Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A10264
|
The historie of Samson: written by Fra: Quarles
|
Quarles, Francis, 1592-1644.
|
1631
(1631)
|
STC 20549; ESTC S115482
|
46,107
|
126
|
touch the dead But if the God of Nazarites bids kill He may and be a holy Nazarite still But stay Is God like Man Or can he border Vpon confusion that 's the God of order The Persian Lawes no time may contradict And are the Lawes of God lesse firme and strict An earthly Parent wills his child to stand And waite within a while he gives command Finding the weakenesse of his Sonne opprest With wearinesse that he sit downe and rest Is God unconstant then because he pleases To alter what he wild us for our eases Know likewise O ungratefull flesh and blood God limits his owne glory for our good He is the God of mercy and he prizes Thine Asses life above his Sacrifices His Sabbath is his glory and thy rest Hee 'l lose some honour ere thou lose a Beast Great God of mercy O how apt are wee To robbe thee of thy due that art so free To give unaskt Teach me O God to know What portion I deserve and tremble too SECT 14. ARGVMENT Samson comes downe to reenjoy His wife Her father does withstand For which he threatens to destroy And ruine him and all the land BVt Samson yet not knowing what was past For wronged husbands ever are the last That heare the newes thus with himselfe bethought It cannot be excus'd It was a fault It was a foule one too and at first sight Too greate for love or pardon to acquite O had it bin a stranger that betraid Reposed secrets I had onely laid The blame upon my unadvised tongue Or had a common friend but done this wrong To bosome trust my patience might out-worne it I could endur'd I could have easily borne it But thus to be betraied by a wife The partner of my heart to whom my life My very soule was not esteemed deare Is more then flesh is more then blood can beare But yet alas She was but greene and young And had not gain'd the conquest of her tongue Vnseasond vessells oft will finde a leake At first but after hold She is but weake Nay cannot yet write woman which at best Is a fraile thing Alas young things will quest At every turne Indeed to say the truth Her yeares could make it but a fault of youth Samson returne and let that fault be set Vpon the score of youth forgive forget She is my wife Her love hath power to hide A fouler error Why should I divide My presence from her There 's no greater wrong To love then to be silent over long Alas poore soule No doubt her tender eye Hath wept enough perchance she knows not why I 'me turn'd so great a stranger to her bed And boord No doubt her empty eyes have shed A world of teares perchance her guiltlesse thought Conceives my absence as a greater fault Then that of late her harmelesse Error did I 'l goe and draw a reconciling Kid From the faire flocke My feet shall never rest Till I repose me in my Brides faire brest He went but ere his speedy lips obtain'd The merits of his hast darknesse had stain'd The cristall brow of day and gloomy night Had spoild and rifled heaven of all his light H'approach'd the gates but being entred in His carelesse welcome seem'd so cold and thin As if that silence meant it should appeare He was no other then a stranger there In every servants looke hee did espie An easie Copie of their Masters eye He call'd his wife but she was gone to rest Vnto her wonted chamber he addrest His doubtfull steps till by her father staid Who taking him aside a little said Son It was the late espousals that doe move My tongue to use that title not thy love T is true there was a Mariage lately past Betweene my Childe and you The knot was fast And firmly tyed not subject to the force Of any powre but death or else divorce For ought I saw a mutuall desire Kindled your likings and an equall fire Of strong affection joyned both your hands With the perpetuall knot of nuptiall bands Mutuall delight and equall loyes attended Your pleased hearts untill the feast was ended But then I know no ground you know it best As if your loves were measur'd by the Feast The building fell before the house did shake Loves fire was quencht ere it began to slake All on a sudden were your joyes disseis'd Forsooke your Bride and went away displeas'd You left my childe to the opprobrious tongues Of open censure whose mabitious wrongs Maligning her faire merits did defame Her wounded honour and unblemisht name I thought thy love which was so strong of late He