live with me els shall they see me never 37 My God oh in thy fear here let them live Thy wards they are take them to thy protection Thou gav'st them first now back to thee I give Direct them thou and help her weak direction That reunited by thy strong election Thou now in them they then may live in thee And seeing here thy will may there thy glorie see 38 Bettie let these last words long with thee dwell If yet a second Hymen do expect thee Though well he love thee once I lov'd as well Yet if his presence make thee lesse respect me Ah do not in my childrens good neglect me Let me this faithfull hope departing have More easie shall I die and sleep in carelesse grave 39 Farewell farewell I feel my long long rest And iron sleep my leaden heart oppressing Night after day sleep after labour's best Port after storms joy after long distressing So weep thy losse as knowing 't is my blessing Both as a widow and a Christian grieve Still live I in thy thoughts but as in heav'n I live 40 Death end of old joyes entrance into new I follow thee I know I am thy debtour Not unexpect thou com'st to claim thy due Take here thine own my souls too heavie fetter Not life lifes place I change but for a better Take thou my soul that bought'st it cease your tears Who sighing leaves the earth himself and heaven fears 41 Thus said and while the bodie slumbring lay As Theseus Ariadne's bed forsaking His quiet soul stole from her house of clay And glorious Angels on their wings it taking Swifter then lightning flew for heaven making There happie goes he heav'nly fires admiring Whose motion is their bait whose rest is restlesse giring 42 And now the courts of that thrice blessed King It enters and his presence sits enjoying While in it self it findes an endlesse spring Of pleasures new and never weary joying Ne're spent in spending feeding never cloying Weak pen to write for thought can never feign them The minde that all can hold yet cannot half contain thē 43 There doth it blessed sit and looking down Laughs at our busie care and idle paining And fitting to it self that glorious crown Scorns earth where even Kings most serve by reigning Where men get wealth and hell so loose by gaining Ah blessed soul there sit thou still delighted Till we at length to him with thee shall be united 44 But when at last his Lady sad espies His flesh of life her self of him deprived Too full of grief closing his quenched eyes As if in him by him for him she lived Fell dead with him and once again revived Fell once again pain wearie of his paining And grief with too much grief felt now no grief remaining 45 Again reliev'd all silent sat she long No word to name such grief durst first adventer Grief is but light that floats upon the tongue But weightie sorrow presses to the center And never rests till th' heavie heart it enter And in lifes house was married to life Grief made life grievous seem and life enlivens grief 46 And from their bed proceeds a numerous presse First shrieks then tears sighs the hearts ground renting In vain poore Muse would'st thou such dole expresse For thou thy self lamenting her lamenting And with like grief transform'd to like tormenting With heavie pace bring'st forth thy lagging verse Which cloath'd with blackest lines attends the mournfull herse 47 The cunning hand which that Greek Princesse drew Readie in holy fires to be consum'd Pitie and sorrow paints in divers hue One wept he pray'd this sigh'd that chaf'd and fum'd But not to limme her fathers look presum'd For well he knew his skilfull hand had fail'd Best was his sorrow seen when with a cloth 't was vail'd 48 Look as a nightingale whose callow young Some boy hath markt and now half nak'd hath taken Which long she closely kept and foster'd long But all in vain she now poore bird forsaken Flies up and down but grief no place can slaken All day and night her losse she fresh doth rue And where she ends her plaints there soon begins anew 49 Thus sat she desolate so short a good Such gift so soon exacted sore complaining Sleep could not passe but almost sunk i' th' floud So high her eye-banks swell'd with endlesse raining Surfet of grief had bred all meats disdaining A thousand times my Antonie she cried Irby a thousand times and in that name she died 50 Thus circling in her grief it never ends But moving round back to it self enclineth Both day and night alike in grief she spends Day shews her day is gone no sun there shineth Black night her fellow mourner she defineth Light shews his want and shades his picture draw Him nothing best she sees when nothing now she saw THou blacker Muse whose rude uncombed hairs With fatal eugh and cypresse still are shaded Bring hither all thy sighs hither thy teares As sweet a plant as fair a flower is faded As ever in the Muses garden bladed While th' owner haplesse owner sits lamenting And but in discontent grief findes no contenting 2 The sweet now sad Elisa weeping lies While fair Alicia's words in vain relieve her In vain those wells of grief she often dries What her so long now doubled sorrows give her What both their loves which doubly double grieve her She carelesse spends without or end or measure Yet as it spends it grows poor grief can tell his treasure 3 All as a turtle on a bared bough A widow turtle joy and life despises Whose trustie mate to pay his holy vow Some watchfull eye late in his roost surprises And to his God for errour sacrifices She joylesse bird sits mourning all alone And being one when two would now be two or none 4 So sat she gentle Lady weeping sore Her desert self and now cold lord lamenting So sat she carelesse on the dusty floor As if her tears were all her souls contenting So sat she as when speechlesse griefs tormenting Locks up the heart the captive tongue enchaining So sat she joylesse down in wordlesse grief complaining 5 Her chearfull eye which once the crystall was Where Love and Beautie dress'd their fairest faces And fairer seem'd by looking in that glasse Had now in tears drown'd all their former graces Her snow-white arms whose warm sweet embraces Could quicken death their now dead lord infold And seem'd as cold and dead as was the flesh they hold 6 The roses in her cheek grow pale and wan As if his pale cheeks livery they affected Her head like fainting flowers opprest with rain On her left shoulder lean'd his weight neglected Her dark-gold locks hung loosly unrespected As if those fairs which he alone deserv'd With him had lost their use and now for nothing serv'd 7 Her Lady sister sat close by her side Alicia in whose face Love proudly lorded Where Beauties self and Mildnesse sweet
doth spew Black smothering flames roll'd in loud thunder-claps The pitchie vapours choke the shining ray And bring dull night upon the smiling day The wavering Aetna shakes and fain would runne away 23 Yet could his bat-ey'd legions eas'ly see In this dark Chaos they the seed of night But these not so who night and darknesse flee For they the sonnes of day and joy in light But Knowledge soon began a way devise To bring again the day and cleare their eyes So open'd Fido's shield and golden veil unties 24 Of one pure diamond celestiall fair That heav'nly shield by cunning hand was made Whose light divine spred through the mistie aire To brightest morn would turn the Western shade And lightsome day beget before his time Framed in heav'n without all earthly crime Dipt in the firy Sunne which burnt the baser slime 25 As when from fennie moor 's the lumpish clouds With rising steams damp the bright mornings face At length the piercing Sunne his team unshrouds And with his arrows th' idle fogge doth chase The broken mist lies melted all in tears So this bright shield the stinking darknesse teares And giving back the day dissolves their former fears 26 Which when afarre the firie Dragon spies His slights deluded with so little pain To his last refuge now at length he flies Long time his pois'nous gorge he seem'd to strain At length with loathly sight he up doth spue From stinking panch a most deformed crue That heav'n it self did flie from their most ugly view 27 The first that crept from his detested maw Was Hamartia foul deformed wight More foul deform'd the Sunne yet never saw Therefore she hates the all-betraying light A woman seem'd she in her upper part To which she could such lying glosse impart That thousands she had slain with her deceiving art 28 The rest though hid in serpents form arayd With iron scales like to a plaited mail Over her back her knotty tail displaid Along the empty aire did lofty sail The end was pointed with a double sting Which with such dreaded might she wont to fling That nought could help the wound but bloud of heav'nly King 29 Of that first woman her the Dragon got The foulest bastard of so fair a mother Whom when she saw so fil'd with monstrous spot She cast her hidden shame and birth to smother But she welnigh her mothers self had slain And all that dare her kindely entertain So some parts of her damme more of her sire remain 30 Her viperous locks hung loose about her eares Yet with a monstrous snake she them restrains Which like a border on her head she wears About her neck hang down long adder chains In thousand knots and wreaths infolded round Which in her anger lightly she unbound And darting farre away would sure and deadly wound 31 Yet fair and lovely seems to fools dimme eyes But hell more lovely Pluto's self more fair Appears when her true form true light descries Her loathsome face blancht skinne and snakie hair Her shapelesse shape dead life her carrion smell The devils dung the childe and damme of hell Is chaffer fit for fools their precious souls to sell. 32 The second in this rank was black Despair Bred in the dark wombe of eternall Night His looks fast nail'd to Sinne long sootie hair Fill'd up his lank cheeks with wide-staring fright His leaden eyes retir'd into his head Light heav'n and earth himself and all things fled A breathing coarse he seem'd wrapt up in living lead 33 His bodie all was fram'd of earthly paste And heavie mold yet earth could not content him Heav'n fast he flies and heav'n fled him as fast Though ' kin to hell yet hell did much torment him His very soul was nought but ghastly fright With him went many a fiend and ugly sprite Armed with ropes and knives all instruments of spite 34 In stead of feathers on his dangling crest A lucklesse Raven spred her blackest wings And to her croaking throat gave never rest But deathfull verses and sad dirges sings His hellish arms were all with fiends embost Who damned souls with endlesse torments roast And thousand wayes devise to vex the tortur'd ghost 35 Two weapons sharp as death he ever bore Strict Iudgement which from farre he deadly darts Sinne at his side a two edg'd sword he wore With which he soon appalls the stoutest hearts Upon his shield Alecto with a wreath Of snakie whips the dam'd souls tortureth And round about was wrote Reward of sinne is death 36 The last two brethren were farre different Onely in common name of death agreeing The first arm'd with a sithe still mowing went Yet whom and when he murder'd never seeing Born deaf and blinde nothing might stop his way No prayers no vows his keenest sithe could stay Nor Beauties self his spite nor Vertues self allay 37 No state no age no sex may hope to move him Down falls the young and old the boy and maid Nor begger can intreat nor King reprove him All are his slaves in 's cloth of flesh araid The bride he snatches from the bridegrooms arms And horrour brings in midst of loves alarms Too well we know his power by long experienc't harms 38 A dead mans skull suppli'd his helmets place A bone his club his armour sheets of lead Some more some lesse fear his all-frighting face But most who sleep in downie pleasures bed But who in life have daily learnt to die And dead to this live to a life more high Sweetly in death they sleep and slumbring quiet lie 39 The second farre more foul in every part Burnt with blue fire and bubbling sulphure streams Which creeping round about him fill'd with smart His cursed limbes that direly he blasphemes Most strange it seems that burning thus for ever No rest no time no place these flames may sever Yet death in thousand deaths without death dieth never 40 Soon as these hellish monsters came in sight The Sunne his eye in jettie vapours drown'd Scar'd at such hell-hounds view heav'ns ' mazed light Sets in an early evening earth astound Bids dogs with houls give warning at which sound The fearfull ayer starts seas break their bound And frighted fled away no sands might them impound 41 The palsied troop first like asps shaken fare Till now their heart congeal'd in icie bloud Candied the ghastly face locks stand and stare Thus charm'd in ranks of stone they marshall'd stood Their uselesse swords fell idlely on the plain And now the triumph sounds in loftie strain So conqu'ring Dragon bindes the Knights with slavish chain 42 As when proud Phineus in his brothers feast Fill'd all with tumult and intestine broil Wise Perseus with such multitudes opprest Before him bore the snakie Gorgons spoil The vulgar rude stood all in marble chang'd And in vain ranks and rockie order rang'd Were now more quiet guests from former rage estrang'd 43 The fair Eclecta who with grief had stood Viewing th' oft changes
