whom he hath erected aboue vs and aboue all things not to abuse the law of humane hospitality and other holy bands for to giue place to these frenetike opinions so to abolish a pretended tyranny I haue also to warne thee of two different sorts of men of the which one sort is so depraued that they can heare nothing but that which is altogether prophane and the other is so supersticious that they make conscience not onely to write but also to read of holy things in verse as though that the measure and iointure of syllabes were so constrained as it were vnpossible to keepe the sense vnperuerted or at least not excessiuely obscured Now if I perceiue that this my first assay may bee to thee agreeable I shall continue more gladly my newe commenced race in such sort that thou shalt not repent thine indulgence nor I my passed pains But if contrarie fall in time to come I wil be ware to là y out my smalpack in this ample Theatre of France where there is almost as many Iudgements as beholders A Dieu GSSDB The Argument of the whole Historie of Iudith AFter that the Children of Israel were deliuered from captiuitie and returned to their land the Citty of Ierusalem reedified the Temple builded and prepared to the seruice of the Lord the multitude of the people being scattered in sundry towns and places of the Land where they liued in peaceable rest the Lord knowing man to be negligent of GOD and his saluation chiefly when he liues at ease and all things frames vnto his fraile desire to th' end that his people should not fal in such an inconuenience would exercise them with a feareful affliction and temptation sending vpon their Countrey an army so great in number and puissance that made the whole earth to tremble This expedition was vnder the Persian Monark named in the historie Nebuchadnezar which neuerthelesse is not his right name His chiefe Lieutenant generall and Conducter of the whole Armie was Holophernes who wheresoeuer hee came ouerthrewe all religion permitting none to inuocate or acknowledge any other God but Nebuchadnezar his Maister whome hee enforced to constitute and establish for the onely God So entred hee Iudea with intent to destroy it all which the people perceiuing and that his power was so great that no nation could resist him and also knowing his cruell hatred were sore affraied and almost driuen to extreame desperation seeing none other thing present before them but ruine and destruction And this the Lord suffered to showe in time his worke to bee more wonderfull For the people being humbled and hauing called to the Lord for mercie and succour at his hand hee both heard and succoured them at neede The meane was not through strength or stoutnesse of some worthy Captaine but by the hand of Iudith a tender feeble woman to the shame of this most proud and cruell tyrant and all his heathen hoste For shee cut off his head put all his campe to slight destroyed his men of Armes in such wise that they fled here and there and seeking to saue their liues left all their tentes and baggage Thus the Lorde by the weake and those that are not regarded makes his workes admirable By one selfe meane hee saued his owne and executed his iustice against his enemies In which wee haue to consider his singular ptouidence and goodnesse and the care which he hath in especiall for his faithfull and all his whole Church This Historie is intituled by the name of Iudith because it containes the narration of her great vertues and for that the Lorde vsed her as an instrument for the deliuerance of his people It is not certaine who was the first Author hereof neuerthelesse the reading of it hath beene receiued in the Church for the doctrine and vtility of the same THE SVMMARIE OF The I. BOOKE HOLOPHERNâ—â— Lieutenant generall and chief of the army of Nebuchâ—dnezzaâ— K oâ— the Assyrians was in the fielde for to subdue diuers people and amongst others the Iewes All the Nation is seazed with great feare for the cruelties committed by the enemy Then as it fals out â—n bruits of war al the whole people were troubled som sauing themselues in corners for feare others attending in great perplexity some sad and Tragicall ende the last sort calls vpon God This while IOACHIM the chiefe Priest gouerned the people hâ— by his letters and expresse commandement recalls those that were fled and scattered and made them returne to Ierusalem where in presence of the Leâ—its hee made sacrifice earnest prayer vnto God to withdrawe his ire and to bee mercifull to his people which done he enters in counsell and requires his Princes to consult vpon the cause and consider what iâ— most 〈◊〉 and to preferre the loue of Gods law and the countâ— iâ— before all priuate things the first that gainstands this exhortation is an hypocrite and fauourer of the enemy who giues couÌ„sell to render them to HOLOPHERNEâ— calling him a Prince gratious to those that applauds to him and inuincible in battell to those that dare resist him But the second Lord replying â—â—alously againe detecteth his false hypocriâ—ie and carelesse securitie exposing the people to the mercy of a barbarous godless enemy before the duty they ought to their God and their countrey and to establish in place of the true God a wicked Nâ—MROD conâ—ummat in all impiety and wickednes to abolish all vertue and godlinesse For he proues that if the nations should be rooted out for the right religioÌ„ God should be more honored in the death of the Iewes then in their liues and that it is more worthy to die Hebrewes then to liue infidels and free men then slaues Shortly that they ought to prefer honor and duty before feare and a vaine hope to prolong their dolefull dayes This reply encouraged all the aâ—â—istâ—ts wherof IOACHIM gaue thankes to God and resoluing himselfe vpon a iust defence for the onseruation of the seruice of God and the freedome of his nation and the liues of the innocent against this villanous inuatision wise by deâ—aâ—â—ed the regiments of towns to persons conuenient who past to their â—â—â—igned places each one preparing according to their power vnto the warre with courage paine and diligence The first Booke of Iudith I Sing the vertues of a valiant Dame PropositioÌ„ summe of this worke Who in defence of Iacob ouercame Th' Assyriaâ— Prince and slew that Pagan stout Who had beset Bethulia walles about O thou who kept thine Izak from the thrall Inuocation of the true God Of infidels and steeld the courage small Of feeble Iudith with a manly strength With sacred furie fill my heart at length And with thy Holy spirit my spirit enspire For matter so diuine Lord I require No humain stile but that the Reader may Great profit reape I ioy thou praise alway And since in vulgar verse I prease to sing DedicatioÌ„ of the Author altred by the
my self may learn And also graunt great Architect of Wonders The TraÌ„slator knowing and acknowledging his owne insufficieÌ„cy for so excellent a labor craueth also the ayde of the All sufficient God Whose mighty Voice speaks in the midst of Thunders Causing the Rocks to rock and Hills to tear Calling the things that Are not as they were Confounding Mighty things by means of Weak Teaching dumb Infants thy dread Praise to speak Inspiring Wisedom into those that want And giuing Knowledge to the Ignorant Graunt mee good Lord as thou hast giv'n me hart To vndertake so excellent a Part Graunt me such Iudgement Grace and Eloquence So correspondent to that Excellence That in some measure I may seem t' inherit Elisha-like my dear Elias Spirit CLEAR FIRE for euer hath not Ayre imbraç't The World was not from euerlasting Nor Ayre for-ay inuiron'd Waters vast Nor Waters always wrapt the Earth therein But all this All did once of nought begin Once All was made not by the hand of Fortune As fond Democritus did yerst importune With iarring Concords making Motes to meet Inuisible immortall infinite Th' immutable diuine Decree which shall Neither made by Chance But created together with Time by the almighty wisedome of God Cause the Worlds End caus'd his Originall Neither in Time nor yet before the same But in the instant when Time first became I mean a Time confused for the course Of years of months of weeks of daies of howrs Of Ages Times and Seasons is confin'd By th' ordred Daunce vnto the Stars assign'd Before all Time all Matter Form and Place God all in all and all in God it was God was before the World was Immutable immortall infinite Incomprehensible all spirit all light All Maiesty all-self Omnipotent Inuisible impassiue excellent Pure wise iust good God raign'd alone at rest Himself alone selfs Palace host and guest Thou scoffing Atheist that enquirest what He consuteth the Atheists questioning what God did before he created the World Th' Almighty did before he framed that What waighty Work his minde was busied on Eternally before this World begun Sith so deep Wisedom and Omnipotence Nought worse beseems then sloath and negligence Knowe bold blasphemer that before he built A Hell to punish the presumptuous Guilt Of those vngodly whose proud sense dares cite And censure too his Wisedom infinite Can Carpenters Weauers and Potters passe And liue without their seuerall works a space And could not then th' Almighty All-Creator Th' all-prudent BEE without this frail Theater Shall valiant Scipio Thus himself esteem Neuer lesse sole then when he sole doth seem And could not God O Heav'ns what frantike folly Subsist alone but sink in melancholy Shall the Pryénian Princely Sage auerr That all his goods he doth about him bear And should the Lord whose Wealth exceeds all measure Should he be poor without this Worldly treasure God neuer seeks out of himself for ought He begs of none he buies or borrows nought But aye from th' Ocean of his liberall Bounty Hee poureth out a thousand Seas of Plenty What God did before he created the World Yer Eurus blew yer Moon did Wax or Wain Yer Sea had Fish yer Earth had grass or grain God was not void of sacred exercise He did admire his Glorie's Mysteries His Power his Iustice and his Prouidence His bountious Grace and great Beneficence Were th' holy obiect of his heav'nly thought Vpon the which eternally it wrought It may be also that he meditated The Worlds Idëa yer it was Created Alone he liv'd not for his Son and Spirit Of 3. Persons in one only Essence of God of the eternall generation of the Son Were with him ay Equall in might and merit For sans beginning seed and Mother tender This great Worlds Father he did first ingender To wit His Son Wisedom and Word eternal Equall in Essence to th' All-One Paternal Of the Holy-Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne The which three Persons are one onely and the same God Out of these Two their common Power proceeded Their Spirit their Loue in Essence vndiuided Onely distinct in Persons whose Diuinity All Three in One makes One eternall Trinitie Soft soft my Muse launch not into the Deep Sound not this Sea see that aloof thou keep From this Charybdis and Capharean Rock Where many a ship hath suffered wofull wrack While they haue fondly vent red forth too-far Following frail Reason for their only Star Who on this Gulf would safely venture fain How to think speak of God Must not too-boldly hale into the Main But longst the shoar with sails of Faith must coast Their Star the Bible Steers-man th' Holy-Ghost How many fine wits haue the World abus'd Because this Ghost they for their Guide refus'd The Heathen Philosophers lost themselues and others in their curâ—osities weening to be wise became fooles And scorning of the loyall Virgins Thred Haue them and others in this Maze mis-led In sacred sheetes of either Testament 'T is hard to finde a higher Argument More deep to sound more busie to discuss More vse-full knowne vnknowne more dangerous So bright a Sun dazles my tender sight So deep discourse my sense confoundeth quite My Reason's edge is dull'd in this Dispute And in my mouth my fainting words be mute This TRINITY which rather I adore God the Father Sonne Holy-Ghost created of Nothing the Worlds goodly frame In humblenes then busily explore In th' infinit of Nothing builded all This artificiall great rich glorious Ball Wherein appears in grav'n on euery part The Builders beauty greatnes wealth and Art Art beauty wealth and greatnes that confounds The hellish barking of blaspheming Hounds Climb they that list the battlements of Heav'n Leaâ—ing curious speculations the Poet teacheth how to contemplate God in his Workes And with the Whirl-wind of Ambition driv'n Beyond the World's wals let those Eagles flie And gaze vpon the Sun of Maiestie Let other-some whose fainted spirits do droop Down to the ground their meditations stoop And so contemplate on these Workmanships That th' Authors praise they in Themselues eclipse My heedfull Muse trained in true Religion Diuinely-humane keeps the middle Region Least if she should too-high a pitch presume Heav'ns glowing flame should melt her waxen plume Or if too-lowe neer Earth or Sea she flag Laden with Mists her moisted wings should lag It glads me much to view this Frame wherein As in a Glasse God's glorious face is seen I loue to look on God but in this Robe Of his great Works this vniuersall Globe For if the Suns bright beams doo blear the sight Of such as fixtly gaze against his light Who can behold aboue th' Empyriall Skies The lightning splendor of God's gloriouseies O who alas can finde the Lord without His Works which bear his Image round about God of himself incapable to sense God makes himselfe as it were visible in his Workes In 's
