Lord Can Man deserve Or can his best Doe Iustice equall right which he transgrest When Dust and Ashes mortally offends Can Dust and Ashes make eternall mends Is Heaven unjust Must not the recompence Be full equivalent to the offence What mends by mortall Man can then be given To the offended Majesty of Heaven O Mercy Mercy on thee my Soule relyes On thee we build our Faith we bend our eyes Thou fill'st my empty strain thou fill'st my tongue Thou art the subject of my Swan-like song Like pinion'd pris'ners at the dying tree Our lingring hopes attend and wait on thee Arrain'd at Iustice barre prevent our doome To thee with joyfull hearts wee cheerly come Thou art our Clergy Thou that dearest Booke Wherein our fainting eyes desire to looke In thee we trust to read what will release us In bloody Characters that name of IESVS ¶ What shall we then returne the God of heaven Where nothing is Lord nothing can be given Our soules our bodies strength and all our pow'rs Alas were all too little were they ours Or shall wee burne untill our life expires An endlesse Sacrifice in Holy fires ¶ My Sacrifice shall bee my HEART intire My Christ the Altar and my Zeale the Fire THE ARGVMENT The Prophet discontented praye To God that he would end his dayes God blames his wrath so unreprest Reproves his unadvis'd request Sect 11. BVt this displeasing was in Ionah's eyes His heart grew hot his blood began to rise His eyes did sparkle and his teeth strucke fire His veines did boyle his heart was full ire At last brake forth into a strange request These words he pray'd and mumbl'd out the rest Was not O was not this my though O Lord Before I fled Nay was not this my word The very word my jealous language vented When this mis-hap might well have beene prevented Was there O was there not a just suspect My preaching would procure this effect For Lord I knew of old thy tender love I knew the pow'r thou gav'st my tongue would move Their Adamantine hearts I knew 't would thaw Their frozen spirits and breed relenting awe I knew great God upon their true repentance That thou determin'dst to reverse thy sentence For well I knew thou were a gracious God Of long forbearance slow to use the Rod I knew the power of thy Mercies bent The strength of all thy other workes outwent I knew the tender kindnesse and how loath Thou wert to punish and how slow to wrath Turning by Iudgements and thy plagues preventing Thy minde rever sing and of ev'll repenting Therefore O therefore upon this perswasion I fled to Tarshish there to make evasion To save thy credit Lord to save mine owne For when this blast of zeale is over-blowne And sackcloth left and they surcease to mourne When they like dogs shall to their vomit turne They 'll vilipend thy Sacred Word and scoffe it Saying was that a God or this a Prophet They 'll scorne thy judgements and thy threats despise And call thy Prophets Messengers of lyes Now therefore Lord bow downe attentive eare For ah my burthen's more than flâ—sh can beare Make speed O Lord and banish all delayes T' extinguish now the Taper of my dayes Let not the minutes of my time extend But let my wretched houres finde an end Let not my fainting spirits longer stay In this fraile mansion of distempered clay The threds but weake my life depends upon O cut that thred and let my life be done My brest stands faire strike then and strike againe For nought but dying can asswage my paine O may I rather dye than live in shame Better it is to leave and yeeld the game Than toyle for what at length must needs be lost O kill me for my heart is sore imbost This latter boone unto thy servant give For better 't is for me to dye than live So wretched Ionah But Iehovah thus What boot's it so to storme outragious Becomes it thus my servants heart to swell Can anger helpe thee Ionah dost thou well Medita 12. HOw poore a thing is maÌ„ How vain 's his mind How straÌ„ge how base wav'ring like the wind How uncouth are his wayes how full of danger How to himselfe is hee himselfe a stranger His heart 's corrupt and all his thoughts are vaine His actions sinfull and his words prophane His will 's deprav'd his senses are beguil'd His reason 's darke his members all defil'd His hasty feet are swift and prone to ill His guilty hands are ever bent to kill His tongue 's a spunge of venome or of worse Her practice is to sweare his skill to curse His eyes are fire-bals of lustfull fire And outward helps to inward foule desire His body is a well-erected station But full of folly and corrupted passion Fond love and raging lust and foolish feares Griefes overwhelmed with immoderate teares Excessive joy prodigious desire Vnholy anger red and hot as fire These daily clog the soule that 's fast in prison From whose encrease this lucklesse bâ—ood is risen Respectlesse pride and lustfull idlenesse Base ribbauld talke and loathsome drunkennesse Faithlesse Despaire and vaine Curiosity Both false yet double-tongu'd Hypocrisie Soft flattery and haughty-ey'd Ambition Heart-gnawing Hatred and squint-ey'd Suspition Selfe-eating Enâ—y envious Detraction Hopelesse distrust and too-too sad Dejection Revengefull Malice hellish Blasphemy Idolatry and light Inconstancy Daring Presumption wry-mouth'd Derisson Damned Apostasie Fond superstition ¶ What heedfull watch Ah what continuall ward How great respect and howerly regard Stands man in hand to have when such a brood Of furious hel-hounds seeke to suck his blood Day night and hower they rebell and wrastle And never cease till they subdue the Castle ¶ How slight a thing is man how fraile and brittle How seeming great is he How truly little
Within the bosome of his holiest works Some hidden Embers of old Adaâ— lurkes Which oftentimes in men of purest wayes Burst out in flame and for a season blaze ¶ Lord teach our hearts and give our soules directions Subdue our passions curb our stout affections Nip thou the bud before the bloome begins Lord shield thy servants from presumptuous sins THE ARGVMENT A Booth for shelter Ionaâ— made God sent a Gourd for better shade But by the next approching light God sent a Worme consum'd it quite Sect. 12. SO Ionah sore opprest and heavie-hearted From out the Cities circuit straight departed Departed to the Easterne borders of it Where sicke with anguish sate this sullen Prophet He built a Booth and in the Booth he sate Vntill some few dayes had expir'd their date With over-tedious pace where he might see What would betide to threatned Nineveh A trunke that wanteth sap is soone decay'd The slender Booth of boughes and branches made Soone yeelding to the Sun's consuming Ray Crumbled to dust and early dry'd away Whereat the great Iehovah spake the word And over Ionah's head there sprang a Gourd Whose roots were fixt within the quickning earth Which gave it nourishment as well as birth God raised up a Gourd a Gourd should last Let winde or scorching Sun or blow or blast As coales of fier rak'd in embers lye Obscure and undiscerned by the eye But being stirr'd regaine a glimm'ring light Revive and glow burning afresh and bright So Ionah 'gan to cheere through this reliefe And joyfull was devoyded all his griefe He joy'd to see that God had not forgot His drooping servant and forsooke him not He joy'd in hope the Gourds strange wonder will Perswade the people hee 's a Prophet still The fresh aspect did much refresh his sight The herball savour gave his sense delight Thus Ionah much delighted in his Gourd Enjoy'd the pleasures that it did affoord But Lord what earthly thing can long remaine How momentany are they and how vaine How vaine is earth that man 's delighted in it Her pleasures rise and vanish in a minit How fleeting are the joyes we finde below Whose tides uncertaine oftner ebbe than flow For see this Gourd that was so faire and sound Is quite consum'd and eaten to the ground No sooner Titan had up-heav'd his head From off the pillow of his Saffron bed But heav'n prepar'd a silly silly worme Perchance brought thither by an Eastern storme The worme that must obey and well knew how Consum'd the Gourd nor left it root nor bough Consum'd it straight within a minutes space Left nought but sleeping Ionas in the place Medit. 12. ¶ THe pleasures of the world which soon abate Are lively Emblemes of our owne estate Which like a Banquet at a Fun'rall show But sweeten griefe and serve to flatter woe ¶ Pleasure is fleeting still and makes no stay It lends a smile or twaine and steales away ¶ Man's life is fickle full of winged haste It mockes the sense with joy and soone does waste ¶ Pleasure does crown thy youth Iuls thy wants But sullen age approaching straight avaunts ¶ Man's life is joy and sorrow seekes to banish It doth lament and mourne in age and vanish ¶ The time of pleasure 's like the life of Man Both joyfull both contained in a span Both highly priz'd and both on sudden lost When most we trust them they deceive us most What fit of madnesse makes us love them thus We leave our lives and pleasure leaveth us Why what is pleasure But a golden dreame Which waking makes our waÌ„ts the more extreme And what is Life A bubble full of care Which prickt by death straight empties into ayre The flowers clad in farre more rich aray Than e're was Salomon doe soone decay What thing more sweet or fairer then a flowre And yet it bloomes and fades within an houre What greater pleasure then a rising Sun Yet is this pleasure every evening done But thou art heyre to Croesus and thy treasure Being great and endlesse endlesse is thy pleasure But thou thou Croesus heyre consider must Thy wealth and thou came from and goes to dust Another's noble and his name is great And takes his place vpon a lofty seat True 't is but yet his many wants are such That better 't were he were not knowne so much Another binds his soule in Hymens knot His Spouse is chast unblemisht with a spot But yet his comfort is bedasht and done His grounds are stockt and now he wants a sonne ¶ How fickle and unconstant's Mans estate Man fain would have but then he knows not what And having rightly knowes not how to prize it But like that foolish Dunghill-cock imployes it But who desires to live a life content Wherein his Cruze of joy shall ne're be spent With fierce pursuit let him that good desire Whose date no change no fortune can expire For that 's not worth the craving to obtaine A happinesse that must be lost againe Nor that which most doe covet most is best Best are the goods mixt with contented rest Gasp not for honour wish no blazing glory For these will perish in an ages story Nor yet for power power may be carv'd To fooles as well as thee that hast deserv'd Thirst not for Lands nor Money wish for none For wealth is neither lasting nor our owne Riches are faire inticements to deceive us They flatter while we live and dying leave us THE ARGVMENT Ionas desires to die the Lord Rebukes him be maintaines his word His anger hee doth justifie God pleads the cause for Ninevie Sect. 13. WHen ruddy Phoebus had with morning light Subdu'd the East put the stars to flight Heav'ns hand prepar'd a servent Easterne winde Whose drought together with the Sun combin'd The one as bellowes blowing t'others fire With strong united force did both conâ—pire To make assault upon the fainting head Of helplesse Ionah that was well nye dead Who turning oft and tossing to and fro As they that are in torments use to doe And restlesse finding no successe of ease But rather that his tortures still encrease His secret passion to his soule betraid Craving no sweeter boone then death and said O kill me Lord or loe my heart will rive For better 't is for me to dye than live So said The Lord did interrupt his passion And said How now is this a seemely fashion Doth it become my servants heart to swell Can anger helpe thee Ionah dost thou well Is this a â—it speech or a well-plac'd word What art thou angry Ionah for a Gourd What if th' Arabians with their ruder traine Had kild thine Oxen and thy Cattell slâ—ine What if consuming fier falne from heaven Had all thy servants of their lives bereaven And burnt thy sheepe What if by strong oppression The Chaldees had usurp'd unjust possession Vpon thy Camels Or had Boreas blowne His full-mouth'd blast and cast thy houses downe And slâ—ine thy sonnes amid