either And both upon one poore heart ever feeding I hill cold despair most cold yet cooling neither In midst of fires his ycie frosts is breeding So fires and frosts to make a perfect hell Meet in one breast in one house friendly dwell Tir'd in this toylsome way my deep affection I ever forward runne and never ease me I dare not swerve her eye is my direction A heavie grief and weighty love oppresse me Desire and hope two spurres that forth compell'd me But awfull fear abridle still withheld me Twice have I plung'd and flung and strove to cast This double burden from my weary heart Fast though I runne and stop they sit as fast Her looks my bait which she doth seld ' impart Thus fainting still some inne I wish and crave Either her maiden bosome or my grave A vow BY hope and fear by grief and joy opprest With deadly hate more deadly love infected Without within in body soul distrest Little by all least by my self respected But most most there where most I lov'd neglected Hated and hating life to death I call Who scorns to take what is refus'd by all Whither ah whither then wilt thou betake thee Despised wretch of friends of all forlorn Since hope and love and life and death forsake thee Poore soul thy own tormenter others scorn Whither poore soul ah whither wilt thou turn What inne what host scorn'd wretch wilt thou now chuse thee The common host and inne death grave refuse thee To thee great Love to thee I prostrate fall That right'st in love the heart in false love swerved On thee true Love on thee I weeping call I who am scorn'd where with all truth I served On thee so wrong'd where thou hast so deserved Disdain'd where most I lov'd to thee I plain me Who truly lovest those who fools disdain thee Thou never-erring Way in thee direct me Thou Death of death oh in thy death engrave me Thou hated Love with thy firm love respect me Thou freest Servant from this yoke unslave me Glorious Salvation for thy glory save me So neither love nor hate scorn death shall move me But with thy love great Love I still shall love thee On womens lightnesse VVHo sowes the sand or ploughs the easie shore Or strives in nets to prison in the winde Yet I fond I more fond and senselesse more Thought in sure love a womans thoughts to binde Fond too fond thoughts that thought in love to tie One more inconstant then inconstancie Look as it is with some true April day Whose various weather stores the world with flowers The sunne his glorious beams doth fair display Then rains and shines again and straight it lowres And twenty changes in one houre doth prove So and more changing is a womans love Or as the hairs which deck their wanton heads Which loosely fly and play with every winde And with each blast turn round their golden threads Such as their hair such is their looser minde The difference this their hair is often bound But never bonds a woman might impound False is their flattering colour false and fading False is their flattering tongue false every part Their hair is forg'd their silver foreheads shading False are their eyes but falsest is their heart Then this in consequence must needs ensue All must be false when every part 's untrue Fond then my thoughts which thought a thing so vain Fond hopes that anchour on so false a ground Fond love to love what could not love again Fond heart thus fir'd with love in hope thus drown'd Fond thoughts fond heart fond hope but fondest I To grasp the winde and love inconstancie A reply upon the fair M. S. A Daintie maid that drawes her double name From bitter sweetnesse with sweet bitternesse Did late my skill and faulty verses blame And to her loving friend did plain confesse That I my former credit foul did shame And might no more a poets name professe The cause that with my verse she was offended For womens levitie I discommended Too true you said that poet I was never And I confesse it fair if that content ye That then I playd the poet lesse then ever Not for of such a verse I now repent me Poets to feigne and make fine lies endeavour But I the truth truth ah too certain sent ye Then that I am no poet I denie not For when their lightnesse I condemne I ly not But if my verse had ly'd against my minde And praised that which truth cannot approve And falsly said they were as fair as kinde As true as sweet their faith could never move But sure is linkt where constant love they finde That with sweet braving they vie truth and love If thus I write it cannot be deni'd But I a poet were so foul I ly'd But give me leave to write as I have found Like ruddy apples are their outsides bright Whose skin is fair the core or heart unsound Whose cherry-cheek the eye doth much delight But inward rottennesse the taste doth wound Ah! were the taste so good as is the sight To pluck such apples lost with self same price Would back restore us part of paradise But truth hath said it truth who dare denie Men seldome are more seldome women sure But if fair-sweet thy truth and constancie To better faith thy thoughts and minde procure If thy firm truth could give firm truth the lie If thy first love will first and last endure Thou more then woman art if time so proves thee And he more then a man that loved loves thee An Apologie for the premises to the Ladie Culpepper WHo with a bridle strives to curb the waves Or in a cypresse chest locks flaming fires So when love angred in thy bosome raves And grief with love a double flame inspires By silence thou mayst adde but never lesse it The way is by expressing to represse it Who then will blame affection not respected To vent in grief the grief that so torments him Passion will speak in passion if neglected Love that so soon will chide as soon repents him And therefore boyish Love's too like a boy With a toy pleas'd displeased with a toy Have you not seen when you have chid or fought That lively picture of your lovely beauty Your pretty childe at first to lowre or pout But soon again reclaim'd to love and duty Forgets the rod and all her anger ends Playes on your lap or on your neck depends Too like that pretty childe is childish Love That when in anger he is wrong'd or beat Will rave and chide and every passion prove But soon to smiles and fawns turns all his heat And prayes and swears he never more will do it Such one is Love alas that women know it But if so just excuse will not content ye But still you blame the words of angry Love Here I recant and of those words repent me In signe hereof I offer now to prove That changing womens love is
'gins his life when he 's of life bereaven Ah blessed soul that here begins his heaven Upon the Contemplations of the B. of Excester given to the Ladie E. W. at New-yeares-tide THis little worlds two little starres are eyes And he that all eyes framed fram'd all others Downward to fall but these to climbe the skies There to acquaint them with their starrie brothers Planets fixt in the head their spheare of sense Yet wandring still through heav'ns circumference The Intellect being their Intelligence Dull then that heavie soul which ever bent On earth and earthly toyes his heav'n neglects Content with that which cannot give content What thy foot scorning kicks thy soul respects Fond soul thy eye will up to heav'n erect thee Thou it direct'st and must it now direct thee Dull heavie soul thy scholar must correct thee Thrice happie soul that guided by thine eyes Art mounted up unto that starrie nation And leaving there thy sense entrest the skies Enshrin'd and sainted there by contemplation Heav'n thou enjoy'st on earth and now bereaven Of life a new life to thy soul is given Thrice happie soul that hast a double heaven That sacred hand which to this yeare hath brought you Perfect your yeares and with your yeares his graces And when his will unto his will hath wrought you Conduct your soul unto those happie places Where thousand joyes and pleasures ever new And blessings thicker then the morning dew With endlesse sweets rain on that heav'nly crue These Asclepiads of Mr. H. S. translated and enlarged Nè Verbum mihi sit mortua Litera Nec Christi Meritum Gratia vanida Sed Verbum fatuo sola Scientia Et Christus misero sola Redemptio UNletter'd Word which never eare could heare Unwritten Word which never eye could see Yet syllabled in flesh-spell'd character That so to senses thou might'st subject be Since thou in bread art stampt in print art read Let not thy print-stampt Word to me be dead Thou all-contriving all-deserving Spirit Made flesh to die that so thou might'st be mine That thou in us and we in thee might merit We thine thou ours thou humane we divine Let not my dead lifes merit my dead heart Forfeit so deare a purchas'd deaths desert Thou Sunne of wisdome knowledge infinite Made folly to the wise night to prophane Be I thy Moon oh let thy sacred light Increase to th' full and never never wane Wise folly set in me fond wisdome rise Make me renounce my wisdome to be wise Thou Life eternall purest blessednesse Made mortal wretched sinne it self for me Shew me my death my sin my wretchednesse That I may flourish shine and live in thee So I with praise shall sing thy life deaths storie O thou my Merit Life my Wisdome Glorie Certain of the royal Prophets Psalmes metaphrased Psalm 42. which agrees with the tune of Like the Hermite poore LOok as an hart with sweat and bloud embrued Chas'd and embost thirsts in the soil to be So my poore soul with eager foes pursued Looks longs O Lord pines pants and faints for thee When O my God when shall I come in place To see thy light and view thy glorious face I dine and sup with sighs with grones and teares While all thy foes mine eares with taunting load Who now thy cries who now thy prayer heares Where is say they where is thy boasted God My molten heart deep plung'd in sad despairs Runnes forth to thee in streams of teares and prayers With grief I think on those sweet now past dayes When to thy house my troops with joy I led We sang we danc'd we chanted sacred layes No men so haste to wine no bride to bed Why