thus began t' attempt his first conclusion The patient Angler first provides his baite Before his hopes can teach him to awaite Th' enjoyment of his long expected prey Revengefull Samson ere hee can appay His wrongs with timely vengeance must intend To gaine the Instruments to worke his end He plants his Engines hides his snares about Pitches his Toiles findes new devices out To tangle wilie Foxes In few dayes That land had store his studious hand betrayes A leash of hundreds which he thus imployes As Agents in his ragefull enterprize With tough and force-enduring thongs of Lether He joynes and couples taile and taile together And every thonge bound in a Brand of Fire So made by Art that motion would inspire Continuall flames and as the motion ceast The thrifty blaze would then retire and rest In the close Brand untill a second strife Gave it new motion and that motion life Soone as these coupled Messengers receiv'd Their siery Errand though they were bereiv'd Of power to make great hast they made good speed Their thoughts were diffring though their tailes agreed T'one drags and drawes to th' East the other West One fit they run another while they rest T' one skulks and snarles the t' other tugges and hales At length both flee with fier in their tailes And in the top and height of all their speed T'one stops before the tother be agreed The other pulls and drags his fellow backe Whilst both their tailes were tortur'd on the racke At last both weary of their warme Embassage Their better ease discride a fairer passage And time hath taught their wiser thoughts to joyne More close and travell in a straighter line Into the open Champion they divide Their straggling paces where the ploughmans pride Found a faire Object in his rip'ned Corne Whereof some part was reapt some stood unshorne Sometimes the fiery travellers would seeke Protection beneath a swelling Reeke But soone that harbour grew too hot for staie Affording onely light to run away Sometimes the full-ear'd standing-wheat must cover And hide their shames there the flames would hover About their eares and send them to enquire A cooler place but there the flaming fire Would scorch their hides and send them sing'd away Thus doubtfull where to goe or where to stay They range about Flee forward then retire Now here now
their swelling hearts with cold despaire How art thou conquer'd and orecome by Prayre Infuse that Spirit Great God into my heart And I will have a Blessing ere we part SECT 4. ARGVMENT Manoah desires to know the fashion And breeding of his promis'd sonne To whom the Angell makes relation Of all things needfull to be done VVIth that the Danite rose being guided By his perplexed wife they both divided Their heedlesse paces till they had attain'd The field wherein the Man of God remain'd And drawing neerer to his presence stai'd His weary steps and with obeysance said Art thou the man whose blessed lips foretold Those joyfull tidings Shall my tongue be bold Without the breach of manners to request This boone Art thou that Prophet that possest This barren woman with a hope that She Shall beare a Sonne He answer'd I am He Said Manoah then Let not a word of thine Be lost let them continue to divine Our future happinesse Let them be crown'd With truth and thou with honour to be found A holy Prophet Let performance blesse And speed thy speeches with a faire successe But tell me Sir When this great worke is done And time shall bring to light this promis'd Sonne What sacred Ceremonies shall we use What Rites What way of breeding shall we chuse T' observe What holy course of life shall he Be trained in What shall his Office be Whereat th' attentive Angell did divide The portall of his lips and thus replide The Child that from thy fruitfull loynes shall come Shall be a holy Nazarite from the wombe Take heed that wombe that shall enclose this Childe In no case be polluted or defilde With Law-forbidden meates Let her forbeare To tast those things that are forbiddenthere The bunckbacke Camill shall be no repast For her Her palate shall forbeare to tast The burrow haunting Conie and decline The swiftfoot Hare and miredelighting Swine The griping Goshauke and the towring Eagle The party-collour'd Pye must not inveigle Her lips to move the brood devouring Kite The croaking Raven The Oule that hates the light The steele-digesting Bird The laisie Snaile The Cuckow ever telling of one taile The fish-consuming Osprey and the Want That undermines the greedy