And let my couch still witnesse take In teares still steep't that I adore thee still My body I le make pay thee paines Hell iawes shall neuer need to ope Though all loues faile thine euer raignâ—â— Thou art my refuge last and onely hope All glorie to the Father c. PSALME III. Miserere Domine 1. STay now O Lord my bleeding woes The veine growes low and drie O now enough and too much flowes My sinne is swolne too hie 2. What rests for the abhorr'd euent Time wasts but not my woe Woes me poore man my life is spent In asking what to do 3. Pale Death stands fixt before mine eyes My graue gaspes and my knell Rings out in my cold eares the cryes and gnashed teerh of hell 4. How long shall this day mocke my hope With what the next will be When shall I once begin to ope My lockt vp way to thee 5. Ease Lord my still-increasing smart Salue not but cure my wounds Direct the counsels of my heart And giue my labours bounds 6. As in me thou hast skill infusd So will and action breath Lest chidden for thy gifts abusd I weepe and pine to death 7. See bound beneath the foe I lie Rapt to his blasted shore O claime thy right nor let me die Let him insult no more 8. Tell all the ransome I must giue Out of my hourely paines See how from all the world I liue To giue griefe all the raines 9. What is behind in this life aske And in these members sums Before the neuer ending taske And bedâ—id beggerie comes 10. Shew me thy way ere thy chiefe light Downe to the Ocean diues O now t is euening and the night Is chiefly friend to theeues 11. Compell me if thy Call shall faile To make thy straight way mine In any skorn'd state let me wayle So my poore soule be thine All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne as great as he With the coequall sacred Spirit Who all beginningâ— were before Are and shall be euermore Glorie all glorie to their merit PSALME IIII. Recordari libet 1. ONce let me serue Lord my desire Thy gifts to me recounting and their prise That shame may set my cheekes on fire And iust confusion teare in teares mine eyes Since quite forgetting what I am Adorn'd so Godlike with thy grace I yet neglect to praise thy name And make thy image in me poore and base 2. Thou hast created euen for me The starres all heauen and all the turns of time For of what vse are these to thee Though euery one distinguisht by his clime Thou Sunne and Moone thou Nights and Dayes Thou Light and Darknesse hast disposd Wrapt earth in waters nimble wayes Her vales hils plains with founts floods seas enclosd 3. Her rich wombe thou hast fruitfull made With choyce of seeds that all wayes varied are And euery way our eyes inuade With formes and graces in being common rare In sweete greene herbes thou cloth'st her fields Distinguishest her hils with flowres Her woods thou mak'st her meadowes shields Adorn'd with branches leaues and odorous bowres 4. The wearie thou hast rest prepar'd The hote refreshest with coole shades of trees Which streames melodious enterlar'd For sweete retreats that none but thy eye sees The thirstie thou giu'st siluer springs The hungrie berries of all kinds Herbes wholesome and a world of things To nurse our bodies and informe our mindâ— 5. Now let me cast mine eye and see With what choice creatures strangely form'd and faire All seas and lands are fil'd by thee And all the round spread tracts of yeelding aire Whose names or numbers who can reach With all earths powre yet in thy span All which thy boundlesse bounties preach All laide O glorie at the foote of man 6. Whose body past all creatures shines Such wondrous orders of his parts thou mak'st Whose countenance state and loue combines In him vnmou'd when all the world thou shak'st Whose soule thou giu'st powre euen of thee Ordaining it to leaue the earth All heauen in her discourse to see And note how great a wombe went to her birth 7. Vnnumberd arts thou add'st in him To make his life more queint and more exact His eye eternesse cannot dim Whose state he mounts to with a mind infract Thou shew'st him all the milke-white way Op'st all thy Tabernacles doâ—es Learn'st how to praise thee how to pray To shun and chuse what likes and what abhorres 8. To keepe him in which hallowed path As his companions and perpetuall guides Prayre thou ordainst thy word and faith And loue that all his soule offences hides And to each step his footâ— shall take Thy couenants stand like wals of brasse Which from thy watch towre good to make Thou add'st thine eye for his securer passe 9. All this deare Lord I apprehend Thy Spirit euen partially inspiring me Which to consort me to my end With endlesse thanks I le strew my way to thee Confessing falling thou hast staid Confirm'd me fainting prostrate raisd With comforts rapt me quite dismaid And dead hast quickn'd me to see thee praisd All glorie to the Father bâ— And to the Sonne c. PSALME V. Noctes mea in moerore transeunt 1. YEt Lord vnquiet sinne is stirring My long nights