droop'st my soul why faint'st thou in my breast Wait still with praise his presence is thy rest My famisht soul driv'n from thy sweetest word From Hermon hill and Jordans swelling brook To thee laments sighs deep to thee O Lord To thee sends back her hungrie longing look Flouds of thy wrath breed flouds of grief and fears And flouds of griefbreed flouds of plaints and teares His early light with morn these clouds shall clear These drearie clouds and storms of sad despairs Sure am I in the night his songs to heare Sweet songs of joy as well as he my prayers I 'le say My God why slight'st thou my distresse While all my foes my wearie soul oppresse My cruel foes both thee and me upbraid They cut my heart they vant that bitter word Where is thy trust where is thy hope they said Where is thy God where is thy boasted Lord Why droop'st my soul why faint'st thou in my breast Wait still with praise his presence is thy rest Psal. 63. which may be sung as The widow or mock-widow O Lord before the morning Gives heav'n warning To let out the day My wakefull eyes Look for thy rise And wait to let in thy joyfull ray Lank hunger here peoples the desert cells Here thirst fills up the emptie wells How longs my flesh for that bread without leaven How thirsts my soul for that wine of heaven Such oh to taste thy ravishing grace Such in thy house to view thy glorious face Thy love thy light thy faces Bright-shining graces Whose unchanged ray Knows nor morns dawn Nor evenings wane How farre surmount they lifes winter day My heart to thy glorie tunes all his strings My tongue thy praises cheerly sings And till I slumber and death shall undresse me Thus will I sing thus will I blesse thee Fill me with love oh fill me with praise So shall I vent due thanks in joyfull layes When night all eyes hath quenched And thoughts lie drenched In silence and rest Then will I all Thy waies recall And look on thy light in darknesse best When my poore soul wounded had lost the field Thou wast my fort thou wast my shield Safe in thy trenches I boldly will vant me There will I sing there will I chant thee There I 'le triumph in thy banner of grace My conqu'ring arms shall be thy arms embrace My foes from deeps ascending In rage transcending Assaulting me sore Into their hell Are headlong fell There shall they lie there howl and roare There let deserv'd torments their spirits tear Feel they worst ills and worse yet fear But with his spouse thine anointed in pleasure Shall reigne and joy past time or measure There new delights new pleasures still spring Haste there oh haste my soul to dance and sing PSAL. 127. To the tune of that Psalme IF God build not the house and lay The ground-work sure who ever build It cannot stand one stormie day If God be not the cities shield If he be not their barres and wall In vain is watch-tower men and all Though then thou wak'st when others rest Though rising thou prevent'st the Sunne Though with lean care thou daily feast Thy labour 's lost and thou undone But God his childe will feed and keep And draw the curtains to
thou none Or if thou art or wert how art thou saved And livest still when he to death is slaved But ah when well I think I plainly see That death to him was life and life is death to me 28 Vile trunk if yet he live ah then again Why seek'st thou not with him to be combined But oh since he in heav'n doth living reigne Death wer't to him in such knots to be twined And life to me with him to be confined So while I better think I eas'ly see My life to him were death his death were life to me 29 Then die with him vile trunk and dying live Or rather with him live his life applying Where thou shalt never die nor ever grieve But ah though death thou feel'st within thee lying Thou ne're art dead though still in sorrow dying Most wretched soul which hast thy seat and being Where life with death is one death with life agreeing 30 He lives and joyes death life to him hath bred Why is he living then in earth enwombed But I a walking coarse in life am dead 'T is I my friends 't is I must be entombed Whose joy with grief whose life with death's benummed Thou coffin art not his nor he is thine Mine art thou thou the dead not the livings shrine 31 You few thinne boards how in so scanted room So quiet such great enemies contain ye All joy all grief lies in this narrow tombe You contraries how thus in peace remain ye That one small cabin so should entertain ye But joy is dead and here entomb'd doth lie While grief is come to moan his dead-lov'd enemie 32 How many vertues in this little space This little little space lie buried ever In him they liv'd and with them every grace In him they liv'd and di'd and rise will never Fond men go now in vertues steps persever Go sweat and toil thus you inglorious lie In this old frozen age vertue it self can die 33 Those petty Northern starres do never fall The unwasht Beare the Ocean wave despises Ever unmov'd it moves and ever shall The Sun which oft his head in night disguises So often as he falls so often rises And stealing backward by some hidden way With self same light begins and ends the yeare day 34 The flowers which in the absence of the Sunne Sleep in their winter-houses all disarm'd And backward to their mothers wombe do runne Soon as the earth by Taurus horns is warm'd Muster their colour'd troups and freshly arm'd Spreading their braving colours to the skie Winter and winters spight bold little elves defie 35 But Vertues heav'nly and more glorious light Though seeming ever sure yet oft dismounteth And sinking low sleeps in eternall night Nor ever more his broken spheare remounteth Her sweetest flower which other flowers surmounteth As farre as roses nettles soonest fadeth Down falls her glorious leaf never more it bladeth 36 And as that dainty flower the maiden rofe Her swelling bosome to the Sunne discloses Soon as her lover hot and fiery grows Straight all her sweets unto his heat exposes Then soon disrob'd her sweet and beautie loses While hurtfull weeds hemlocks nettles stinking Soon from the earth ascend late to their graves are sinking 37 All so the vertuous bud in blooming falls While vice long flourishing late sees her ending Vertue once dead no gentle spring recalls But vice springs of it self and soon ascending Long views the day late to his night descending Vain men that in this life set up your rest Which to the ill is long and short unto the best 38 And as a dream where th' idle fancie playes One thinks that fortune high his head advances Another spends in woe his weary dayes A third seems sport in love and courtly dances A fourth to finde some glitt'ring treasure chances Soon as they wake they see their thoughts were vain And either quite forget or laugh their idle brain 39 Such is the world and such lifes quick-spent play This base and scorn'd that great in high esteeming This poore and patched seems that rich and gay This sick that sound yet all is but a seeming So like that waking oft we fear w' are dreaming And think we wake oft when we dreaming play Dreams are as living nights life as a dreaming day 40 Go then vain life for I will trust no more Thy flattering dreams death to thy resting take me Thou sleep without all dreams lifes quiet shore When wilt thou come when wilt thou overtake me Enough I now have liv'd loath'd life forsake me Thou good mens endlesse fight thou ill mens feast That at the best art bad and worst art to the best 41 Thus as in teares she drowns her swollen eyes A suddain noise recalls them backward bending Her weary head there all in black she spies Six mournfull bearers the sad hearse attending Their feet and hands to that last dutie lending All silent stood she trembling pale and wan The first grief left his stage a new his part began 42 And now the coffin in their arms they take While she with weight of grief sat still amazed As do sear leaves in March so did she quake And with intended eyes upon them gazed But when from ground the doleful hearse they raised Down on the beer half dead she carelesse fell While teares did talk apace and sighs her sorrows tell 43 At last Fond men said she you are deceiv'd It is not he 't is I must be interred Not he but I of life and soul bereav'd He lives in heav'n among the saints referred This trunk this headlesse body must be buried But while by force some hold her up they reare him And weeping at her tears away they softly beare him 44 But then impatient grief all passion proves She prayes weeps with teares she doth intreat them But when this onely fellow passion moves She storms and raves and now as fast doth threat them And as she onely could with words doth beat them Ah cruell men ah men most cruell stay It is my heart my life my soul you beare away 45 And now no sooner was he out of sight As if she would make good what she had spoken First from her hearts deep centre deep she sigh'd Then as if heart and life and soul were broken Down dead she fell and once again awoken Fell once again so to her bed they bore her While friends no friends hard love to life and grief restore her 46 Unfriendly friends saith she why do ye strive To barre wisht death from his so just ingression Your pitie kills me 't is my death to live And life to die it is as great oppression To force out death as life from due possession 'T is much more great better that quickly spills A loathed life then he that with long torture kills 47 And then as if her guiltlesse bed offended Thou trait'rous bed when first thou didst receive me Not single to thy rest I then ascended
coast And let that double-headed mountain hallow No more the honour'd name of great Apollo And may the Pegasean spring that uses To cheer the palats of the thirstie Muses Drie up and let this happie Isle of thine Preserve Apolloes harp where every line Carries a Suada with 't and doth display The banners of heav'n-born Urania Henceforth let all the world thy verse admire Before that Thracean Orpheus charming lyre He but enchanted Beasts but thy divine And higher aires bring Deities to this Isle of thine A. C. MAns Bodie 's like a house his greater bones Are the main timber and the lesser ones Are smaller splints his ribs are laths daub'd o're Plaister'd with flesh and bloud his mouth 's the doore His throat 's the narrow entrie and his heart Is the great chamber full of curious art His midriffe is a large partition-wall 'Twixt the great chamber and the spacious hall His stomack is the kitchin where the meat Is often but half sod for want of heat His splene's a vessell nature does allot To take the skumme that rises from the pot His lungs are like the bellows that respire In ev'ry office quickning ev'ry fire His nose the chimney is whereby are vented Such fumes as with the bellows are augmented His bowels are the sink whose part 's to drein All noisome filth and keep the kitchin clean His eyes are crystall windows cleare and bright Let in the object and let out the sight And as the timber is or great or small Or strong or weak 't is apt to stand or fall Yet is the likeliest building sometimes known To fall by obvious chances overthrown Ofttimes by tempests by the full-mouth'd blasts Of heav'n sometimes by fire sometimes it wastes Through unadvis'd neglect put case the stuffe Were ruine-proofe by nature strong enough To conquer time and age put case it should Ne're know an end alas our leases would What hast thou then proud flesh and bloud to boast Thy dayes are evil at best but few at most But sad as merriest and but weak at strongest Vnsure at surest and but short at longest FRAN. QUARLES THE PURPLE ISLAND OR THE ISLE OF MAN CANT I. STAN I. THe warmer Sun the golden Bull outran And with the Twins