a Mortall creature In order whereunto I vow'd Virginity for ever I scarce had ended my Prayers and Fowes to the Almighty but through the salt water of mine eyes I could behold riding upon the Maine afaire and stately Ship making towards me which approaching nearer and nearer to me at last tooke me up And I have kept my promise hitherto and must keep it to my grave I have done all the good that lay in my power I have been a Father to the Fatherlesse a Husband to many a Widow I have helped many to their Right that suffered Wrong the Divine providence hath made me an Instrument in doing many good Offices but especially I glory in being a meanes whereby the chaste Honoria and deserving Amarissa were not by the Tyrant brought to Triall and by which meanes I hope she is preserved yet I saw no reason why I might not Marry if I could meet with one that would be partner with me in my Vow I saw no reason why two might not enjoy the freedomes and familiarities that are between Man and Wife onely as they are divine and rationall Creatures that is to contemplate the Deity and goodnesse of the Gods to joy in one anothers company to discourse together to embrace to seal to such payres of indentures as the Cockles shall not be more just in their rejoyndure to make such impressions on those depressed supplements which the Bee's-wax for soft or sweetnesse or the red for colour is not comparable to fall asleep by such a vestall fire that nere goes out and never burnes to recover our selves so often from being so many times the images of Death and finde so many lives renu'd by loves assurance of its immortality leaving that other consideration to those Sensitives that have not understanding thy consent to this O Fortunata would cause me no lesse to adore thee as divine than keep me still in favour with the Gods all those steps of honour to which I have advanc'd thee so many degrees above thy selfe were but engagements to thy complacence herein Now am I to expect my doome or such a returne of my adventures that uncovered rocks of Diamonds or the messeraick and big swolne veines of the earths golden oare wide opened could not afford me more contentment or requitall for all my obligations Fortunata having heard him all the while with an attentive eare whose consentig heart as if its pantings had kept time to the musick that he made answered My ever honoured Lord more to be esteem'd for this than all the merit that lies within the power of Man to prosecute an ingagement Now and never till this time doe I find my self in a possibility of being happy or way of answering all those accumulations of benignities with a power of recompence you have my full consent herein and could you read my heart you 'ld finde it all compos'd with nothing else but so many Amens to every word you have said why did you make so great a doubt of my Consentment what can more resemble the coelestiall fires than when flames doe meet without the smutty contagion of bituminous materialls that love that 's set on fire by combustibilities which fowle the hands of their owne Makers have no other flames but burning smoake which vanisheth with the death of its owne parents whilst the love that Corderius talks of and is here confirm'd by me by an act of participation to thy vowes for ever so pleasing to the gods seems to be so immortall as if Promethean like we had stolne fire from heaven to burne an everlasting sacrifice No Corderius rest satisfied if this be all that the worlds variety could never have fitted your humour so well as Fortunata shall Then said Corderius I am happy indeed So am I said Fortunata Both cry'd Both of us are blest in one another Both slept in one anothers armes whilst Aminda's Genius for Honoria her sake bestowes this SONG upon them THus the flower of love twixt Man And Woman 's sifted from the bran Thus fine garden-beds are made When aside the rubish 's laid Thus sweet herbes and fragrant flowers Unpluckt looke fresher and are ours And as much at our command As if they wither'd in our hand Where love in chaste-preserves is met Flowers in water-pots are set And live and have as sweet a breath As if they rooted in the earth Thus as in Limbecks sp'rits of love Ascend to descend from above And fill two continents from thence With a most pleasing quintessence And where the bodies of such soules doe meet They well may sweeten but ne'r foule the sheet CHAP. XIV Prickette falls in love with Rivana They agree upon the time of their Marriage but have not the patience to stay till the time appointed They are prevented in their designe and the manner how PRickette having been an earnest Suiter to Rivana for her good-will at last he obtain'd his desires to Marry her but before the time appointed they had agreed to be anticipatious in the businesse and too too forward in giving one another benevolences before they were due for the effecting whereof time and place were appointed Rivana was the first Champion that appeared in the field Prickette met with some good Fellowes by the way that foreslow'd his