Which her small fingers draw so ev'n and fine Still at the Centre she her warp begins Then round at length her little threds she pins And equall distance to their compass leaues Then neat and nimbly her new web she weaues With her fine shuttle circularly drawn Through all the circuit of her open lawn Open least else th' vngentle Windes should tear Her cipres Tent weaker then any hair And that the foolish Fly migh easter get Within the meshes of her curious Net Which he no sooner doth begin to shake But streight the Male doth to the Centre make That he may conquer more securely there The humming Creature hampred in his snare You Kings that beare the sword of iust Hostilitie The Lion to Kings Pursue the Proud and pardon true Humilitie Like noble Lions that do neuer showe Their strength and stomach on a yeelding Foe But rather through the stoutest throngs doo forrage ' Mid thousands Deaths to shew their daunt-les courage Thou sluggard if thou list to learn thy part The Emmet and Hedge-hog to the sloathfull Goe learn the Emmets and the Vrchins Art In Summer th' one in Autumn th' other takes The Seasons fruits and thence prouision makes Each in his Lodging laying vp a hoord Against cold Winter which doth nought affoord But Reader We resemble one that windes Man may finde in himself excellent instruction From Saba Bandan and the wealthy Indes Through threatning Seas and dangers manifold To seek far-off for Incense Spice and Gold Sith we not loosing from our proper Strand Finde all wherein a happy life doth stand And our owne Bodies self-contained motions Giue the most gross a hundred goodly Notions You Princes Pastors and ye Chiefs of War The head teacheth all persons in authoritie Do not your Laws Sermons and Orders mar Least your examples banefull leaprosies Infect your Subiects Flocks and Companies Beware your euill make not others like For no part 's sound if once the Head be sick You Peers O doo not through self-partiall zeal The Eys instruct Princes and Noble-men With light-brain'd Counsails vex your Common-weal But as both Eys doo but One thing behold Let each his Countries common good vp-hold You that for Others trauail day and night With much-much labour and small benefite The teeth such as trauaile for others Behold the Teeth which Toule-free grinde the food From whence themselues doo reap more greef then good Euen as the Hart hath not a Moments rest The Hart the Ministers of the Word But night and day moues in our panting brest That by his beating it may still impart The liuely spirits about to euery part So those to whome God doth his Flock betake Ought alwaies study alwaies work and wake To breathe by Doctrin and good Conuersation The quickning spirit into their Congregation And as the Stomach from the holesom food The stomacke the same Diuides the grosser part which is not good They ought from false the truth to separate Error from Faith and Cockle from the Wheat To make the best receiv'd for nourishment The bad cast forth as filthy excrement The Hands all Christians to Charitie If Bat or Blade doo threaten sodain harm To belly brest or leg or head or arm With dread-less dread the hand doth ward the blowe Taking her self her brethrens bleeding woe Then mid the shock of sacrilegious Arms That fill the world with blood and boistrous storms Shall we not lendour helping hands to others Whom Faith hath made more neer and deer then Brothers Nor can I see where vnderneath the Sky The whole body the whole society of mankind that euery one ought to stand in his owne vocation A man may finde a iuster Policy Or truer Image of a calme Estate Exempt from Faction Discord and Debate Then in th' harmonious Order that maintains Our Bodies life through Members mutual pains Where one no sooner feels the least offence But all the rest haue of the same a sense The Foot striues not to smell the Nose to walk The Tongue to combat nor the Hand to talk But without troubling of their Common-weal With mutinies they voluntary deal Each in his Office and Heav'n-pointed place Bee 't vile or honest honoured or base But soft my Muse what wilt thou re-repeat The Little-Worlds admired Modulet If twice or thrice one and the same we bring 'T is teadious how euer swect we sing Ther-fore a-shoar Mates let our Anchor fall Heer blowes no Winde heer are we Welcom all Besides consider and conceiue I pray W'haue row'd sufficient for a Sabbath Day THE END OF THE FIRST WEEK Du BARTAS His SECOND VVEEKE Disposed After the proportion of his First Into SEAVEN DAYES viz. THE 1. ADAM THE 2. NOAH THE 3. ABRAHAM THE 4. DAVID THE 5. ZEDECHIAS THE 6. MESSIAS THE 7. Th' ETERNAL SABBATH But of the three last Death preuenting Our Noble Poet hath depriued vs. Acceptam refero TO THE MOST ROYAL PATTERN AND PATRON OF LEARNING AND RELIGION THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE IAMES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF GREAT BRITAINE FRANCE IRELAND TR VE DEFENDER OF THE TR VE ANTIENT CHRISTIAN CATHOLIKE AND APOSTOLIKE FAITH c. 1. SONNET From ZEAL Land sayling with the Winde of Loue In the Bark LABOVR stirr'd by Theorems Laden with â—ope and with DESIRE t' approve Bound for Cape Comfort in the I le of IHMMES In such a Mist wee fell vpon the Coast That sodainly vpon the Rock Neglect Vnhappily our Ship and Goods we lost Even in a Place that we did least suspect So Cast away my LIEGE and quight vn-don We Orphan-remnants of a wofefull Wrack Heer cast a-shore to Thee for succour run O Pittie vs for our deer Parent 's sake Who Honour'd Thee both in his Life and Death And to thy guard his POSTHVMES did bequeath 2. SONNET These glorious WORKS and gratefull Monuments Built by Du BARTAS on the â—yrenaeis Your Royall Vertues to immortalize And magnifie your rich Munificence Haue prov'd so Charge-full to Trans-port from thence That our smal Art's-stâ—ck hardly could suffize To vnder go so great an Enterprize But is even beggerd with th' vn-cast Expense So that except our Muses SOVERAIN With gracious Eye regard her spent Estate And with a hand of Princely Fauour daign To stay her fall before it be too-late She needs must fail as lending Light about Self-spending Lamps for lack of Oyl go-out Voy Sire Saluste To the Right Excellent and most hopefull young Prince HENRY Prince of WALES ANAGR Henricus Stuartus Hic strenuus ratus THE TROPHEIS MAGNIFICENCE THe gratious Welcome You vouchsaf't yer-while To my grave PIBRAC though but meanly clad Makes BARTAS now no Stranger in this Isle More bold to come though suted even as clad To kiss Your HIGHNES Hand and with Your Smile To Crown His Haps and Our faint Hopes to glad Whose weary longings languish in our Stile For in our Wants our very Songs be sad Hee brings for
their sacred ornaments beside Anon he wonders at the differing graces Tongues gests attires the fashions and the faces Of busie-buzzing swarms which still hee meets Ebbing and flowing ouer all the streets Then at the signes the shops the waights the measures The handy-crafts the rumors trades and treasures But of all sights none seems him yet more strange Then the rare beautious stately rich Exchange Another while he maruails at the Thames Which seems to bear huge mountains on her streams Then at the faâ—-built Bridge which he doth iudge More like a tradefull City then a Bridge And glancing thence a-long the Northren shoar That princely prospect doth amaze him more For in that Garden man delighted so That rapt he wist not if hee wak't or no If he beheld a true thing or a fable Or Earth or Heav'n all more then admirable For such excess his extasie was small Not hauing spirit enough to muse withall He wisht him bundred-fold redoubled senses The more to taste so rare sweet excellences Not knowing whether nose or ears or eyes Smelt heard or saw more sauors sounds or Dies But Adams best and supreame delectation Happines of the first Man before his fall Was th' often haunt and holy conuersation His soule and body had so many waies With God who lightned Eden with his Rays For spirits by faith religiously refin'd 'Twixt God and man retain a middle kinde And Vmpires mortall to th' immortall ioyn And th' infinit in narrow clay confine Som-times by you O you all-faining Dreams We gain this good but not when Bacchus steams Of the visions of the spirit And glutton vapours ouer-flowe the Brain And drown our spirits presenting fancies vain Nor when pale Phlegm or Saffron-coloured Choler In feeble stomacks belch with diuers dolor And print vpon our Vnderstandings Tables That Water-wracks this other flamefull fables Nor when the Spirit of lies our spirits deceiues And guile-full visions in our fancy leaues Nor when the pencil of Cares ouer-deep Our day-bred thoughts depainteth in our sleep But when no more the soules chief faculties Are sperst to sereue the body many waies When all self-vned free from dayes disturber Through such sweet Trance she findes a quiet harbour Where som in riddles som more plain exprest Shee sees things future in th' Almighties brest And yet far higher is this holy Fit Of the certainty of the visions of the spirit the body being at rest When not from flesh but from flesh-cares acquit The wakefull soule it self assembling so All selfly dies while that the body though Liues motion-les for sanctified wholly It takes th' impression of Gods Signet Soly And in his sacred Crystall Map doth see Heav'ns Oracles and Angels glorious glee Made more then spirit Now Morrow Yesterday To it all one are all as present aye And though it seem not when the dream 's expir'd Like that it was yet is it much admir'd Of rarest men and shines among them bright Like glistring Starrs through gloomy shades of night But aboue all that 's the divinest Trance Of diuine extraordinary visions and Reuelations When the soules eye beholds Gods countenance When mouth to mouth familiarly he deales And in our face his drad-sweet face hee seales As when S. Paul on his deer Masters wings Was rapt aliue vp to th' eternall things And he that whilom for the chosen flock Made walls of waters waters of a rock O sacred flight sweet rape loues soueraign bliss Of the excellency of such visions and Reuelations Which very loves deer lips dost make vs kiss Hymen of Manna and of Mel compact Which for a time dost Heav'n with earth contract Fire that in Limbeck of pure thoughts divine Doost purge our thoughts and our dull earth refine And mounting vs to Heav'n vn-mouing hence Man in a trice in God doost quintessence O! mad'st thou man divine in habitude As for a space O sweetest solitude Thy bliss were equall with that happie Rest Which after death shall make vs ever-blest Now I beleeve that in this later guise What manner of visions the first Man had in Eden Man did conuerse in Pleasant Paradise With Heav'ns great Architect and happy there His body saw or body as it were Gloriously compast with the blessed Legions That raign above the azure-spangled Regions ADAM quoth He the beauties manyfold Man is put in possession of EdeÌ„ vnder a conditioÌ„ That in this Eden thou doest heer behold Are all thine onely enter sacred race Come take possession of this wealthy place The Earth's sole glory take deer Sonn to thee This farm's demains leave the Chief right to me And th' only Rent that of it I reserue is One Trees fair fruit to shew thy sute and seruice Be thou the Liege and I Lord Paramount I 'le not exact hard fines as men shall woont For signe of Homage and for seal of Faith Of all the profits this Possession hath I only ask one Tree whose fruit I will For Sacrament shall stand of Good and Ill. Take all the rest I bid thee but I vow By th' vn-nam'd name where-to all knees doo bow And by the keen Darts of my kindled Ire More fiercely burning then consuming fire That of the Fruit of Knowledge if thou feed Death dreadfull Death shall plague Thee and thy Seed If then the happie state thou hold'st of me My holy mildnes nor high Maiesty If faith nor Honour curb thy bold ambition Yet weigh thy self and thy owne Seeds condition Most mighty Lord quoth Adam heer I tender Before Sinne Man was an huÌ„ble and zealous seruant of God All thanks I can not all I should thee render For all thy liberall fauours far surmounting My hearts conceit much more my tongues recounting At thy command I would with boyst'rous shock Goe run my self against the hardest rock Or cast me head long from som Mountain steep Down to the whirling bottom of the Deep Yea at thy beck I would not spare the life Of my deer Phoenix sister-daughter-wife Obaying thee I finde the things impossible Cruell and painfull pleasant kinde and possible But since thy first Law doth more grace afford Vnto the Subiect than the souerain Lord Since bountious Prince on me and my Descent Thou doost impose no other tax nor Rent But one sole Precept of most iust condition No Precept neither but a Prohibition And since good God of all the Fruits in EDEN There 's but one Apple that I am forbidden Euen only that which bitter Death doth threat Better perhaps to look on then to eate I honour in my soule and humbly kiss Thy iust Edict as Author of my bliss Which once transgrest deserues the rigor rather Of sharpest Iudge then mildnes of a Father The Firmament shall retrograde his course Swift Euphrates goe hide him in his source Firm Mountains skip like Lambs beneath the Deep Eagles shall diue Whales in the air shall keep Yer I presume with fingers ends to touch Much less
