doth so sweet inspire Are euen the Bellows whence they blow the fire Of raging Lust before whose wanton flashes A tender brest rak't-vp in shamefaç't ashes Our Poets modest purpose Therefore for my part I haue vow'd to Heav'n Such wit and learning as my God hath giv'n To write to th' honour of my Maker dread Verse that a Virgine without blush may read Again he calleth vpon God for assistance in the descriptioÌ„ of the 2. Dayes worke Clear Source of Learning soule of th' Vniuerse Sith thou art pleas'd to chuse mine humble verse To sing thy Praises make my Pen distill Celestiall Nectar and this Volume fill With th' Amalthéan Horn that it may haue Som correspondence to a Theam so graue Rid thou my passage and make clear my way From all incumbers shine vpon This Day That guided safely by thy sacred Light My Rendez-vous I may attain yer night Which is thè Fir mament meÌ„tioned by Moseâ— in the 1. Ch. of Gen. V. 6 7 8. Comprehending the Heauens and all the Elementary Region Of the foure Elements simple in theÌ„selues wherof all things subiect to our sense are composed THAT HVGE broad-length that long-broad height-profound Th' infinite finit that great moundless Mound I mean that Chaos that self-iarring Mass Which in a moment made of Nothing was Was the rich Matter and the Matrix whence The Heav'ns should issue and the Elements Now th' Elements twin-twins two Sons two Daughters To wit the Fire the Aire the Earth and Waters Are not compounded but of them is all Compounded first that in our sense can fall Whether their qualities in euery portion Of euery thing infuse them with proportion Whether in all their substance they confound And so but one thing of their foure compound As in a Venice Glass before our eyne Diuers similes We see the water intermix with wine Or in our stomack as our drink and food Doe mingle after to conuert to blood This in a Fire-brand may wesâ—e whose Fire Doth in his flame toward 's natiue Heav'n aspire His Ayre in smoak in ashes falls his Earth And at his knots his Water wheezes forth Euen such a War our Bodies peace maintains For in our Flesh our Bodie 's Earth remains Our vitall spirits our Fire and Aire possess And last our Water in our humours rests Nay ther 's no Part in all this Bulk of ours Where each of these not intermix their powers Though 't be apparant and I needs must graunt That ayesom one is most Predominant The pure red part amid the Mass of Bloud The Sanguine Aire commaunds the clotted mud Sunk down in Lees Earths Melancholy showes The pale thin humour that on th' out-side flowes Is watery Phlegme and the light froathy scum Bubbling aboue hath Fiery Cholers room Not that at all times one same Element In one same Body hath the Regiment A vicissitude of the Elements praedominance But in his turn each raigning his subiects draws After his Lore for still New Lords new Lawes As sans respect how rich or Noble-born Each Citizen rules and obayes by turn In chart'red Towns which seem in little space Changing their Ruler euen to change their face For as Chameleons vary with their obiect So Princes manners do transform the Subiect So th' Element in Wine predomining It hot and cold and moist and dry doth bring By 's perfect or imperfect force at length Inforcing it to change the taste and strength So that it doth Grapes sharp-green iuice transfer To Must Must t'wine and Wine to Vineger As while a Monarch to teach others aw ExcelleÌ„t Similes shewing the commodity or discoÌ„modity of the proportioÌ„ or excesse of euery of the Elemente Subiects his own selfs-Greatnes to his Law He ruleth fearless and his Kingdoms flourish In happy Peace and Peace doth Plenty nourish But if fell Tyrant his keen sword be euer Vniustly drawn if he be sated neuer With Subiects blood needs must his Rage at last Destroy his State and lay his Countrey waste So or much like the while one Element Ouer the rest hath modest Gouernment While in proportion though vnequall yet With Soueraign Humours Subiect Humours fit The Body's â—ound and in the very face Retains the Form of beauty and of grace But if like that inhumane Emperour Who wisht all People vnderneath his Power Had but one head that he might butcher so All th' Empires Subiects at one onely blowe It Tyrannizing seek to wrack the rest It ruines soon the Prouince it possest Where soon appears through his proud vsurpation Both outward change and inward alteration So too-much Moist which vnconcoct within Excesse of moisture The Liuer spreads betwixt the flesh and skin Puffs vp the Patient stops the pipes pores Of Excrements yea double bars the dores Of his short breath and slowely-swiftly curst In midd'st of Water makes him euer thirst Nor giues man Rest nor Respite till his bones Be raked vp in a cold heap of stones Of Drought So too-much Drought a lingring Ague drawes Which seeming painless yet much pain doth cause Robbing the nerues of might of Ioy the heart Of mirth the face of moisture euery part Much like a Candle fed with it own humour By little and little it own selfs consumer Nor giues mans Rest nor Respite till his bones Be raked vp in a colde heap of stones So too-much Heat doth bring a burning Feuer Of Heate Which spurrs our Pulse and furrs our Palat euer And on the tables of our troubled brain Fantastikely with various pensill