Charity be wanting nought a vailes me ¶ Lord in my Soule a spirit of Love create me And I will love my Brother if he hate me In nought but love let me envy my betters And then Forgive my debts as I my detters 8. ¶ I Finde a true resemblance in the growth Of Sin and Man A like in breeding both The Soul 's the Mother and the Devill Syer Who lusting long in mutuall desier Enjoy their Wils and joyne in Copulation The Seed that fils her wombe is foule Tentation The sinnes Conception is the Soules coâ—sent And then it quickens when it breeds content The birth of Sin is finisht in the action And Custome brings it to its full perfection ¶ O let my fruitlesse Soule be barren rather Then bring forth such a Child for such a Father Or if my Soule breed Sinne not being wary Let not her wombe bring forth or else miscarry She is thy Spouse O Lord doe thou advise her Keepe thou her chast Let not the Fiend entice her Try thou my heart Thy Trials bring Salvation But let me not be led into temptation 9. ¶ FOrtune that blinde supposed Goddesse is Still rated at if ought suceed amisse 'T is shee the vaine abuse of Providence That beares the blame wheÌ„ others make th' offence When this mans barne finds not her wonted store Fortun 's condâ—mn'd because she sent no more If this man dye or that man live too long Fortun 's accus'd and she hath done the wrong Ah foolish Dolls and like â—our Goddesse blinde You make the fault and call your Saint unkinde For when the cause of Ev'll begins in Man Th' effect ensues from whence the cause began Then know the reason of thy discontent Thy ev'll of Sinne makes the Ev'll of punishment ¶ Lord hold me up or spurre mee when I fall So shall my Ev'll bee just or not at all Defend me from the World the Flesh the Devill And so thou shalt deliver me from Evill 10. ¶ THe Priestly Skirts of A'rons holy coate I kisse and to my morning Muse devote Had never King in any age or Nation Such glorious Robes set forth in such a fashion With Gold and Gemmes and Silks of Princely Dye And Stones befitting more than Majesty The Persian Sophies and rich Shaeba's Queene Had n'er the like nor e'r the like had seene Vpon the Skirts in order as they fell First a Pomegranat was and then a Bell By each Pomegranat did a Bell appeare Many Pomegranats many Bels there were Pomegranats nourish Bels doe make a sound As blessings fall Thanksgiving must rebound ¶ If thou wilt cloth my heart with A'rons tyer My tongue shall praise as well as heart desier My tongue and pen shall dwell upon thy Story Great God for thine is Kingdome Power Glory 11. ¶ THe Ancient Sophists that were so precise and oftentimes perchance too curious nice Averre that Nature hath bestow'd on Man Three perfect Soules When this I truly scan Me thinks their Learning swath'd in Errour lyes They were not wise enough and yet too wise Too curious wise because they mention more Then one Not wise enough because not foure Nature not Grace is Mistris of their Schooles Grace counts them wisest that are veriest Fooles Three Soules in man Grace doth a fourth allow The Soule of Faith But this is Greeke to you 'T is Faith that makes man truly wise 'T is Faith Makes him possesse that thing he never hath ¶ This Glorious Soule of Faith bestow on me O Lord or else take thou the other three Faith makes men lesse then Children more then Men It makes the Soule cry Abba and Amen The End PENTELOGIA Morstua Mors Christi Fraus Mundi Gloria Coeli Et Dâ—lor Inferni sunt meditanda tibi Thy death the death of Christ the worlds teÌ„tation Heavens joy hels torment be thy meditation LONDON Printed for IOHN MARRIOT 1632. Mors tua 1. ¶ ME thinkes I see the nimble-aged Sire Passe swiftly by with feet unapt to tire Vpon his head an Hower-glasse he weares And in his wrinkled hand a Sythe he beares Both Instruments to take the lives from Men Th' one shewes with what the other sheweth when Me thinkes I heare the dolefull Passing-bell Setting an onset on his louder knell This moody musick of impartiall Death Who dances after dances out of breath Me thinkes I see my dearest friends lament With sighs and teares and wofull dryriment My tender Wife and Children standing by Dewing the Death-bed whereupon I lie Me thinkes I heare a voyce in secret say Thy glasse is runne and thou must die to day Mors Christi 2. ¶ ANd am I here and my Redeemer gone Can He be dead and is not my life done Was he tormented in excesse of measure And doe I live yet and yet live in pleasure Alas could Sinners finde out ne're a one More fit than Thee for them to spit upon Did thy cheekes entertaine a Traylors lips Was thy deare body scourg'd and torne with whips So that the guiltlesse blood came trickling after And did thy fainting browes sweat blood and water Wert thou Lord hang'd upon the Cursed Tree O world of griefe And was all this for me ¶ Burst forth my teares into a world of sorrow And let my nights of griefe finde ne're a morrow Since thou art dead Lord grant thy servant roome Within his heart to build thy heart a Tombe Fraus Mundi 3. ¶ WHat is the World a great exchange of warâ— Wherein all sorts sexes cheapning art The Flesh the Devill sit and cry What lacke ye When most they fawn they most intend to rack ye The wares are cups of Ioy and beds of Pleasure Ther 's goodly choice down weight flowing meâ—sure A soul 's the price but they give time to pay Vpon the Death-bed on the dying day ¶ Hard is the bargaine and unjust the measure When as the price so much out-lasts the pleasure The joyes that are on earth are counterfaits If ought be true 't is this Th' are true deceits They flatter fawne and like the Crocodile Kill where they laugh and murther where they smile They daily dip within thy Dish and cry Who hath betraid thee Master Is it I Gloria Coeli 4. ¶ VVHen I behold and well advise upon The Wisemans speech There 's nought beneath the Sun But vanity my soule rebels within And lothes the dunghill prison she is in But when I looke to new Ierusalem Wherein 's reserv'd my Crown my Diadem O what a Heaven of blisse my Soule enjoyes On sudden rapt into that heaven of Ioyes Where ravisht in the depth of meditation She well discernes with eye of contemplation The glory ' of God in his Imperiall Seat Full strong in Might in Majesty compleat Where troops of Powers Vertues Cherubims Angels Archangels Saints and Seraphims Are chaunting prayses to their heavenly King Where Hallelujah they for ever sing Dolor Inferni 5. ¶ LEt Poets please to torture Tanialus Let griping Vultures
and that on t' other Seed Moves as they move and stayes when as they stay And seemes delighted in their infant-play Yet fearing danger with a busie eye Lookes here and there if ought she can espy Which unawares might snatch a booty from her Eyes all that passe and watches every commer Even so th' affection of this tender Syre B'ing made more fervent with the selfe-same â—â—re Of dearest love which flamed in their brests Preserved as by fuell in those Feasts Was ravisht in the height of joyes to see His happy Childrens ten-fold unity As was his joy such was his holy feare Lest he that plants his Engines every where Baited with golden Sinnes and re-insnares The soule of Man turning his Wheat to Tares Should season Error with the taste of Truth And tempt the frailty of their tender youth No sooner therefore had the dappled skie Opened the Twilight of her waking eye And in her breaking Light had promis'd day But up he rose his holy hands did Iay Vpon the sacred Altar one by one An early Sacrifice for every Sonne For who can tell said he my Sonnes perchance Hâ—ve slipt some sinne which neither Ignorance Pleaded nor want of heed nor youth can cure Sin steales unseene when men sleep most secure Meditat. 1. WAnt is the badge of poverty Then he That wanteth most is the most poore say we The wretch that hunger drives from door to door Aiming at present Almes desires no more The toiling Swaine that hath with pleasing trouble Cockt a small fortune would that fortune double Which dearly bought with slav'ry then alas Hee would be deem'd a Man that 's well to passe Which got his mind 's now tickled with an itch But to deserve that glorious stile of Rich. That done h'enjoyes the crowne of all his labour Could he but once out-nose his right-hand-neighbourâ— Lives he at quiet now Now he begins To wish that Vs'ry were the least of sinnes But great or small he tries and sweet's the trouble And for its sake he wishes all things double Thus wishing still his wishes never cease But as his Wealth his Wishes still encrease Wishes proceed from want The richest then Most wishing want most and are poorest men If he be poore that wanteth much how poore Is he that hath too much and yet wants more Thrice happy he to whom the bounty of heaven Sufficient with a sparing hand hath given 'T is Grace not Gold makes great sever but which The Rich man is but poore the Poore man rich The fairest Crop of either Grasse or Graine Is not for use undew'd with timely raine The wealth of Croesus were it to be given Were not thank-worthy if unblest by Heaven Even as faire Phaebe in Diameter Earth interpos'd betwixt the Sunne and her Suffers Eclips and is disrobed quite During the time of all her borrowed Light So Riches which fond Mortals so embrace If not enlightned with the Beames of Grace B'ing interposed with too grosse a Care They lye obscured and no riches are My stint of Wealth lyes not in my expressing With Iacobs Store Lord give me Iacobs Blessing Or if at night thou grant me Lazars Boone Let Dives Dogs licks all my sores at noone Lord pare my wealth by my Capacity Lest I with it or it suit not with mee This humbly doe I sue for at thy hand Enough and not too much for my command Lord what thou lend'st shall serve but in the place Of reckoning Counters to summe up thy Grace THE ARGVMENT Satan appeares and then professes Himselfe mans Enemy confesses Gods love to Iob malignes his Faith Gaines power over all he hath Sect. 2. VPon a time when heaveÌ„s sweet quire of Saints Whose everlasting Hallelujah chaunts The highest praise of their celestiall King Before their Lord did the presentment bring Of th' execution of his sacred Will Commited to their function to fulfill Satan came too that Satan which betraid The soule of man to Deaths eternall shade Satan came too and in the midst he stands Like to a Vulture 'mongst a herd of Swans Said then th' Eternall From what quarter now Hath businesse brough thee Satan whence com'st thou The Lord of Heaven said th' Infernall since Thou hast intitled me the Worlds great Prince I hâ—ve beene practising mine old profession And come from compassing my large Possession Tempting thy sonnes and like a roaring Lion Seeking my prey disturbe the peace of Sion I come from sâ—wing Tares among thy Wheat To him that shall dissemble Peters seat I have beene plotting how to prompt the death Of Christian Princes and the bribed breath Of cheapned Iustice hath my fire inflam'd With spirit of