longer grow like euening shades In which woe lost is all waies erring And varied terror euery step inuades Wayes made in teares shut as they ope My lodestarre I can no way see Lame is my faith blind loue and hope And Lord t is passing ill with me 2. My sleepe like glasse in dreames is broken No quiet yeelding but affright and care Signes that my poore life is forspoken Lord couâ—be the ill and good in place prepare No more delay my spent desire T is now full time for thee to heare Thy loue hath set my soule on fire My heart quite broke twixt hope and feare 3. No outward light my life hath graced My mind hath euer bene my onely Sunne And that so farre hath enuie chaced That all in clouds her hated head is runne And while she hides immortall cares Consume the soule that sense inspires Since outward she sets eyes and eares And other ioyes spend her desires 4. She musters both without and in me Troubles and tumults she 's my houshold theefe Opes all my doores to lust and enuie And all my persecutors lends releefe Bind her Lord and my true soule free Preferre the gift thy hand hath giuen Thy image in her crowne in me And make vs here free as in heauen All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne c. PSALME VI. Circumuallarunt me inimici 1. MY foes haue girt me in with armes And earthquakes tost vp all my ioynts No flesh can answer their alarmes Each speare they manage hath so many points 2. Death arm'd in all his horrors leades Whom more I charge the lesse he yeelds Affections with an hundred heads Conspire with them turne on me their shields 3. Nor looke
I yet Lord to the East Nor hope for helpe where I am will'd Nor as I ought haue arm'd my breast But rust in sloth and naked come to field 4. And therefore hath the host of starres Now left me that before I led Arm'd Angels tooke my pay in waâ—res FroÌ„ whose height falne all leaue me here for dead 5. In falling I discern'd how sleight My footing was on those blest towres I lookt to earth and her base height And so lost heauen and all his aidfull powres 6. Now broke on earth my bodie lies Where theeues insult on my sad fall Spoyle me of many a daintie prise That farre I fetcht t' enrich my soule withall 7. Nor ceasse they but deforme me too With wounds that make me all engor'd And in the desart leaue me so Halfe dead all naked and of all abhorr'd 8. My head and bosome they transfixt But in my torne affections rag'd Wounds there with blood and matter mixt Corrupt and leaue my very soule engag'd 9. There Lord my life doth most misgiue There quickly thy white hand bestow Thou liu'st and in thee I may liue Thy fount of life doth euer ouerflow 10. All this from heauen thy eyes explore Yet silent sitst and sufferst all Since all I well deserue and more And must confesse me wilfull in my fall 11. And hence t is that thou letst me bleed Mak'st all men shun and skorne my life That all my workes such enuie breed And my disgrace giues food to all mens strife 12. But this since Goodnesse oft doth cause And t is Goods grace to heare his ill Since t is a chiefe point in his lawes No thought without our powre to make our wil. 13. Still let the greene seas of their gall Against this rocke with rage be borne And from their height still let me fall Them stand and laugh me lie still and scorne 14. But Lord my fall from thee ô raise And giue my fainting life thy breath Sound keepe me euer in thy waies Thou mightie art and setst downe lawes to death 15. Driue thou from this my ruines rape These theeues that make thy Phane their den And let my innocence escape The cunning malice of vngodly men All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne as great as he With the coequall sacred Spirit Who all beginnings were before Are and shall be euermore Glorie all glorie to their merit PSALME VII Cogitabam stare 1. WHile I was falne I thought to rise And stand presuming on my thies But thighes and knees were too much broken My haire stood vp to see such bane Depresse presumption so prophane I tremble but to heare it spoken 2. Yet in my strength my hope was such Since I conceiu'd thou vow'dst as much I fain'd dreames and reioyc't to faine them But weighing awake thy vowes profound Their depth my lead came short to sound And now aye me my teares containe them 3. For calmes I into stormes did stere And look't through clouds to see things cleare Thy waies shew'd crook't like speares in water When mine went trauerse and no Snake Could winde with that course I did take No Courtier could so grosly flatter 4. But which way I soeuer bend Thou meet'st me euer in the end Thy finger strikes my ioynts with terrors Yet no more strikes then points the way Which weighing weeping straight I stay And with my teares cleanse feete and errors 5. But of my selfe when I beleeue To make my steps thy waies atchieue I turne head and am treading mazes I feele sinnes ambush and am â—ext To be in error so perplext Nor yet can finde