vain Doth counterfait as many Forms or mo Then euer Nature Art or Chance could showe Nor giues man Rest nor Respite till his bones Be raked vp in a cold heap of stones So too-much Cold couers with hoary Fleece Of Colde The head of Age his flesh diminishes Withers his face hollowes his rheumy eyes And makes himself euen his own self despise While through his marrow euery where it enters Quenching his natiue heat with endless Winters Nor giues man Rest nor Respite till his bones Be taked vp in a coldheap of stones Of the continuance of the Elements maintaining that whatso euer is now nâ—w formed hath stil his substance froÌ„ the Materia prima what soeuer dissolues resolues into the same changing onely forme And also consuting the contrary Errors Yet think not that this Too-too-much remises Ought into nought it but the Form disguises In hundred fashions and the Substances Inly or outly neither win nor leese For all that 's made is made of the First Matter Which in th' old Nothing made the All-Creator All that dissolues resolues into the same Since first the Lord of Nothing made This Frame Nought's made of nought and nothing turns to nothing Things birth or death change but their formall clothing Their Forms doe vanish but their bodies bide Now thick now thin now round now short now side For if of Nothing anything could spring Th' Earth without
seed should wheat and barly bring Pure Mayden-wombs desired Babes should bear All things at all times should grow euery where The Hart in Water should it self in gender The Whale on Land in Aire the Lambling tender Th' Ocean should yeeld the Pine and Cornell Tree On Hazels Acorns Nuts on Oaks should bee And breaking Natures set and sacred vse The Doues would Eagles Eagels Doues produce If of themselues things took their thriuing then Slowe-growing Babes should instantly be men Then in the Forests should huge boughs be seen Born with the bodies of vnplanted Treen Then should the sucking Elephant support Vpon his shoulders a well-manned Fort And the new-foaled Colt couragious Should neigh for Battail like Bucephalus Contrariwise if ought to nought did fall All that is felt or seen within this All Still loosing somwhat of it self at length Would com to Nothing If Death's fatall strength Could altogether Substances destroy Things then should vanish even as soon as dy In time the mighty Mountains tops be bated But with their fall the neighbour Vales are fatted And what when Trent or Auon ouer-flowe They reaue one field they on the next bestowe Loue-burning Heav'n many sweet Deaws doth drop In his deer Spouses fair and fruitfull lap Which after she restores straining those showrs Through th' hidden pores of pleasant plants and flowrs Whoso hath seen how one warm lump of wax Without increasing or decreasing takes By an apt similitude he sheweth the continuall Change of the World in the matter and form therof according to Gods pleasure in such sort yet that the matter remaines though it receiue infinite Formes A hundred figures well may iudge of all Th' incessant Changes of this nether Ball. The World 's own Matter is the waxen Lump Which vn-self-changing takes all kinde of stamp The Form's the Seal Heav'ns gratious Emperour The Liuing God 's the great Lord Chancellour Who at his pleasure setting day and night His great Broad Seales and Priuy Signets right Vpon the Mass so vast and variable Makes the same Lump now base now honourable Heer 's nothing constant nothing still doth stay For Birth and Death haue still successiues way Heer one thing springs not till another dy Onely the Matter liues immortally Th' Almighties Table body of this All Of change-full Chances common Arçenall All like itself all in itself contained Which by Times Flight hath neither lost nor gayned Change-less in Essence changeable in face Much more then Proteus or the subtile race Of rouing Polypes who to rob the more Transform them howrly on the wauing shore Sundry Similes to that purpose Much like the French or like our selues their Apes Who with strange habit do disguise their shapes Who louing nouels full of affectation Receiue the Manners of each other Nation And scarcely shift they shirts so oft as change Fantastik Fashions of their garments strange Or like a Laïs whose inconstant Loue Doth euery day a thousand times remooue Who 's scarce vnfolded from one Youths embraces Yer in her thought another she embraces And the new pleasure of her wanton Fire Stirs in her still another new desire Because the Matter wounded deep in heart With various Loue yet on the self same part Incapable in the same time at once To take all figures by successions Form after Form receiues so that one face Another faces features doth deface The chief motiue of this change of Formet in the matter Now the chief Motiue of these Accidents Is the dire discord of our Elements Truce-hating Twins where Brother eateth Brother By turns and turn them one into another Like Ice and Water that beget each other Enigma And still the Daughter bringeth-forth the Mother But each of these hauing two qualities One bearing Rule another that obayes Those whose effects do wholly contradict Longer and stronger striue in their Conflict The hot-dry Fire to cold-moist Water turns not The cold-dry Earth to hot-moist Aire returns not