boldnesse for a while unsham'd I come from planting strife and sterne debate 'Twixt private man and man 'twixt State and State Subverting Truth with all the power I can Accusing Man to God and God to Man I daily sâ—w fresh Schismes among thy Saints I buffet them and laugh at their complaints The Earth is my Dominion Hell 's my Home I round the World and so from thence I come Said then th' Eternall True thou hast not fail'd Of what thou say'st thy spirit hath prevail'd To vexe my little Flocke Thou hast beene bold To make them stray a little from their Fold Bâ—t say In all thy hard Adventures hath Thine eye observed Iob my Servants faith Hath open force or secret fraud beset His Bulwarkes so impregnable as yet And hast thou without envy yet beheld How that the World his second cannot yeeld Hast thou not found that he 's of upright will Iust fearing God â—schewing what is ill True Lord reply'd the Fiend thy Champion â—â—th A strong and fervent yet a crafty Faith A forced love needs no such great applause He loves but ill that loves not for a cause Hast thou not heap'd his Garners with excesse Inricht his Pastures Doth not he possesse All that he hath or can demand from Thee His Coffers fill'd his Land stock'd plenteouâ—â—y Hath not thy love surrounded him about â—And â—edg'd him in to fence my practice out But small 's the triall of a Faith in this â—f thou suppâ—rt him t is thy strength not hisâ— Can then my power that stands by thy permission Encounter where Thou mak'st an Opposition Stretch forth thy Hand and smite 〈◊〉 what he hath And prove thou then the temper of his Faith Cease cock'ring his fond humour veile thy Grace No doubt but he 'll blaspheme thee to thy fâ—â—c Lâ—e said th' Eternall to thy cursed hand I â—ere commit his mighty Stocke his Land His hopefull Issue and Wealth though nere so much Himselfe alone thou shalt forbeare to touch Medita 2. SAâ—an beg'd once and found his pray'rs reward We often beg yet oft returne unheard If granting be th' effect of love then we Conclude our selves to be lesse lov'd than hee True Satan beg'd and beg'd his shame no lesse 'T was granted shall we envie his successe We beg and our request 's perchance not granted
so foule Not to encrease the Tribe of Dan one soule LoÌ„g had she doubtles stroven with heaveÌ„ by prair's Made strong with teares sighs hopes despaires No doubt had often tortur'd her desire Vpon a Rack compos'd of frost and fire But Heaven was pleas'd to turne his deafned eares Against those prai'rs made stroÌ„g with sighs tears She often pray'd but pray'rs could not obtaine Alas she pray'd she wept she sigh'd in vaine She pray'd no doubt but pray'rs could finde no roome They prov'd alas as barren as her wombe Vpon a time when her unanswer'd pray'r Had now given just occasion of despaiâ—e Even when her bed-rid faith was grown so fraile That very Hope grew hartlesse to prevaile Appear'd an Angel to her In his face Terrour and sweetnesse labour'd for the place Sometimes his Sunbright eies would shine so fierce As if their pointed beames would even pierce Her soule and strike th' amaz'd beholder dead Sometimes their glory would disperse and spread More easie flames and like the Starre that stood O're Bethlem promise and portend some good Mixt was his bright aspect as if his breath Had equall errands both of life and death Glory and Mildnesse seemed to contend In his faire eyes so long till in the end In glorious mildnesse and in milder glory He thus salutes her with this pleasing story Woman Heaven greets thee well Rise up and feare 〈◊〉 Forbeare thy faithlesse tremblings I appeare not Clad in the vestments of consuming fire Cheare up I have no warrant to enquire Into thy sinnes I have no Vyals here Nor dreadfull Thunderbolts to make thee feare I have no plagues t' inflict nor is my breath Charg'd with destruction 〈◊〉 my hand with death No no cheare up I come not to destroy I come to bring thee tidings of great joy Rowze up thy duâ— beliefeâ— for I apâ—eare To exercise thy Faith and not thy Feare The Gâ—iae and great Creator of all things Chiefe Lord of Lords and supreme King of Kings To whom an Host of men are but a swarme Of â—urm'â—ing Guats whose high prevailing arme Can crush ten thousand worldâ— and at one blow Can strike the earth to nothing and ore-throw The Lofts of Heaven He that hath the Keyes Of 〈◊〉 to shut and ope them when he please He that can all things that he will this day Is pleas'd to take thy long reproach away Behold thy womb 's inlarg'd and thy desires Shall finde successe Before long time expires Thou shâ—lâ— conceive Ere twise five months be runne Be thou the joyfull mother of a sonne But see thy wary palate doe forbeare The juice of the bewitching Grape Beware Leâ—â— thy defiers tempt thy lips to wine Which must be faithfull strangers to the Vine Strong drinke thou must not taste and all such meate The Law proclaimes uncleane refraine to eate And when the fruit of thy restored wombe Sâ—â—ll see the light take heed no Rasor come 〈◊〉 his fruitfull head for from his birth 〈◊〉 as the wombe entrusts him on the earth The child shall be a Nazarite to God 〈◊〉 whose appointment be shall prove a Rod To scourge the proud Philistians and recall Pâ—re suffring Israel from their slavish thrall Meditat. 2. HOw impudent is Nature to account Those acts her own that doe so farre surmoâ—â—â— Her easie reach How purblinde are those eyes Of stupid mortals that have power to rise No higher then her lawes who takes upon her The worke and robs the Author of his honour Seest thou the fruitfull Wombe How every yeare It moves thy Cradle to thy slender cheare Invites another Ghest and makes thee Father To a new Sonne who now perchance hadst rather Bring up the old esteeming propagation A thanklesse worke of Supererogation Perchance the formall Mid-wife seemes to thee Lesse welcome now than she was wont to bee Thou standst amaz'd to heare such needlesse Ioy And car'st as little for it as the Boy That 's newly borne into the world Nay worse Perchance thou grumblest counting it a curse Vnto thy faint estate which is not able T' encrease the bounty of thy slender Table Poore miserable man what ere thou bee I suffer for thy crooked thoughts not thee Thou tak'st thy children to be gifts of nature Their wit their flowring beauty comely stature Their perfect health their dainty disposition Their vertues and their easie acquisition Of curious Arts their strengths attain'd perfection You attribute to that benigne complexion Wherewith your Goddesse Nature hath endow'd Their well-disposed Organs and are proud And here your Goddesse leaves you to deplore That such admir'd perfections should be poore Advance thine eyes no lesse then wilfull blinde And with thine eyes advance thy drooping minde Correct thy thoughts Let not thy wondring eye Adore the servant when the Master 's by Looke on the God of Nature From him come These underprized blessings of the wombe He makes thee rich in childreÌ„ wheÌ„ his store Crowns thee with wealth why mak'st thou thy self poor He opes the womb why then should'st thou repine They are his children mortall and not thine We are but Keepers And the more he lends To our tuition he the more commends Our faithfull trust It is not every one Deserves that honour to command his Son She counts it as a fortune that 's allow'd To nurse a Prince What nurse would not be proud Of such a Fortune And shall we repine Great God to foster any Babe of thine But 't is the Charge we feare our stock 's but small If heaven with Children send us wherewithall To stop their craving stomacks then we care not Great God! How hast thou crackt thy credit that we dare Trust thee for bread How is 't we dare not venture To keepe thy Babes unlesse thou please to enter In bond for paiment Art thou growne so poore To leave thy famisht Infants at our doore And not allow them food Canst thou supply The empty Ravens and let thy children die Send me that stint thy wisedome shall thinke fie Thy pleasure is my will and I submit Make me deserve that honour thou hast lent To my fraile trust and I will rest content THE ARGVMENTâ— Thâ— wife â— Manoah attended with fearfull Hope and hâ—pefull Feare The joyfull tydings recommended to her amazed Husbands care Sect. 2. THus when the great Embassadour of Heaven Had done that sacred service which was given And trusted to his faithfull charge he spred His ayre dividing pinions and fled But now th' affrighted woman apprehends The strangenesse of the Message recommends Both it and him that did it to her feares The newes was welcome to her gratefull eares But what the newesman was did so encreaâ—e Her doubts that her strange hopes could finde no peace For when her hopes would build a Tower of joy O then her feares would shake it and destroy The maine foundation what her hopes in vaine Did raise her feares would ruinate againe One while she thought It was an Angel sent And then
hearts admier and beleeve THE ARGVMENT Samson at Timnah falls in love And fancies a Philistian maide He moves his parents They reprove His sinfull choyce dislike disswade Sect. 7. NOw when as strong limb'd Samson had dispos'd His trifling thoughts to children and disclos'd His bud of child-hood which being overgrowne And blossome of his youth so fully blowne That strength of nature now thought good to seeke Her entertainment on his downy cheeke And with her manly bounty did begin To uneffeminate his smoother chin He went to Timnah whither did resort A great concourse of people to disport Themselves with pastime or perchance to show Some martiall Feats as they were wont to doe Scaffolds were builded round about whereon The Crowne of eye-delighted lookers on Were closely pil'd As Samsons wandring eye Was ranging up and downe he did espye A comely Virgin beautifull and young Where she was seated midst the gazing throng The more he view'd the more his eye desir'd To view her face and as it view'd admir'd His heart inflam'd his thoughts were all on fire His passions all were turn'd into desire Such were his lookes that she might well discry A speaking lover in his sparkling eye Sometimes his reason bids his thoughts beware 〈◊〉 he be catcht in a Philistian snare And then his thwarting passion would reply Feare not to be a prisoner to that eye Reason suggests 'T is vaine to make a choyce Where parents have an over-ruling voyce Passion replies That feare and filiall duty Must serve affection and subscribe to beauty Whilst Reason faintly mov'd him to neglect Prevailing passion urg'd his soule t' affect Passion concludes Let her enjoy thy heart Reason concludes But let thy tongue impart Thy affection to thy parents and discover To them thy thoughts With that the wounded lover Whose quicke-divided paces had out-runne His lingring heart like an observant sonne Repaires unto his parents fully made Relation of his troubled thoughts and said Sir 〈◊〉 day at Timnah to these wretched eyes 〈◊〉 taken captive with the novelties 〈◊〉 entertain'd my pleased thoughts appear'd 〈◊〉 object which hath so endear'd 〈◊〉 very soule with sadnesse so distrest That this poore heart can finde no ease no rest It was a Virgin in whose Heavenly face Vâ—pattern'd Beauty and diviner Grace Were so conjoyn'd as if they both conspir'd 〈…〉 Angell when these eyes enquir'd 〈◊〉 the excellence of her rare perfection 〈…〉 not choose but like and my affection Is so inflamed with desire that I Am now become close prisoner to her eye Now if my sad Petition may but finde A faire successe to ease my tortur'd minde And if your tender hearts be pleas'd to prove Aâ— prone to pitty mine as mine