rests holy places 6. I loath my selfe and all my deeds Like Rubarbe taste or Colche in weedâ— I flie them with their throwes vpon me In each new purpose customes old So checke it that the stone I rold Neuer so oft againe fals on me 7. No step in mans trust should be trod Vnlesse in mans as his in God Of which trust make good life the founder Without which trust no forme nor art Faiths loadstarre is a guiltlesse heart Good life is truths most learn'd expounder 8. With which Lord euer rule my skill In which as I ioyne powre with will So let me trust my truth in learning To such minds thou all truth setst opeâ— The rest are rapt with stormes past hopes The lesse for more deepe arts discerning 9. Blesse Lord who thus their arts employ Their sure truth celebrate with ioy And teare the maskes from others faces That make thy Name a cloake for sinne Learning but termes to iangle in And so disgrace thy best of Graces 10. Whereof since I haue onely this That learnes me what thy true will is Which thou in comforts still concludest My poore Muse still shall sit and sing In that sweete shadow of thy wing Which thou to all earths state obtrudest 11. As oft as I my fraile foote moue From this pure fortresse of thy loue So oft let my glad foes deride me I know my weakenesse yet and feare By triall to build comforts there It doth so like a ruine hide me 12. My worth is all but shade I finde And like a fume before the winde I gaspe with sloth thy waies applying Lie tumbling in corrupted blood Loue onely but can do no good Helpe Lord lest I amend not dying All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne as great as he With the coequall sacred Spirit Who all beginnings were before Are and shall be euermore Glorie all glorie to their merit The end of Petrarchs seuen Penitentiall Psalmes THE I. PSALME more strictly translated 1. O Me accurst since I haue set on me Incenst so sternely my so meeke Redeemer And haue bene proud in prides supreme degree Of his so serious law a sleight esteemer 2. I left the narrow right way with my will In bywaies brode and farre about transferred And euery way found toyle and euery ill Yet still in tracts more rough and steepe I erred 3. Where one or other of the brutish heard My feete encounterd yet more brute affected Euen to the dens of sauage beasts I err'd And there my manlesse mansion house erected 4. I haunted pleasure still where sorrow mournd My couch of ease in sharpest brambles making I hop't for rest where restlesse torment burnd In ruines bosome sleepes securely taking 5. Now then aye me what resteth to be done Where shall I turne me where such dangers treÌ„ble My youths faire flowres are altogether gone And now a wretched shipwracke I resemble 6. That all the merchandise and venture lost Swims naked forth with seas and tempests tost 7. Farre from my hauen I roue touch at no streme That any course to my saluation tenders But waies sinister rauish me with them I see a little which more grieuous renders 8. My inward conflict since my charges passe Vpon my selfe and my sad soule endanger Anger with sinne striues but so huge a masse Of cruell miseries oppresse mine anger 9. That
of brasse To keepe prophane feete off do not thou In wounds and anguish euer ouerflow And suffer such in ease and sensualitie Dare to reiect thy rules of humble life The minds true peace turne their zeales to strife For obiects earthly and corporeall A tricke of humblesse now they practise all Confesse their no deserts habilities none Professe all frailties and amend not one As if a priuiledge they meant to claime In sinning by acknowledging the maime Sinne gaue in Adam Nor the surplussage Of thy redemption seeme to put in gage For his transgression that thy vertuous paines Deare Lord haue eate out all their former staines That thy most mightie innocence had powre To cleanse their guilts that the vnualued dowre Thou mad'st the Church thy spouse in pietie And to endure paines impious constancie Will and alacratie if they inuoke To beare the sweete lode and the easie yoke Of thy iniunctions in diffusing these In thy perfection through her faculties In euery fiuer suffering to her vse And perfecting the forme thou didst infuse In mans creation made him cleare as then Of all the frailties since defiling men And as a runner at th' Olympian games With all the luggage he can lay on frames His whole powres to y â— race bags pockets greaues Stuft full of sand he weares which when he leaues And doth his other weightie weeds vncouer With which halfe smotherd he is wrapt all ouer Then seemes he light and fresh as morning aire Guirds him with silkes swaddles with roulers faire His lightsome body and away he scoures So swift and light he scarce treads down the flowrs So to our game proposde of endlesse ioy Before thy deare death when we did employ Our tainted powres we felt them clogd and chain'd With sinne and bondage which did rust and raign'd In