made haste to inne and play Scatt'ring ten thousand flowres he new began To paint the world and piece the length'ning day The world more aged by new youths accrewing Ah wretched man this wretched world pursuing Which still grows worse by age older by renewing 2 The shepherd-boyes who with the Muses dwell Met in the plain their May-lords new to chuse For two they yearely chuse to order well Their rurall sports and yeare that next ensues Now were they sat where by the orchyard walls The learned Chame with stealing water crawls And lowly down before that royall temple falls 3 Among the rout they take two gentle swains Whose sprouting youth did now but greenly bud Well could they pipe and sing but yet their strains Were onely known unto the silent wood Their nearest bloud from self-same fountains flow Their souls self-same in nearer love did grow So seem'd two joyn'd in one or one disjoyn'd in two 4 Now when the shepherd-lads with common voice Their first consent had firmly ratifi'd A gentle boy thus 'gan to wave their choice Thirsil said he though yet thy Muse untri'd Hath onely learn'd in private shades to feigne Soft sighs of love unto a looser strain Or thy poore Thelgons wrong in mournfull verse to plain 5 Yet since the shepherd-swains do all consent To make thee lord of them and of their art And that choice lad to give a full content Hath joyn'd with thee in office as in heart Wake wake thy long thy too long sleeping Muse And thank them with a song as is the use Such honour thus conferr'd thou mayst not well refuse 6 Sing what thou list be it of Cupids spite Ah lovely spite and spitefull lovelinesse Or Gemma's grief if sadder be thy sprite Begin thou loved swain with good successe Ah said the bashfull boy such wanton toyes A better minde and sacred vow destroyes Since in a higher love I setled all my joyes 7 New light new love new love new life hath bred A life that lives by love and loves by light A love to him to whom all loves are wed A light to whom the Sunne is darkest night Eyes light hearts love souls onely life he is Life soul love heart light eye and all are his He eye light heart love soul he all my joy blisse 8 But if you deigne my ruder pipe to heare Rude pipe unus'd untun'd unworthy hearing These infantine beginnings gently bear Whose best desert and hope must be your bearing But you O Muses by soft Chamus sitting Your daintie songs unto his murmures fitting Which bears the under-song unto your chearfull dittying 9 Tell me ye Muses what our father-ages Have left succeeding times to play upon What now remains unthought on by those Sages Where a new Muse may trie her pineon What lightning Heroes like great Peleus heir Darting his beams through our hard-frozen aire May stirre up gentle heat and vertues wane repair 10 Who knows not Iason or bold Tiphys hand That durst unite what Natures self would part He makes Isles continent and all one land O're seas as earth he march'd with dangerous art He rides the white-mouth'd waves and scorneth all Those thousand deaths wide gaping for his fall He death defies fenc't with a thin low wooden wall 11 Who ha's not often read Troyes twice-sung fires And at the second time twice better sung Who ha's not heard th' Arcadian shepherds quires Which now have gladly chang'd their native tongue And sitting by slow Mincius sport their fill With sweeter voice and never equall'd skill Chaunting their amorous layes unto a Romane quill 12 And thou choice wit Loves scholar and Loves master Art known to all where Love himself is known Whether thou bidd'st Vlysses hie him faster Or dost thy fault and distant exile moan Who ha's not seen upon the mourning stage Dire Atreus feast and wrong'd Medea's rage Marching in tragick state and buskin'd equipage 13 And now of late th' Italian fisher-swain Sits on the shore to watch his trembling line There teaches rocks and prouder seas to plain By Nesis fair and fairer Mergiline While his thinne net upon his oars twin'd With wanton strife catches the Sunne and winde Which still do slip away and still remain behinde 14 And that French Muses eagle eye and wing Hath soar'd to heav'n and there hath learn'd the art To frame Angelick strains and canzons sing Too high and deep for every shallow heart Ah blessed soul in those celestiall rayes Which gave thee light these lower works to blaze Thou sitt'st emparadis'd and chaunt'st eternall layes 15 Thrice happy wits which in your springing May Warm'd with the Sunne of well deserved favours Disclose your buds and your fair blooms display Perfume the aire
didst spread On those dark waters thy all-opening light Thou who of late of thy great bounty head This nest of hellish fogges and Stygian night With thy bright orient Sunne hast fair renew'd And with unwonted day hast it endu'd Which late both day thee and most it self eschew'd 27 Dread Spirit do thou those severall bands unfold Both which thou sent'st a needfull supplement To this lost Isle and which with courage bold Hourely assail thy rightfull regiment And with strong hand oppresse keep them under Raise now my humble vein to lofty thunder That heav'n and earth may sound resound thy praises wonder 28 The Islands Prince of frame more then celestiall Is rightly call'd th' all-seeing Intellect All glorious bright such nothing is terrestriall Whose Sun-like face and most divine aspect No humane sight may ever hope descrie For when himself on 's self reflects his eye Dull and amaz'd he stands at so bright majestie 29 Look as the Sunne whose ray and searching light Here there and every where it self displayes No nook or corner flies his piercing sight Yet on himself when he reflects his rayes Soon back he flings the too bold vent'ring gleam Down to the earth the flames all broken stream Such is this famous Prince such his unpierced beam 30 His strangest body is not bodily But matter without matter never fill'd Nor filling though within his compasse high All heav'n and earth and all in both are held Yet thousand thousand heav'ns he could contain And still as empty as at first remain And when he takes in most readi'st to take again 31 Though travelling all places changing none Bid him soar up to heav'n and thence down throwing The centre search and Dis dark realm he 's gone Returns arrives before thou saw'st him going And while his weary kingdome safely sleeps All restlesse night he watch and warding keeps Never his carefull head on resting pillow steeps 32 In every quarter of this blessed Isle Himself both present is and President Nor once retires ah happy realm the while That by no Officers lewd lavishment With greedie lust and wrong consumed art He all in all and all in every part Does share to each his due and equall dole impart 33 He knows nor death nor yeares nor feeble age But as his time his strength and vigour grows And when his kingdome by intestine rage Lies broke and wasted open to his foes And batter'd sconce now flat and even lies Sooner then thought to that great Judge he flies Who weighs him just reward of good or injuries 34 For he the Judges Viceroy here is plac't Where if he live as knowing he may die He never dies but with fresh pleasures grac't Bathes his crown'd head in soft eternitie Where thousand joyes and pleasures ever new And blessings thicker then the morning dew With endlesse sweets rain down on that immortall crue 35 There golden starres set in the crystall snow There daintie joyes laugh at white-headed caring There day no night delight no end shall know Sweets without surfet fulnesse without sparing And by its spending growing happinesse There God himself in glories lavishnesse Diffus'd in all to all is all full blessednesse 36 But if he here neglect his Masters law And with those traitours 'gainst his Lord rebells Down to the deeps ten thousand fiends him draw Deeps where night death despair and horrour dwells And in worst ills still worse expecting fears Where fell despite for spite his bowels tears And still increasing grief and torment never wears 37 Prayers there are idle death is woo'd in vain In midst of death poore wretches long to die Night without day or rest still doubling pain Woes spending still yet still their end lesse nigh The soul there restlesse helplesse hopelesse lies The body frying roars and roaring fries There 's life that never lives there 's death that never dies 38 Hence while unsetled here he fighting reignes Shut in a Tower where thousand enemies Assault the fort with wary care and pains He guards all entrance and by divers spies Searches into his foes and friends designes For most he fears his subjects wavering mindes This Tower then onely falls when treason undermines 39 Therefore while yet he lurks in earthly tent Disguis'd in worthlesse robes and poore attire Trie we to view his glories wonderment And get a sight of what we so admire For when away from this sad place he flies And in the skies abides more bright then skies Too glorious is his sight for our dimme mortall eyes 40 So curl'd-head Thetis waters feared Queen But bound in cauls of sand yeelds not to sight And planets glorious King may best be seen When some thinne cloud dimmes his too piercing light And neither none nor all his face discloses For when his bright eye full our eye opposes None gains his glorious sight but his own sight he loses 41 Within the Castle sit eight Counsellers That help him in this tent to govern well Each in his room a severall office bears Three of his inmost private counsell deal In great affairs five of lesse dignitie Have outward Courts and in all actions prie But still referre the doom to Courts more fit and high 42 Those five fair brethren which I sung of late For their just number call'd the Pemptarchie The other three three pillars of the state The first in midst of that high Tower doth lie The chiefest mansion of this glorious King The Judge and Arbiter of every thing Which those five brethrens poasts in to his office bring 43 Of middle yeares and seemly personage Father of laws the rule of wrong and right Fountain of judgement therefore wondrous sage Discreet and wise of quick and nimble sight Not those seven Sages might him parallell Nor he whom Pythian Maid did whilome tell To be the wisest man that then on earth did dwell 44 As Neptunes cestern sucks in tribute tides Yet never full which every chanel brings And thirstie drinks and drinking thirstie bides For by some hidden way back to the springs It sends the streams in erring conduits spread Which with a circling dutie still are led So ever feeding them is by them ever fed 45 Ev'n so the first of these three Counsellers Gives to the five the power of all-descrying Which back to him with mutuall dutie bears All their informings and the causes trying For through strait waies the nimble Poast ascends Unto his hall there up his message sends Which to the next well scann'd he straightway recommends 46 The next that in the Castles front is plac't Phantastes hight his yeares are fresh and green His visage old his face too much defac't With ashes pale his eyes deep sunken been With often thoughts and never slackt intention Yet he the fount of speedy apprehension Father of wit the well of arts and quick invention 47 But in his private thoughts and busy brain Thousand thinne forms and idle fancies flit The three-shap't Sphinx and direfull