shall direct my pen to paint the Story Of wretched mans forbidden-Bit-lost glory What Spell shall charm th' attentiue Readers sense What Fount shall fill my voice with eloquence So that I rapt may rauâ—sh all this I LE With graue-sweet warbles of my sacred stile Though Adams Doom in euery Sermon common And founded on the error of a woman Weary the vulgar and be iudg'd a iest Of the profane zeal-scoffing Atheïst Ah! Thou my God euen Thou my soule refining He hath recourse to God the onely giuer of all sufficiency and dex teritie in good and holy things In holy Faith's pure furnace cleerely shining Shalt make my hap farr to surmount my hope Instruct my spirit and giue my tongue smooth scope Thou bountious in my bold attempts shalt grace-me And in the rank of holiest Poets place-me And frankly grant that soaring neer the sky Among our Authors Eagle-like I fly Or at the least if Heav'n such hap denay I may point others Honors beautious Way WHILE Adam bathes in these felicities The enemy of God enuieth Man and plotteth his destruction Hell's Prince sly parent of revolt and lies Feels a pestiferous busie-swarming nest Of neuer-dying Dragons in his brest Sucking his bloud tyring vpon his lungs Pinching his entrails with ten thousand tongues His cursed soule still most extreamly racking Too frank in giuing torments and in taking But aboue all Hate Pride and Enuious spight His hellish life doo torture day and night For th' Hate he bears to God who hath him driv'n Iustly for euer from the glittering Heav'n To dwell in darknes of a sulph'ry clow'd Though still his brethrens seruice be allow'd The Proud desire to haue in his subiection Mankinde in chain'd in gyues of Sins infection And th' Enuious heart-break to see yet to shine In Adams face Gods Image all diuine Which he had lost and that Man might atchieue The glorious bliss his Pride he did depriue Growen barbarous Tyrants of his treacherous wil Spur-on his course his rage redoubling stil. Or rather as the prudent Hebrue notes 'T is that old Python which through hundred-throats Doth proudly hiss and past his wont doth fire A hell of Furies in his fell desire His enuious hart self-swoln with sullen spight Brooks neither greater like nor lesser wight Dreads th' one as Lord as equall hates another And iealous doubts the rising of the other To vent his poyson this notorious Tempter His subtiltie in executing his Designes Meer spirit assails not Eue but doth attempt her In fained form for else the soule diuine Which rul'd as Queen the Littlâ—-worlds designe So purely kept her Vow of Chastitie That he in vain should tempt her Constancy Therefore he fleshly doth the Flesh assay Suborning that her Mistress to betray A subtle Pandar with more tycing sleights Then Sea hath Fish or Heav'n hath twinkling lights For had he beene of an ethereall matter Why he hid him in a Body Of fiery substance or aiereall nature The needfull help of language had he wanted Whereby Faiths ground-work was to be supplanted Sith such pure bodies haue nor teeth nor tongues Lips artires nose Palate nor panting lungs Which rightly plaç't are properly created True instruments of sounds articulated And further-more though from his birth h 'had had Why he appeared not in his owne likenes nor transformed him into an Angel of light Hart-charming cunning smoothly to perswade He fear'd malitious if he care-less came Vn-masked like himself in his own name In deep distrust man entring suddainly Would stop his ears and his foul presence fly As opposite taking the shining face Of sacred Angels full of glorious grace He then suspected least the Omnipotent Should think man's Fall scarce worthy punishment Much like therefore som theef that doth conceiue Similâ— From trauailers both life and goods to reaue And in the twi-light while the Moon doth play In Thetis Palace neer the Kings high-way Himself doth ambush in a bushy Thorn Then in a Caue then in a field of Corn Creeps to and fro and fisk eth in and out And yet the safety of each place doth doubt Till resolute at last vpon his knee Taking his leuell from a hollow Tree He swiftly sends his fire-wingd messenger At his false sute t' arrest the passenger Our freedoms felon fountain of our sorrow Thinks now the beautie of a Horse to borrow Anon to creep into a Haifers side He hides him vnder diuers figures Then in a Cock or in a Dog to hide Then in a nimble Hart himself to shroud Then in the starr'd plumes of a Peacock proud And least he miss a mischief to effect Oft changeth minde and varies oft aspect At last remembring that of all the broods Why he chose the Serpent In Mountains Plains Airs Waters Wildes and Woods The knotty Serpent's spotty generation Are filled with infectious inflammation And though they want Dogs teeth Bores tusks Bears paws The Vultures bill Buls horns and Griphins claws Yea seem so weak as if they had not might To hurt vs once much less to kill vs quite Yet many times they treacherously betray vs And with their breath look tongue or train they slay vs He crafty cloaks him in a Dragons skin All bright-bespect that speaking so within That hollow Sagbuts supple-wreathing plies The mouer might with th' Organ sympathize For yet the faith-less Serpent as they say With horror crawl'd not groueling on the clay Nor to Mankinde as yet was held for hatefull Sith that 's the hire of his offence ingratefull But now to censure how this change befell Sundry opinions hereupon Our wits com short our words suffice not well To vtter it much less our feeble Art Can imitate this sly malitious part Somtimes me seems troubling Eues spirit the Fiend 1 Made her this speaking fancy apprehend For as in liquid clouds exhaled thickly Water and Ayr as moist doe mingle quickly The euill Angels slide too easily As subtile Spirits into our fantasie Somtimes me seems She saw wo-worth the hap 2 No very Serpent but a Sepents shape Whether that Satan plaid the Iuggler there Who tender eys with charmed Tapers blear Trans-forming so by subtile vapoury gleams Mens heads to Monsters into Eels the beams Or whether Diuels hauing bodies light Quick nimble actiue apt to change with sleight In shapes or shewes they guilefull haue propos'd In brief like th' Air whereof they are compos'd For as the ayr with scattered clouds be-spred Is heer and there black yellow white and red Resembling Armies Monsters Mountains Dragons Rocks fiery Castles Forrests Ships and Wagons And such to vs through glass transparent cleer From form to form varying it doth appear So these seducers can growe great or small Or round or square or streight or short or tall As fits the passions they are moued by And such our soule receiues them from our ey Somtimes that Satan only for this work 3 Fain'd him a Serpents shape wherein
the Peripneumony Within those spunges kindles cruelly The spawling Emptem ruth-less as the rest With â—oul impostumes fils his hollow chest The Plâ—urisiâ— stabs him with desperate foyl Beneath the ribs where scalding blood doth boyl Then th' Inâ—ubus by som suppos'd a spright With a thick phlegm doth stop his breath by night Deer Muse my guide cleer truth that nought disseÌ„bles The Ague with her train her kâ—nâ—s and cruell effects Name me that Champion that with fury trembles Who arm'd with blazing fire brands fiercely flings At th' Armies heart not at our feeble wings Hauing for Aids Cough Head-ache Horror Heat Pulse-beating Burning cold-distilling-Sweat Thirst Yawning Yolking 〈…〉 Shiuering Shaking Fantastik Râ—uing and continuall Akeing With many more O! is not this the Fury We call the Feuer whose in constant fury Transforms her ofter then Vertumnus can To Tertian Quartan and Quotidian And Second too now posting somtimes pawsing Euen as the matter all these changes causing Is rommidged with motions slowe or quick In feeble bodies of the Ague-sick Ah treacherous beast needs must I knowe thee best Our Poet hauing been himself for many yeers grieuâ—usly a flâ—ctâ—d with the Feuer complaineth bitterly of her rude violence For foure whole years thou wert my poor harts guest And to this day in body and in minde I bear the marks of thy despight vnkinde For yet besides my veins and bones bereft Of blood and marrow through thy secret theft I feel the vertue of my spirit decayd Th' Enthousiasmos of my Muse allaid My memory which hath been meetly good Is now â—lâ—sâ— much like the fleeting flood Wheron no sooner haue we drawn a line But it is canceld leauing there no signe For the deer fruit of all my care and cost My former study almost all is lost And oft in secret haue I blushed at Mine ignorance like Câ—ruâ—ne who forgat His proper name or like George Trapezunce Learned in youth and in his age a Dunce And thence it growes that maugre my endeuour My numbers still by habite haue the Feuer One-while with heat of heav'nly fire-ensoul'd Shivering anon through faint vn-learned cold Now the third Regiment with stormy stours The third Regiment warring on the naturall Powers Sets-on the Squadron of our Naturall Powers Which happily maintain vs duly both With needfull food and with sufficient growth One-while the Boulime then the Anorexie Then the Dog-hunger or the Bradypepsie And childe-great Pica of prodigious diet In straightest stomacks rage with monstrous ryot Then on the Lyver doth the Iaundize fall Stopping the passage of the cholerick Gall Which then for good blood scatters all about Her fiery poyson yellowing all without But the sad Dropsie freezeth it extream Till all the blood be turned into fleam But see alas by far more cruell foes The slippery bowels thrill'd with thousand throes With prisoned windes the wringing Colick pains-them The Iliak passion with more rigour strains-them Streightens their Conduits and detested makes Mans mouth alas euen like a loathsom Iakes Then the Dysentery with fretting pains Extorteth pure blood from the flayed veins On th' other side the Stone and Strangury Torturing the Reins with deadly tyranny With heat-concreted sand-heaps strangely stop The burning vrine strained drop by drop As opposite the Diabete by melting Our bodies substance in our Vrine swelting Distills vs still as long as any matter Vnto the spout can send supply of water Vnto those parts wherby we leaue behind-vs Types of ourselues in after-times to mind-vs Ther fiercely flies defectiue Venery And the foul feeble fruit-less Gonorrhe An impotence for Generations-deed And lust-less Issue of th' vncocted seed Remorse-less tyrants that to spoyl aspire Babes vnconceiv'd in hatred of their Sire The fell fourth Regiment is outward Tumours The fourth Regiment forrageth aud defaceth the Body outwardly Begot of vicious indigested humours As Phlegmons Oedems Sâ—yrrhes Erysipiles Kings-euils Cankers cruell Gouts and Byles Wens Ring-worms Tetters these from euery part With thousand pangs braue the besieged hart And their blind fury wanting force and courage To hurt the Fort the champain Country forrage O tyrants sheath your feeble swords again Comparison For Death al-ready thousand-times hath slain Your Enemy and yet your enuious rigour Doth mar his feature and his limbs disfigure And with a dull and ragged instrument His ioints and skin are saw'd and torn and renâ— Me thinks most rightly to a coward Crew Of Wolues and Foxes I resemble you Who in a Forrest finding on the sand The Lyon dead that did aliue command The Land about whose aw-full Countenance Melted far off their yce-like arrogance Mangle the members of their liue-less Prince With feeble signes of dastard insolence But with the Griefs that charge our outward places The Lowsiâ— Disease Shall I account the loathsom Phthiriasis O shamefull Plague O foul infirmity Which makes proud Kings fouler then Beggars be That wrapt in rags and wrung with verminsore Their itching backs sit shrugging euermore To swarm with Lice that rubbing cannot rid Nor often shift of shirts and sheets and bed For as in springs stream stream pursueth fresh Swarm follows swarm and their too fruitfull flesh Breeds her own eaters and till Deaths arrest Makes of it self an execrable feast Nor may we think that Chance confusedly Diseases proper to certaine Climats NatioÌ„s Conducts the Camp of our Third Enemy For of her Souldiers som as led by reason Can make their choice of Country Age and Season So Portugal hath Phthisiks most of all Eber Kings-euils Arné the Suddain-Fall Sauoy the Mumps West-India Pox and Nyle The Leprosie Plague the Sardinian-Ile After the influence of the Heav'ns all-ruling To som ages of man Or Countries manners So soft Childhood puling Is wrung with Worms begot of crudity Are apt to Lasks through much humidity Through their salt phlegms their heads are hid with skalls Their Limbs with Red-gums and with bloody balls Of Menstruall humour which like Must within Their bodies boyling buttoneth all their skin To bloody-Flixes Youth is apt inclining Continuall-Feuers Phrenzies Phthisik-pyning And feeble Age is seldom-times without Her tedious guests the Palsie and the Gout Coughes and Catarrhs And so the Pestilence The quartan-Ague with her accidents The Flix the Hip-gout and the Watrie-Tumour To the Seasons of the yeare Are bred with vs of an Autumnal humour The Itch the Murrein and Alcides-grief In Vers hot-moysture doe molest vs chief The Diarrhoea and the Burning-Feuer In Sommer-season do their fell endevour And Pleurisies the rotten Coughes and Rheums Wear curled flakes of white celestiall plumes Like sluggish Souldiers keeping Garrison In th' yeâ—e Bulwarks of the Years gelt Son Som seeming most in multitudes delighting Some Diseases contagious Bane one by other not the first acquiting As Measels Mange and filthy Leprosie The Plague the Pox and Phthisik-maladie And som alas we leaue as in succession Vnto our Children for a sad possession Some haereditary Such are