our most mortall bodiâ—â— but when thou Strip'dst vs of these bands and from foote to brow Guirt â—old and trimd vs vp in thy deserts Free were our feete and handâ— and spritely hearts Leapt in our bosoms and ascribing still All to thy merits both our powre and will To euery thought of goodnesse wrought by thee That diuine scarlet in which thou didst die Our cleansd consistens lasting still in powre T' enable acts in vs as the next howre To thy most sauing glorious sufferance We may make all our manly powres aduance Vp to thy Image and these formes of earth Beauties and mockeries match in beastly birth We may despise with still aspiring spirits To thy high graces in thy still fresh merits Not â—ouching at this base and spongie mould For â—â—y springs of lust or mines of gold For else milde Sauiour pardon me to speake How did thy foote the Serpents forhead breake How hath the Nectar of thy vertuous blood The sinke of Adams forfeit oueâ—flow'd How doth it set vs free if we still stand For all thy sufferings bound both foote and hand Vassals to Sathan Didst thou onely die Thine owne diuine deserts to glorifie And shew thou couldst do this O were not those Giuen to our vse in powre If we shall lose By damn'd relapse grace to enact that powre And basely giue vp our redemptions towre Before we trie our strengths built all on thine And with a humblesse false and Asinine Flattering our senses lay vpon our soules The burthens of their conquests and like Moules Grouell in earth still being aduanc't to heauen Cowes that we arre in heards how are we driuen To Sathans shambles Wherein stand we for Thy heauenly image Hels great Conqueror Didst thou not offer to restore our fall Thy sacrifice full once and one for all If we be still downe how then can we rise Againe with thee and seeke crownes in the skies But we excuse this saying We are but men And must erre must fall what thou didst sustaine To free our beastly frailties neuer can With all thy grace by any powre in man Make good thy Rise to vs O blasphemie In hypocriticall humilitie As we are men we death and hell controule Since thou createdst man a liuing soule As euerie houre we sinne we do like beasts Needlesse and wilfull murthering in our breasts Thy saued image out of which one cals Our humane soules mortall celestials When casting off a good lifes godlike grace We fall from God and then make good our place When we returne to him and â—o are said To liue when life like his true forme we leade And die as much as an immortall creature Not that we vtterly can ceasse to be But that we fall from lifes best qualitie But we are tost out of our humane Throne By pied and Protean opinion We vouch thee onely for pretext and fashion And are not inward with thy death and passion We slauishly renounce the royaltie With which thou crownst vs in thy victorie Spend all our manhood in the fiends defence And drowne thy right in beastly negligence God neuer is deceiu'd so to respect His shade in Angels beauties to neglect His owne most cleare and rapting louelinesse Nor Angels dote so on the species And grace giuen to our soule which is their shade That therefore they will let their owne formes fade And yet our soule which most deserues our woe And that from which our whole mishap doth flow So softn'd is and rapt as with a storme With flatteries of our base corporeall forme Which is her shadow that she quite forsakes Her proper noblesse and for nothing takes The beauties that for her loue thou putst on In torments rarefied farre past the Sunne Hence came the cruell fate that Orpheus Sings of Narcissus who being amorous Of his shade in the water which denotes Beautie in bodies that like water flotes Despisd himselfe his soule and so let fade His substance for a neuer-purchast shade Since soules of their vse ignorant are still With this vile bodies vse men neuer fill And as the Suns light in streames ne're so faire Is but a shadow to his light in aire His splendor that in aire we so admire Is but a shadow to his beames in fire In fire his brightnesâ—e but a shadow is To radiance fir'd in that pure brest of his So as the subiect on which thy grace shines Is thicke or cleare to earth or heauen inclines So that truths light showes so thy passion takes With which who inward is and thy breast makes Bulwarke to his breast against all the darts The foe stâ—l shoots more more his late blow smarts And sea-like raues most where t is most withstood He tasts the strength and vertue of thy blood He knows that when flesh is most sooth'd grac't Admir'd and magnified ador'd and plac't In height of all the blouds Idolatry And fed with all the spirits of Luxury One thought of ioy in any soule that knowes Her owne true strength and thereon doth repose Bringing her bodies organs to attend Chiefly her powres to her eternall end Makes all