Returns not eas'ly for still opposite With tooth and nail as deadly foes they fight But Aire turn Water Earth may Fierize Because in one part they do symbolize And so in combate they haue less to doo For 't's easier far to conquer one then two Sith then the knot of sacred Mariage Of the Situation of the Elements of the effects therof compared to the Notes of Musick to the letters of the Alphabet Which ioynes the Elements from age to age Brings forth the Worlds Babes sith their Enmities With fell diuorce kill whatsoeuer dyes And sith but changing their degree and place They frame the various Forms wherewith the face Of this fair World is so imbellished As six sweet Notes curiously varied In skilfull Musike make a hundred kindes Of Heauenly sounds that rauish hardest mindes And with Division of a choise deuise The Hearers soules out at their ears intice Or as of twice-twelue Letters thus transpos'd This World of Words is variously compos'd And of these Words in divers order sowen This sacred Uolume that you read is growen Through gracious succour of th' Eternall Deïtie Rich in discourse with infinite Variety It was not cause-less that so carefully God did diuide their common Signory Assigning each a fit-confined Sitting Their quantity and quality befitting Whoso somtime hath seen rich Ingotstri'd A simile liuely representing the separation of the Elements When forç't by Fier their treasures they diuide How fair and softly Gold to Gold doth pass Siluer seeks Siluer Brass consorts with Brass And the whole Lump of parts vnequall seuers It self apart in white red yellow Rivers May vnderstand how when the Mouth Diuine Op'ned to each his proper Place t'assigne Fire flew to Fire Water to Water slid Aire clung to Aire and Earth with Earth abid Earth as the Lees and heauy dross of All After his kinde did to the bottom fall Situation of the earth and fire Contrariwise the light and nimble Fire Did through the crannies of th' old Heap aspire Vnto the top and by his nature light No less then hot mounted in sparks vpright As when we see Aurora passing gay With Opals paint the Seeling of Cathay Sad Floods doefume and the celestiall Tapers Through Earths thin pores in th' Aire exhale the vapours But least the Fire which all the rest embraces Being too neer should burn the Earth to ashes As chosen Vmpires the great All-Creator Of aire water plac't between the earth fire Between these Foes placed the Aire and Water For one suffiz'd not their stern strife to end Water as Cozen did the Earth befriend Aire for his Kinsman Fire as firmly deals But both vniting their divided zeals Took vp the matter and appeas'd the brall Which doubt-less else had discreated All. Th' Aire lodg'd aloft the Water vnder it Not casually but so disposed fit By him who Nature in her kind to keep Kept due proportion in his Workmanship Why the aire was lodged next the Element of Fire
And in this Store-house of his Wonders treasure Observ'd in all things number waight and measure For had the Water next the Fire been plaç't Fire seeming then moro wrongd and more disgraç't Would sodainly have left his Aduersary And set vpon the Vmpire more contrary But all the Links of th' holy Chain which tethers The many Members of the World togethers Are such as none but only he can breake them Who at the first did of meere nothing make them Water as arm'd with moisture and with cold The cold-dry Earth with her one hand doth hold With th' other th' Aire The Aire as moist and warm The disposing combining of the Elements Holds Fire with one Water with th' other arm As Country Maidens in the Month of May Merrily sporting on a Holy-day And lusty dancing of a lively Round A Similitude About the May-pole by the Bag-pipes sound Hold hand in hand so that the first is fast By means of those between vnto the last For sith 't is so that the dry Element Not onely yeelds her owne Babes nourishment But with the milke of her aboundant brests Doth also feede th' Aires nimble winged guests And also all th' innumerable Legions Of greedy mouths that haunt the Bryny Regions So that th' Earth's Mother or else Nurse of all That run or fly or swim or slide or crawl 'T was meet it should be it self's Counterpoize To stand still firm against the roaring noise Of wrack full Neptune and the wrathfull blasts Of parching South and pinching Boreas 'T was meet her sad-slowe body to digest Why the Earth is the lowest and enuironed with the other three Elements wherof it is the center Farther from Heav'n than any of the rest Least of Heav'ns Courseth ' Eternall swift Careers Rushing against her with their whirling Sphears Should her transport as swift and violent As ay they do their neighbour Element And sith on th' otherside th' harmonious Course Of Heav'ns bright Torches is th' immortall source Of earthly life and sith all alterations Almost are caus'd by their quick agitations In all the World God could not place so fit Our Mother Earth as in the midst of it For all the Stars reflect their lively rayes On Fire and Aire and Water diuers wayes Dispersing so their powerfull influence On in and through these various Elements But on the Earth they all in one concurr And all vnite their seuered force in her As in a Wheel which with a long deep rut Simile His turning passage in the durt