The Pines and Cedars haue but boughs to showe The shoars do shrink the swelling waters growe Alas so-many Nephews lose I heer Amid these deeps that but for mountains neer Vpon the rising of whoseridges lofty The lusty climbe on every side for safety I should be seed-less but alas the Water Swallows those Hils and all this wide Theater Is all one Pond O children whither fly-you Alas Heav'ns wrath pursues you to destroy-you The stormy waters strangely rage and roar Rivers and Seas haue all one common shoar To wit a sable water-loaden Sky Ready to rain new Oceans instantly O Sonn-less Father O too fruitfull haunches O wretched root O hurtfull hatefull branches O gulfs vnknowen O dungeons deep and black O worlds decay O vniversall wrack O Heav'ns O Seas O Earth now earth no more O flesh O bloud Heer sorrow stopt the door Of his sad voice and almost dead for woe The prophetizing spirit forsook him so NOAH The SECOND DAY Of The SECOND WEEK Containing 1. THE ARK 2. BABYLON 3. THE COLONIES 4. THE COLVMNES Acceptam refero The ARKE THE I. PART OF THE II. DAY OF THE II. WEEK THE ARGVMENT Noah prepares the Ark and thither brings With him a Seed-payr of all liuing things His exercise a ship-board Atheist Cham His holy Fathers humble Zeal doth blame And diversly impugns Gods Prouidence Noah refells his Faith-less arguments The Flood surceast Th' Ark-landed Blood forbid The Rain-bowe bent what it pre-figured Wine drowneth Wit Cham scoffs the Nakednes Of 's sleeping Sire the Map of Drunkennes IF Now no more my sacred rimes distill A Preamble wherin by a modest Complaint the Poet stirs vp the Readers attention and makes himselfe way to the inuocation of the name of God With Art-less ease from my discustom'd quill If now the Laurell that but lately shaded My beating temples be dis-leav'd and vaded And if now banisht from the learned Fount And cast down head-long from the lofty Mount Where sweet Vrania sitteth to indite Mine humbled Muse flag in a lowely flight Blame these sad Times ingratefull cruelty My houshold cares my healths infirmity My drooping sorrows for late grieuous losses My busie suits and other bitter crosses Lo there the clogs that weigh down heavily My best endevours whilom soaring high My harvest's hail the pricking thorns and weeds That in my soule choak those diviner seeds O gracious God! remove my great incumbers Kindle again my faiths neer-dying imbers Asswage thine anger for thine own Sons merit And from me Lord take not thy holy Spirit Comb gild and polish more then ever yet This latter issue of my labouring wit And let not me be like the winde that proudly Begins at first to roar and murmur loudly Against the next hils over-turns the Woods With furious tempest tumbles-vp the floods And fiercely-fell with stormy puffs constrains The sparkling flints to roule about the Plains But flying faints and every league it goes One nimble feather of his wing doth lose But rather like a River poorly-breeding In barren Rocks thence drop by drop proceeding Which toward the Sea the more he flies his source With growing streams strengthens his gliding course Rowles roars and foams raging with rest-less motion And proudly scorns the greatnes of the Ocean THE DOOMS of Adam lackt not long effect For th' angry Heav'ns that can without respect The comming of the Flood and Building of the Ark. Of persons plague the stubborn Reprobate In Waters buried th' Vniuersall-state And never more the nimble painted Legions With hardy wings had cleft the ayrie Regions We all had perisht and the Earth in vain Had brought such store of fruits and grass and grain If Lamechs Son by new-found Art directed That huge vast vessell had not first erected Which sacred refuge kept the parent-payrs Of all things moving in the Earth and Ayrs Now while the Worlds-re-colonizing Boat Noahs exercises aboord the Ark. Doth on the waters over Mountains float Noe passeth not with tales and idle play The tedious length of dayes and nights away But as the Sommers sweet distilling drops Vpon the medowes thirsty yawning chops Re-greens the Greens and doth the flowrs re-flowr All scorcht and burnt with Auster's parching powr So the care-charming hony that distills From his wise lips his house with comfort fils Flatters despair dries tears calms inward smarts And re-aduanceth sorrow-daunted harts Cheer ye my children God doth now retire These murdering Seas which the revenging ire Of his strict Iustice holy indignation Hath brought vpon this wicked generation Arming a season to destroy mankinde The angry Heav'ns the water and the winde As soon again his gracious Mercy will Clear cloudy Heav'ns calm windes and waters still His wrath and mercy follow turn by turn That like the Lightning doth not lightly burn Long in a place and this from age to age Hides with her wings the faithfull heritage Our gracious God makes scant-weight of displeasure And spreads his mercy without weight or measure Somtimes he strikes vs to especiall ends Vpon our selues our Children or our friends In soule or body goods or else good names But soon he casts his rods in burning flames Not with the fist but finger he doth beat vs Nor doth hethrill so oft as he doth threat-vs And prudent Steward giues his faithfull Bees Wine of his wrath to rebell Drones the Lees. And thus the deeds of Heav'ns Iust-gentle King The Second Worlds good Patriarch did sing Cham full of impiety is brought-in answering his Father and diuersly impugning the wisdom irreprohensible Prowidence of God Almighty and All-mercifull and the humble religious Zeal of Noah But brutish Cham that in his brest accurst The secret roots of sinfull Atheisme nurst Wishing already to dis-throne th' Eternall And self-vsurp the Maiesty supernall And to himself by name of Iupiter On Afrik sands a sumptuous Temple rear With bended brows with stout and stern aspect In scornfull tearms his Father thus be-checkt Oh! how it grieves me that these servil terrors The scourge of Cowards and base vulgars errors Haue ta'n such deep root in your feeble brest Why Father alwayes selfly thus deprest Will you thus alwaies make yourself a drudge Fearing the fury of a fained Iudge And will you alwaies forge your self a Censor That weighs your words and doth your silence censure A sly Controuler that doth count your hairs That in his hand your hearts keys ever bears Records your sighes and all your thoughts descries And all your sins present and past espies A barbarous Butcher that with bloudy knife Threats night and day your grieuous-guilty life O! see you not the superstitious heat Of this blinde zeal doth in your minde beget A thousand errors light credulity Doth drive you still to each extreamity Faining a God with thousand storms opprest Fainter then Women fiercer then a Beast Who tender-hearted weeps at others weeping Wails others woes and at the onely peeping Of others bloud in suddain swoun deceases In
Prince May'st thou surmount all those in Excellence Which haue before thee Rul'd th' hard-ruled Scots And ruder Picts painted with Martiall spots That first Fergusius glory of his dayes Ev'nus and Donald may enuy thy Praise And even the Scott'sh or rather th' Hebrew Dauid Iesses great son so holily-behaved Give place to thy Renown and therewithall Give thee his Zeal and Heart heroïcall And all his best which doth thee best belong As he hath given thee his sweet Harp and Song THOVGH profane service of Idolatry Had drown'd the whole Earth vniversally Though shame-less sin born with the COLONIES Through all the World through all did Tyrannize Yet in Chaldea was their chiefest Seat Their strength in Shinaar and that City great Built on the slymy strand of Euphrates Was the proud Palace where they held their Feasts So that even Sem's and Heber's sacred Ligne Where God his grace yet seemed to confine Sucking the Sin-bane of Assyrian aire Did like the Heathen every day impaire Simile Forgot the true God followed rashly-rude The gross grand Error of the multitude Degeneriz'd decay'd and withered quight Likesom rare Fruit-Tree over-topt with spight Of Bryers and Bushes which it sore oppress With the sowr shadow of their Thorny tress Till choakt withall it dies as they do growe And beareth nought but Moss and Misseltoe But God desirous more for vs then him The Calling of Abraham In som one stock to saue Faith's sacred stem Like as before from the All-drowning Flood He sav'd the worlds seed in an Ark of wood Marks Abram for his owne and from false Rites To men to Beasts to Stocks to Stones to Sprights Him gratiously to his owne Service drawes Not by meer Conduct of exteriour cause As by contempling th' Artship richly-rare Which gilds the Seeling of this Globe so fair Earthsfruitfull power producing goodly-green From so small seeds so huge and mighty Treen Flowrs fragrant aier so fresh and divers-died Seas foaming Course whose ever-Tilting Tide Ebbing or flowing is confin'd to Season Bounded with lists guided with reans of Reason But by the motion of his Spirit which seals In our hearts Centre what his word reveals And prudently in his fit time and place Dispensing frankly his free gifts of Grace Doth inwardly bear-witnes and aver-it Vnder our Spirits that'â—is God's Holy Spirit The sacred Faith of Abram languisht not In Idleness but alwayes waakt and wrought The fruits of a true faith and the effect thereof And ever lively brought forth Patience Humility Hope Bounty Innocence Love fervent Zeal Repentance Temperance Sincerity and true Perseverance Fruits that like Load-stones haue avertue given Through Faith to draw their Father-Tree to Heav'n And guide the soules to God the spring of life Of 's kins-man Lot and Sara his deer Wife Who with him following the Almighti's call Wend to the strand where Iordans course doth craul Their owne deer Country willingly forsake And true-religious less account do make Of goods and lands and quiet-lifes content Than of an end-les friend-les Bannishment O sacred ground of Vertu 's sole perfection O shield of Martyrs Prophets sure direction Soule 's remedy O contrite heart's Restorer Tears-wiping tame-grief Hopes guide hunting horror Path of Salvation Pledge of Immortality O lively FAITH through thy admired quality How many wonders doost thou work at once When from Sin 's slumbers thou hast waakt vs once And made vsmly in our spirits conceiue Beauties that never outward eyes perceiue Alas said Abram must I needs forgoe Natural conside rations to haue stopped the Iourney of Abraha These happy fields where Euphrates doth flowe Heer first I drew this vitall air and pleas'd With my births news my Mothersthroes I eas'd Heer from her tender brest as soft as silk My tender gums suckt my first drop of milk Heer with the pleasure of mine infant-smile Her Cares and Cumbers I did oft beguile Heer my chaste Sisters Vnkles Aunts and Kin My prity prattling haue delighted in Heer many a time I want only haue clung And on my Fathers wrinkled neck haue hung Heer I haue past my Lad-age fait and good Heer first the soft Down on my chin did bud Heer I haue learn'd Heav'ns Motions and the nature And various force of Fire Air Earth and Water Heer I haue show'n the noblest tokens forth Both of my Mindes and of my Bodies worth Heer I have spent the best part of mine age Heer I possess a plentious Heritage Heer I haue got me many friends and fame And by my Deeds attain'd a glorious Name And must I hence and leaue this certain state To roam vncertain like a Runnagate O're fearfull Hils and thorough foaming Torrents That rush-down Mountains with their roring currents In dreadfull Desarts where Heav'ns hottest beam Shall burn without within vs Thirst extream And gloomy Forrests full of ghastly fear Of yelling Monsters that are dwelling there To seek a Country God knowes where and whither Whose vnknowen name hath yet scarce sounded hither With staff in hand and wallet at our back From Town to Town to beg for all we lack To guise ourselues like counterfaiting Ape To th' guise of Men that are but Men in shape T' haue briefly nothing properly our owne In all the World no not our Grave-place knowen Is' t possible I should endure to see The sighs and tears my friends will shed for me O! can I thus my Native soyl forsake O! with what words shall I my farwell take Farwell Chaldea deer delights adieu Friends Brothers Sisters farwell all of you Farwell for ever Can I thus alas Rudely vnwinde me from the kinde embrace Of their deer arms that will me faster holde 2. Comparisons Than trembling Ivie doth the Oak enfolde Or then the Vine doth with her crawling spray The boughs of Elm her limber limbs to stay Can I expose with perill of my life Th' vn-vulgar beauties of my vertuous wife To the none-sparing lust of that loose Nation That brutely burns in all abhomination Besides what rigour nay what paricide To hale from Tygris shoat to Iordans side A weak olde-man a man so weak and olde He scarse can creep without our help and holde Yet 't must be so for so the Lord commands His resolution aboue al discour se of reason A carnall man on carnal reason stands But for all Reasons Faith suffizeth me Who lodge with God can never House-less be Then cheerly marcht he on and though the age And death of Terah slow'd his pilgrimage Therest of His he doth conduct in fine To Canaan since called Palaestine Where God pours down such flouds of goods vpon them The great blessing of God on his obedience And bountiously bestowes such blessings on-them That their abundance shortly seems t' exceed God's Promises and their desires indeed Their fruitfull Heards that hill and dale do haunt Resemble not the breed of th' Elephant Which slowe in coupling and in calving more Pyning her Master so long time