it confounds me nor leaues place for breath Oft I attempt to flie and meditation Contends to shake off my old yoke of death But to my bones cleaues the vncur'd vexation 10. O that at length my necke his yoke could cleare Which would be straite wouldst thou ô highest will it O that so angrie with my sinne I were That I could loue thee though thus late fulfill it 11. But much I feare it since my freedome is So with mine owne hands out of heart sterued And I must yeeld my torment iust in this Sorrow and labor wring me most deserued 12. Mad wretch what haue I to my selfe procured Mine owne hands forg'd the chains I haue endur'd 13. In deaths blacke ambush with my will I fell And wheresoeuer vulgar brode waies traine me Nets are disposde for me by him of hell When more retir'd more narrow paths containe me 14. There meete my feete with fitted snares as sure I wretch looke downeward and of one side euer And euerie slipperie way I walke secure My sins forget their traitrous flatteries neuer 15. I thought the grace of youth could neuer erre And follow'd where his boundles force wold driue me Said to my selfe Why should th'extremes deterre Before youths season of the meane depriue me 16. Each age is bounded in his proper ends God I know sees this but he laughs and sees it Pardon at any time on prayre attends Repentance still weeps when thy wish decrees it 17. Then vilest custome challengeth his slaue And laies on hand that all defence denies me And then no place reseru'd for flight I haue Subdu'd I am and farre my refuge flies me 17. Die'in my sinne I shall vnlesse my aide Stoopes from aloft of which deserts depriue me Yet haue thou mercie Lord helpe one dismaide Thy word retain from hell moâ—â—h retriue me All glorie to the Father be And to the Sonne as great as he With the coequall sacred Spirit Who all beginnings were before Are and shall be euermore Glorie all glorie to their merit A HYMNE TO OVR Sauiour on the Crosse. HAile great Redeemer man and God all haile Whose feruent agonie tore the temples vaile Let sacrifices out darke Prophesies And miracles and let in for all these A simple pietie a naked heart And humble spirit that no lesse impart And proue thy Godhead to vs being as rare And in all sacred powre as circulare Water and blood mixt were not swet from thee With deadlier hardnesse more diuinitie Of supportation then through flesh and blood Good doctrine is diffusde and life as good O open to me then like thy spread armes That East West reach all those misticke charmes That hold vs in thy life and discipline Thy merits in thy loue so thrice diuine It made thee being our God assume our man And like our Champion Olympian Come to the field gainst Sathan and our sinne Wrastle with torments and the garland winne From death hell which cannot crown our browes But blood must follow thornes mixe w t thy bowes Of conquering â—awâ—ell fast naild to thy Crosse Are all the glories we can here engrosse Proue then to those that in vaine glories place Their happinesse here thy hold not by thy grace To those whose powres proudly oppose thy lawes Oppressing Vertue giuing Vice applause They neuer manage iust authoritie But thee in thy deare members crucifie Thou couldst haue come in glorie past them all With powre to force thy pleasure and empale Thy Church with brasse Adamant that no swine Nor theeues nor hypocrites nor fiends diuine Could haue broke in or rooted or put on Vestments of Pietie when their hearts had none Or rapt to ruine with pretext to saue Would pompe and radiance rather not out braue Thy naked truth then cloath or countnance it With grace and such sincerenesse as is fit But since true pietie weares her pearles within And outward paintings onely pranke vp sinne Since bodies strengthned soules go to the wall Since God we cannot serue and Beliall Therefore thou putst on earths most abiect plight Hid'st thee in humblesse vnderwentst despight Mockerie detraction shame blowes vilest death These thou thy souldiers taughtst to fight beneath Mad'st a commanding President of these Perfect perpetuall bearing all the keyes To holinesse and heauen To these such lawes Thou in thy blood writst that were no more cause T' enflame our loues and feruent faiths in thee Then in them truths diuine simplicitie T were full enough for therein we may well See thy white finger furrowing blackest hell In turning vp the errors that our sence And sensuall powres incurre by negligence Of our eternall truth-exploring soule All Churches powres thy writ word doth controule And mixt it with the fabulous Alchoran A man might boult it out as floure from branne Easily discerning it a heauenly birth Brake it but now out and but crept on earth Yet as if God lackt mans election And shadowes were creators of the Sunne Men must authorise it antiquities Must be explor'd to spirit and giue it thies And controuersies thicke as flies at Spring Must be maintain'd about th' ingenuous meaning When no stile can expresse it selfe so cleare Nor holds so euen and firme a character Those