march and retarded his appearance to the Court of Venus Rivana and her Hostesse having given him over for a lost man were once resolv'd to wait his leisure no longer but Rivana something more confident of his performance than the other was willing to spinne out a little more time and busies her self in making a Sack-posset against his comming the Posset was made but no Prickette patience was quite worne out and expectation began to be out of season wherefore Rivana takes the Sack-posset and sets it upon the cubberds head and covers it with a trencher and napkin and sets the candle by it takes her leave of her Hostesse and prepares her selfe for bed putting the dore onely too for feare her Sweet-heart should finde any difficulty in his approach if he should happen to come late or she disturb'd to let him in if it should be lockt or bolted late brought all to bed that were in the House Now you must understand that in the evening before this hapned that a Bearward had brought three lusty Beares to towne and had taken up quarters for them in the same Inne lodging them in a little Stable that happened to be just underneath the Chamber where Prickette and Rivana had intended to be very superlative in the degrees of happinesse But it hapned that Rivana was no sooner got into her bed but one of the great Beares senting the steame of the Posset broke loose and hapned to pull downe a whole pane in the wall that opened at the foot of the stair-case that led up to Rivana's lodgings up staires climbs the Beare Rivana hearing somebody comming up was in good hope it had been her Sweet-heart though she
The Wall-Flower As it grew out of the Stone-Chamber belonging to the Metropolitan Prison of LONDON CALLED NEWGATE BEING A HISTORY which is Partly true Partly Romantick Morally Divine WHEREBY A Marriage between Reality and Fancy is solemnized by Divinity Written by THOMAS BAYLY D. D. whilst he was a Prisoner there Omne tulit punctum c. He the best of all doth write That mingleth profit with delight LONDON Printed by J. G. and are to be Sold by Peter Parker at the Leg and Star over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 1679. To the Reader I Alwaies thought it possible that a Man might find such a Libertie within a Prison as to the Prisoner might seem an Enlargement beyond the extent of Aire So that the Iron-Grates thereof may be no more terrible as Barres from Freedomes then the Streakes and Lineaments which the Sun drawes by the Pensills of his Beames over the face of Water and their Shaddowes seeme Confinements to the Fishes in the Deep And under what Restraint can that Body be whose Soule hath an Enlargement within her selfe Whilst I was thus Endeavouring to make the Place no Prison to my selfe and labouring to sweeten my Sufferings with Contemplations upon the Causes of my Afflictions whereby I found my self like Noah's Arke but raised so many Degrees towards Heaven by those Waters of Affliction but Behold after that I had thus fallen under the Lash of an Incensed Power my Innocence received such a Wipe over the face by an Unknown hand and by a Pretender to that Side from whence I least expected any such Stripes that it amazed Me on the sudden and doubtlesse had troubled me not a little had there not been more Simplicity than Error in the Accusation For A Fellow without a Name having Collected all HIS late MAJESTIES Works into one Volume set an Advertisement to the Reader before the Booke that charged Mee 1. With Wronging the late KING very much 2. With Presumption being but an Obscure Person to undertake such a Businesse 3. With Relating a thing so Broken and Imperfect 4. With Composing most of it my selfe 5. With Publishing it divers yeares after the Conference 6. With its Non-Agreement in Matter and Stile with His MAJESTIES other Works and making His MAJESTY Contradict Himselfe as Hind Pap. 5. Compared with my Pamphlet pag. 116. Now I shall desire the Courteous Reader to give Me leave to take this Opportunity to wipe this Cuckow 's spittle fall'n upon my other Writings off with my Gilliflower 1. As to the first Article If to lose a Thousand Pounds per Annum for His Majesties sake If to lose Blood and Liberty in His Quarrell If to vindicate His Majesties Cause and Workes by Writing in their Defence and suffering such an Imprisonment for those Vindications be to wrong His Majesty then I am guilty of that Crime Otherwise I know not how I should deserve such an Aspersion Except the Particulars alledged against Me were as true as I shall easily render them to any indifferent Reader False and Ridiculous 2. As to the Second Although I can lay claime to no Illustriousnesse in my Family yet I thinke I have enough that will defend Me from Disparagement or my Person from such Obscurity as the Namelesse Gentleman would blind me with if I onely say I came into the World upon an Account that speakes Me the Sonne of a Peere of this Realme and that my Mother was a Knights Daughter and of an Antient Family The Father of Him who Published the Discourse that troubles the Waspe