Cormorant Th' indulgent Pelican the predictious Crow The chattring Storke and ravenous Vulter too Of all good Counsells and from whom proceeds A living Spring to water all our needs How willing are his Angells to discend From of their throne of Glory and attend Vpon our wants How oft returne they back Mourning to Heaven as if they griev'd for lack Of our imployment O how prone are they To be assistant to us every way Have we just cause to joy They 'l come and sing About our beds Do's any judgement bring Iust cause of griefe They 'l fall agreeving too Doe we tryumph Their joyfull mouths will blow Their louder Trumpets Or doe feares affectus They 'l guard our heads from danger and protectus Are we in Prison or in Persecution They 'l fill our hearts with joy and resolution Or doe we languish in our sickly beds They 'l come and pitch their Tents about our heads See they a sinner penitent and mourne For his bewail'd offences and returne They clap their hands and joyne their warbling voices They sing and all the Quire of heaven rejoyces What is in us poore Dust and Ashes Lord That thou should'st looke upon us and afford Thy precious favours to us and impart Thy gracious Counselcs What is our desert But Death and Horror What can we more clame Then they that now are scortehing in that flame That hath nor moderation rest nor end How doe's thy mercy above thought extend To them thou lov'st Teach me great God to prize Thy sacred Counsells Open my blind eyes That I may see to walke the perfect way For as I am Lord I am apt to stray And wander to the gulfe of endlesse woe Teach me what must be done and helpe to doe SECT 5. ARGVMENT Manoah desires to understand But is denide the Angells name He offers by the Angells hand The Angell vanishes in a flame SO said The sonne of Israel easly apt To credit what his soule desir'd and rapt With better hopes which serv'd him as a guide To his beliefe o'rejoy'd he thus replide Let not the man of God whose Heavenly voice Hath blest mine care and made my soule rejoice Beyond expression now refuse to come Within my Tent and honour my poore home With his desired presence there to tast His servants slender diet and repast Vpon his Rurall fare These hands shall take A tender Kidde from out the flockes and make Without long tarriance some delightfull meate Which may invite the man of God to eate Come come my Lord And what defect of food Shall be thy servants welcome shall make good Where to the Angell who as yet had made Himselfe unknowne reanswer'd thus and said Excuseme Though thy hospitable love Prevaile to make me stay it cannot move My thankfull lips to tast thy liberall cheare Let not thy bounty urge in vaine Forbeare To strive with with whom thy welcome cannot leade To eate thy Kid or tast thy profer'd bread Convert thy bounty to a better end And let thy undefiled hands commend A burnt oblation to the King of Kings T' is he deserves the thankes his servant brings But that bare message with his lips enjoyne His be the glory of the Act not mine Said then the Israelite If my desire Be not to over rash but may conspire With thy good pleasure let thy servants eare Be honour'd with thy name that whensoere These blessed tidings that possesse my heart With firme beliefe shall in due time impart Their full perfection and desir'd successe To my expecting eye my soule may blesse The tongue that brought the message and proclame An equall honour to his honour'd name To whom the Angell whose severer brow Sent forth a frowne made answere Doe not thou Trouble thy busie thoughts with things that are Above thy reach Enquier not too farre My name is cloath'd in mists T' is not my taske To make it knowne to thee nor thine to aske The generous Spaniell loves his Masters eye And licks his fingers though no meat be by But Man ungratefull Man that 's borne and bred By Heavens immediate powre maintain'd and fed By his providing hand observ'd attended By his indulgent grace preserv'd defended By his prevailing arme this Man I say Is more ungratefull more obdure then they By him we live and move from him we have What blessings he can give or we can crave Food for our Hunger Dainties for our pleasure Trades for our buisnes Pastimes for our leasure In greife he is our Ioy in want our Wealth In bondage Freedome and in sicknes Health In peace our Counsell and in warre our Leader At Sea our Pilot and in Suites our Pleader In paine our Helpe in Triumph our Renowne In life our Comfort and in death our