doth cut The distant spoaks neerer and nearer gather And in the Navevnite their points together As the bright Sun shines thorough smoothest Glass Simile The turning Planets influence doth pass Without impeachment through the glist ' ring Tent Of the tralucing Fierie Element Th' Aires triple Regions the transparent Water But not the firm Base of this fair Theater And therefore rightly may we call those Trines Fire Aire and Water but Heav'ns Concubines For neuer Sun nor Moon nor Stars inioy The love of these but only by the way As passing by whereas incessantly The lusty Heav'n with Earth doth company And with a fruitfull seed which lends All life With-childs each-moment his owne lawfull wife And with her louely Babes in form and nature The Water between the Earth and Aire So diuers decks this beautifull Theater The Water lighter then the Earthy Masse Heauier then Aire betwixt them both hath place The better so with a moist-cold to temper Th' ones over-driness th' others hot distemper But my sweet Muse whither so fast away Leauing the Earth and Sea till the next Booke hee comes to treate of the Aire Soft soft my Darling draw not dry To-Day Castalian Springs defer the Cirque and Seat The power and praise of Sea and Earth as yet Do not anticipate the Worlds Beginning But till To-Morrow leaue the enter-blinning Of Rocky Mounts and rouling Waues so wide For euen To-Morrow will the Lord diuide With the right hand of his Omnipotence These yet confus'd and mingled Elements And liberally the shaggy Earth adorn With Woods and Buds of fruits of flowers and corn 'T is time my Loue 't is time mine onely Care To hie vs hence and Mount vs in the Aire 'T is time or neuer now my dearest Minion To imp strong farcels in thy sacred pinion That lightly born vpon thy Virgin back Safe through the Welkin I my course may take Com com my Ioy lend me thy lillie shoulder That thereon raised I may reach the bolder Before the rest of my deer Country-men Of better wit but worse-applied pen At that green Laurel which the niggard Skies So long haue hidden from my longingeies Th' Aire hoste of Mists the bounding Tennis-ball That stormy Tempests toss and play with all The Aire distinguished into 3 Regions Of winged Clouds the wide inconstant House Th' vnsetled kingdom of swift Aeolus Great Ware-house of the Windes whose traffik giues Motion of life to euery thing that liues Is not throughout all one our Elder Sages Have fitly parted it into Three Stages Wherof because the Highest still is driv'n With violence of the First-mouing Heav'n The High From East to West and from West returning To th' honored Cradle of therosiall Morning And also seated next the Fiery vault It by the learned very hot is thought That which we touch with times doth variate Now hot now cold and sometimes temperate The Lowe Warm-temp'red showers it sendeth in the Spring In Autumn likewise but more varying In Winter time continuall cold and chill In Sommer season hot and soultry still For then the Fields scorched with flames reflect The sparkling rayes of thousand Stars aspect And chiefly Phoebus to whose arrows bright Our Globy Grandame serues for But and White The Middle Region of the Aire But now because the Middle Region's set Far from the Fiery seelings flagrant heat And also from the warm reuerberation Which aye the Earth reflects in diuers fashion That Circle shiuers with eternall colde For into Hail how should the Water molde Of the causes of Haile Euen when the Sommer hath gilt Ceres Gowne Except those Climes with Ycicles were sowen So soon as Sol leaving the gentle Twins With Cancer or thirst-panting Leo Inns The mid-most Aire redoubleth all his Frosts Being besieged by two mighty Hoasts Of Heat more fierce ' gainst his Cold force then ever Calls from all quarters his chil troups together T' incounter them with his vnited Powr Which then dispersed hath far greater powr As Christian Armies from the Frontiers far And out of fear of Turks outrageous War March in disorder and become disperst As many Squadrons as were Souldiers yerst So that somtimes th' vntrained Multitude With bats and boawes hath beat them and subdu'd But if they once perceive or vnderstand The Moony Standards of proud Ottoman To be approaching and the Sulph'ry thunder Wherewith he brought both Rhodes and Belgrade vnder They
Then sodainly turnd studious Platonist I hold the Heav'ns of Elements consist What vse of Elements in the Heauens 'T is Earth whose firm parts make their Lamps apparant Their bodies fast Aire makes them all transparant Fire makes their rest-les circles pure and cleer Hot lighsom light and quick in their career And Water ' nointing with cold-moist the brims Of th' enter-kissing turning Globes extreams Tempers the heat caus'd by their rapid turning Which els would set all th' elements a-burning Not that I doo compare or match the Matter Difference between the Elements whereof the Heauens are composed and these inferiour Elements Whence I compose th' All-compassing Theater To those gross Elements which heer belowe Our hand and ey doth touch and see and knowe 'T's all fair all pure a sacred harmony Those bodies bindes in end-less Vnity That Aier's not flitting nor that Water floating Nor Fire inflaming nor Earth dully doating Nor one to other aught offensiue