so much was sufficiently knowne both in the King's Court and the Emperiall City and by His Writings generally taken notice of not onely by his Native Countrey-men but by more Kingdomes than His Soveraigne Master had Scepters over And this Obscure Person his Sonne had the luck to be Thrice in Print and the Presse never yet Printed any Disparagement to His Pen nor waste to His Paper before ever he Published that Controversie Neither doth the Publisher thereof thinke the Authour of that Advertisement either a Courtier or a Soldier or a Scholler or a Gentleman or a Friend or an Enemy to the King But He imagineth the Fellow to be one of His late Majesties Upstart Friends that knew no longer how to be His Enemy So that the Obscurity may not so properly belong to him who hath set downe his Degree Name and Dignity to his Pamphlet as it may to his Accuser who taxes a Person that had all Three and hath none himselfe Which Pamphlet and which Person is already knowne to other Nations and Languages besides his owne and in his owne to have so much notice taken of him by the Higher Powers as to be thought worthy of Iron-Grates for the Royall Cause and therefore altogether undeserving such an Aspersion by any pretended Royallist 3. He saith my Relation was broken and Imperfect Who doubts it I have acknowledged as much my selfe in my Epistle It could not be otherwise I have related it as it was I intended it not as a Monument of His late Majesties Abilities whereby it should be thought worthy of taking place with the rest of His Admired Works but as an Argument of His Constancy in His Religion and Sincerity in resisting a strong Temptation and I must tell this Nicholas-Nemo that it is conceived by better Judgments than his owne That His Majesties Answers so upon the sudden to those Objections as broken and as imperfect as he makes the Relation of them to be argued more Acutenesse of Wit and Soundnesse of Judgment than any thing that ever he did upon mature deliberation 3. His Third Objection is That I composed most of it my selfe Truely I compos'd it all So did he the King's Workes but he was not the Author of any of them No more was I either of any of His Majesties Answers or the Marquesse's Objections Besides what I owne my selfe 4. He saith I published this Conference divers yeares after the Conference Indeed it must be divers yeares after the Conference because it was not the same but could not be many yeares because it was but Three nor many months after I had Liberty so to doe Which being agreed by both Parties to be kept Private I could not Publish till after both their Deaths as appears in my Preamble to the Conference 5. The next thing wherewith the Fellow taxeth me is That my Relation was broken and Imperfect I have acknowledged it I have confessed in my Epistle that it had received some Tainture by running through my Quill I intended no Monument Royall Onely a Vindication from those Aspersions that were laid upon His late Majesty viz That He was a Papist in His Heart and could no way better Vindicate His Majesty from that Aspersion then by Publishing His Resistance to so strong Temptations 6. Next He saith It Agrees not with his Stile and that I bring in the KING contradicting Himselfe as may appeare He saith by His Papers against
run hazards of the highest nature wherein it may preserve your Honour though I fell my selfe by the rise of that Sir my Heart trembles and my Hand shakes so that you may easily perceive a difference from my wonted Character whilst it acquaints you with Newes as unwelcome to your Eares as it dropt unwillingly from my Pen. I have summoned all the faculties of my understanding to act the part of a Discreet man in this Affair wherein I have found much difficulty but I have overcome it and present the businesse to you clear as the Sun Suspitions I valued not neither did I weigh Circumstances but when Evidence brought in her two main witnesses Demonstration and Confession I thought it time to let your Highnesse know how much you were mistaken in the high value you set on such a Counterfeit as Honoria has too palpably proved her selfe to be since your departure And how much a Bawde to her foul Lust Amarissa was The examinations whereof under the known Hands and Seales of your most trusty Servants and Loyall Subjects I have here sent inclosed leaving the rest of the partiticulars to his Narration And so expecting further orders from your Highnesse concerning the forementioned Delinquents I rest as my Duty bindes Your Highnesse faithfull Servant and Loyall Subject MAXIMANUS CHAP. VI. The Prince passing by the Lady Dutchesse Cosbia her House settles the Difference between the two Brothers A Battell fought with the Moores Tydings is brought to Lorenzo concerning Honoria The Prince and Bertaldo are at Variance concerning it Philoret sent with Instructions Amynda's Genius bids them take heed WHen as the Carthaginian Drums had beat up a March to the tyr'd Souldiers feet over the Fessian Mountains and the shrill Trumpet with his Breath call'd on the