around Their heads much lighter then their nimble heels Silenus old in wine as ever drown'd Clos'd with the ring in midst though sitting reels Under his arm a bag-pipe swoln he held Yet wine-swoln cheeks the windie bag out-swell'd So loudly pipes his word But full no mirth I yeeld 77 Insatiate sink how with so generall stain Thy spu'd-out puddles court town fields entice Ay me the shepherds selves thee entertain And to thy Curtian gulph do sacrifice All drink to spue and spue again to drink Sowre swil-tub sinne of all the rest the sink How canst thou thus bewitch with thy abhorred stink 78 The eye thou wrong'st with vomits reeking streams The eare with belching touch thou drown'st in wine The taste thou surfet'st smell with spuing steams Thou woundest foh thou loathsome putrid swine Still thou increasest thirst when thirst thou slakest The minde and will thou wits bane captive takest Senseles thy hoggish filth sense thou senseles makest 79 Thy fellow sinnes and all the rest of vices With seeming good are fairly cloath'd to sight Their feigned sweet the bleare-ey'd will entices Coz'ning the daz'led sense with borrow'd light Thee neither true nor yet false good commends Profit nor pleasure on thy steps attends Folly begins thy sinne which still with madnesse ends 80 With Methos Gluttonie his gutling brother Twinne parallels drawn from the self-same line So foully like was either to the other And both most like a monstrous-panched swine His life was either a continu'd feast Whose surfets upon surfets him opprest Or heavie sleep that helps so great a load digest 81 Mean time his soul weigh'd down with muddie chains Can neither work nor move in captive bands But dull'd in vaprous fogges all carelesse reignes Or rather serves strong appetites commands That when he now was gorg'd with cramm'd-down store And porter wanting room had shut the doore The glutton sigh'd that he could gurmandize no more 82 His crane-like neck was long unlac'd his breast His gowtie limbes like to a circle round As broad as long and for his spear in rest Oft with his staffe he beats the yeelding ground Wherewith his hands did help his feet to bear Els would they ill so huge a burthen stear His clothes were all of leaves no armour could he wear 83 Onely a target light upon his arm He carelesse bore on which old Gryll was drawn Transform'd into a hog with cunning charm In head and paunch and soul it self a brawn Half drown'd within without yet still did hunt In his deep trough for swill as he was wont Cas'd all in loathsome mire no word Gryll could but grunt 84 Him serv'd sweet-seeming lusts self-pleasing lies But bitter death flow'd from those sweets of sinne And at the Rear of these in secret guise Crept Theeverie and Detraction neare akinne No twinnes more like they seem'd almost the same One stole the goods the other the good name The latter lives in scorn the former dies in shame 85 Their boon companions in their joviall feasting Were new-shapt oaths and damning perjuries Their cates fit for their taste profanest jesting Sauc'd with the salt of hell dire blasphemies But till th' ambitious Sunne yet still aspiring Allayes his flaming gold with gentler firing We 'l rest our wearie song in that thick groves retiring CANT VIII THe Sunne began to slack his bended bow And more obliquely dart his milder ray When cooler ayers gently 'gan to blow And fanne the fields parcht with the scorching day The shepherds to their wonted seats repair Thirsil refresht with this soft-breathing aire Thus 'gan renew his task and broken song repair 2 What watchfull care must fence that weary state Which deadly foes begirt with cruell siege And frailest wall of glasse and trait'rous gate Strive which should first yeeld up their wofull leige By enemies assail'd by friends betray'd When others hurt himself refuses aid By weaknesse self his strength is foil'd and overlay'd 3 How comes it then that in so neare decay We deadly sleep in deep securitie When every houre is ready to betray Our lives to that still-watching enemie Wake then thy soul that deadly slumbereth For when thy foe hath seiz'd thy captive breath Too late to wish past life too late to wish for death 4 Caro the Vantguard with the Dragon led Cosmos the battell guides with loud alarms Cosmos the first sonne to the Dragon red Shining in seeming gold and glitt'ring arms Well might he seem a strong and gentle Knight As e're was clad in steel and armour bright But was a recreant base a foul false cheating sprite 5 And as himself such were his arms appearing Bright burnisht gold indeed base alchymie Dimme beetle eyes and greedy worldlings blearing His shield was drest in nights sad liverie Where man-like Apes a Gloworm compasse round Glad that in wintrie night they fire had found Busie they puffe blow the word Mistake the ground 6 Mistake points all his darts his sunshines bright Mistaken light appeare sad lightning prove His clouds mistook seem lightnings turn to light His love true hatred is his hatred love His shop a Pedlers pack of apish fashion His honours pleasures joyes are all vexation His wages glorious care sweet surfets woo'd damnation 7 His lib'rall favours complementall arts His high advancements Alpine slipp'ry straits His smiling glances deaths most pleasing darts And what he vaunts his gifts are gilded baits Indeed he nothing is yet all appeares Haplesse earths happy fools that know no tears Who bathes in worldly joyes swimmes in a world of fears 8 Pure Essence who hast made a stone descrie 'Twixt natures hid and check that metals pride That dares aspire to golds high soveraigntie Ah leave some touch-stone erring eyes to guide And judge dissemblance see by what devices Sinne with fair glosse our mole-ey'd sight entises That vices vertues seem to most and vertues vices 9 Strip thou their meretricious seemlinesse And tinfold glitt'ring bare to every sight That we may loath their inward uglinesse Or else uncloud the soul whose shadie light Addes a fair lustre to false earthly blisse Thine and their beauty differs but in this Theirs what it is not seems thine seems not what it is 10 Next to the Captain coward Deilos far'd Him right before he as his shield projected And following troops to back him as his guard Yet both his shield and guard faint heart suspected And sending often back his doubtfull eye By fearing taught unthought of treacherie So made him enemies by fearing enmitie 11 Still did he look for some ensuing crosse Fearing such hap as never man befell No mean he knows but dreads each little losse With tyrannie of fear distraught as hell His sense he dare not trust nor eyes nor eares And when no other cause of fright appeares Himself he much suspects and fears his causelesse fears 12 Harnest with massie steel for fence not fight His sword unseemly long he ready drew At sudden shine of his own armour
gold in deepest centre dwells So sweetest violets trail on lowly ground So richest pearls ly clos'd in vilest shells So lowest dales we let at highest rates So creeping strawberries yeeld daintiest cates The Highest highly loves the low the loftie hates 17 Upon his shield was drawn that Shepherd lad Who with a sling threw down faint Israels fears And in his hand his spoils and trophies glad The Monsters sword and head he bravely bears Plain in his lovely face you might behold A blushing meeknesse met with courage bold Little not little worth was fairly wrote in gold 18 With him his kinsman both in birth and name Obedience taught by many bitter showers In humble bonds his passions proud to tame And low submit unto the higher powers But yet no servile yoke his forehead brands For ti'd in such an holy service bands In this obedience rules and serving thus commands 19 By them went Fido Marshal of the field Weak was his mother when she gave him day And he at first a sick and weakly childe As e're with tears welcom'd the sunnie ray Yet when more yeares afford more growth might A champion stout he was and puissant Knight As ever came in field or shone in armour bright 20 So may we see a little lionet When newly whelpt a weak and tender thing Despis'd by every beast but waxen great When fuller times full strength and courage bring The beasts all crouching low their King adore And dare not see what they contemn'd before The trembling forrest quakes at his affrighting roar 21 Mountains he flings in seas with mighty hand Stops and turns back the Sunnes impetuous course Nature breaks natures laws at his command No force of hell or heav'n withstands his force Events to come yet many ages hence He present makes by wondrous prescience Proving the senses blinde by being blinde to sense 22 His sky-like arms di'd all in blue and white And set with golden starres that flamed wide His shield invisible to mortall sight Yet he upon it easily descri'd The lively semblance of his dying Lord Whose bleeding side with wicked steel was gor'd Which to his fainting spirits new courage would afford 23 Strange was the force of that enchanted shield Which highest powers to it from heav'n impart For who could bear it well and rightly wield It sav'd from sword and spear and poison'd dart Well might he slip but yet not wholly fall No finall losse his courage might appall Growing more sound by wounds and rising by his fall 24 So some have feign'd that Tellus giant sonne Drew many new-born lives from his dead mother Another rose as soon as one was done And twentie lost yet still remain'd another For when he fell and kist the barren heath His parent straight inspir'd successive breath And though her self was dead yet ransom'd him from death 25 With him his Nurse went carefull Acoe Whose hands first from his mothers wombe did take him And ever since have foster'd tenderly She never might she never would forsake him And he her lov'd again with mutuall band For by her needfull help he oft did stand When else he soon would fail and fall in foemens hand 26 With both sweet Meditation ever pac't His Nurses daughter and his Foster-sister Deare as his soul he in his soul her plac't And oft embrac't and oft by stealth he kist her For she had taught him by her silent talk To tread the safe and dangerous wayes to balk And brought his God with him him with his God to walk 27 Behinde him Penitence did sadly go Whose cloudie dropping eyes were ever raining Her swelling tears which ev'n in ebbing flow Furrow her cheek the sinfull puddles draining Much seem'd she in her pensive thought molested And much the mocking world her soul infested More she the hatefull world and most her self detested 28 She was the object of lewd mens disgrace The squint-ey'd wrie-mouth'd scoffe of carnall hearts Yet smiling heav'n delights to kisse her face And with his bloud God bathes her painfull smarts Afflictions iron flail her soul had thrasht Sharp Circumcisions knife her heart had slasht Yet was it angels wine which in her eyes was masht 29 With her a troop of mournfull grooms abiding Help with their sullen blacks their Mistresse wo Amendment still but still his own faults chiding And Penance arm'd with smarting whips did go Then sad Remorse came sighing all the way Last Satisfaction giving all away Much surely did he owe much more he would repay 30 Next went Elpinus clad in skie-like blue And through his arms few starres did seem to peep Which there the workmans hand so finely drew That rockt in clouds they softly seem'd to sleep His rugged shield was like a rockie mold On which an anchour bit with surest hold I hold by being held was written round in gold 31 Nothing so cheerfull was his thoughtfull face As was his brother Fido's Fear seem'd dwell Close by his heart his colour chang'd apace And went and came that sure all was not well Therefore a comely Maid did oft sustain His fainting steps and fleeting life maintain Pollicita she hight which ne're could lie or feigne 32 Next to Elpinus marcht his brother Love Not that great Love which cloth'd his Godhead bright With rags of flesh and now again above Hath drest his flesh in heav'ns eternall light Much lesse the brat of that false Cyprian dame Begot by froth and fire in bed of shame And now burns idle hearts swelt'ring in lustfull flame 33 But this from heav'n brings his immortall race And nurst by Gratitude whose carefull arms Long held and hold him still in kinde embrace But train'd to daily warres and fierce alarms He grew to wondrous strength and beautie rare Next that God-Love from whom his off-springs are No match in earth or heav'n may with this Love compare 34 His Page who from his side might never move Remembrance on him waits in books reciting The famous passions of that highest Love His burning zeal to greater flames exciting Deep would he sigh and seem empassion'd sore And oft with tears his backward heart deplore That loving all he could he lov'd that Love no more 35 Yet sure he truely lov'd and honour'd deare That glorious name for when or where he spi'd Wrong'd or in hellish speech blasphem'd did heare Boldly the rash blasphemer he defi'd And forc't him eat the words he foully spake But if for him he grief or death did take That grief he counted joy and death life for his sake 36 His glitt'ring arms drest all with firie hearts Seem'd burn in chaste desire and heav'nly flame And on his shield kinde Ionathan imparts To his souls friend his robes and princely name And kingly throne which mortals so adore And round about was writ in golden ore Well might he give him all that gave his life before 37 These led the Vantguard and an hundred moe Fill'd up the emptie ranks with ord'red train But