neither But to conclude Celestiall altogether See see the rage of humane Arrogance Detesting the presumption of those curious wits searching these secrets He limits himselfe within the bounds of Christian Sobriety See how far dares man's erring ignorance That with vnbridled tongue as if it oft Had try'd the mettle of that vpper Loft Dares without proof or without reason yeelded Tell of what timber God his Palace builded But in these doubts much rather rest had I Then with mine errour draw my Readerwry Till a Saint Paule doore-descend from Heav'n Or till my self this sinfull roab be reav'n This rebell Flesh whose counterpoize oppresses My pilgrim Soule and euer it depresses Shall see the beauties of that Blessed Place If then I ought shall see saue Gods bright Face But ev'n as many or more quarrels cumber Diuers opinions of the number of the Heauens Th' old Heathen Schools about the Heav'ns number One holds but one making the Worlds Eys shine Through the thin-thicknes of that Crystal line As through the Oceans cleer and liquid Flood The slippery Fishes vp and down doosâ—ud Another iudging certain by his ey And seeing Seav'n bright Lamps moov'd diversly ' Turn this and that way and on th' other side That all the rest of the Heav'ns twinkling pride Keep all one course ingeniously he varies The Heav'ns rich building into eight round Stories Others amid the Starriest Orb perceiuing A triple cadence and withall conceiuing That but one naturall course one body goes Count nine som ten not numbring yet with those Th' empyreall Palace where th' eternall Treasures Of Nectar flowe where ever-lasting Pleasures Are heaped-vp where an immortall May In bliss-full beauties flourisheth for ay Where Life still liues where God his * Assises Sises holds Environ'd round with Seraphins and Soules Bought with his precious blood whose glorious Flight Yerst mounted Earth above the Heav'ns bright Nor shall my faint and humble Muse presume So high a Song and Subiect to assume O fair fiue-double Round sloath's Foe apparant He stoppeth at the contemplation and praise of the Heauens Which he considereth as distinguished into ten stages or Heauens Life of the World Dayes Months and yeers own Parent Thine own selfs model never shifting place And yet thy pure wings with so swift a pase Fly over vs that but our Thought alone Can as thy babe pursue thy motion Infinite finite free from growth and grief Discord and death dance-louer to be brief Still like thy self all thine own in thee all Transparent cleer light law of this lowe Ball Which in thy wide bout bound-les all doost bound And claspâ—st all vnder or in thy Round Throne of th' Almighty I would fain rehearse Thy various Dauies in this very Verse If it were time and but my bounded Song Doubteth to make this Second Day too-long For notwithstanding yet another day I fear som Critick will not stick to say My babbling Muse did sail with every gale And mingled yarn to length her web withall But knowe what e'r thou be that heer I gather The summe of what hath been handled in this booke what is to be vnderstood by the firmament which Moyses describeth in the first of Gen. â— 6 Iustly so many of Gods works together Because by th' Orbe of th' ample Firmament Which round This-Day th' Eternall Fingers pent Between the lower Waters and the higher I mean the Heav'ns the Aire and th' vpper Fire Which separate the Oceans waters salt From those which God pour'd o'r th' Ethereal Vault Yet haue I not so little seen and sought Against those that think there are no waters aboue the firmament Whom he confuteth by diuers Reasons Simile The Volums which our Age hath chiefest thought But that I knowe how suttly greatest Clarks Presume to argue in their learned Works T'o ' r-whelm these Floods this Crystal to deface And dry this Ocean which doth all imbrace But as the beauty of a modest Dame Who well-content with Natures comly Frame And native Fair as it is freely giv'n In fit proportion by the hand of Heav'n Doth not with painting prank nor set-it-out With helps of Art sufficient Fair without Is more prayse-worthy then the wanton glance Th' affected gait th' alluring countenance The Mart of Pride the Periwigs and painting Whence Courtisans refresh their beauties fainting 1. The word of God to be preser red before the voice of man So doe I more the sacred Tongue esteem Though plain and rurall it doe rather seem Then school'd Athenian and Diuinity For onely varnish have but Verity Then all the golden Wit-pride of Humanity Wherewith men burnish their erroneous vanity I 'l rather give a thousand times the ly 2. Gods word meÌ„tioneth waters aboue the firmament To mine own Reason then but once defy The sacred voice of th' ever-lasting Spirit Which doth so often and so loud averr-it That God above the shining Firmament Gen. 1 7 Psal. 104 3 Psal. 148 4 I wot not I what kinde of Waters pent Whether that pure super-celestiall Water With our inferiour haue no likely nature Whether turnd Vapour it haue round embow'd Heav'ns highest stage in a transparent Cloud Or whether as they say a Crystall case Do round about the Heav'nly Orb embrace But with coniectures wherefore strive I thus Can doubtfull proofs the certainty discuss I see not why Mans reason should withstand 3. The power of God ought to be of greater authority then Mans Reason Or not beleeve that Hee whose powrfull hand Bay'd-vp the Red-Sea with a double Wall That Israels Hoast might scape Egyptian thrall Could prop as sure so many waves on high Above the Heav'n Star-spangled Canapy See we not hanging in the Clouds each howr So many Seas still threatning down to pour 4. The consideration of the waters which hang in the Aire and of the Sea which compasseth the Earth Supported only by th' Aier's agitation Selfly too weak for the least waight's foundation See wee not also that