to love Let me with joy exchange my single life And be the husband of so faire a wife Whereto th' amazed parents in whose eye Distast and wonder percht made this reply What strange desire what vnadvis'd request Hath broken loose from thy distracted brest What! are the Daughters of thy brethren growne So poore in Worth and Beauty Is there none To please that over-curious eye of thine But th' issue of a cursed Philistine Can thy miswandring eyes choose none but her That is the child of an Idolater Correct thy thoughts and let thy soule rejoyce In lawfull beauty Make a wiser choyce How well this counsell pleas'd the tyred eares Of love-sicke Samson O let him that beares A crost affection judge Let him discover The wofull case of this afflicted lover What easie pencill cannot represent His very lookes How his sterne browes were bent His drooping head his very port and guise His bloodlesse cheekes and deadnesse of his eyes Till at the length his moving tongue betrai'd His sullen lips to language thus and said Sir Th' extreame affection of my heart does leade My tongue that 's quickned with my love to plead What if her parents be not circumcis'd Her issue shall and she perchance advis'd Iâ— worship Israels God and to forget 〈◊〉 fathers house Alas she is as yet 〈◊〉 young her downy yeares are green 〈◊〉 tender 〈◊〉 but a twigge and time may 〈…〉 â—â—brace the truth Oâ—r counsells 〈…〉 〈…〉 breeding and so save a soule 〈◊〉 who can tell but Heaven did recommend 〈◊〉 beauty to these eyes for such an end 〈◊〉 not that which Heaven is pleas'd to save 〈◊〉 Samson then obtaine as well as crave 〈◊〉 gave me being then prolong my life And make me husband to so faire a wife With that the pareÌ„ts joyn'd their whispering heads 〈◊〉 observes and in their parly reads 〈◊〉 Characters of hope The mother smiles The father frownes which Samson reconciles â—â—th hopefull fears She smiles smiling crownes 〈◊〉 hopes which He deposes with his frownes 〈◊〉 whispring ended joyntly they displaid â—â—alfe resolved countenance and said Samson suspend thy troubled minde a while 〈◊〉 thy â—ver-charged thoughts recoile 〈…〉 of Shipwracke Rocks are neare the Shore 〈◊〉 the Virgin and resolve thee mâ—re Meditat. 6. LOve is a noble passion of the heart That with it very essence doth impart All needfull Circumstances and effects Vnto the chosen party it affects In absence it enjoyes and with an eye Fill'd with celestiall fier doth espye Objects remote It joyes and smiles in griefe It sweetens poverty It brings reliefe It gives the Feeble strength the Coward spirit The sicke man health the undeserving merit It makes the proud man humble and the stout It ouercomes and treads him underfoot It makes the mighty man of warre to droope And him to serve that never yet could stoope It is a fire whose Bellowes are the breath Of heaven above and kindled here beneath T is not the power of a mans election To loue He loves noâ— by his owne direction It is nor beauty nor â—enigne aspect That alwayes moves the Lover to affect These are but means Heavens pleasure is the cause Love is not bound to reason and her Lawes Are not subjected to th' imperious will Of man It lies not in his power to nill How is this Love abus'd That 's onely made A snare for wealth or to set up a trade T' enrich a great mans Table or to pay A desperate debt or meerly to allay A base and wanton lust which done no doubt The love is ended and her fier out No he that loves for pleasure or for pelfe Loves truely none and falsely but himselfe The pleasure past the wealth consum'd and gone Love hath no subject now to worke upon The props being falne that did support the roofe Nothing but rubbish and neglected Stuffe â—â—ke a wilde Chaos of Confusion lies Presenting uselesse ruines to our eyes The Oyle that does maintaine loves sacred fire Is vertue mixt with mutuall desire Of sweet societie begun and bred 〈◊〉 soule nor ended in the mariage bed This is the dew of Hermon that does fill The soule with sweetnesse watring Sions hill This is that holy fire that burns and lasts Till quencht by death The other are but blasts
feares 'T is well But they that doe Attempt to ruine me will ransacke you First you shall firmely engage your plighted trâ—th By the acceptance of a sacred â—ath That when I shall be pris'ner to your bands I may not suffer violence by your hands With that they drawing nearer to him laid Their hands beneath his brawny thigh and said Then let the God of Iacob cease to blesse The tribe of Iudah with a faire successe In ought they put their cursed hand unto And raze their seed If we attempt to doe Bound Samson violence And if this curse Be not sufficient heaven contrive a worse With that the willing prisoner joyn'd his hands To he subjected to their stronger bands With treble twisted cords that never tried The twitch of strength their busie fingers tied His sinewy wrists which being often wound About his beating pulse they brought him bound To the forefront of the Philistian band And left him captive in their cursed hand Meditat. 17. O What a pearle is hidden in this field Whose orient luster and perfections yeeld So great a treasure that the Easterne Kings With all the wealth their colder Climate brings Nere saw the like It is a pearle whose glory Is the diviner subject of a story Pend by an Angels quill not understood By the too dull conceit of flesh and bloud Vnkinde Iudeans what have you presented Before your eyes O what have you attented He that was borne on purpose to release His life for yours to bring your Nation peace To turne your mournings into joyfull Songs To fight your Battells to revenge your wrongs Even him alas your cursed hands have made This day your prisoner Him have you betraid To death O he whose snowy arme had power To crush you all to nothing and to shower Downe strokes like thunderbolts whose blasting breath Might in a moment puft you all to death And made ye fall before his frowning Brow See how he goes away betraid by you Thou great Redeemer of the world whose bloud Hath power to save more worlds than Noahs floud Destroyed bodies thou O thou that art The Samson of our soules How can the heart Of man give thankes enough that does not know How much his death-redeemed soule does owe To thy deare merits We can apprehend No more than flesh and bloud does recommend To our confined thoughts Alas we can Conceive thy love but as the love of man We cannot tell the horror of that paine Thou bought us from nor can our hearts attaine Those joyes that thou hast purchas'd in our name Nor yet the price thou paidst our thoughts are laÌ„e And craz'd Alas things mortall have no might No meanes to comprehend an Infinite We can behold thee cradled in a Manger In a poore Stable We can see the danger The Tetrarch's fury made thee subject to We can conceive thy poverty We know Thy blessed hands that might bin freed were bouÌ„d We know alas thy bleeding browes were crown'd With pricking thorne Thy body torne with whips Thy palmes impeirc'd with ragged nailes Thy lips Saluted with a Traitors kisse Thy browes Sweating forth bloud Thy oft repeated blowes Thy fastning to the crosse Thy shamefull death These outward tortures all come underneath Our dull conceits But what thy blessed soule That bore the burden of our guilt and Scroule Of all our sinnes and horrid paines of Hell O what that soule endur'd what soule can tell THE ARGVMENT He breakes their bands And with a bone A thousand Philistians he slue Hee thirsted fainted made his moane To Heaven He drinkes his spirits renew Sect. 18. THus when the glad Philistians had obtain'd The summe of all their hopes they entertain'd The welcome pris'ner with a greater noise Of triumph than the greatnesse of their joyes Required Some with sudden death would greet The new come Guest whilst others more discreet With lingring paines and tortures more exact Would force him to discover in the Fact Who his Abettors were others gainsaid That course for feare a rescue may be made â—ome cry ' T is fittest that th' Offender bleed 〈◊〉 where his cursed hands had done the deed Others cryed No where Fortune hath consign'd him Wee 'le kill him Best to kill him where we finde him Thus variously they spent their doubtfull breath At last they all agreed on sudden death There 's no contention now but onely who Shall strike the first or give the speeding blow Have ye beheld a single thred of flax Touch'd by the fire how the fire crackes With ease and parts the slender twine in sunder Even so as the first arme began to thunder Vpon the Prisners life he burst the bands From his strong wrists freed his loosned hands He stoop'd from off the bloud-expecting grasse He snatcht the crooked jaw-bone of an Asse Wherewith his fury dealt such downe-right blowes So oft redoubled that it overthrowes Man after man And being ring'd about With the distracted and amazed rout Of rude Philistians turn'd his body round And in a circle dings them to the ground Each blow had proofe for where the jaw-bone mist The furious Champion wounded with his fist Betwixt them both his fury did uncase A thousand soules which in that fatall place Had left their ruin'd carkeises to feast The flesh-devouring fowle and rav'nous beast With that the Conquerour that now had fed And surfeited his eye upon the dead His hand had slaine sate downe and having flung His purple weapon by triumpht and sung SAmson rejoyce Be fill'd with mirth Let all Iudea know And tell the Princes of the earth How strong an arme hast thou How has thy dead enricht the land And purpled ore the grasse That hadst no weapon in thy hand But the jaw-bone of an Asse How does thy strength and high renowne The glory of men surpasse Thine arme has strucke a thousand downe With the jaw-bone of an Asse Let Samsons glorious name endure Till Time shall render One Whose greater glory shall obscure The glory thou hast wone His song being ended rising from the place Whereon he lay he turn'd his ruthlesse face Vpon those heapes his direfull hand had made And op'ning of his thirsty lips he said Great God of conquest thou by whose command The heart received courage and this hand Strength to revenge thy quarrels and fulfill The secret motion of thy sacred will That shall thy Champion perish now with thirst Thou knowst I have done nothing but what first Was warranted by thy command 'T was thou That gave my spirit boldnesse and my brow A resolution 'T is mine arme did doe No more than what thou didst enjoyne me to And shall I die for thirst O thou that sav'd Me from the Lyons rage that would have rav'd Vpon my life by whom I have subdu'd Thy cursed enemies and have imbru'd My heaven-commanded hands in a spring-tyde Of guilty bloud Lord shall I be denyde A draught of cooling water to allay The tyranny of my thirst I that this day Have