mysteries that are not to be reacht Still to be striu'd with make them more impeacht And as the Mill fares with an ill pickt grist When any stone the stones is got betwist Rumbling together fill the graine with grit Offends the eare sets teeth an edge with it Blunts the pict quarrie so t will grinde no more Spoyles bread and scants the Millars custom'd store So in the Church when controuersie fals It marres her musicke shakes her batterd wals Grates tender consciences and weakens faith The bread of life taints makes worke for Death Darkens truths light with her perplext Abysmes And dustlike grinds men into sects and schismes And what 's the cause the words deficiencie In volume matter perspicutitie Ambition lust and damned auarice Peruert and each the sacred word applies To his prophane ends all to profite giuen And puâ—snets lay to catch the ioyes of heauen Since truth and reall worth men seldome sease Impostors most and sleightest learnings please And where the true Church like the nest should be Of chast and prouident Alcione To which is onely one straight orifice Which is so strictly fitted to her sise That no bird bigger then her selfe or lesse Can pierce and keepe it or discerne th' accesse Nor which the sea it selfe on which t is made Can euer ouerflow or once inuade Now wayes so many to her Altars are So easie so prophane and populare That torrents charg'd with weeds and sin-drownd beasts Breake in lode cracke them sensuall ioyes and feasts Corrupt their pure fumes and the slendrest flash Of lust or profite makes a standing plash Of sinne about them which men will not passe Looke Lord vpon them build them wals
with it But he that knowing how diuine a frame The whole world is and of it all can name Without selfe flatterie no part so diuine As he himselfe and therefore will confine Freely his whole powres in his proper part Goes on most god-like He that striues t' inuert The vniuersall course with his poore way Not onely dustlike shiuers with the sway But crossing God in his great worke all earth Beares not so cursed and so damn'd a birth This then the vniuersall discipline Of manners comprehends a man to ioyne Himselfe with th'vniuerse and wish to be Made all with it and go on round as he Not plucking from the whole his wretched part And into streights or into nought reuert Wishing the complete vniuerse might be Subiect to such a ragge of it as he But to consider great necessitie All things as well refract as voluntarie Reduceth to the high celestiall cause Which he that yeelds to with a mans applause And cheeke by cheeke goes crossing it no breath But like Gods image followes to the death That man is perfect wise and euerie thing Each cause and euerie part distinguishing In nature with enough Art vnderstands And that full glorie merits at all hands That doth the whole world at all parts adorne And appertaines to one celestiall borne Of sodaine Death VVHat action wouldst y u wish to haue in hand If sodain death shold come for his coÌ„mand I would be doing good to most good men That most did need or to their childeren And in aduice to make them their true heires I would be giuing vp my soule to theirs To which effect if Death should find me giuen I would with both my hands held vp to heauen Make these my last words to my deitie Those faculties thou hast bestowd on me To vnderstand thy gouernment and will I haue in all fit actions offerd still To thy diuine acceptance and as farre As I had influence from thy bounties starre I haue made good thy forme infusde in me Th'anticipations giuen me naturally I haue with all my studie art and prayre Fitted to euerie obiect and affaire My life presented and my knowledge taught My poore saile as it hath bene euer fraught With thy free goodnesse hath bene ballast to With all my gratitude What is to do Supply it sacred Sauiour thy high grace In my poore gifts receiue againe and place Where it shall please thee thy gifts neuer die But hauing brought one to felicitie Descend againe and helpe another vp c. Height in Humilitie WHy should I speak impeâ—ious courtiers faire Lest they exclude thee at thy Court repaire If they shall see me enter willingly Let them exclude me If necessitie Driue me amongst them and they shut the dore I do my best and they can do no more Gods will and mine then weigh'd I his preferre Being his vow'd lackey and poore sufferer I trie what his will is and will with it No gate is shut to me that shame must fit Shamelesse intruders Why feare I disgrace To beare ill censure by a man of face Will any thinke that impudence can be An equall demonstration of me T is kingly Cyrus said Antisthenes When thou doest well to heare this ill of these But many pitie thy defects in thee I mocke them euer that so pittie me Strangers they are and know not what I am Where I place good and ill nor euer came Where my course lies but their 's the world may know They lay it out onely to name and show If