Or may 't not be because the surly Banks Keep Waters captiue in their hollow flanks Or that our Seas be buttrest as it were With thousand Rocks dispersed heere and there Or rather Lord is' t not Thine onely Powr That Bows it round about Earths branchy Bowr Doubt-less great God 't is doubt-less thine owne hand The second part of this 3. Book intreating of the Element of earth and first of the firmnes thereof Whereon this Mansion of Mankinde doth stand For thogh it hang in th' Aire swim in the water Though every way it be a round Theater Though All turn round about it though for ay Itselfs Fundations with swist Motions play It rests vn-mooueable that th' Holy Race Of Adam there may finde fit dwelling place The Earth receiues man when he first is born Earth is the Mo ther Nurse and Hostessâ— of mankinde Th' Earth nurses him and when he is forlorn Of th' other Elements and Nature loaths-him Th' Earth in her bosom with kinde burial cloaths-him Oft hath the Aire with Tempests set-vpon-vs Oft hath the Water with her Floods vndon-vs Oft hath the Fire th' vpper as well as ours With wofull flames consum'd our Towns and Towrs Onely the Earth of all the Elements Vnto Mankinde is kinde without offence Onely the Earth did neuer iot displace From the first seat assign'd it by thy grace Yet true it is good Lord that mov'd somtimes Of Earth quakes and of the opening of the earth With wicked Peoples execrablecrimes The wrathfull power of thy right hand doth make Not all the Earth but part of it to quake With ayd of Windes which as imprisoned deep In her vast entrails furious murmurs keep Fear chils our hearts what hart can fear dissemble When Steeples stagger and huge Mountains tremble With wind-less winde and yawning Hell devours Somtimes whole Cities with their shining Towrs Sith then the Earth's and Waters blended Ball The Globe of the Earth Sea is but as a little point in comparison of the great circumference of Heauen Is center heart and nauel of this All And sith in reason that which is included Must needs beless then that which doth include it 'T is question-less the Orb of Earth and Water Is the least Orb in all the All-Theater Let any iudge whether this lower Ball Whose endless greatnes we admire so all Seem not a point compar'd with th' vpper Sphear Whose turning turns the rest in their Career Sith by the Doctrine of Astronomers the least Starre in the â—â—rmnment is â—8 times bigger then al the earth Sith the least Star that we perceiue to shine Aboue disperst in th' Arches crystalline If at the least Star-Clarkes be credit worth Is eighteen times bigger then all the Earth Whence if we but substract what is possest From North to South from the East to West Vnder the Empire of the Ocean Atlantike Indian and American And thousand huge Arms issuing out of these With infinites of other Lakes and Seas And also what the Two intemperate Zones Doo make vnfit for habitations What will remaine Ah! nothing in respect Lo heer O men Lo wherefore you neglect By consideration wherof the Poet taketh occasion to censure sharply the Ambition Bribery Vsury Extortion Deceipt and generall Couetousnes of Mankinde Heav'ns glorious Kingdom Lo the largest scope Glory can giue to your ambitious hope O Princes subiects vnto pride and pleasure Who to enlarge but a hair's breadth the measure Of your Dominions breaking Oaths of Peace Couer the Fields with bloudy Carcases O Magistrates who to content the Great Make sale of Iustice on your sacred Seat And broaking Laws for Bribes profane your Place To leaue a Leek to your vnthankfull Race You strict Extorters that the Poor oppress And wrong the Widdow and the Father-less To leaue your Off-spring rich of others good In Houses built of Rapine and of Blood You City-Vipers that incestuous ioyn Vse vpon vse begetting Coyn of Coyn You Marchant Mercers and Monopolites Gain-greedy Chap-men periur'd Hypocrites Dissembling Broakers made of all deceipts Who falsifie your Measures and your Weights T' inrich your selues and your vnthrifty Sons To Gentillize with proud possessions You that for gain betray your gracious Prince Your natiue Country or your deerest Friends You that to get you but an inch of ground With cursed hands remoue your Neigbours bound The ancient bounds your Ancestors haue set What gain you all alas what do you get Yea though a King by wile or war had won All the round Earth to his subiection Lo heer the Guerdon of his glorious pains A needles point a Mote a Mite he gains A Nit a Nothing did he All possess Or if then nothing anything beless When God whose words more in a moment can God hauing discouered the earth commands it to bring forth euery green thing hearbs trees flowers and fruits Then in an Age the proudest strength of Man Had