but in thy heart alone 〈◊〉 Ioy I prize farre dearer then my owne 〈◊〉 then shouldst thou deceive me and impart Sâ—â—oule a falshood to so true a heart Câ—me grant my suite and let that faithlesse tongue Make love amends which hath done love this wrong To whom dissembling Samson thus replied Take twisted ropes whose strength was never tryed And tye these closed hands together then I shall be fact and weake as other men With that she bound him close and having made The knot more suer then her love's she said Samson arise and take thy strength vpon thee Samson make hast the Philistines are on thee He straight arose and as a striving hand Would breake a Sisters thred he crackt the band That bound his arms he crackt the bands insunder But frowning Delila whose heart did wonder No lesse then vexe being fill'd with discontent She said False lover If thy heart had meant What thy faire tongue had formerly profest Thou nere hadst kept thy secrets from my brest Wherein hath Delila bin found unjust Not to deserve the honour of thy trust Wherein have I beene faithlesse of disloyall Or what request of thine are found denyall Had I but bin so wise as to deny Samson might beg'd and misâ— as well as I But 't is my fortune still to be most free To those as are the â—est reserv'd to me Be not ingratefull Samson If my brest Were but as false as thine is hard I 'd rest To tempt thy silence or to move my suite Speake then but speake the truth or else be mute To whom fond Samson If thy hands would tye These locks to yonder Beame they will diserie My native weâ—knesse and thy Samson then Would be as poore in strength as other men So said her busie fingers soone obey'd His locks being platted to the beame she said Samson bestirre thee and let thy power appeare Samson take heed the Philistines are here With that he quits the place whereon he lay Fallne fast asleepe and bore the Beame away Meditat. 21. SEe how the crafty Serpent twists and windes Into the brest of man What paths he findes And crooked by-wayes With how sweet a baite He hides the hooke of his inveterate hate What suger'd words and eare-delighting Art He uses to supplant the yeelding heart Of poore deceived man who stands and trusts Vpon the broken staffe of his false â—â—â—sts He tempts allures suggests and in conclusion Makes Man the Pander to his owne confusion The fruit was faire and pleasing to the eyes Apt to breed knowledge and to make them wise Must they not taste so faire a fruit not touch Yes doe T will make you Gods and know as much As he that made it Thinke you you can fall Into deaths hands Yee shall not dye at all Thus fell poore man his knowledge proved such Better ' thad bin he had not knowne so much Thus this old Serpent takes advantage still On our desiers and distemperd will Art thou growne Covetous wouldst thou faine be rich He comes and strikes thy heart with the dry itch Of having Wealth will rouze thy heartles friends Make thee a potent Master of thy Ends 'T will bring thee honour make thy suites at Law Prosper at will and keepe thy Foes in awe Art thou Ambitious He will kindle fire In thy proud thoughts make thy thoughts aspire â—ee'l come and teach thy honour how to scorne 〈◊〉 old acquaintance whom thou hast outworne 〈◊〉 teach thee how to Lord it and advance 〈◊〉 servants fortunes with thy Countenance Wouldst thou enjoy the Pleasures of the flesh 〈◊〉 bring thee wanton Ladies to refresh 〈◊〉 drooping soule He 'l teach thine eyes to wander 〈◊〉 thee how to wooe Hee 'l be thy Pander 〈◊〉 fill thy amorous soule with the sweet passion 〈◊〉 powerfull Love Hee 'l give thee dispensation 〈◊〉 sinne at pleasure He will make thee Slave 〈◊〉 thy own thoughts hee 'l make thee beg crave 〈◊〉 be a drudge hee 'l make thy treacherous breath 〈◊〉 thee and betray thee to thy death Lord if our Father Adam could not stay 〈◊〉 his upright perfection one poore day How can it be expected we have power To hold out Seige one scruple of an hower Our Armes are bound with too unequall bands We cannot strive We cannot loose our hands Great Nazarite awake and looke upon us Make haste to helpe The Philistines are on us THE ARGVMENT She sues againe Samson replies The very truth Her lips betray him They binde him They put out his eyes And to the prison they convey him Sect. 22. WIth that the wanton whose distrustfull eye Was fixt upon reward made this reply Had the deniall of my poore request Proceeded from th'inexorable brest Of one whose open hatred sought t' endanger My haunted life Or had it bin a stranger That wanted so much nature to deny The doing of a common curtesie Nay had it bin a friend that had deceiv'd me An ordinary friend It nere had griev'd me But thou even thou my bosome friend that art The onely joy of my deceived heart Nay thou whose hony-dropping lips so often Did plead thy undissembled love and soften My deare affection which could never yeeld To easier termes By thee to be beguild How often hast thou mockt my slender suite With forged falshood Hadst thou but beene mute Iâ—ere had hop'd But being fairely led Towards my prompt desiers which were fed With my false hopes and thy false-hearted tongue And then beguild I hold it as a wrong How canst thou say thou lov'st me How can I Thinke but thou hat'st me when thy lips deny So poore a Suite Alas my fond desire Had slak'd had not deniall blowne the fire Grant then at last and let thy open brest 〈◊〉 that thou lov'st me ' and grant my faire request Speake or speake not thy Delila shall give ore To urge her lips shall never urge thee more To whom the yeelding Lover thus betrai'd His heart being tortur'd unto death and said My deare my Delila I cannot stand Against so sweet a pleader In thy hand There entrust and to thy brest impart In Samsons life and secrets of his heart 〈◊〉 then my Delila that I was borne â—Nazarite These locks were never shorne 〈◊〉 Raisar yet came ere upon my crowne There lies my strength with theÌ„ my strength is gone 〈◊〉 they but shaven my Delila O then In Samson should be weake as other men No sooner had he spoken but he spred His body on the floore his drowzy head 〈◊〉 pillow'd on her lap untill at last He fell into a sleepe and being fast She clipt his locks from off his carelesse head And beckning the Philistians in she said Samson awake Take strength and courage on thee Samson arise The Philistines are on thee Even as a Dove whose wings are clipt for flying Flutters her idle stumps and still 's relying Vpon her wonted refuge strives in vaine To quit her life from danger and attaine The freedome of her
excelling 〈◊〉 new-falne snow upon th' untroden mountains From whence there flowes as from exub'rous fountaines â—â—â—ers of heavenly Nectar to allay The holy thirst of soules Thrice happy they â—â—d more than thrice whose blest affections bring Their thirstie palats to so sweet a Spring 14. THy Necke doth represent an Ivory Tower In perfect purenesse and united power Thine Eyes like pooles at a frequented gate For every commer to draw water at Are common treasures and like chrystall glasses Shwes each his lively visage as he passes Thy Nose the curious Organ of thy Sent Wants nothing more for use for ornament 15. THy Tyres of gold inricht with glorious gems Rare Diamonds and princely Diadems Adorne thy browes and with their native worth Aduance thy glory and set thy beautie forth So perfect are thy Graces so divine And full of heaven are those faire lookes of thine That I 'm inflamed with the double fire Of thy full beauty and my fierce desire 16. O Sacred Symmetrie O rare connection Of many perfects to make one perfection O heauenly Musicke where all parts doe meet In one sweet straine to make one perfect sweet O glorious members whose each severall feature Divine compose so so divine a Creature Faire soule as all thy parts united be Entire so summ'd are all my joyes in thee 17. THy curious Fabricke and erected stature Is like the generous Palme whose lofty nature In spight of envious violence will aspire Then most supprest the more it mouÌ„ts the higher Thy lovely brests whose beautie reinvites My oft remembrance to her oft delights Are like the swelling Clusters of the vine So full of sweetnesse are those brests of thine 18. ARâ— thou my Palme My busie hand shal nourish Thy fruitfull roots make thy braÌ„ches flourish 〈◊〉 thou my vine My skilfull arme shall dresse Thy dying plants my living springs shall blesse Thy infant Buds my blasting breath shall quell Presumptuous weeds make thy clusters swell And all that love thee shall attaine the favour To taste thy sweetnesse and to smell thy savour 19. THose Oracles that from thy lips proceed With sweet Evangels shall delight and feed 〈◊〉 attentive eare and like the Trumpets voyce 〈◊〉 faint hearts but make brave spirits rejoice Thy breath whose Dialect is most divine â—â—cends quicke flames where ember'd sparkes but shine 〈◊〉 strikes the Pleaders Rhet'ricke with derision And makes the dullest soule a Rhetorician BRIDE SONET XXI MY faith not merits hath assur'd thee mine Thy Love not my desert hath made me thine Vnworthy I whose drowsie soule rejected Thy precious favours and secure neglected Thy glorious presence how am I become A Bride besitting so divine a Groome It is no merit no desert of mine Thy love thy love alone hath made me thine 2. SInce then the bountie of thy deare election Hath stil'd me thine O let the sweet reflection Of thy illustrious beames my soule inspire And with thy spirit inflame my hot desire Vnite our soules O let thy Spirit rest And make perpetuall home within my brest Instruct me so that I may gaine the skill To suite my service to thy sacred will 3. COme come my soules preserver thou that art Th' united joyes of my united heart Come let us visit with the morning light Our prosperous Vines with mutuall delight Lt's view those grapes whose clusters being prest Shall make rich wines to serve your Mariage feast That by the thriving plants it may appeare Our joyes perfecting Mariage draweth neere 4. BEhold my new disclosed flowers present Before thy gates their tributary sent Reserve themselves for Garlands that they may Adorne the Bridegorme on his Mariage day My Garden 's full of Trees and every Tree Laden with fruit which I devote to thee Eternall joyes betide that happy guest That tastes the dainties of the Bridegroomes feast 5. O Would to God mine eyes these fainting eyes Whose eager appetite could ne're devise A dearer object might but once behold My Love as I am clad in fleshly mold That each may corporally converse with other As friend with friend as sister with her brother O how mine eyes could welcome such a sight How would my soule dissolve with o're-delight 6. THen should this hand conduct my fairest Spouse To taste a banquet at my mothers house Our fruitfull Garden should present thine eyes With sweet delights her trees should sacrifice Their early fruits to thee our tender Vine Should cheare thy palate with her unprest wine Thy hand should teach my living Plants to thrive And such as are a dying to revive 7. THen should my soule enjoy within this breast A holy Sabbath of eternall Rest Then should my cause that suffers through despight Of errour and rude Ignorance have right Then should these streames whose tydes so often rise Be ebb'd away from my suffused eyes Then should my spirits fill'd with heavenly mirth Triumph o're Hell and finde a heaven on earth 8. ALL you that wish the bountifull encrease Of dearest pleasures and divinest peace I charge you all if ought my charge may move Your tender hearts not to disturbe my Love Vexe not his gentle Spirit nor bereave Him of his joyes that is so apt to grieve Dare not to breake his quiet slumbers lest You rouze a raging Lyon from his rest 9. WHo ever lov'd that ever lov'd as I That for his sake renounce my selfe deny The worlds best joyes and have the world forgone Who ever lov'd so deare As I have done I sought my Love and found him lowly laid Beneath the tree of Loveâ— in whose sweet shade He rested there his eye sent forth the fire That first enflam'd my amorous desire 10. MY dearest Spouse O seale me on thy heart So sure that envious Earth may never part Our joyned soules let not the world remove My chast desiers from so choyce a Love 〈◊〉 O my love 's not slight her flames are serious â—as never death so powerfull so imperious 〈◊〉 jealous zeale is a consuming fire 〈◊〉 burns my soule through feare fierce desire 11. â—Ires may be quencht and flames though ne'r so great With many drops shal faint and lose their heat 〈◊〉 these quick fires of love the more supprest â—he more they flame in my inflamed brest â—ow darke is Honour how obscure and dim 〈…〉 bright glory but compar'd with him 〈◊〉 â—oule is Beauty what a toyle is Pleasure 〈◊〉 poore is Wealth how base a thing is treasure 12. Have a Sister which by thy divine 〈◊〉 bounteous Grace our Marriage shall make thine 〈◊〉 is mine owne mine onely Sister whom 〈◊〉 Mother bare the youngest of her wombe Shee 's yet a childe her beauty may improve Her brests are small and yet too greene for love When time and yeares shall adde perfection to her Say dearest Love what honour wilt thou do her BRIDEGROOME SONET XXII IF she be faire and with