comfort follow truth of knowledge still They meete with little truth for if their skill Get not applause their comfort comes to nought I studie still to be they to be thought Are they lesse frustrate of their ends then I Or fall they lesse into the ils they flie Are they industrious more lesse passionate Lesse faltring in their course more celebrate Truth in their comforts But they get before Much in opinion True they seeke it more For stay in competence THou that enioyst onely enough to liue Why grieu'st thou that the giuer does not giue Foode with the fullest when as much as thou He thinkes him emptie T is a state so low That I am fearefull euerie howre to sinke Well said Vnthankfull fearefull eate and drinke And feare to sterue still Knowst thou not who sings Before the theefe The penurie of things Whither conferres it Drawes it not one breath With great satietie End not both in death Thy entrailes with thy want together shrinke He bursts with cruditie and too much drinke Will not thy want then with a chearefull eye Make thee expect death whom sterne tyrannie Empire and all the glut of thirstie store Shun with pale cheekes affrighted â—uermore Earth is a whore and brings vp all her brats With her insatiate gadflie euen her flats High as her â—ilâ— looke lusting lusting still No earthly pleasure euer hath her fill Turne a new leafe then thirst for things past death And thou shalt neuer thinke of things beneath How should I thirst so hauing no such heatâ— Fast pray to haue it better neuer eate Then still the more thou 〈◊〉 the more desâ—re But wilt thou quench this ouerneedie fire Canst thou not write nor reade nor keepe a gateâ— Teach children be a porter That poore state Were base and hatefull Is that base to thee That is not thy worke That necessitie Inflicts vpon thee that inuades thee to Onely as head-aches and agues do That the great Ordrer of th'vniuerse sees So good he puts it in his master peece But men will scorne me Let them then go by They will not touch thee he that shifts his eye To others eye-browes must himselfe be blind Leau'st thou thy selfe for others t is the mind Of all that God and euery good forsakes If he goes thy way follow if he takes An opposite course canst thou still go along And end thy course Go right though all else wrong But you are learn'd and know Philosophie To be a shift to salue necessitie Loue syllogismes figures and to make All men admire how excellent you spake Your caution is to keepe a studious eye Lest you be caught with carpes of sophistrie To bâ— a man of reading when alas All these are caught in a Plebeians case None such poore fooles incontinent couetous Atheisticall deceitfull villanous Shew me thy studies end and what may be Those weights and measures that are vsde by thee To mete these ashes barreld vp in man Is not the wreath his that most truly can Make a man happie And in short is that Any way wrought more then in teaching what Will make a man most ioyfully embrace The course his end holds and his proper place Not suffering his affections to disperse But fit the maine sway of the vniuerse Of the Will THe empire of the Will is euer sau'd Except lost by it selfe when t is deprau'd Of Man MAn is so soueraigne and diuine a state That not contracted and elaborate The
does it by chance That being the worke of others this his owne In all these actions therefore that are common Men neuer should for praise or dispraise care But looke to the Decrees from whence they are Of Learning LEarning the Art is of good life they then That leade not good liues are not learned men For ill successe If thou sustainst in any sort an ill Beare some good with thee to change for it still Of negligence When thou letst loose thy mind to obiects vain T is not in thee to call her backe againe And therefore when thy pleasure in her good Droopes and would downe in melancholy blood Feed her alacritie with any thought Or word that euer her recomfort wrought Of iniurie When thou art wrong'd see if the wrong proceed From fault within thy iudgement word or deed If not let him beware that iniures thee And all that sooth him and be thy state frâ—e Of Attire IN habite nor in any ill to th'eie Affright the vulgar from Philosophie But as in lookes words workes men witnesse thee Comely and checklesse so in habite be For if a man shall shew me one commended For wit skill iudgement neuer so extended That goes fantastically and doth fit The vulgar fashion neuer thinke his wit Is of a sound peece but hath bracks in it If slouenly and nastily in weedâ— Thou keep'st thy body such must be thy deeds Hence to the desart which thou well deseru'st And now no more for mans societie seru'st Externall want to this height doth expresse Both inward negligence and rottennesse FRAGMENTS Of Circumspection IN hope to scape the law do nought amisse The penance euer in the action is Of Sufferance IT argues more powre willingly to yeeld To what by no repulse