seuered the Floods leuell'd the Fields Embas't the Valleys and embost the Hils Change change quoth he O fair and firmest Globe Thy moutning weed to a green gallant Robe Cheer thy sad brows and stately garnish them With a rich fragrant flowry Diadem Lay forth thy locks and paint thee Lady-like With freshest colours on thy sallow cheek And let from hence-forth thy aboundant brests Not only Nursethine own Wombs natiue guests But frankly furnish with fit nourishments The future folk of th' other Elements That Aire and Water and the Angels Court May all seem iealous of thy praise and port Of Trees growing in Mountains and in Valleys No sooner spoken but the lofty Pine Distilling-pitch the Larch yeeld-Turpentine Th' euer-green Box and gummy Cedar sprout And th' Airy Mountaines mantle round about The Mast-full Oke the vse-full Ash the Holm Coat changing Cork white Maple shady Elm Through Hill and Plain ranged their plumed Ranks The winding Riuers bordered all their banks With slice-Sea Alders and green Osiars smal With trembling Poplars and with VVillows pase And many Trees beside fit to be made Fewell or Timber or to serue for Shade The dainty Apricock of Plums the Prince Of fruit-trees The veluet Peach gilt Orenge downy Quince All-ready bear grav'n in their tender barks Gods powerfull prouidence in open marks The sent-sweet Apple and a stringent Pear The Cherry Filberd VVal-nut Meddeler The milky Fig the Damson black and white The Date and Olyue ayding appetite Spread euery-where a most delightfull Spring And euery-where a very Eden bring Heer the fine Pepper as in clusters hung Of shrubs There Cinamon and other Spices sprung Heer dangled Nutmegs that for thrifty pains Yearly repay the Bandans wondrous gains There growes th' Hesperian Plant the precious Reed Whence Sugar sirrops in aboundance bleed There weeps the Balm and famous Trees from whence Th' Arabians fetch perfuming Frankincense There th' amorous Uine coll's in a thousand sorts With winding arms her Spouse that her supports The Vine as far
Works reueales him t' our intelligence There-in our fingers feel our nostrils smel Our palats taste his vertues that excel He shewes him to our eyes talks to our ears In th' ord'red motions of the spangled Sphears The World 's a School where in a generall Story Sundrie comparisons shewing what vse Christians should make in considering the workes of God in this mighty World God alwayes reads dumb Lectures of his Glory A pair of Stairs whereby our mounting Soule Ascends by steps aboue the Arched Pole A sumptuous Hall where God on euery side His wealthy Shop of wonders opens wide A Bridge whereby we may pass-o're at ease Of sacred Secrets the broad boundless Seas The World 's a Cloud through which there shineth cleer Not faire Latona's quiv'red Darling deer But the true Phoebus whose bright countenance Through thickest vail of darkest night doth glance The World 's a Stage where Gods Omnipotence His Iustice Knowledge Loue and Prouidence Do act their Parts contending in their kindes Aboue the Heav'ns to rauish dullest mindes The World 's a Book in Folio printed all With God's great Works in letters Capitall Each Creature is a Page and each Effect Afaire Character void of all defect But as young Trewants toying in the Schools In steed of learning learn to play the fools We gaze but on the Babies and the Couer The gawdy Flowrs and Edges gilded-ouer And neuer farther for our Lesson look Within the Volume of this various Book Where learned Nature rudestones instructs That by His wisedome God the World conducts To read This Book we need notvnderstand Although the world discouer sufficiently euen to the most rude the Eternity and Power of God Yet only the true Christians do rightly conceiue it Each strangers gibbrish neither take in hand Turks Characters nor Hebrue Points to seek Nyle's Hieroglyphikes nor the Notes of Greek The wandring Tartars the Antartiks wilde Th' Alarâ—ies fierce the Scythians fel the Childâ— Scarce seav'n year old the bleâ—red aged eye Though void of Art read heer indifferently But he that wears the spectacles of Faith Sees through the Sphears aboue their highest heighth He comprehends th' Arch-moouer of all Motions And reads though running all these needfull Notions Therefore by Faith's pure rayes illumined These sacred Pandects I desire to read And God the better to beholde beholde Th' Orb from his Birth in 's Ages manifolde Th' admired Author's Fancy fixed not On some fantastik fore-conceited Plot Much less did he an elder World elect God needing no Idea nor premeditatioÌ„ nor Pattern of his work of nothing made all the World By form whereof he might this Frame erect As th' Architect that buildeth for a Prince Some stately Palace yer he do commence His Royall Work makes choise of such a Court Where cost and cunning equally consort And if he finde not in one Edifice All answerable to his queint deuice From this fair Palace then he takes his Front From that his Finials here he learns to mount His curious Stairs there findes he Frise and Cornish And other Places other Peeces furnish And so selecting euery where the best Doth thirty Models in one House digest Nothing but Nothing had the Lord Almighty Whereof wherewith whereby to build this Citie Yet when he Heav'ns Aire Earth and Sea did