secret angle of the Land Which beares no marke of heavens enraged hand ELEG 4. â—Arts thrild from heaveÌ„ transfix my bleeding heart And fill my soule with everlasting smart Whose festring wound no fortune can recure Th' Almighty strikes but seldome but strikes sure His finowy arme hath drawne his steely bow And sent his forked shafts to overthrow My pined Princes and to ruinate The weakened Pillars of my wounded State His hand hath scourg'd my deare delights acquired My soule of all wherein my soule delighted I am the mirrour of unmasked sin To see her dearely purchas'd pleasures in ELEG 5. EVen as the Pilot whose sharpe Keele divides Th' encountring waves of the Cicilian Tides Tost on the listâ— of death striving to scape The danger of deepe mouth'd Chaâ—ybdis rape Reâ—uts on Scyâ—â—a with a forc'd careere And wrecks upon a lesse suspected feare Even so poore I contriving to withstand My Foemans fall into th' Almighties hand So I the childe of ruine to avoid Lesse dangers by a greater am destroy'd How necessary Ah! How sharp's his end That neither hath his God nor man to friend ELEG 6. FOrgotten Sion hangs her drooping head Vpon her fainting brest Her soule is fed With endlesse griefe whose torments had depriv'd her Long since of life had not new paines reviv'd her Sion is like a Garden whose defence Being broke is left to the rude violence Of wastefull Swine full of neglected waste Nor having flowre for smell nor herbe for taste Heaven takes no pleasure in her holy Feasts Her idle Sabbaths or burnt fat of beasts Both State and Temple are despoil'd and fleec't Of all their beauty without Prince or Priest ELEG 7. GLory that once did Heavens bright Temple fill Is now departed from that sacred Hill See how the emptie Altar stands disguis'd Abus'd by Gentiles and by heaven despis'd That place wherein the holy One hath taken So sweet delight lies loathed and forsaken That sacred place wherein the precious Name Of great Iebovah was preserv'd the same Is turn'd a Den for Theeves an open stage For vice to act on a defiled Cage Of uncleane birds a house of priviledge For sin and uncontrolled sacriledge ELEG 8. HEaven hath decreed his angry brest doth boile His time 's expired and he 's arm'd to spoile His secret Will adjourn'd the righteous doome Of threatned Sion and her time is come His hand is arm'd with thunder from his eyes A flame more quicke than sulphrous Etna flyes Sion must fall That hand which hath begun Can never rest till the full worke be done Her walls are sunke her Towres are overthrowne Heaven will not leave a stone upon a stone Hence hence the flouds of roaring Iudah rise Hence Sion fills the Cisternes of her eyes ELEG 9. IOy is departed from the holy Gates Of deare Ierusalem and peace retraits From wasted Sion her high walls that were An armed proofe against the brunt of feare Are shrunke for shame if not withdrawne for pity To see the ruine of so brave a City Her Kings and out-law'd Princes live constraind Hourely to heare the name of Heaven profan'd Manners and Lawes the life of government Are sent into eternall banishment Her Prophets cease to preach they vow unheard They howle to heaven but heaven gives no regard ELEG 10. KIng Priest and People all alike are clad In weeds of Sack-cloth taken from the sad Wardrobe of sorrow prostrate on the earth They close their lips their lips estrang'd to mirth Silent they sit for dearth of speech affords A sharper Accent for true griefe than words The Father wants a Son the Son a Mother The Bride her Groom th the brother waÌ„ts a brother Some Famine Exile some and some the sword Hath slaine All want when Sion wants her Lord How art thou all in all There 's nothing scant Great God with thee without thee all things want ELEG 11. â—Aunch forth my soule into a sea of teares Whose ballanc'd bulke no other Pilot steares Then raging sorrow whose uncertaine hand Wanting her Compasse strikes on every sand Driven with a storme of sighes she seekes the Haven Of rest but like to Noahs wandring Raven She scowres the Maine and as a Sea-lost Rover She roames but can no land of peace discover Mine eyes are faint with teares teares have no end The more are spent the more remaine to spend What Marble ah what Adamantine eye Can looke on Sions ruine and not cry ELEG 12. MY tongue the tongues of Angels are too faint T' expresse the causes of my just complaint See how the pale-fac'd sucklings roare for food And from their milkles mothers brests draw blood Children surcease their serious toyes and plead With trickling teares Ah mothers give us bread Such goodly Barnes and not one graine of corne Why did the sword escape's Why were we borne To be devour'd and pin'd with famine save us With quicke reliefe or take the lives you gave us They cryde for bread that scarce had breath to cry And wanting meanes to live found meanes to dye ELEG 13. NEver ah never yet did vengeance brand A State with deeper ruine than thy Land Deare Sion how could mischiefe beene more keene Or strucke thy glory with a sharper spleene Whereto Ierusalem to what shall I Compare this thy unequall'd misery Turne backe to ages past Search deepe Records Theirs are thine cannot be exprest in words Would would to God my lives cheape price might be Esteem'd of value but to ransome thee Would I could cure thy griefe but who is able To heale that wound that is immedicable ELEG 14. O Sion had thy prosperous soule endur'd Thy Prophets scourge thy joyes had bin secur'd But thou ah thou hast lent thine itching eare To such as claw'd and onely such wouldst heare Thy Prophets 'nointed with unhallow'd oyle Rubd where they should have launcht and did beguile Thy abused faith their fawning lips did cry Peace peace alas when there was no peace nigh They quilted silken curtaines for thy crimes Belyde thy God and onely pleas'd the times Deare Sion oh hadst thou but had the skill To stop thine eares thou hadst beene Sion still ELEG 15. â—Eople that travell through thy wasted Land Gaze on thy ruines and amazed stand They shake their spleenfull heads disdaine deride The sudden downefall of so faire a pride They clap their joyfull hands fill their tongues With hisses ballads and with Lyrick songs Her torments give their empty lips new matter And with their scornfull fingers point they at her Is this say they that place whose wonted fame Made troubled earth to tremble at her name Is this that State are these those goodly Stations Is this that Mistris and that Queene of Nations ELEG 16. QVencht are the dying Embers of compassion For empty sorrow findes no lamentation When as thy Harvest flourisht with full eares Thy sleightest griefe brought in a tide of teares But now alas thy Crop consum'd and gon Thou art but food for beasts to trample on
Thy servants glory in thy ruine those That were thy private friends are publike foes Thus thus say they we spit our rankrous spleene And gâ—ash our teeth upon the worlds faire Queene Thrice welcome this this long expected day That crownes our conquest with so sweet a prey ELEG 17. REbellious Iudah Could thy flattring crimes Secure thee from the dangers of the times Or did thy summer Prophets ere foresay These evills or warn'd thee of a winters day Did not those sweet-lipt Oracles beguile Thy wanton eares with newes of Wine and Oile But heaven is just what his deepe counsell wild His prophets told and Iustice hath fulfill'd He hath destroy'd no secret place so voyd No Fort so sure that Heaven hath not destroy'd Thou land of Iudah How 's thy sacred throne Become a stage for Heathen to trample on ELEG 18. SEe see th' accursed Gentiles doe inherit The Land of promise where heavens Sacred Spirit Built Temples for his everlasting Name There there th'usurping Pagans doe proclaime Their idle Idols unto whom they gave That stolen honor which heavnes Lord should have Winke Sion O let not those eyes be stain'd With heavens dishonour see not heaven profan'd Close close thine eyes or if they needs must be Open like flood-gates to let water flee Yet let the violence of their flowing streames Obscure thine open eyes and mask their beames ELEG 19. TRust not thy eye-lids lest a flattering sleepe Bribe them to rest and they forget to weepe Powre out thy heart thy heart dissolv'd in teares Weepe forth thy plaints in the Almighties eares Oh let thy cries thy cries to heaven addrest Disturbe the silence of thy midnight rest Prefer the sad petitions of thy soule To heaven ne're close thy lips till heaven condole Confounded Sion and her wounded weale That God that smit oh move that God to heale Oh let thy tongue ne're cease to call thine eye To weepe thy pensive heart ne're cease to cry ELEG 20. VOuchsafe oh thou eternall Lord of pitty To looke on Sion and thy dearest City Confus'd Ierusalem for thy DAVIâ—S sake And for that promise which thy selfe did make To halting Isr'el loe thy hand hath forc'd Mothers whom law lesse Famine hath divorc'd From deare affection to devoure the bloomes And buds that burgeond froÌ„ their painful wombs Thy sacred Priests and Prophets that while-ere Did hourely whisper in thy neighbouring eare Are falne before the sacrilegious sword Even where even whilst they did unfold thy word ELEG 21. WOunded and wasted by th' eternall hand Of heaven I grovell on the ground my land Is turn'd a Golgotha before mine eye Vnsepulchred my murthred people lye My dead lye rudely scattred on the stones My Cawsies all are pav'd with dead mens bones The fierce Destroyer doth alike forbeare The maidens trembling and the Matrons teare Th' imperiall sword spares neither Foole nor Wise The old mans pleading nor the Infants cries Vengeance is deafe and blinde and she respects Nor Young nor Old nor Wise nor Foole nor Sex ELEG 22. YEares heavie laden with their months retire Months gone their date of numbred daies expire The daies full houred to their period tend And howers chac'd with light-foot Minutes end Yet my undated evills no time will minish Though yeares months though daies and howers finish Feares flocke about me as invited guests Before the Portalls at proclamed feasts Where heaveÌ„ hath breathd that man that state must fall Heaven wants no thunder-bolts to strike withall I am the subject of that angry Breath My sonnes are slaine and I am mark'd for death Threnodia III. ELEG 1. ALL you whose unprepared lips did tast The tedious Cup of sharp affliction cast Your wondring eyes on me that have drunke up Those dregs whereof you onely kist the Cup I am the man 'gainst whom th' Eternall hath Discharg'd the lowder volley of his wrath I am the man on whom the brow of night Hath scowl'd unworthy to behold the light I am the man in whom th' Almighty showeâ— The dire example of unpattern'd woes I am that Pris'ner ransome cannot free I am that man and I am onely he ELEG 2. BOndage hath forc'd my servile necke to faile Beneath her load