Couragious Troops to follow faster then the wearied Palferies could answer to the hot spur of their fierce riders Lorenzo might behold in a fair pleasant Valley a cōmodious place for quartering his Army having a pretty Village close adjoyning which together with the indisposednesse of his Army to march any further invited his Highnesse resolution there to rest his Standard inquiring what great Personage did own so great happinesse to be so well seated It was answered that the Lady Paramount to all that fruitfull Plaine and stately Building her name was Cosbia who espying an Army to descend the Hils with Colours flying as if some curious Garden had descended the craggy Mountaines to have given Battell to her set of Tulips She sent to know the cause and dive into the meaning of such an approach The Messenger having delivered his Errand was sent back with this accompt That it was Lorenzo Prince of Carthage who in castigation of the bold Moores attempt upon his Confines followed the Pursuite and was constrain'd as his March fell out to trouble her and the rest of her good Neighbours with one nights lodging assuring her that the demeanour both of him and his should be rather like Guests then Souldiers The old Lady thought it policy to make a vertue of necessity and entertain him worthily Lorenzo was no sooner entred the Pallace but he call'd to mind Aminda her engagement for he was no sooner invited to rest himself upon the Couch by the side of the old Beldam Cosbia but he began to ask her how many Sonnes she had who answered Two The Prince desired to be acquainted with their names she answered If he pleas'd he might Honour them and her with taking notice of their Persons for they were both either neer or within the House Lorenzo demanded the cognizance of their Names She told him That the one was known by the name of Jacomius the other of Berontus The Prince demanded which was the Eldest of the two The Lady though somewhat stagger'd answer Jacomius whereat the Prince seemed satisfied for the present but after a while the two Brothers entring the Roome they had no sooner made their obeysance to the Prince but the Prince calls to minde the relation that Aminda's Ghost had given him whereupon he salutes Berontus with a more Princely favour then his younger Brother whereat the old Lady conscious of her owne injustice was struck with fear the inseparable shadow of a guilty Conscience that she had been betray'd and that the Army had advanced thither to no other purpose but to vindicate the wrong which her partiallity had cast upon her lawfull Heir and Eldest sonne yet notwithstanding she plucks up her spirits and tells Lorenzo that she supposed he was mistaken for that was her Eldest sonne pointing at Jacomius The Prince tells her that he believ'd that neither he nor she were mistaken though she thought to blind the world with such a falshood as rendred her unworthy of the Cosbian name Neither of the two young Princes knew his meaning Cosbia did the Prince drew forth his Memorandum and gave Orders to bring before him such and such as were inserted in the Paper They were all brought before him examined confessing in the midst of the Army as if they had been surrounded by so many Ghostly Fathers all that had been done and how at the unjust commands of the Lady Cosbia they had hitherto kept her unjust precepts but now they could not withstand the truth any longer whereat Berontus raises up himself a thought higher then he was before Jacomius knew not what to think on 't Cosbia as if some Deity had descended from the Gods with an Army of Intelligencers declares the truth where upon by the Prince his mediation Cosbia her willingnesse and the clear evidence that the witnesses did give the two Brothers were agreed Berontus was to be thence forward acknowledged right Heire as Elder Brother to the Cosbian Family and Jacomius was by consent of all parties to inherit the Dukedom that was descended by their great Uncle Bomon Supper-season caus'd the Cloath to lay aside all businesse so that they were at last sensible of no other want but rest When time had thus put on her night-cloathes and the night had brought Lorenzo thus to Bed Aminda her gratefull Genius gives Lorenzo thanks and melody with this Song at his Chamber window With voice of Condensated aire With the Thanksgiver-part of Prayer With a Lute whose Back is Cloud Its Belly Air The windes aloud Strike the strings at my Command That 's the finger and the hand May no Murmuring of the Woods No Rowling of the Water-flouds No Yelp of Hounds no Howles of Wolves No Brayes of Asses nor of Bulls The Roarings may no waters breach Nor Crack of Thunder this night reach Lorenzoes eares be happy blest Compos'd and sweetly take your rest The Prince no lesse sollac'd with the Musick then the gratitude of Aminda's Ghost sleepes soundly all night long untill the Morne threw up the Cypresse over the face of Day about which time the Army like a Main body that rests senslesse till it receives Orders from the Soul how to direct its Feet and Hands