various flowers damask the fragrant seat And all the grove perfume in wonted ranks Securely sit them down and sweetly play At length thus Thirsil ends his broken lay Left that the stealing night his later song might stay 2 Thrice oh thrice happie shepherds life and state When Courts are happinesse unhappie pawns His cottage low and safely humble gate Shuts out proud fortune with her scorns and fawns No feared treason breaks his quiet sleep Singing all day his flocks he learns to keep Himself as innocent as are his simple sheep 3 No Serian worms he knows that with their threed Draw out their silken lives nor silken pride His lambes warm fleece well fits his little need Not in that proud Sidonian tincture di'd No emptie hopes no courtly fears him fright No begging wants his middle fortune bite But sweet content exiles both miserie and spite 4 In stead of musick and base flattering tongues Which wait to first-salute my Lords uprise The cheerfull lark wakes him with early songs And birds sweet whistling notes unlock his eyes In countrey playes is all the strife he uses Or sing or dance unto the rurall Muses And but in musicks sports all difference refuses 5 His certain life that never can deceive him Is full of thousand sweets and rich content The smooth-leav'd beeches in the field receive him With coolest shades till noon-tides rage is spent His life is neither tost in boist'rous seas Of troublous world nor lost in slothfull ease Pleas'd full blest he lives when he his God can please 6 His bed of wool yeelds safe and quiet sleeps While by his side his faithfull spouse hath place His little sonne into his bosome creeps The lively picture of his fathers face Never his humble house or state torment him Lesse he could like if lesse his God had sent him And when he dies green turfs with grassie tombe content him 7 The worlds great Light his lowly state hath blest And left his heav'n to be a shepherd base Thousand sweet songs he to his pipe addrest Swift rivers stood beasts trees stones ranne apace And serpents flew to heare his softest strains He fed his flock where rolling Iordan reignes There took our rags gave us his robes and bore our pains 8 Then thou high Light whom shepherds low adore Teach me oh do thou teach thy humble swain To raise my creeping song from earthly floor Fill thou my empty breast with loftie strain That singing of thy warres and dreadfull fight My notes may thunder out thy conqu'ring might And 'twixt the golden starres cut out her towring flight 9 The mightie Generall moved with the news Of those foure famous Knights so neare decay With hastie speed the conquering foe pursues At last he spies where they were led away Forc't to obey the Victours proud commands Soon did he rush into the middle bands And cut the slavish cords from their captived hands 10 And for the Knights were faint he quickly sent To Penitence whom Phoebus taught his art Which she had eakt with long experiment For many a soul and many a wounded heart Had she restor'd and brought to life again The broken spirit with grief and horrour slain That oft reviv'd yet di'd as oft with smarting pain 11 For she in severall baths their wounds did steep The first of Rue which purg'd the foul infection And cur'd the deepest wound by wounding deep Then would she make another strange confection And mix it with Nepenthe soveraigne Wherewith she quickly swag'd the rankling pain Thus she the Knights recur'd and washt from sinfull stain 12 Mean time the fight now fiercer grows then ever For all his troops the Dragon hither drew The two Twin Loves whom no place mought dissever And Knowledge with his train begins anew To strike fresh summons up and hot alarms In midst great Fido clad in sunne-like arms With his unmatched force repairs all former harms 13 So when the Sunne shines in bright Taurus head Returning tempests all with winter fill And still successive storms fresh mustered The timely yeare in his first springings kill And oft it breathes a while then straight again Doubly powres out his spite in smoking rain The countreys vows hopes swimme on the drowned plain 14 The lovely Twinnes ride 'gainst the Cyprian bands Chasing their troops now with no feigned flight Their broken shafts lie scatter'd on the sands Themselves for fear quite vanisht out of sight Against these conquerours Hypocrisie And Cosmo's hated bands with Echthros slie And all that rout do march bold the Twinnes defie 15 Elpinus mightie enemies assail But Doubt of all the other most infested That oft his fainting courage 'gan to fail More by his craft then ods of force molested For oft the treachour chang'd his weapon light And sudden alter'd his first kinde of fight And oft himself and shape transform'd with cunning slight 16 So that great river with Alcides striving In Oeneus court for the Aetolian Maid To divers shapes his fluent limbes contriving From manly form in serpents frame he staid Sweeping with speckled breast the dustie land Then like a bull with horns did armed stand His hanging dewlap trail'd along the golden sand 17 Such shapes and changing fashions much dismaid him That oft he stagger'd with unwonted fright And but his brother Fido oft did aid him There had he fell in unacquainted fight But he would still his wavering strength maintain And chase that Monster through the sandie plain Which from him fled apace but oft return'd again 18 Yet him more strong and cunning foes withstand Whom he with greater skill and strength defi'd Foul Ignorance with all her owl-ey'd band Oft-starting Fear Distrust ne're satisfi'd And fond Suspect and thousand other foes Whom farre he drives with his unequall blows And with his flaming sword their fainting armie mows 19 As when bloud-guilty earth for vengeance cries If greatest things with lesse we may compare The mighty Thunderer through the ayer flies While snatching whirlwinds open waies prepare Dark clouds spread out their sable curtains o're him And Angels on their flaming wings up bore him Mean time the guilty heav'ns for fear flie fast before him 20 There while he on the windes proud pineons rides Down with his fire some lofty mount he throwes And fills the low vale with his ruin'd sides Or on some church his three-forkt dart bestowes Which yet his sacred worship foul mistakes Down falls the spire the body fearfull quakes Nor sure to fall or stand with doubtfull trembling shakes 21 With Fido Knowledge went who order'd right His mighty hands so now his scatter'd troops Make head again filling their broken fight While with new change the Dragons armie droops And from the following victours headlong runne Yet still the Dragon frustrates what is done And eas'ly makes them lose what they so hardly wonne 22 Out of his gorge a hellish smoke he drew That all the field with foggie mist enwraps As when Tiphoeus from his panch
of this doubtfull fight Saw now the field swimme in her Champions bloud And from her heart rent with deep passion sigh'd Limming true sorrow in sad silent art Light grief floats on the tongue but heavie smart Sinks down and deeply lies in centre of the heart 44 What Daedal art such griefs can truely shew Broke heart deep sighs thick sobs burning prayers Baptizing ever limbe in weeping dew Whose swoln eyes pickled up in brinie tears Crystalline rocks corall the lid appeares Compast about with tides of grief and fears Where grief stores fear with sighs and fear stores grief with tears 45 At length sad Sorrow mounted on the wings Of loud-breath'd sighs his leaden weight uprears And vents it self in softest whisperings Follow'd with deadly grones usher'd by tears While her fair hands and watrie shining eyes Were upward bent upon the mourning skies Which seem'd with cloudie brow her grief to sympathize 46 Long while the silent passion wanting vent Made flowing tears her words and eyes her tongue Till Faith Experience Hope assistance lent To shut both floud-gates up with patience strong The streams well ebb'd new hopes some comforts borrow From firmest truth then glimpst the hopefull morrow So spring some dawns of joy so sets the night of sorrow 47 Ah dearest Lord my hearts sole Soveraigne Who sitt'st high mounted on thy burning throne Heark from thy heav'ns where thou dost safely reigne Cloth'd with the golden Sunne and silver Moon Cast down a while thy sweet and gracious eye And low avail that flaming Majestie Deigning thy gentle sight on our sad miserie 48 To thee deare Lord I lift this watrie eye This eye which thou so oft in love hast prais'd This eye with which thou wounded oft wouldst die To thee deare Lord these suppliant hands are rais'd These to be lilies thou hast often told me Which if but once again may ever hold thee Will never let thee loose will never more unfold thee 49 Seest how thy foes despitefull trophies reare Too confident in thy prolong'd delayes Come then oh quickly come my dearest deare When shall I see thee crown'd with conqu'ring bayes And all thy foes trod down and spred as clay When shall I see thy face and glories ray Too long thou stay'st my Love come Love no longer stay 50 Hast thou forgot thy former word and love Or lockt thy sweetnesse up in fierce disdain In vain didst thou those thousand mischiefs prove Are all those griefs thy birth life death in vain Oh no of ill thou onely dost repent thee And in thy dainty mercies most content thee Then why with stay so long so long dost thou torment me 51 Reviving Cordiall of my dying sprite The best Elixar for souls drooping pain Ah now unshade thy face uncloud thy sight See every way 's a trap each path's a train Hells troops my soul beleaguer bow thine eares And hear my cries pierce through my grones fears Sweet Spouse see not my sinnes but through my plaints and tears 52 Let frailty favour sorrow succour move Anchour my life in thy calm streams of bloud Be thou my rock though I poore changeling rove Tost up and down in waves of worldly floud Whil'st I in vale of tears at anchour ride Where windes of earthly thoughts my sails misguide Harbour my fleshly bark safe in thy wounded side 53 Take take my contrite heart thy sacrifice Washt in her eyes that swimmes and sinks in