Afflictions nimble flayle Hath thrasht my soule upon a floore of stones And quasht the marrow of my broken bones Th' assembled powres of Heaven enrag'd are eager To root me out Heavens souldiers doe beleager My worried soule my soule unapt for fleeing That yeelds o'reburthen'd with her tedious being Th' Almighties hand hath clouded all my night And clad my soule with a perpetuall light A night of torments and eternall sorrow Like that of Death that never findes a morrow ELEG 3. CHain'd to the brazen pillars of my woes I strive in vaine No mortall hand can loose What heaven hath bound my soule is walld about That hope can nor get in nor feare get out When ere my wav'ring hopes to heaven addresse The feeble voice of my extreame distresse He stops his tyred eares without regard Of Suit or Suitor leaves my prayers unheard Before my faint and stumbling feet he layes Blockes to disturbe my best advised wayes I seeke my peace but seeke my peace in vaine For every way 's a Trap each path's a Traine ELEG 4. DIsturbed Lyons are appeas'd with blood And ravenous Beares are milde not wanting food But heaven ah heaven will not implored be Lyons and Beares are not so fierce as Hee His direfull vengeance which no meane confines Hath crost the thriving of my best designes His hand hath spoild me that erewhile advanc't me Brought in my foes possest my friends against me His Bow is bent his forked Rovers flie Like darted haile-stones from the darkned skie Shot from a hand that cannot erre they be Transfixed in no other marke but me ELEG 5. EXil'd from Heaven I wander to and fro And seeke for streames as Stags new stricken doe And like a wandring Hart I flee the Hounds With Arrowes deeply fixed in my wounds My deadly Hunters with a winged pace Pricke forwards and pursue their weary chace They whoope they hollow me deride flout me That flee from death yet carrie death about me Excesse of torments hath my soule deceiv'd Of all her joyes of all her powres bereiv'd O curious griefe that hast my soule brim-fill'd With thousand deaths and yet my soule not kill'd ELEG 6. FOllow'd with troopes of feares I flie in vaine For change of places breeds new change of paine The base condition of my low estate My exalted Foes disdaine and wonder at Turne where I list these these my wretched eyes They finde no objects but new miseries My soule accustom'd to so long encrease Of paines forgets that she had ever peace Thus thus perplext thus with my griefes distracted What shall I do Heavens powers are compacted To worke my ' eternall ruine To what friend Shal I make mone when heaven conspires my end ELEG 7. GReat GOD what helpe ah me what hope is left
To him that of thy prescence is bereft Absented from thy favour what remaines But sense and sad remembrance of my paines Yet hath affliction op'ned my dull eare And taught me what in weale I ne're could heare Her scourge hath tutor'd me with sharpe corrections And swag'd the swelling of my proud affections Till now I slumbred in a prosp'rous dreame From wheÌ„ce awak'd my griefes are more extreame Hopes newly quickned have my soule assur'd That griefes discover'd are one halfe recur'd ELEG 8. HAd not the milder hand of mercy broke The furious violence of that fatall stroke Offended Iustice strucke we had beene quite Lost in the shadowes of eternall night Thy mercy Lord is like the morning Sunne Whose beames undoe what sable night hath done Or like a streame the current of whose course Restrain'd a while runs with a swifter force Oh let me swelter in those sacred beames And after bathe me in these silver streames To thee alone my sorrowes shall appeale Hath earth a wound too hard for heaven to heale ELEG 9. IN thee deare Lord my pensive soule respires Thou art the fulnesse of my choice desires Thou art that sacred Spring whose waters burst In streames to him that seekes with holy thirst Thrice happy man thrice happy thirst to bring The fainting soule to so so sweet a spring Thrice happy he whose well resolved brest Expects no other aide no other rest Thrice happie he whose downie age had bin Reclaim'd by scourges from the prime of sin And early season'd with the taste of Truth Remembers his Creator in his youth ELEG 10. KNowledge concomitates Heavens painefull rod â— eaches the soule to know her selfe her GOD Vnseiles the eye of Faith presents a morrow Of joy within the â—ablest night of sorrow Th' afflicted soule abounds in barest need Sucks purest honie from the foulest weed Detests that good which pamp'red reason likes Welcomes the stroke kisses the hand that strikes In roughest Tides his well-prepared brest Vntoucht with danger findes aâ— haven of rest Hath all in all when most of all bereaven In earth a hell in hell he findes a Heaven ELEG 11. LAbour perfected with the evening ends The lampe of heaven his course fulfill'd descends Can workes of nature seeke and finde a rest And shall the torments of a troubled brest Impos'd by Natures all-commanding GOD Ne're know an end ne're finde a period Deare soule despaire not whet thy dull beliefe With hope heavens mercy will o'recome thy griefe From thee not him proceeds thy punishment Hee 's slow to wrath and speedy to relent Thou burnst like gold consumest not like fuell O wrong not Heaven to thinke that Heaven is cruell ELEG 12. MOuntaines shall move the Sun his circling course Shall stop Tridented Neptuae shall divorce Th' embracing floods from their beloved Iles Ere heaven forgets his servant and recoyles From his eternall vow Those those that bruise His broken reeds or secretly abuse The doubtfull Title of a rightfull Cause Or with false bribes adulterat the Lawes That should be chaste these these th' Almightie hath Branded for subjects of a future wrath Oh may the just man know th' Eternall hastens His plagues for trialls loves the child he chastens ELEG 13. NO mortall power nor supernall might Not Lucifer nor no infernall spright Nor all together joyn'd in one commission Can thinke or act without divine permission Man wils Heaven breathes successe or not upon it What good what evill befals but heaven hath done it Vpon his right hand Health and Honors stand And flaming Scourges on the other hand Since then the States of good or evill depend Vpon his will fond mortall thou attend Vpon his Wisdome Why should living Dust Complaine on Heaven because that Heaven is just ELEG 14. O Let the ballance of our even pois'd hearts Weigh our afflictions with our just deserts And ease our heavie scale Double the graines We take from sinne Heaven taketh from our pains Oh let thy lowly-bended eyes not feare Th' Almighties frownes nor husband one poore teare Be prodigall in sighes and let thy â—ongue Thy tongue estrang'd to heaven cry all night long My soule thou leav'st what thy Creator did Will thee to doe hast done what he forbid This this hath made so great a strangenesse bee If not divorce betwixt thy GOD and thee ELEG 15. PRepar'd to vengeance and resolv'd to spoile Thy hand just GOD hath taken in thy toile Our wounded soules That arme which hath forgot His wonted mercy kills and spareth not Our crimes have set a barre betwixt thy Grace And us thou hast eclipst thy glorious face Hast stopt thy gracious eare lest prayers enforce done Thy tender Heart to pity and remorse See see great GOD what thy deare hand hath We lie like drosse when all the gold is gone Contemn'd despis'd and like to Atomes flye Before the Sunne the scorne of every eye ELEG 16. QVotidian fevers of reproach and shame Have chill'd our Honor and renowned Name We are become the by-word and the scorne Of Heaven and Earth of heaven earth forlorne Our captiv'd soules are compast round about Within with troopes of feares of foes without Without within distrest and in conclusion We are the haplesse children of confusion Oh how mine eyes the rivers of mine eyes O'reflow these barren lips that can devise No Dialect that can expresse or borrow Sufficient Metaphors to shew my sorrow ELEG 17. RIvers of marish teares have over-flowne My blubber'd cheeks my tongue can find no Tone So sharpe as silence to bewaile that woe Whose flowing Tides an Ebbe could never know Weepe on mine eyes mine eyes shall never cease Speake on my Tongue forget to hold thy peace Cease not thy teares close not thy lips so long Til heaven shal wipe thine eles heare thy tongue What heart of brasse what Adamantine brest Can know the torments of my soule and rest What stupid braine ah me what marble eye Can see these these my ruines and not cry ELEG 18. SO hath the Fowler with his slye deceits Beguil'd the harmelesse bird so with false baits The treach'rous Angler strikes his nibbling prey Even so my Foes my guiltlesse soule betray So have my fierce pursuers with close wiles Inthralled me and gloried in my spoiles Where undermining plots could not prevaile There mischiefe did with strength of arme assaile Thus in afflictions troubled billowes tost I live but t is a life worse had than lost Thus thus o'rewhelm'd my secret soule doth cry I am destroy'd and there 's no helper nigh ELEG 19. THou great Creator whose diviner breath Preserves thy Creature joyst not in his death Looke downe from thy eternall Throne that art The onely Rocke of a despairing heart Looke downe from Heaven O thou whose tender eare Once heard the trickling of one single teare How art thou now estranged from his cry That sends forth Rivers from his fruitfull eye How often hast thou with a gentle arme Rais'd me from death and bid
tempting that no power Was left in thee to stay another hower Or didst thou feed by chance and not observ'd What food it was but tooke as Fortune carv'd 'T is done Be it or Fortunes act or thine It fed the one whose want made Millions pine ELEG 5. ENvie now burst with joy and let thine eyes Strut forth with fatnesse let thy collops rise Pampred and plump Feed full for many yeares Vpon our losse Be drunken with our teares For he is dead whose soule did never cease To crosse and violate your malitious peace He 's dead but in his death hath overthrowne More vices than his happy life had done In life he taught to dye and he did give In death a great example how to live Though he be gone his fame is left behinde Now leave thy laughing Envie and be pin'd ELEG 6. FArewell those eyes whose gentle smiles forsooke No misery taught Charity how to looke Farewell those cheerefull eyes that did e'rewhile Teach succour'd misery how to blesse a smile Farewell those eyes whose mixt aspect of late Did reconcile humility and state Farewell those eyes that to their joyfull guest Proclaim'd their ordinary fare a feast Farewell those eyes the load-stars late whereby The graces â—ail'd secure from eye to eye Farewell deare eyes bright Lamps ô who can tell Your glorious welcome or our sad farewell ELEG 7. GOe glorious Saint I knew 't was not a shrine Of flesh could lodge so pure a soule as thine I saw it labour in a holy scorne Of living dust and ashes to be sworne A heavenly Quirifter It sigh'd and groan'd To be dissolv'd from mortall and enthron'd Among his fellow Angells there to sing Perpetuall Anthems to his heavenly King He was a stranger to his house of Clay Scarce own'd it but that necessary stay Miscall'd it his And onely zeale did make Him love the building for the builders sake ELEG 8. HAd vertue learning the Diviner Arts Wit judgement wisdome or what other parts That make perfection and returne the minde As great as Earth can suffer beene confin'd To earth had they the Patent to abide Secure from change our Ailmer ne're had dy'de Fond earth forbeare and let thy childish eyes Ne're weep for him thou ne're knew'st