can be repeld Then to be victor of the greatest state We can with any fortune subiugate Of the Soule THe Soule serues with her functions to excite Abhorre prepare and order appetite Cause auersation and susception In all which all her ill is built vpon Ill receiu'd iudgements which reforme with good And as with ill she yeelded to thy blood And made thy pleasures God and man displease She will as well set both their powres at peace With righteous habits and delight thee more With doing good now then with ill before Of great men WHen Homer made Achilles passionate Wrathfull reuengefull and insatiate In his affections what man will denie He did compose all that of industrie To let men see that men of most renowne Strong'st noblest fairest if they set not downe Decrees within them for disposing these Of iudgement resolution vprightnesse And vertuous knowledge of their vse and ends Mishaps and miserie no lesse extends To their destruction with all that they prisde Then to the poorest and the most despisde Of learned men Who knows not truth knows nothiÌ„g who what 's best Knowes not not truth knowes Who alone profest In that which best is liues bad Best not knowes Since with that Best and Truth such ioy still goes That he that finds them cannot but dispose His whole life to them Seruile Auarice can Prophane no liberall-knowledge-coueting man Such hypocrites opinion onely haue Without the minds vse which doth more depraue Their knowing powres then if they nought did know For if with all the sciences they flow Not hauing that that such ioy brings withall As cannot in vnlearn'd mens courses fall As with a tempest they are rapt past hope Of knowing Truth because they thinke his scope Is in their tongues much reading speech profuse Since they are meanes to Truth in their true vse But t is a fashion for the damned crue One thing to praise another to pursue As those learn'd men do that in words preferre Heauen and good life yet in their liues so erre That all heauen is not broade enough for them To hit or aime at but the vulgar streame Hurries them headlong with it and no more They know or shall know then the râ—dest Bore FINIS * Simplicitie of pietie and good life answerable to such doctrine in men now as rare as miracles in other times and require as much diuinitie of supportation 1 As our Sauiours browes bled with his crowne of thorns 2 Such as are Diuines in profession and in fact diuels or Wolues in sheepes clothing 3 Pompe and outward glorie rather outface truth then countenance it 4 Christ taught all his militant souldiers to fight vnder the ensignes of Shame and Death 5 We need no other excitation to our faith in God and good life but the Scriptures and vse of their meanes prescribed 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In these controuersies men make the By the Maine the Maine the By. * Simile 7 Men seeke heauen with vsing the enemies to it Money and Auarice 8 Alciones nest described in part out of Plut. to which the Church is compared 9 If the bird be lesse the sea will get in by which meanes though she may get in she could not preserue it 1 Altars of the Church for her holiest placeâ— vnderstood 2 Vbi abundauit delictum superabundaâ—it gratia Rom. 5. ver 20. 3 A simile to life expressing mans estate before our Saâ—iours descension 4 Our Sauiours blood now and euer as fresh and vertuous as in the howre it was shed for vs. 5 Our Sauiour suffered nothing for himselfe his owne betternesse or comfort but for vs and ours 6 It is false humilitie to lay necessarily all our Sauiours grace vnderstood the victorie of our bodies on our soules 7 Man iâ— a liuing soule Gen. 2. 8 We do not like men when we sin for as we are true and worthie men we are Gods images but like brutish creatures slauishly and wilfully conquered with the powers of flesh 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hier. in Carm. Pythag. Non quod existere deâ—inat sed quod vitae praestantia exciderit 3 Simile The minds ioy farre aboue the bodies to those few whom God hath inspird with the soules true vse * Inuocatio 1 The Sunnâ— vsurpe for Apollo whose Oracle being aske for such a man â—ound onely Socrates 2 Externae nequid labis per laeuia sidat This verse Ascensius ioynes with the next before which is nothing so the sence being vtterly repugnant as any imparâ—â—all and iudiciall conferrer I suppose will confirme 3 Cogitat iusto trutinae se examine pensat This verse is likewise misâ—yned in the order of Ascenscius which makes the period to those before * I here needlesly take a little licence for the word is Amussis the mind of the Author being as well exprest in A compasse Sit solidum quodcunquâ— subest nec inania subtus Subest and subtus Ascensâ—con founds in his sence which the presnesse and matter of this Poem allowes not it being in a Translator sooner and better seen then a Commentor He would turne digitis pellentibus to digitis palantibus To which