are rough-cast with the richest Stones Cast in Deuises Emblems Scutchions Yet leaving all this Greatnesse of her owne She comes to view the State of SALOMON To hear his Wisedom and to see his Citty Refuge of Vertues School of Faith and Pitty A iust Reproose of all obstinate Recusants You that doo shut your eyes against the rayes Of glorious Light which shineth in our dayes Whose spirits self-obstin'd in old musty Error Repulse the Truth Th' Almighties sacred Mirror Which day and night at your deaf Doors doth knock Whose stubbornnesse will not at all vn-lock The sacred Bible nor so much as look To talke with God into his holy Book O fear you not that this great Princesse shall Of thank-les Sloath one-day condemn you all Who both a Woman Queen and Pagan born Ease Pleasures Treasures doth despise and scorn To passe with great pains and with great expence Long weary Iourneys full of diffidence And nobly trauels to another Land To hear the words but of a mortall Man Her Time 's not lost there rapt she doth contemple The sumptuous bewties of a stately TEMPLE The lofty Towers of hundred Towns in one A pompous Palace and a peer-les Throne Wals rich with-out furnisht in richer sort Number of Servants doth adorn the Court But more their Order there no noise is heard Each his owne Office only doth reguard And in one instant as the quaverings Of a quick Thumb moues all the divers strings Of a sweet Guittern and its skill to grace Causeth a Trebble sound a Mean a Base So SALOMON discreetly with a beck A wink a word doth all the Troop direct Each of his Servants hath his proper Lesson And after his Degree each hath his fashion This Queen yer parting from her fragrant Iles Arm'd her with Riddles and with witty Wyles T' appose the King and she resolues she wil With curious Questions sift and sound his Skill But lo what Oedipus The Law-learn'd Sage Which at the Bar hath almost spent his age Cannot so soon a common Doubt decide Where Statutes Customs and Book-Cases guide As he dissolues her Gordian-knots and sees Through all her nights and even at pleasure frees Such Doubts as doubt-les might haue taskt t'vntwist The Brachman Druïde and Gymnosophist And knowing Good becomes more Good the more It is en-common'd he applies there-fore T' instruct her in the Faith and enuious-idle His brains rich Talent buries not in Idle Alas I pity you alas quoth He Poore Soules besotted in Idolatry Who worship Gold and Silver Stocks and Stones Mens workmanship and Fiends Illusions And who by your sage Mages Lore miss-led So-many Godlings haue imagined Madame there is but one sole God most-High Th' Eternall King nay self-Eternity Infinite All in all yet out of all Of Ends the End of Firsts Originall Of Lights the Light Essencesur-passing Essence Of Powers pure Act of Acts the very Puissance Cause of all Causes Ocean of all Good The Life of Life and of all Bewty Flood None-seen All-Seer Starr's-guide Sight of Seeing The Vni-forme which giues all Formes their Beeing God and One is all One whoso the Vnitie Denies he Atheist disannuls Diuinity Th' Vnity dwels in God i th' Fiend the Twine The greater World hath but one Sun to shine The lesser but one Soule both but one God In Essence One in Person Trinely-odde Of this great Frame the Parts so due-devis'd This Body tun'd so measur'd sympathiz'd This TEMPLE wheresuch Wealth and Order meet This Art in every part cannot proceed But from one Pattern and that but from one Author of all who all preserues alone Else should we see in set Batalions A hundred thousand furious Partizans The World would nource civill intestine Wars And wrack itself in itselfs factious Iars Besides God is an Infinite Divinity And who can think of more than one Infinity Seeing the one restrains the others might Or rather reaues its name and being quight Therfore O Pagans why doo you confine The Infinite in narrow Walls of lime Why shut you Him in a base Trunk or Tree Why paint you Whom no mortall eye can see Why offer you your carnall seruices Vnto the Lord who a meer Spirit is Why then doo you sayd she by our example Incloseth ' Immortall in this Earthly TEMPLE Lock him within an Arke and worse than we Feed him with Fumes and bloody Butcherie This Sacred House so fair reply'd he then Is not to contain God but godly men Which worship him and we doo not suppose That He whose Arms doo Heav'n and Earth inclose Is closed in a Chest but th' ancient Pact The solemne Couenant and the sure Contract Which leagues vs with our God and each with other And holy Bond holds Heav'n and Earth together As for our Incense Washings Sacrifices They are not as is thought Our vain Devices But God 's their Aurthor and himself Ordains These Elements wherby he entertains And feeds our vnderstanding in the hope Of his deer Son of all these Things the Scope Setting before vs th' Only Sacrifice Which in CHRIST'S Blood shall wash-out all our vice Come then O Lord Come thou Lawes finisher Great King great Prophet great Selfs-Offerer Come come thou thrice-Great Refuge of our State Come thou out Ran çome Iudge and Advocate Milde Lambe Salue-Serpent Lion generous Vn-challeng'd Vmpire betwixt Heav'n and Vs Come thou the Trueth the Substance and the End Of all our Offrings whither all doo tend Come ô MESSIAS and doo now begin To Raign in Sion to triumph of Sinne And worshipped in Spirit and Truth restore Vpon the Earth the Golden Age of yore Accept this Queen as of all Heathen Princes The deer First-Fruits take on thee our Offences That stript of Adam's Sinfull sute in fine With sacred Angels we in Heav'n may shine The Queen nigh sunk in an Amaze-full Swoun Bespake him thus My Lord prattling Renown Is wont in flying to increase so far That she proclaims things greater than they are Simile And rarest Spirits resemble Pictures right Wherof the rarest seem more exquisite Far-off then neer but so far as thy Fame Ezcels all Kings thy Vertues passe the same Thy peer-les Prayse stoops to thy Learned tongue And envious bruit hath done thy Wisedom wrong So may I say even so ô SCOTISH King Application to the Kings Maiestie Thy winged Fame which far and wide doth ring From th' edge of Spain hath made me venturously To crosse the Seas thy Britain's end to see Where Lord what saw I nay what saw I not O King Heav'n-chosen for som special Plot Worlds Miracle ô Oracle of Princes I saw so much my Soule mistrusts my Senses A gray-beards Wisedom in an amber-bush A Mars-like Courage in a Maid-like blush A settled Iudgement with a supple Wit A quick Discourse profound and pleasing yet Virgil and Tully in one spirit infus'd And all Heav'ns Gifts into one Head diffus'd Persist O King glory on glory mount And as thy Vertues thine owne Fame surmount So
banks he gate Where for his Cooks Caters and Wayters tho From the foure windes the winged people go Thence to Sareptha where he craves the aid The Widow of Sarepta Of a poor Widow who thus mildely said Alas fain would I but God wot my store Is but of bread for one meal and no more Yet give me saith he giue me som I pray Who soweth sparing sparing reapeth ay Sure a good turn shall never guerdon want A Gift to Needlings is not given but lent T 's a Well of Wealth which doth perpetuall run A fruitfull Field which thousand yeelds for one While thus he said and staid the Widow glad The fruits of Charity Gives to him frankly all the bread she had She lost not by 't for all the Famin-while That rag'd in Tyre her little Flowr and Oyl Decreased not yet had she plenty still For her and hers to feed in time their fill At length befell fel Death to take-away Her onely Son and with her Son her Ioy She prayes her Guest and he implores his God And stretching him vpon the breath-les Lad Thus cries aloud Vouch safe me Lord this boon Restore this child's soule which it seems to-soon Thou hast bereft O! let it not be said That heer for nought I haue so ought been fed Let not my presence be each-where abhorr'd Nor Charity with thee to want Reward As a small seedling of that fruitfull Worm Simile Which of it self fine shining Sleaves doth form By the warm comfort of a Virgin brest Begins to quicken creepeth as the rest Re-spins a-fresh and in her witty loom Makes of her corps her corps a pretious Toomb This Childe no Man but Man's pale Module now With death i th bosom horror on the brow The bait of Worms the Booty of the Beer At sacred words begins his ey to rear Swimming in Death his powrs do re-assemble His spirits rewarm'd with-in his artirs tremble He fetcht a sigh then lively rysing too Talks walks and eats as he was woont to doo Fain would the Mother haue besought the Seer T' have past the rest of his colde Olde-age heer But th' holy spirit him sodain hence doth bring Vnto Samaria to th' incensed King Who rates him thus O Basilisk O Bane Art not thou He that sow'st th' Isaacian Plain With Trouble-Tares Seditious hast not thou The like Imputations in our dayes the blind Popelings and profane â—â— orldlings haue layd vpon the Gospell and the Preachers thereof Profan'd the Laws of our Fore-fathers now Broken all Orders and the Altars bann'd Of th' holy Gods Protectors of our Land Since thy fond Preaching did heer first begin More and more heavie hath Heav'ns anger bin Vpon vs all and Baal blasphem'd by thee Hath since that season never left vs free From grievous Plagues it is a Hellwe feel Our Heav'n is Brass our Earth is all of Steel No no O King if I the Truth shall tell Thou thou art he that troublest Israell Thou give me leave thou and thy Grand-sires mad After strange Gods in every Grove to gad Have left the true wise wondrous all-abroad Omnipotent victorious glorious God Such shall you proue him if you dare oppone All your Baal-Prophets against me but one Content quoth Achab then to Carmel's top The Schismik Priests were quickly called vp Vnto their Baal an Altar build they there To God the Prophet doth another rear Both have their Beasts and by their prayer must prove Whose God is GOD by Fier from Heav'n above The People's eyes and eares and mindes are bent Vpon these Maruails to observe th' euent Maruails which might well cleer the difference That had so long depended in suspence 'Twixt Israel and Iuda and direct Th' Earth how to serue Heav'ns sacred Architect As when two Buls inflamed fiercely-fell Simile Met front to front their forked arms do mell The feeble Heards of Heifers in a maze Twixt hope and fear vnfeeding stand at gaze To see the Fight and censure which do prove The valiantest that he may be their Loue. Baal's baalling Priests call and cry out for life They gash their flesh with Launcet and with knife Baals Priests They cruell make their blood to spin about As Claret wine from a pearç't Peece doth spout And madly shaking heads leggs sides and arms They howling chant these Dithyrambik charms Help help O Baal O Baal attend our cryes Baal hear vs Baal O Baal bow down thine eyes O Stratian Clarian Eleutherian Powrs Panomphaean God approve vs thine thee ours O Epicarpian O Epistatirian Phyxian Feretrian O Exacestirian Xenian Messapian O Lebradean BAAL O Assabine BAAL-SAMEN hear our Call Elijah that their bloody Rites abhord And knowes aright the seruice of the Lord T' appease his wrath he doth not scarre his skin Nor with self-wounds presume his grace to win Nor makes himself vnfitting for his function By selfly stripes as causing more compunction Nor thrild with bodkins raves in frantik-wise And in a furie seems to prophetize But offers God his heart in steed of blood His speech is sober and as milde his mood Cry loud quoth he your God is yet perchance Irâ—nia In a deep sleep or doth in Arms advance Against his Foes th' Egyptian Deïties Or is consulting how to keep the Flies From off his Altar But O Izrael Alas why yoakst thou God with Baal or Bel Alas how long thus wilt thou halt twixt either And fondly mix Darnel and Wheat together In thy Faith's Field If Baal be God indeed Then boldly serue him seek him sole at need But if blew Sea and winged Firmament Th' all-bearing Earth and Storm-breed Element Be but the least Works of th' Almighty hand Of Iacob's God If Heav'n Aire Sea and Land And all in all and all in euery one By his owne finger be sustain'd alone If he have cast those cursed Nations out Which yerst defil'd this fair fat Land about To give it thee to plant thee in their place Why him alone doost thou not ay imbrace And serue him onely in thy Soule and Heart Who in his Love brooks none to share a part The cord vn-twisted weakens and who serves Two Lords at-once to lose them both deserves Baal dead thouseest hears not his Servants call Much less can grant them their Desires at all But Iaacob's God IEHOVA ELOHIM Never deceives their hope that trust in him Hear me therefore O Lord and from above With Sacred Fire thy Soverain powr to prove Consume this Bullock and shewe by the same That thou art GOD and I thy Servant am And to thy Fold thy Churches Lap repeal Thy wandring Flock thy chosen Izrael As falls a Meteor in a Sommer Even Simile A sodain Flash coms flaming down from Heav'n Licks dry the Dikes and instantly at-once Burns all to Ashes both the Altar-stones And th' Offered Bullock and the People fall In zealous fury on the Priests of Baal And by Elijah's prayer soon obtain Rain which so often they had