how to prize Shed not a teare blinde earth for it appeares Thou never lov'dst our Ailmer by thy teares Or if thy flouds must needs oreflow their brim Lament lament thy blindenesse and not him ELEG 9. I Wondred not to heare so brave an end Because I knew who made it could contend With death and conquer and in open chace Would spit defiance in his conquered face And did Dauntlesse he trod him underneath To shew the weaknesse of unarmed death Nay had report or niggard Fame denyde His name it had beene knowne 't was Ailmer dyde It was no wonder to heare rumor tell That he which dyde so oft once dyde so well Great Lord of life how hath thy dying breath Made man whoÌ„ death had conquerd coÌ„quer death ELEG 10. KNowledge the depth of whose unbounded maine Hath bin the wreck of many a curious braine And from her yet unreconciled schooles Hath fill'd us with so many learned fooles Hath tutor'd thee with rules that cannot erre And taught thee how to know thy selfe and her Furnisht thy nimble soule in height of measure With humane riches and divinest treasure From whence as from a sacred spring did flow Fresh Oracles to let the hearer know A way to glory and to let him see The way to glory is to studie thee ELEG 11. LOoke how the body of heavens greater light Inâ—iches each beholder with his bright And glorious rayes untill the envious West Too greedy to enjoy so faire a guest Calls him to bed where ravisht from our sight He leaves us to the solemne frownes of night Even so our Sun in his harmonious spheare Enlightned every eye rapt every eare Till in the earely sunset of his yeares He dyde and left us that survive in teares And like the Sun in spight of death and fate He seemed greatest in his lowest state ELEG 12. MOlest me not full sighes and flowing teares You stormes showres of nature stop your eares Fond flesh and bloud against the strong temptation Of fullen griefe and sense-bereaving passion Cease to lament Let not thy slow pac'd numbers Disturbe his rest that so so sweetly slumbers The child of virtue is asleepe not dead He dies alone whom death hath conquered Why should we shed a teare for him or why Lament we whom we rather should envie He lives he lives a life shall never tast A change so long as Crownes of glory last ELEG 13. NO no he is not dead The mouth of fame Honors shrill Herald would preserve his name And make it live in spight of death and dust Were there no other heaven no other trust He is not dead The sacred Nine deny The soule that merits fame should ever dye He lives and when the latest breath of fame Shall want her Trumpe to glorifie a name He shall survive and these selfe closed eyes That now lie slumbring in the dust shall rise And fill'd with endlesse glory shall enjoy The perfect vision of eternall joy ELEG 14. O But the dregs of flesh and bloud How close They grapple with my soule and interpose Her higher thoughts which yet but young of wing They cause to stoope and strike at every thing Passion presentâ— before their weakned eye Iudgement and better reason standing by I must lament Nature commands it so The more I strive with teares the more they flow These eyes have just nay double cause of mone They weepe the coÌ„mon losse they weep their own He sleepes Indeed then give me leave to weepe Teares fully answerable to his sleepe ELEG 15. PArdon my teares if they be too too free And if thou canst not weepe I 'le pardon thee Dull Stoick If thou laugh to heare his death I 'le weep that thou wert borne to spend that breath Thou dry-brain'd Portick whose Ahenian brest Transcending passion never was opprest With griefe O had your flinty Sect but lost So rare a prize as we lament and boast Your hearts had crost your Tenet and disburst As many drops as we have done or burst No marvell that your marble braines could crosse Her lawes that never gave you such a losse ELEG 16. QVicke-sould Pythagoras O thou that wert So many men and didst so oft revert From shades of death if we may trust to Fame With losse of nothing but thy buried name Hadst thou but liv'd in this our Ailmers time Thou wouldst have dyde once more to live in him Or had our Ailmer in those daies of thine But dyde and left so glorious so divine A soule as his how would thy hasty brâ—st Have gasp'd to entertaine so faire a guest Which if obtained had no doubt supplyde thee With that immortall state thy Sire denyde thee ELEG 17. RAre soule that now sits crowned in
that Quire Of endlesse joy fill'd with coelestiall fire Pardon my teares that in their passion would Recall thee from thy Kingdome if they could Pardon O pardon my distracted zeale Which if condemn'd by reason must appeale To thee whose now lamented death whose end Confirm'd the deare affection of a friend Permit me then to offer at thy herse These fruitles teares which if they prove to fierce O pardon you that know the price of friends For teares are just that nature recommends ELEG 18. SO may the faire aspect of pleased heaven Conforme my noone of daies crowne their even So may the gladder smiles of earth present My fortunes with the height of joâ—s content As I lament with unaffected breath Our losse deare Ailmer in thy happy death May the false teare that 's forc'd or slides by Art That hath no warrant from the soule the heart Or that exceeds not natures faint commission Or dares unvented come to composition O may that teare in stricter judgement rise Against those false those faint those flattring eyes ELEG 19. THus to the world and to the spacious eares Of fame I bâ—azon my unboasted teares Thus to thy sacred dust thy Vrne thy Herse I consecrate my sighes my teares my verse Thus to thy soule thy name thy just desert I offer up my joy my love my heart That earth may know and every eare that heares True worth and griefe were parents to my teares That earth may know thy dust thy Vrne thy herse Brought forth bred my sighes my teares my verse And that thy soule thy name thy just desert Invites incites my joy my love my heart ELEG 20. VNconstant earth why doe not mortalls cease To build their hopes upon so short a lease Vncertaine lease whose terme but once begun Tells never when it ends till it be done We dote upon thy smiles not knowing why And whiles we but prepare to live we dye We spring like flowers for a daies delight At noone we flourish and we â—ade at night We toile for kingdomes conquer Crownes then We that were Gods but now now lesse than men If wisdome learning knowlege cannot dwell Secure from change vaine bubble earth farewell ELEG 21. WOuldst thou when death had done deserve a story Should staine the memory of great Pompeyes glory Conquer thy selfe example be thy guide Dye just as our selfe-conquering Ailmer dyde Woldst thou subdue more kingdoÌ„es gain mo crowns Than that brave Hero Caesar conquer'd townes Then conquer death Example be thy guide Die just as our death-conquering Ailmer dyde But woldst thou win more worlds than he had done Kingdomes that all the earth hath over-runne Then conquer heaven example be thy guide Die just as our heaven-conquering Ailmer dyde ELEG 22. YEares fully laden with their months attend Th' expired times acquitance and so end Months gone their dates of numbered daies require Bright Cynâ—â—ia's full discharge and so expire Dayes deepely ag'd with houres lose their light And having runne their stage conclude with night And howers chac'd with light-foot minutes flye Tending their labour to a new supply Yet Ailmers glory never shall diminish Though yeares and months though daies howers finish Yet Ailmers joyes for ever shall extend Though yeares months though daies and howers end FINIS Dâ—loris nullus His Epitaph ASke you why so many a teare Bursts forth I 'le tell you in your eare Compell me not to speake aloud Death would then be too too proud Eyes that cannot vye a teare Forbeare to aske you may not heare Gentle hearts that overflow Have onely priviledge to know In these sacred ashes then Know Reader that a man of men Lyes covered Fame and lasting glory Make deare mention of his story Nature when she gave him birth Op'd her treasure to the earth Put forth the modell of true merit Quickned with a higher spirit Rare was his life His latest breath Saw and scorn'd and conquer'd death Thanklesse Reader never more Vrge a why when teares runne ore When you saw so high a Tyde You might haue knowne 't was Ailmer dyde Obijt Ian. vj. MDCXXV Vivet post funera Virtus * Sensible graves * Pure in heart * The Kingdome of Heaven * Through apparant infirmities * Glorious in him * Weaknesse of the flesh * Afflictions * 〈◊〉 to Idolatrous superstitions * By reason of my â—â—â—â—nesse * Being seduced by false Prophets * Persecutions * By Idolatry * Thâ—ough my merits and thy sanctification * The Doctrine of the true Prophets * Teacher of my Congregations * Thy most visible parts * Sanctification * The riches of his holy Spirit * The holy Prophets * Thy holy Spirit * In giving grace and receiving glory * The Congregation of Saints * In inward graces * 〈◊〉 is outword glorie * The holy Scriptures * Thy sweet promises * 〈◊〉 imperfections of my present state * The weakenesse of my flesh * The Elect. * Angels * The Congregation of the faithfull * To offer up the first 〈◊〉 of obedience * â— Persecutions * The day of Iudgement * 〈◊〉 sanctification * 〈◊〉 my soule * By strict examination * Amongst the wisest worldlings * The Ministers of the word * At the resurrection * Through sanctification by my merits * â—y heavenly contemplation * Through the gifts of my spirit * The modestie and purity of thy judgement * Ornaments of necessary Ceremonies * Sincere Ministers * Doctrine of thy holy Prophets * Modest graces of the â—pirit * Magistrates * The old and new Testaments * The sanctified zealous Reader * The second death * I will withdraw my bodily presence * The day of judgement * Infirmities of the flesh * This vale of miserie * Thine eye of Faith * Divine Harmonie * The two Testaments * Riddles to prophane Readers * Celestiall comforts * â—he faithfull * The Sunne of righteousnesse * Obedience * Strong workes of Faith * The new fruits of the Spirit * Toâ— much securitie * My heart * The pleasures of the Flesh. * Thy hard-hearted unkindenesse * â—â—pented * The sweetnesse of his graces * False teachers * With their false doctrines * Divine Love * His Dietie * His Humanitie * His judgements and care of his Church * The discovery of him in his word * His promises * Those that die to sinne * That live to righteousnesse * His actins * With purenesse * His secret counsells * Inwardly glorious * His waies constant firme and pure * His whole carriage * The Church is the way to Christ. * Congregation of the faithfull * Giving graces * Receiving glory * Despairing soules * Not yet thorowly humbled * Strengthning the weake in spirit * The force of repentance * Sincere Ministers * Thy visible parts * Modestie and zeale * The pure in heaâ—t * My Spirit * Securitie * Worldly pleasures * Thy wayes * The girdle of truth * The precious gifts of the Spirit * Thereby there is a receipt of spirituall Conceptions * Increase of the faithfull * The old and new Testament * Magistrates * Teachers * Glorious in all parts * The Ceremonies of the Church * Despairing soules * Young Converts * Opposers of the Truth * Congregation of the faithfull * By affliction * Young Convers. * Assemblies * Faithfull * Faith and good workes * The universall Church * Teares and sorrowes * Not to vexe and grieve his holy Spirit * In humility * The Church of the Gentiles then uncalled * Vncall'd to the truth * In the great Congregation * The penitent * The presumptuous