woes See see as seas with windes high working rise So storm so rage so gape thy boasting foes Deare Spouse unlesse thy right hand even steers Oh if thou anchour not these threatning fears Thy ark will sail as deep in bloud as now in tears 54 With that a thundring noise seem'd shake the skie As when with iron wheels through stonie plain A thousand chariots to the battell flie Or when with boistrous rage the swelling main Puft up with mighty windes does hoarsly roar And beating with his waves the trembling shore His sandie girdle scorns breaks earths ramperd doore 55 And straight an Angel full of heav'nly might Three several crowns circled his royall head From Northern coast heaving his blazing light Through all the earth his glorious beams dispread And open laies the Beasts and Dragons shame For to this end th' Almighty did him frame And therefore from supplanting gave his ominous name 56 A silver trumpet oft he loudly blew Frighting the guiltie earth with thundring knell And oft proclaim'd as through the world he flew Babel great Babel lies as low as hell Let every Angel loud his trumpet sound Her heav'n exalted towers in dust are drown'd Babel proud Babel's fall'n and lies as low as ground 57 The broken heav'ns dispart with fearfull noise And from the breach out shoots a suddain light Straight shrilling trumpets with loud sounding voice Give echoing summons to new bloudy fight Well knew the Dragon that all-quelling blast And soon perceiv'd that day must be his last Which strook his frighted heart all his troops aghast 58 Yet full of malice and of stubborn pride Though oft had strove and had been foild as oft Boldly his death and certain fate defi'd And mounted on his flaggie sails aloft With boundlesse spite he long'd to try again A second losse and new death glad and fain To shew his pois'nous hate though ever shew'd in vain 59 So up he rose upon his stretched fails Fearlesse expecting his approaching death So up he rose that th' ayer starts and fails And over-pressed sinks his load beneath So up he rose as does a thunder-cloud Which all the earth with shadows black does shroud So up he rose and through the weary ayer row'd 60 Now his Almighty foe farre off he spies Whose Sun-like arms daz'd the eclipsed day Confounding with their beams lesse-glitt'ring skies Firing the aire with more then heav'nly ray Like thousand Sunnes in one such is their light A subject onely for immortall sprite Which never can be seen but by immortall sight 61 His threatning eyes shine like that dreadfull flame With which the Thunderer arms his angry hand Himself had fairly wrote his wondrous name Which neither earth nor heav'n could understand A hundred crowns like towers beset around His conqu'ring head well may they there abound When all his limbes and troops with gold are richly crown'd 62 His armour all was dy'd in purple bloud In purple bloud of thousand rebell Kings In vain their stubborn powers his arm withstood Their proud necks chain'd he now in triumph brings And breaks their spears cracks their traitour swords Upon whose arms and thigh in golden words Was fairly writ The KING of Kings LORD of Lords 63 His snow-white steed was born of heav'nly kinde Begot by Boreas on the Thracian hills More strong and speedy then his parent Winde And which his foes with fear and horrour fills Out from his mouth a two-edg'd sword he darts Whose sharpest steel the bone and marrow parts And with his keenest
constant ever And men though ever firm are constant never For men that to one fair their passions binde Must ever change as do those changing fairs So as she alters alters still their minde And with their fading Loves their love impairs Therefore still moving as the fair they loved Most do they move by being most unmoved But women when their lovers change their graces What first in them they lov'd love now in others Affecting still the same in divers places So never change their love but change their lovers Therefore their minde is firm and constant prov'd Seeing they ever love what first they lov'd Their love ty'd to some vertue cannot stray Shifting the outside oft the inside never But men when now their Loves dissolv'd to clay Indeed are nothing still in love persever How then can such fond men be constant made That nothing love or but a nothing shade What fool commends a stone for never moving Or blames the speedie heav'ns for ever ranging Cease then fond men to blaze your constant loving Love's firie winged light and therefore changing Fond man that thinks such fire and aire to fetter All change men for the worse women for better To my onely chosen Valentine and wife Anagram MAYSTRESS ELISABETH VINCENT IS MY BRESTS CHASTE VALENTINE THink not fair love that Chance my hand directed To make my choice my chance blinde Chance hands Could never see what most my minde affected But heav'n that ever with chaste true love stands Lent eyes to see what most my heart respected Then do not thou resist what heav'n commands But yeeld thee his who must be ever thine My heart thy altar is my breast thy shrine Thy name for ever is My brests chaste Valentine A translation of Boëthius the third book and last verse HAppie man whose perfect sight Views the over-flowing light Happie man that canst unbinde Th' earth-barres pounding up the minde Once his wives quick fate lamenting Orpheus sat his hair all renting While the speedie woods came running And rivers stood to heare his cunning And the lion with the hart Joyn'd side to side to heare his art Hares ran with the dogs along Not from dogs but to his song But when all his verses turning Onely fann'd his poore hearts burning And his grief came but the faster His verse all easing but his master Of the higher powers complaining Down he went to hell disdaining There his silver lute-strings hitting And his potent verses fitting All the sweets that e're he took From his sacred mothers brook What his double sorrow gives him And love that doubly-double grieves him There he spends to move deaf hell Charming divels with his spell And with sweetest asking leave Does the lords of ghosts deceive The dog whose never quiet yell Affrights sad souls in night that dwell Pricks up now his thrice two eares To howl or bark or whine he fears Struck with dumbe wonder at those songs He wisht more eares and fewer tongues Charon amaz'd his oare foreslowes While the boat the sculler rowes Tantal might have eaten now The fruit as still as is the bough But he fool no hunger fearing Starv'd his taste to feed his hearing Ixion though his wheel stood still Still was rapt with musicks skill At length the Judge of souls with pitie Yeelds as conquer'd with his dittie Let 's give back his spouses herse Purchas'd with so pleasing verse Yet this law shall binde our gift He turn not till ha's Tartar left Who to laws can lovers draw Love in love is onely law Now almost he left the night When he first turn'd back his sight And at once while her he ey'd His Love he saw and lost and dy'd So who strives out of the night To bring his soul to joy in light Yet again turns back his eye To view left hells deformitie Though he seems enlightned more Yet is blacker then afore A translation of Boëthius book 2 verse 7. WHo onely honour seeks with prone affection And thinks that glory is his greatest blisse First let him view the heav'ns wide-stretched section Then in some mappe the earths short narrownesse Well may he blush to see his name not able To fill one quarter of so brief a table Why then should high-grow'n mindes so much rejoyce To draw their stubborn necks from mans subjection For though loud fame stretch high her pratling voice To blaze abroad their vertues great pefection Though goodly titles of their house adorn them With ancient Heraldrie yet death doth scorn them The high and base lie in the self same grave No difference there between a King and slave Where now are true Fabricius bones remaining Who knowes where Brutus or rough Cato lives Onely a weak report their names sustaining In records old a slender knowledge gives Yet when we reade the deeds of men inhumed Can we by that know them long since consumed Now therefore lie you buried and forgotten Nor can report frustrate encroaching death Or if you think when you are dead and rotten You live again by fame and vulgar breath When with times shadows this false glory wanes You die again but this your glorie gains Upon my brother Mr G. F. his book entituled Christs Victorie and Triumph FOnd lads that spend so fast your posting time Too posting time that spends your time as fast To chant light toyes or frame some wanton rhyme Where idle boyes may glut their lustfull taste Or else with praise to clothe some fleshly slime With virgin roses and fair lilies chaste While itching blouds and youthfull eares adore it But wiser men and once your selves will most abhorre it But thou most neare most deare in this of thine Hast prov'd the Muses not to Venus bound Such as thy matter such thy Muse divine Or thou such grace with Mercie 's self hast found That she her self deignes in thy leaves to shine Or stoll'n from heav'n thou brought'st this verse to ground Which frights the nummed soul with fearfull thunder And soon with honeyed dews thawes it'twixt joy and wonder Then do not thou malicious tongues esteem The glasse through which an envious eye doth gaze Can eas'ly make a mole-hill mountain seem His praise dispraises his dispraises praise Enough if best men best thy labours deem And to the highest pitch thy merit raise While all the Muses to thy song decree Victorious Triumph Triumphant Victorie Upon the B. of Exon. Doct. Hall his Meditations MOst wretched soul that here carowsing pleasure Hath all his heav'n on earth and ne're distressed Enjoyes these fond delights without all measure And freely living thus is thus deceased Ah greatest curse so to be ever blessed For where to live is heav'n 't is hell to die Ah wretch that here begins hells miserie Most bessed soul that lifted up with wings Of faith and love leaves this base habitation And scorning sluggish earth to heav'n up springs On earth yet still in heav'n by meditation With the souls eye foreseeing th' heav'nly station Then