not oft nor doo I often praise Yet must I needs praise the praise-worthie still I cannot hold my free and forward quill From those whom Heauen adorns with speciall rayes Now all that God doth by retail bestowe On perfect'st men to thee in grosse he giues Therefore my Muse thy praise so often driues For duties sake but not to flatter so Our Age's wonder when thy tongue refin'd By vse and Art in our King's name dilates With Counsails Germain or furr'd Polish States The sweet-tongu'd Cyneas thou doost make vs minde In Priuy counsell when our miseries Thou doost be-moan most Nestor-like thou art And when in Paris Parlament thy part Of Lawes thou plead'st thou seem'st to Scaeuolize Thy Latine Prose dooth match smooth Salusts stile And when thy Pen distils the Nectar sweet Of Helicon where all the Muses meet Me thinks I read sweet Virgill all the while In honour of these gifts this gift I bring Small for my pains great for the Argument But if the Heav'ns had richer treasure lent Thy New-yeeres-gift should be som better thing THE TRIVMPH OF FAITH THE TRIVMPH OF FAITH Canto I. 1 NEer th' hour that Erycin ' Aurora calls And she the Sun sad Morpheus entring in Through 's hornie gate to shew me did begin A sacred Virgin 's stately TRIVMPHALS 2 Then Faith for so she hight bids with celeritie Of Pen and Paper that I make provision To wright the summ of this celestiall Vision To be recorded vnto all Posterity 3 I knowe my taske to be impossible I knowe in this mans eyes are beetle-blinde His eares quite deaf clean voide of sense his minde But hardest things Faith makes most possible 4 Eternall Sun O scatter with thy Light All mistie clouds that make me not to see Thy health-full face and giue true Faith to mee Since Faith sans Faith cannot be knowen aright 5 FAITH sits triumphant on a Carr of gold Of Tubals making where blew Saphires shine Rich Diamonds and many Rubies fine And if ought els the world more costly hold 6 Her glorious Charret's rowling wheels are like The holy wheels the great Ezekiel saw For one self spirit self winde and will doth draw Their restless courses equall both a-like 7 The Bird that led the Roman Standards out The Bird that fixtly can oppose his eyes Against the greatest light in all the skies High through the ayr drawes this rich Coach about 8 Faith flaunts it not in silver silk nor gold Nor pretious scarlet of the Tyrian Die Nor paints her face to hide deformity But as she is she doth her self vnfold 9 Her body that all bodies doth disgrace Like Iuno's Bird is full of watchfull eyes Whose holy glaunces pearce the lofty skies Pearce Air and Heav'n and see God face to face 10 Sh' hath many sweet and flowing tongues to prayse The Lord of Hoasts sh' hath strong and mighty wings Passing the swiftnes of all earthly things That in a moment vp to Heav'n her rayse 11 Her glorious head is compast with a Crown Not made of Olive Pine or Lawrell bough Nor Parsly Wreath which Grecians did allow Th' Olympian games for signals of renown 12 But of fresh Roses pluckt from Honours Tree That never shrink for Winters chilling frost Nor wither not when Titan patcheth most For by the Lord they ever watred be 13 Now stain-les Truth for Standards doth display Two Testaments next Courage marshals right Th' vndaunted Troops that are prepar'd to fight Vnder her Colours into baâ—â—ail-ray 14 Then Constancy bears a two-edged Blade And Patience an impenetrable Shield Whose brightnes hath inforç't more Monsters yield Then that which of grim Gorgon's head was made 15 Next Charity that kindely doth prefer Her neighbours good before her owne vtility Repentance Hope and hearty-milde Humility Doo flank the wings of Faith's triumphant Carr. 16 For Faith indeed without her Maids were vain But as the Sun can never lack his light Nor fire want heat so if we mark-aright Faith cannot want these Hand-mayds in her train 17 Before this Coach there is a Beldam gon That seems at first fairer then Hellen was But neerer view'd she is more foul alas Then fell Megera Alecto ' r Tesiphon 18 She never goes like Faith with open face But seeks for masks vizards and garments gay For cloke on cloke to keep the light away Of her loath'd limbs to hide the foul disgrace 19 Sh' hath tongues like Faith with which she boldly chats Blaspheming Heav'n with filthy vanities Sh' hath eyes like Faith but yet alas those eyes See clear by night by day are blinde as Bats 20 Sh' hath wings like Faith with which she soars on hie Like Icarus she proudly mounts aloft Forgetting that her feathers are so soft Till Phoebus force her waxen wings dofriâ— 21 She whom sans reason men haue Reason hight Since first in Fire the Lord the Air inclos'd In Air the Sea in Sea the Earth dispos'd Hath with milde Faith maintain'd continuall fight 22 Now arming Kings and putting in their brains That nothing less beseems their Royall State Than vnder Faith their Scepters to abate Then to indure her gentle-ruling reans 23 Another-while she puffs with poysony pride Whom their Disciples onely Doctors deem Such as I grant have spent much oyl and time To draw mens soules from the true way too-wide 24 Yet still the Lord who still vpholds the iust Hath still the cause of holy Faith maintain'd Hath still so well her holy side sustayn'd That still her Foes lie groveling in the dust 25 A thousand Princes bound in fetters fast Before her march that her milde Yoak disdeign'd That all the Earth with blood of Saints disteyn'd And Christ his Church with Fire and Sword did waste 26 He that the first in this worlds Pupillage Brain'd his owne brother leads this bloudy crew Cain Then th' hardned Tyrant that did dare pursue Through the Red-Sea Gods chosen Heritage Pharaoh 27 Then saw I him that Zachary did stone Ioash Athalia Ahab wicked Abian Occozias Amon Ahaz and Ioram Then all that sate on the Samarian Throne 28 I saw Senacherib and Him whose Grace Nebuchadnezar Was turn'd to grass proud Hammon and with-all Braue Holophernes and who on the Wall Read how his Kingdom to the Medes should passe Baltsazar 29 Annas and Caiaphas and he that set His hatefull Idoll in the holy Place Which five Iew-brethren bravely did deface Antiochus illustris These all too-late in sad repentance fret 30 The Tyrant too that at our Saviours birth Herod In Cradles kill'd so many Innocents And that vile Iudge whose seared conscience Pilat Condemn'd the guilt-les Iudge of all the earth 31 That viperous Monster of Man-kinde the shame Nero. Who Mother Wives Brethren and Sisters slue Then from a lofty Towr did laugh to view Rome's glittering Spires all on a burning flame 32 With Seuenth Seuerus came accompanied Iule Maximin with fell Maximian Cruell Gallerian fond Domitian That God-less would
revive Act. 9 40 13 Then in another Picture I did view The foure Elements The foure first bodies of this massie Globe Green-gowned Tellus Uulcan Scarlet-robe Py'd mantled Iuno Neptune clad in blew 14 Elisha's Faith brought from the lofty Skies 2. King 6. 17 Bright fiery Charrets 'gainst the Syrian hoast 1. King 18 38 Elias Faith scorning the Baal-Priests boast Fier'd without fire his moated Sacrifice 15 By Faith three Hebrues cast in seaven-fold flame By a proud Prince escape the raging Fire Dan. 3 27 Their very garments sent-less and entire While their Tormentors perish in the same 16 Moses by Faith makes fire from Heav'n to fall Leuit. 10 21 Num. 16 35 In th' Hebrue hoast those wretches to consume Whose profane hands with profane Fire and Fume God's holy Altar had polluted all 17 Moses by Faith heard by the God of powr Compels the Mountain's burly sides to shake Commands the Earth to rent and yawn and quake Num. 16 30 To swallow Rebels and them quick devour 18 Moses by Faith divides the Sea in twain Exod. 14 21 When Israël came out of Egypt Land Then in the Desert's dry and barren sand Exod. 17 9 From flinty Rocks doth plentious Rivers strain 19 Moses by faith converts to foul black blood Exod. 7 20 The Crystall Current of the seaven-fold Nile By Faith again he makes another while Exod. 15 25 Those stinking waters holsom sweet and good 20 Thrice silver Iordan did it self divide To giue safe passage to God's deer-belov'd Once by the Faith of valiant Iosuah proov'd Iosua 3 16 2. King 2 8 14 Elias once once by Elisha tri'd 21 The zealous Thisbit did by Faith seal-vp The Heav'ns wide windows that ther fell no Rain In seaven-six months and then by Faith again 1. King 18 41 To drench the dry Earth set them all wide-ope 22 Likewise by Faith the nimble-winged train That cleave the Air are to our service set The Ravens are made to bring Elias meat 1. King 16 6 Gen 8 11 Exod. 16 13 The Dove serves Noah Quails for Moses rain 23 O! who is able Faith to countermand If Faith doo force all-taming yron yield If Faith make yron flote on Neptunes field 2. King 6 6 If that Elisha's Faith strong steel command 24 Faith hath not onely powr on things terrene Both high and lowe but often times doth force Gods iustice too and somtimes seems perforce God's purposes to change and alter clean 25 The Niniuits by Faith repenting shun Their over-throwe that Ionas threatned neer Ionas 3 10 And Ahaz Son by Faith adds fifteen yeer 2. King 20. 10 To his short life that seem'd already don 26 Now if the giver of this Faith we see Seem to incline and bow vnto her still As bound and ready to obey her will What marvell is' t if Angels be not free 27 The Angels serue in Ezechias pay 2. King â—9 â—5 1. King 19 Acts 12. 7 Gen. 32 1. By Faith they bring the Thisbit needfull Cates By Faith they ope for Peter prison gates By Faith to Iacob they direct the way 28 About twelue pases past these former Pomps Full many sacred Minstrels sound on hie Triumphant Faith 's great name and dignity Tuning aloft their Clarions Flutes and Tromps 29 Mark Matthew Luke the Lords deerest Iohn Christs Secretaries winde with such a brest Their warbling Cornets that from East to West Through all the World their sacred sound is gon 30 Both Iameses one the Son of Zebedeus Th' other Alphcus Thomas Simon Andrew Peter Mathias Philip Bartholomew Paul Gentile's Doctor with-the good Thaddeus 31 Sound with so sweet accord their Sagbuts long And their shril Fifes heard from the North to Nile As if one spirit did fill them all the while And one same hand had set their holy Song 32 While thus my spirit this strange discourse did cumber Rare-builder Prognè earlier then the rest Beginning th' out-most of her curious nest Brake with her prattling my deep pleasing slumber 33 Sorry to be so suddain wak't I would I were a Dor-Mouse for a hundred yeer That I might sleep full twenty Lustres heer To shun the woes that waking I behold 34 For now alas waking with grief I see Babel tryumphing over Sion still And on the Good th' Vngodly work their will The Wicked prais'd the Righteous scorned be 35 I see alas in these lamented Times Mens greatest zeal in bloudy murther stands Profane our hearts and so profane our hands Bare Christian Name serves but to cloak our crimes 36 Incest's a sport and Murther Man-hood thought Disloyalty a speciall Vertue deem'd And Periury sound Policy esteem'd Medea's Arts and Sodomie are taught 37 Maydens be bold and Wives be impudent Princes are Tyrants people full of rage This Age is sink of every former Age Receiving each Sinn 's vgliest excrement 38 But my swolne brest shut-vp thy sighe's sad gate Stop Stop mine eyes the passage of your tears Cast-off my heart thy deep despairing fears That which most grieues me most doth consolate 39 No no my Dream is true soon shall we see Faith's glory shine Satan perceiuing nie His prides Eclipse his greatest force doth trie To stop great Faith's triumphant victorie 40 Sure if my Card and Compasse doo not fail W' are neer the Port where danger being past We need not fear the billow nor the blast Of blustring windes nor Seas that can assail 41 Our beastly manners like Gomorrha's guise The troubled Seasons Warrs domesticall The threats of Heauen are the fore-runners all Of CHRIST that coms to hold his last Assise 42 That drad-desired Day shall soon appeer Christ coms the Rav'ns from Swans to set a-side The Tares from wheat and Goats from Lambs diuide And this braue Triumph that I sing is neer 43 O Father while this Triumph I expect Waiting to see the Wicked's vtter Fall And thy iust Scepter Ruling ouer all Let liuely Faith my Reason still direct FINIS TETRASTICHA OR The Quadrains of Guy de Faur Lord of Pibrac Translated By IOSVAH SYLVESTER Acceptam referro TO The right excellent and most hopefull young Prince Henry AFfter so many golden Rules of State Religious Lessons Morall Precepts graue As in your Fathers ROYAL-GIFT you haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These seeme supersfluous or to come too-late Yet 't is no Error tore-iterate The Voice of Wisedome to the tender Eare Of Princes chiefly such as You that beare The Hope and Hap of Europe in your Fate And though You want not these weake helpes of ours To consummate Your Selfe in Excellence Yet may those Subiects which shall once be Yours Draw vertuous Wisedome and all Dutie hence If You but daigne with your deer Name to grace it Which Load-stone-like shal draw them to embrace-it Iosuah Syluester The Quadrains of Pibrac 1 DIEV tout premier puis Pere Mere honore Sois iuste droict en toute saison Del
doth so assaile-them And if their feare fall true that their Good-fortune faile-them Then swell their sullen hearts with sorrow till they burst And then poor desperate soules they deem theÌ„selues accurst And so indeed they are but yet they erre in this In blaming other things for their owne selfe-amisse Other indifferent things that neither make nor marre But to the good be good to th' euill euill are Is' t not great foolishnes for any to complaine That somthing is not don which doth him nought coÌ„strain Sith if he vse the same soule-health it hurteth not Or if he doo not vse t it helpeth not a iot But needs must we complain say some for we haue cause Then at your perill be 't for that which chiefly drawes You thereto 't is in truth your brutenesse in mis-deeming Things euill that are good for sense-contrary seeming And while that in the darke of this foule errors mist Your drowsie spirits doo droope alas what maruell is' t If euill follow you and if iniurious still To others you impute your selfe-ingendred ill Happy are they to whom the Lord vouch safeth sight To see the louely beames and life-infusing Light Of his sweet sacred Truth whereby we may perceiue And iudge a-rightly what to loue and what to leaue Such men within their soules their goods haue wholly plac't Such goods as neuer fire can either burne or waste Nor any Theefe can steale nor Pyrate make his praie Nor vsurie consume nor Tyrant take away Nor times all-gnawing tooth can fret away nor finish Nor any accident of sad mischance diminish For it is built on God a Rock that euer stands Not on the vanities of these inconstant sands Which are more mutable then wind and more vnstable And day by day doo make so many miserable O to what sweet content to what high ioyes aspires He that in God alone can limit his desires He that in him alone his hopes can wholly rest He that for onely end waites for the wages blest Wherewith he promiseth for euer sans respect Of their selfe-meriting to guerdon his Elect What is it can bereaue the wealth of such a man What is it that disturbe his perfect pleasures can What is it can supplant his honours and degrees Sith all his treasures his delights his dignities Are all laid vp in Heauen where it were all in vaine For all the sonnes of earth to warre with might and maine No doubt will some man say each Christian doth aspire After their bodies death to those deere treasures higher That are reserv'd in Heauen whereof the sweet possession Feares not the violence of all the worlds oppression But while that heere below this fraile flesh-burthen ties-him But the bare hope he hath which how can it suffice-him Against the sharpe assaults of passions infinite Whose glad-sad crosse conflicts afflict him day and night Needs must I graunt indeed that that same perfit ioy We cannot perfitly vpon this earth enioy But that that Hope alone doth not sufficiently Blesse his life where it liues for my part I denie Some doo not feare we see to spend their stock and store To vnder-take the taske of many trauailes sore To hazard limmes and liues in seruice of some Lord Depending oft vpon his foole-fat-feeding word Or waiting els perhaps without all other hold Vntill it please himselfe his franknes to vnfold Not reaking all their paine they are so inly pleas'd With hoped benefit whereof they are not seaz'd And shall th' assured hope of euer-blisses then For which we haue the word not of vaine mortall men That teach their tongues to lie but of the highest God The God of truth truth's selfe where truth hath still abode Shall that I say not serue to settle our faint hearts Against I will not say like dangers and like smarts But 'gainst these petty griefes that now and then do pain-vs No more like those then heauen neer earth that doth sustain-vs Ah shall we then despise all trouble and vexation Supported by a prop of doubtfull expectation And while for earthly things we can indure all this Shall we not do asmuch for an immortall blisse Indeed not of our selues for selfly nought we can But God when pleaseth him doth giue this strength to man Whereby he standeth stout euen like a mightie rocke Amid the mounting waues when Eole doth vnlocke Sterne Austers stormie gate making the waters wrastle And rush with wrathfull rage against the sturdie castle While it for all the force of their fell furie showne Is not so much as moou'd and much lesse ouerthrowne So fareth such a man for if from high degree He sodainly do slide to liue contemnedly With the vile vulgar sort that cannot make him wauer For well he is assur'd that Gods high holy fauour Depends not on the pomp nor vaine-proud state and port That for the grace of Kâ—ngs adornes the courtly sort If he be kept in bands thrâ—l to the tyrannies And extreame-cruell lawes of ruthless enimies Both voide of helpe and hope and of all likelihood Of being euer freed from their hands thirsting-blood Inspight of them he knowes that one day he shall die And then he shall inioy an endles Libertie If he be forc't to flie from his deere country-clime In exile to expire the remnant of his time He doth suppose the World to be a Country common From whence no tyranny till death can banish no-man If that he must forsake his Parents and his Kin And those whose amitie he most delighteth in He knowes that where he finds a man he findes a Kins-man For all mankind is come from oneselfe Father sinnes-man If being spoil'd of wealth wanton-pampering plentie He find vpon his boord two dishes scant of twenty And to his back one coate to keepe the cold away Whereas he had before a new for euery day He learneth of Saint Paul who bids vs be content With food and furniture to this life competent Sith nothing as saith Iob into this world we brought Nor with vs when we die can we hence carrie ought If he be passing poore and in exceeding glack Of euery needfull thing for belly and for back He learneth of the Sonne that God the Father heedeth To giue to euery one in time the thing he needeth And that the Fowles of Heauen and Cattel small and great Doo neither sowe nor reape yet find they what to eate Yea that the Lillies faire which growe among the grasse Doo neither spin nor worke and yet their garments passe For colour and for cost for Art and ornament The glorious Salmon's rich robes of Parlament If so that he be sicke or wounded in the arme In body back or brest or such like kind of harme If in extremitie of angry paine and anguish Enfeebled still by fits he bed-rid lye and languish If all the miseries that euer martyr'd man At once on euery side afflict him all they can The more that he endures the more his comforts growe Sith so
and partly to sound the opinion of others that also the lofty Phrase the graue inditement the facound termes of the French Salust for the like resemblance could not be followed nor sufficiently expressed in our rude and impolished English language Wherein I more boldly then aduisedly with your Maiesties licence declared my simple opinion not calling to mind that I was to giue my verdit in presence of so sharp and clear-eied a Censor as your Highnesse is But rashly I alleadged that it was nothing impossible euen to follow the footesteps of the same great Poet Salust and to translate his verse which neuerthelesse is of it selfe exquisite succinctly and sensibly in our owne vulgar speech Wherevpon it pleased your Maiestie among the rest of his works to assigne me The Historie of Iudith as an agreeable Subiect to your Highnesse to be turned by me into English verse Not for any speciall gift or Science that was in me who am inferiour in knowledge and erudition to the least of your Maiesties Court but by reason paraduenture of my bold assertion your Maiestie who will not haue the meanest of your house vnoccupied would haue mee to beare the yoke and driue forth the penance that I had rashly procured Indeede the burden appeared heauie and the charge almost insupportable to me neuerthelesse the feruent desire which I had to obtemper vnto your Maiesties commandement the earnest intention to verifie my rash speaking and the assured confidence which I ankred on your Highnesse helpe and correction encouraged mee so lightned on such wise my heauy burthen that I haue with lesse paine brought my half despaired worke to finall end In the which I haue so behaued my selfe that through your Maiesties concurrence I haue not exceeded the number of the lynes written by my Author In euerie one of the which he also hath two syllables mo then any English beares And this notwithstanding I suppose your Maiestie shall finde little of my Authors meaning pretermitted Wherfore if thus much be done by me who am of another profession and of so simple literature I leaue it to bee considered by your Maiestie what such as are consummate in letters and knowes the waightie words the pithie sentences the polished tearms and full efficacie of the English tongue would haue done Receiue them Sir of your owne seruant this little worke at your owne commandement enterprised corrected by your Maiesties owne hand and dedicated to your owne Highnesse If I haue done well let the praise redound to your Maiestie whose censure I haue vnderlyen If otherwise let my default of skill bee imputed to my selfe or at the least my good entention allowed whereby others may haue occasion to doe better To your Highnesse consideration referring Sir both my diligence done in this smal translation and the inueterate affection which I haue and ought alwaies to beare vnto your Maiestie I commit with all humilitie your Highnes your Realme and estate to the gouernment of God who gouerneth all the World IR SONNET SInce ye immortall sisters nine hes left All other countries lying farre or neere To follow him who from them all you reft And now hes causde your residence be heere Who though a stranger yet he lov'd so deere This Realme and me so as he spoild his awne And all the brookes and banks and fountains cleere That be therein of you as he hath shawne In this his work then let your breath be blawne In recompence of this his willing minde On me that sine may with my pen be drawne His praise For though himselfe be not inclyn'd Nor preaceth but to touch the Laurer tree Yet well he merits crownd therwith to be FINIS SONNET THe Muses nyne haue not reueald to mee What sacred seeds are in their garden sowen Nor how their Salust gaines the Laurer tree Which throw thy toyle in Brittain ground is growen But sith they see thy trauell truely showen In Vertues schoole th' expiring time to spend So haue they to his Highness made it knowen Whose Princely power may dewly thee defend Then you that on the Holy Mount depend In crystallayr and drinks the cleared spring Of Poetrie I doe you recommend To the protection of this godly King Who for his vertues and his gifts diuine Is only Monark of the Muses nyne FINIS M. V. F. The Authors admonition to the Reader BEloued Reader it is about fourteene yeares past since I was commanded by the late Illustrate and most vertuous Princesse Iean Queene of Nauarre to reduce the Historie of Iudith in forme of a Poeme Epique Wherein I haue not so much aimed to followe the phrase or text of the Bible as I haue preased without wandring from the verity of the History to imitate Homer in his Iliades Virgill in his Aenel dos and others who hath left to vs works of such like matter therby to render my work so much the more delectable And if the effect hath not answered to my desire I beseech thee to lay the fault vpon her who proposed to me so meane a Theame or subiect and not on me who could not honestly disobey Yet in so much as I am the first in Fraunce who in a iust Poeme hath treated in our tongue of sacred things I hope of thy fauour to receiue some excuse seeing that things of so great weight cannot be both perfectly begunne and ended together If thou neither allow my stile nor workmanship at least thou shalt be driuen to allowe the honest pretence and holy desire which I haue to see the youth of Fraunce so holily by mine example exercised I may not forget that they doe greatly wrong me who thinks that in discriuing the Catastrophe of this History truely tragicall I am becomne a voluntary Aduocate to these troublesome and sedicious spirits who for to serue their temerarious passioÌ„s and priuate inspiratioÌ„s conspires against the liues of placed princes For so much doe I disassent that this example and the like ought to be drawen in consequence that I am verily perswaded that the act of Ahud of Iaell and of Iudith who vnder colour of obeysance pretext of amiâ—y layd their reuenging hands vpon Aeglon Sisara and Holophernes had been worthy of a hundreth gallowes a hundreth fires and a hundreth wheeles if they had not been peculiarly chosen of God for to vnloose the chains and break the bands which retain'd the Hebrew people in more then Aegyptian seruitude and expresly called to kill those Tyrants with a death as shamefull as their liues were wicked and abhominable But seeing this question is so diffuse that it cannot be absolued in fewe words and that my braine is too weak for so high an enterprise I send you to those who haue spent more oyle and time in turning the leaues of the sacred scriptures then I haue done for the present It me sufficeth for the time to admonish the Reader to attempt nothing without a clear and indubitable vocation of God against those