his sleep Though th' hast a wife fir young and fair An heritage heirs to advance Yet canst thou not command an heir For heirs are Gods inheritance He gives the seed the bud the bloom He gives the harvest to the wombe And look as arrows by strong arm In a strong bow drawn to the head Where they are meant will surely harm And if they hit wound deep and dead Children of youth are even so As harmfull deadly to a foe That man shall live in blisse and peace Who fills his quiver with such shot Whose garners swell with such increase Terrour and shame assail him not And though his foes deep hatred bear Thus arm'd he shall not need to fear PSAL. 137. To be sung as See the building WHere Perah's flowers Perfume proud Babels bowers And paint her wall There we laid asteeping Our eyes in endlesse weeping For Sions fall Our feasts and songs we laid aside On forlorn willows By Perah's billows We hung our harps and mirth and joy defi'd That Sions ruines should build foul Babels pride Our conqu'rours vaunting With bitter scoffes and taunting Thus proudly jest Take down your harps and string them Recall your songs sing them For Sions feast Were our harps well tun'd in every string Our heart-strings broken Throats drown'd and soken With tears and sighs how can we praise and sing The King of heav'n under an heathen king In all my mourning Ierusalem thy burning If I forget Forget thy running My hand and all thy cunning To th' harp to set Let thy mouth my tongue be still thy grave Lie there asleeping For Sion weeping Oh let mine eyes in tears thy office have Nor rise nor set but in their brinie wave Proud Edoms raging Their hate with bloud asswaging And vengefull sword Their cursed joying In Sions walls destroying Remember Lord Forget not Lord their spightfull cry Fire and deface it Destroy and raze it Oh let the name of Sion ever die Thus did they roare and us and thee defie So shall thy towers And all thy princely bowers Proud Babel fall Him ever blessed Who th' oppressour hath oppressed Shall all men call Thrice blest that turns thy mirth to grones That burns to ashes Thy towers and dashes Thy brats 'gainst rocks to wash thy bloudie stones With thine own bloud and pave thee with thy bones PSAL. I. BLessed who walk'st not in the worldlings way Blessed who with foul sinners wilt not stand Blessed who with proud mockers dar'st not stay Nor sit thee down amongst that scornfull band Thrice blessed man who in that heav'nly light Walk'st stand'st and sitt'st rejoycing day and night Look as a thirstie Palm full Iordan drinks Whose leaf and fruit still live when winter dies With conqu'ring branches crowns the rivers brinks And summers fires and winters frosts defies All so the soul whom that clear light revives Still springs buds grows and dying time survives But as the dust of chaffe cast in the aire Sinks in the dirt and turns to dung and mire So sinners driv'n to hell by fierce despair Shall frie in ice and freez in hellish fire For he whose flaming eyes all actions turn Sees both to light the one the other burn PSAL. 130. FRom the deeps of grief and fear O Lord to thee my soul repairs From thy heav'n bow down thine eare Let thy mercie meet my prayers Oh if thou mark'st what 's done amisse What soul so pure can see thy blisse But with thee sweet mercie stands Sealing pardons working fear Wait my soul wait on his hands Wait mine eye oh wait mine eare If he his eye or tongue affords Watch all his looks catch all his words As a watchman waits for day And looks for light and looks again When the night grows old and gray To be reliev'd he calls amain So look so wait so long mine eyes To see my Lord my Sunne arise Wait ye saints wait on our Lord For from his tongue sweet mercie flows Wait on his crosse wait on his word Upon that tree redemption grows He will redeem his Israel From sinne and wrath from death and hell AN HYMNE WAke O my soul awake and raise Up every part to sing his praise Who from his spheare of glorie fell To raise thee up from death and hell See how his soul vext for thy sinne Weeps bloud without feels hell within See where he hangs heark how he cries Oh bitter pangs Now now he dies Wake O mine eyes awake and view Those two twin-lights whence heavens drew Their glorious beams whose gracious sight Fills you with joy with life and light See how with clouds of sorrow drown'd They wash with tears thy sinfull wound See how with streams of spit th' are drencht See how their beams with death are quencht Wake O mine eare awake and heare That powerfull voice which stills thy fear And brings from heav'n those joyfull news Which heav'n commands which hell subdues Heark how his eares heav'ns mercie-seat Foul slanders with reproaches beat Heark how the knocks our ears resound Heark how their mocks his hearing wound Wake O my heart tune every string Wake O my tongue awake and sing Think not a thought in all thy layes Speak not a word but of his praise Tell how his sweetest tongue they drownd With gall think how his heart they wound That bloudie spout gagg'd for thy sinne His life lets out thy death lets in AN HYMNE DRop drop slow tears and bathe those beauteous feet Which brought from heav'n the news and Prince of peace Cease not wet eyes his mercies to intreat To crie for vengeance sinne doth never cease In your deep flouds drown all my faults and fears Nor let his eye see sinne but through my tears On my friends picture who died in travel THough now to heav'n thy travels are confin'd Thy wealth friends life and countrey all are lost Yet in this picture we thee living finde And thou with lesser travel lesser cost Hast found new life friends wealth and better coast So by thy death thou liv'st by losse thou gain'st And in thy absence present still remain'st Upon Doctor Playser WHo lives with death by death in death is lying But he who living dies best lives by dying Who life to truth who death to errour gives In life may die by death more surely lives My soul in heaven breathes in schools my fame Then on my tombe write nothing but my name Upon my brothers book called The grounds labour and reward of faith THis lamp fill'd up and fir'd by that blest Spirit Spent his last oyl in this pure heav'nly flame Laying the grounds walls roof of faith this frame With life he ends and now doth there inherit What here he built crown'd with his laurel merit Whose palms and triumphs once he loudly rang There now enjoyes what here he sweetly sang This is his monument on which he drew His spirits image that can never die But breathes in these ' live words and speaks to th' eye In these
kisse his rod 17 My deare once all my joy now all my care To these my words these my last words apply thee Give me thy hand these my last greetings are Shew me thy face I never more shall eye thee Ah would our boyes our lesser selves were by thee Those my ' live pictures to the world I give So single onely die in them twice-two I live 18 Your little souls your sweetest times enjoy And softly spend among your mothers kisses And with your prettie sports and hurtlesse joy Supply your weeping mothers grievous misses Ah while you may enjoy your little blisses While yet you nothing know when back you view Sweet will this knowledge seem when yet you nothing knew 19 For when to riper times your yeares arrive No more ah then no more may you go play you Lancht in the deep farre from the wished hive Change of worlds tépests through blinde seas will sway you Till to the long-long'd haven they convey you Through many a wave this brittle life must passe And cut the churlish seas shipt in a bark of glasse 20 How many ships in quick-sands swallow'd been What gaping waves whales monsters there expect you How many rocks much sooner felt then seen Yet let no fear no coward fright affect you He holds the stern and he will safe direct you Who to my sails thus long so gently blew That now I touch the shore before the seas I knew 21 I touch the shore and see my rest preparing Oh blessed God! how infinite a blessing Is in this thought that through this troubled faring Through all the faults this guiltie age depressing I guiltlesse past no helplesse man oppressing And coming now to thee lift to the skies Unbribed hands cleans'd heart and never tainted eyes 22 Life life how many Sylla's dost thou hide In thy calm streams which sooner kill then threaten Gold honour greatnesse and their daughter pride More quiet lives and lesse with tempests beaten Whose middle state content doth richly sweeten He knows not strife or brabling lawyers brawls His love and wish live pleas'd within his private walls 23 The King he never sees nor fears nor prayes Nor sits court-promise and false hopes lamenting Within that house he spends and ends his dayes Where day he viewed first his hearts contenting His wife and babes nor sits new joyes inventing Unspotted there and quiet he remains And 'mong his duteous sonnes most lov'd and fearlesse reignes 24 Thou God of peace with what a gentle tide Through this worlds raging tempest hast thou brought me Thou thou my open soul didst safely hide When thousand crafty foes so nearely sought me Els had the endlesse pit too quickly caught me That endlesse pit where it is easier never To fall then being fall'n to cease from falling ever 25 I never knew or want or luxurie Much lesse their followers or cares tormenting Or ranging lust or base-bred flatterie I lov'd and was belov'd with like consenting My hate was hers her joy my sole contenting Thus long I liv'd and yet have never prov'd Whether I lov'd her more or more by her was lov'd 26 Foure babes the fift with thee I soon shall finde With equall grace in soul and bodie fram'd And left these goods might swell my bladder'd minde Which last I name but should not last be nam'd A sicknesse long my stubborn heart hath tam'd And taught me pleasing goods are not the best But most unblest he lives that lives here ever blest 27 Ah life once vertues spring now sink of evil Thou change of pleasing pain and painfull pleasure Thou brittle painted bubble shop o' th' devil How dost thou bribe us with false gilded treasure That in thy joyes we finde no mean or measure How dost thou witch I know thou dost deceive me I know I should I must and yet I would not leave thee 28 Ah death once greatest ill now onely blessing Untroubled sleep short travel ever resting All sicknesse cure thou end of all distressing Thou one meals fast usher to endlesse feasting Though hopelesse griefs crie out thy aid requesting Though thou art sweetned by a life most hatefull How is 't that when thou com'st thy coming is ungratefull 29 Frail flesh why would'st thou keep a hated guest And him refuse whom thou hast oft invited Life thy tormenter death thy sleep and rest And thou poore soul why at his sight art frighted Who clears thine eyes and makes thee eagle-sighted Mount now my soul seat thee in thy throne Thou shalt be one with him by whom thou first wast one 30 Why should'st thou love this star this borrow'd light And not that Sunne at which thou oft hast guessed But guess'd in vain which dares thy piercing sight Which never was which cannot be expressed Why lov'st thy load joy'st to be oppressed Seest thou those joyes those thousand thousand graces Mount now my soul leap to those outstretcht embraces 31 Deare countrey I must leave thee and in thee No benefit which most doth pierce and grieve me Yet had not hasty death prevented me I would repay my life and somewhat give thee My sonnes for that I leave and so I leave thee Thus heav'n commands the lord outrides the page And is arriv'd before death hath prevented age 32 My dearest Bettie my more loved heart I leave thee now with thee all earthly joying Heav'n knows with thee alone I sadly part All other earthly sweets have had their cloying Yet never full of thy sweet loves enjoying Thy constant loves next heav'n I did referre them Had not much grace prevail'd 'fore heav'n I should preferre them 33 I leave them now the trumpet calls away In vain thine eyes beg for some times reprieving Yet in my children here immortall stay In one I die in many ones am living In them and for them stay thy too much grieving Look but on them in them thou still wilt see Marry'd with thee again thy twice-two Antonie 34 And when with little hands they stroke thy face As in thy lap they sit ah carelesse playing And stammering ask a kisse give them a brace The last from me and then a little staying And in their face some part of me survaying In them give me a third and with a teare Shew thy deare love to him who lov'd thee ever deare 35 And now our falling house leans all on thee This little nation to thy care commend them In thee it lies that hence they want not me Themselves yet cannot thou the more defend them And when green age permits to goodnesse bend them A mother were you once now both you are Then with this double style double your love and care 36 Turn their unwarie steps into the way What first the vessel drinks it long retaineth No barres will hold when they have us'd to stray And when for me one asks and weeping plaineth Point thou to heav'n and say he there remaineth And if they live in grace grow and persever There shall they