saue vs at thy throne of mercy great Forgiue vs Lord and holde farre from vs all These plagues that on our heads are like to fall Alas what helpeth vs thy heavy stroke To binde our necks to such a servile yoke Wherewith th' Assyrian tyrants long haue grieved Thine Izak till their bondage thou relieved If so this natiue ground that new is tild If so these Hostries new with folke refild If so alas our chaste and modest Dames Our infants young our Virgins good of fames Should be a pray to Ammon and to Perse To Calde and the mutine Parthian fierse If that we see this Altar made prophane And witches it abuse with Idols vain Yet Lord if thou no pittie on vs take At least great God do for thy glories sake Haue pitie on this holy building now Where not a God hath sacrifice but thou Where not a God but thou hast residence To feel the sauour sweet of frankensence Hold back O Lord the Caldean cressets bright From these rich Cedar vaults of stately hight Preserue these vessels ornaments of gold From sacrilegious hands of neighbours bolde And let the blood of beasts before thy face Thy Iustice stay and grant thy seruants grace This prayer done the people went their way Then Ioachim conuen'd that present day The princes all of Iuda and them praid Gainst this mischief for counsell and thus sayd Companions if your former zeal remain If ardent loue to God ye still retain If wife or childe may cause your care or loue Which should the Centers of your senses moue If in your brests a noble hart doth bide Let deed bear witnes at this wofull tide For sauing God and your foresight in deed T is done t is done with vs and all our seed And after this th' Immortall shall not see This altar fume before his maiestee When th' Air is calme and still as dead and deaf Comparison And vnder Heav'n quakes not an aspin leaf When Seas are calme and thousand vessels fleet Vpon the sleeping seas with passage sweet And when the variant winde is still and lowne The cunning Pylot never can be knowne But when the cruell storme doth threat the Bark To drowne in deeps of pits infernall dark While tossing tears both father mast and sail While mounting seems the Azur sky to skail While driues perforce vpon som deadly shore There is the Pylot knowen and not before Alas I pray you then what care and strifes Haue we to keep our honours goods and lifes Forget not then the care of this same place Your countreyes weale Gods glory and his grace But humbly giue your selues into the hand Of God most high and with a holy brand Repurge your spirits from euerie hatefull sinne Which causeth God his Iustice to begin And see what may to God be agreeable For Iacobs weal and for you profitable This said an ancient traytour from his youth Who fostred gall in hart with hony in mouth Enforcing from his eyes som fained tear To cloke his malice spacke as ye shall hear My tongue me fails my hair for dread vp-starts My heavy spirit from pensiue corps departs The oration of a subtill worldling When I be think me of yone tyrant stout Who hath bed round the world with bloud about Approching threats our townes with fiery flames Our selfs with death dishonour to our Dames Yet when I call to minde the curtsie great That this great Lord doth vse who doth intreat Not onely those that beastiall are become And haue their hope in brutall Idols 〈…〉 But euen to zealous folke who do embrace The faith and law like vs of Abrams race Who being well aduisde did humbly sue His pardon and escap't his vengeance due Then thanke I God who sends vs such a foe As plagues the proude and lets the humble goe For we assoone shall vanquish him with teares As will be long to wrack him with our weares Then whil'st we may haue choise of eitherstate Of peace or warres his fauour or his hate Let vs not follow seeing skath at hand The follie of our fathers to gainstand But rather let vs beare another saile And serue his king as best for our availe But think not yet that I this counsell giue For craft or warrant forthy selfe to liue For I haue els my daies so neerely spent That for to dye I could be well content Th' Assyrian neede not in my brest to strike His fethred Dart nor yet his trembling pike Yea if my youth to me should eft returne And make my youthly bloode within me burne So honour I my God and country deare That for to dye for them I would not feare As Sampson did if so my death might yield The victory of the Uizroy and the field But most I feare least we with curious zeale Fight for the lawe yet fight against her weale Against our selfs to bring so great a wrack That proud and cruell tyrants shall vs sack And grow in pride suppressing Iudas strength For to contemne the glory of God at length For Israell being lost who shall ensue To render here to God deuotions due What people sparsâ—d on this earthly ball From Indian shoare to where the Sunne doth fall Or from the Climate of the northren blast Vnto that place where sommer ay doth last Hath God elect save Israell for his owne Vpon this Hill to have his glory showne At this the valiant Cambris of renowne With righteous rage grew pale and gan to frowne And brake the silence with a vehement stile His courage mov'd the Princes all the while Nay rather where I stand let ope the ground Quoth he to swallow me in pit profound Yea rather righteous Heav'n let firy blast Light on my head that thou on Sodom cast Ere I my malice cloke or oversile In giving Izac such a counsell vile For if the Leader of this folk profane Vpon our bodies onely sought to raigne Although that we haue dearely bought alway Our freedom from our first maternall day Which dearer is then gold for to be kept I would assent the holy Church except But since more pride this tyrants heart enroules To lay a greater burden on our soules Who are the vassels of that onely King That Thunder sends and scepters down doth thring ' Should we forget him who made vs of nought ' More then all wondrous things that he hath wrought Who treats and loues vs like our Father King Still vnder shadowes of his wondrous wing Will he that we receiue a Prince ambitious For God a gods contemner Nemrode vitious Whose beastly life is of so vile a fame That of a man he merits not the name Goe to goe to let men for men assaye With sword and shot to deale it as we may The victory lies not in mortall hands Nor barded horse nor force of armed bands These are but second instruments of God Who as him list may send them euen or od But if our soueraigne God willes such annoy That
translatour This godly Pooeme to a Christian King To him who God in goodnesse hath erect For princely Piller to his owne elect For lawfull Lord to raign with trueth and right For louesom Laurer to the vertuous wight Him I beseech this trauell to defend That to his pleasure I the same may end VVHen Izrell was in quiet rest and peace And fruitfully the ground gaue her encreise Which seauenty yeer vntilled lay beforne And nothing bare but thistle weed and thorne It pleased God vpon his iust correction T' awake his owne that were of his election Least that the longsom peace should them withholde And dull their spirits as doth the warriour bolde Who spoyls his horse with pampring in the stable That makes him for the manaige more vnable He spred their land with bands of enemies stout Whose cloudes of shot bedimd their land about Their Hoaste with arrowes pikes and standards stood The Army of Holopherne As bristle-pointed as a thorniâ— wood Their multitude of men the riuers dri'd Which throw the wealthy Iuda sweet did slide So that flood Iordane finding dry his banke For shame he blusht and down his head he shrankâ— For woe that he his credit could not keep To send one waue for tribute to the deep Scarse had the Haruest-man with hook in hand Dispoylde the fruit and let the stubble stand Scarse had the hungry Gleaner put in bindc The scattered grain the Shearer left behinde And scarse the flapping flaile began to thresh When vnto Iacob newes was brought afresh That Holophern his frontiers did inuade And past all Rivers straits and murders made So vile that none he left that drew the breath But olde and young he put to sodain death The sucking babes vpon their mothers knee His cruell cut-throates made them all to dee Then like a flock of sheep that doth beholde A wolfe come from the wood vpon their fold Shapes no defence but runnes athwart the lands And shortly makes of one a hundreth bands So Isaaks sonnes indreading for to feel This tyrant who pursued them at the heel The Hebrews Dissundring fled and sought their liues to saue In hils and dales and euery desert caue The sheep heard of his flocke had now no care Fear of the enemy But fearing death fled to som mountain bare The Crafts man now his lumes away hath layde The Marchant lest his traffike and his trade To hide himself more safely in a vault Then in a Rampier to sustain th' assault The Lords esteemde them selfes in surer holde In Dennes of beasts then castles gilt with golde Fear lent the wings for aged folke to flie And made them mount to places that were hie Fear made the wofull women for to bear Their cradles sweet to hilles that highest were Fear made the wofull childe to waile and weep For want of speed on foot and hand to creep All where was nothing heard but hideous cries And pitious plaints that did the harts agrise O Lord sayd they wilt thou still day by day The arrowes of thine anger neuer stay Affliction causeth prayer Wilt thou that Calde conquere vs again Shall Iuda yet the Heathen yoke sustain Wilt thou again that they make every towne But stony heaps of houses casten down Again shall sacrilegious fire deuoure Thy holy house where we do thee adore Then Ioachim the priest of God most hie Who ouer Iuda then had chief degrie Stood like a Pylot stout in tempest great Who seeing winde and weather for to threat Yet to his mates his fear no terrour drawes Nor leaues his ship vnto the wrackfull wawes But with disguising fear his face vp casts And stoutly doth gain-stand the balefull blasts Right so this prudent prelate sent in haste Two hundreth men to passe where men were plac't In places strong and thence commanded them For to repair vnto Ierusalem Now since th' Erernall did reueale his will Vpon the sacred top of Syna Hill The Arke of God which wisedom more did holde In Tables two then all the Greeks haue tolde And more then euer Rome could comprehend In huge of learned books that they pend Sam. 1. 4. Long wandred it throw trybes throw kin and kin Sam. 2. 6. And found no certain place of resting in Yea somtime it the shamefull spoyl hath been To sacrilegious hands of Palestine Vntill that time that Iessies holy race For euer lodged it in Iebus place But for that Dauids hands with blood were fiâ—d Ierusalem Throu infinits of humains he had kild The king of peace would haue a king of rest To build his Temple farre aboue the best Sam. 2. 7. His house whose front vpreard so high and eaven That lightlied earth and seem'd to threat the heaven Vntill that wicked time a tyrant vile Of name and deed that bare the semble stile Nabuchadnezar That did this king that building braue he wrackt And to the sacred ground all whole it sackt Yet when long after Abrahms holy race Of Tyger banks had left the captiue place Esd. 6. With combers great they redified with pain That most renowmed house of God again Which though vnto the first it seemd as small As to a Princes house a shepheards hall And though the hugenes were not as it was Yet sure the height and beauty did surpas And overseilde the famous work of Pharie Ephesus Temple and the tombe of Carie The Rhodian Collos and the Caldean wall That Semirame set vp with tourrets tall Also the wondrous work of this same Temple Might serue a Câ—esiphon for his exemple Lysippus eke to carue by square and line Or guide Apelles pensile most divine Heer in this place all Izrel most deuoute Withdrew themselues to Salem round about As when the Heav'n his sluces opens wide And makes the floods vpon the ground to glide The brooks that breaks adoun from diuers hils With course impetuous till one deep distils Amongst the Dames that there deuoutest were The holy Iudith fairest did appear Like Phoebus that aboue the starre doth shine It seem'd that she was made on moulde diuine This primate then assisted with the kinne Of great Eleazar priests whose head and chinne Was neuer shav'n deuoutly on he preast A pearled Myter on his balmed creast And with a holy Alb with garnettes spred And golden Belles his sacred bodie cled And slew and burnt the bulks as was the guise Of many a kid and kalfe for sacrifise And with their blood the Altars hornes he dyed And praying thus to God immortall cryed O Lord of Hoastes we com not vnto thee Prayer To wey our merits with thy maiestie Nor to protest before thy heauenly might That sacklesly thy scourge doth on vs light But rather we confesse as true it is Our sinnes haue iustly merite more then this But Lord if thou thy couenant would forget Which thou with Abrahm made and so wilt set For mercy great thy iustice most seuear Thou should a greater plague vpon vs rear Change then our proces from thy iustice seat And