frame He sought not far he swet not for the same A fit Simile to that purpose As Sol without descending from the sky Crowns the fair Spring in painted brauery Withouten trauaile causeth th' Earth to bear And far off makes the World young euery year The Power and Will th' affection and effect The Work and Proiect of this Architect March all at once all to his pleasure ranges Who Alwaies-One his purpose neuer changes Yet did this Nothing not at once receiue Of Nothing God created the matter whereunto afterward he gaue the form and figure which now we behold in the creatures Matter and Forme For as we may perceiue That Hee who means to build a warlike Fleet Makes first prouision of all matter meet As Timber Iron Canuase Cord and Pitch And when all 's ready then appointeth which Which peece for Planks which plank shall line the waste The Poup and Prow which Fir shall make a Mast As Art and Vse directeth heedfully His hand his tool his iudgement and his eye So God before This Frame he fashioned I wote not what great Word he vttered From 's sacred mouth which summon'd in a Masse Whatsoeuer now the Heav'ns wide arms embrace But where the Shipwright for his gainful trade Findes all his stuffe to 's hand already made Th' Almightie makes his all and euery part Without the help of others Wit or Art That first World yet was a most formless Form A confus'd Heap a Chaos most deform What that new created Chaos was before God gaue it forme figure place and situation A Gulf of Gulfs a Body ill compact An vgly medly where all difference lackt Where th' Elements lay iumbled all together Where hot and colde were iarring each with either The blunt with sharp the dank against the drie The hard with soft the base against the high Bitter with sweet and while this brawl did last The Earth in Heav'n the Heav'n in Earth was plac't Earth Aire and Fire were with the Water mixt Water Earth Aire within the Fire were fixt Fire Water Earth did in the Aire abide Aire Fire and Water in the Earth did hide For yet th' immortall mightie Thunder-darter The Lord high-Marshall vnto each his quarter Had not assigned the Celestiall Arks Were not yet spangled with their fiery sparks As yet no flowrs with odours Earth reuiued No scaly shoals yet in the waters diued Nor any Birds with warbling harmony Were born as yet through the transparent Sky All All was void of beauty rule and light Genes 1. 2. All without fashion soule and motion quite Fire was no fire the Water was no water Aire was no aire the Earth no earthly matter Or if one could in such a World spy forth The Fire the Ayre the Water and the Earth Th' Earth was not firm the Fier was not hot Th' Aire was not light the Water cooled not Briefly suppose an Earth poore naked vain All void of verdure without Hill or Plain A Heav'n vn-hangd vn-turning vn-transparant Vn-garnished vn-gilt with Stars apparant So maist thou ghesse what Heav'n and Earth was that Where in confusion raigned such debate A Heav'n and Earth for my base stile most fit Not as they were but as they were not yet This was not then the World 't was but the Matter The Nurcery whence it should issue after Or rather th' Embryon that within a Weeke The Chaos how to be considered Was to be born for that huge lump was like The shape-less burthen in the Mothers womb A simile Which yet in Time doth into fashion com Eyes eares and nose mouth fingers hands and feet And euery member in proportion
t' assault the Ill Of the good Angels seruing to the glory of God and good of his Church both in generall and particular Th' vnspotted Spirits that neuer did intend To mount too high nor yet too lowe descend With willing speed they euery moment goe Whether the breath of diuine grace doth blowe Their aims had neuer other limitation Then God's own glory and his Saints saluation Law-less Desire nâ—'r enters in their brest Th' Almightie's Face is their Ambrosiall Feast Repentant tears of strayed Lambs returning Their Nectar sweet their Musike Sinners Mourning Ambitious Mans greedy Desire doth gape Sâ—eptâ—r Scepter Crown on Crown to clap These neuer thirst for greater Dignities Trauail's their â—ase their bliss in seruice lies For God no sooner hath his pleasure spoken Or bow'd his head or giuen som other token Or almost thought on an Exploit where in The Ministry of Angels shall be seen But these quick Postes with ready expedition Fly to accomplish their diuine Commission One followes Agar in hir pilgrimage Gen. 21 17 18. And with sweet comforts doth her cares asswage Another guideth Isâ—â—â—â— mighty Hoasts Exod. 23 23 33 2. Another Iacob on th' Idumean Coasts Another skill'd in Physick to the Light Tobi. 11 7 11 12 14 15 Restores old faithfull Tobies failing sight In Nazareth another rapt with ioy Tels that a Virgin shall bring forth a Boy That Mary shall at-once be Mayd-and-Mother Luk. 1 26. And bear at-once her Son Sire Spowse and Brother Yea that Her happy fruitfull woomb shall hold Him that in Him doth all the World infold Som in the Desart tenderd consolations Math. 4 11. While IESVS stroue with Sathans strong Temptations One in the Garden in his Agonies Luk. 22 43. Cheers-vp his fears in that great enterprise To take that bloody Cup that bitter Chalice And drink it off to purge our sinfull Malice Another certifies his Resurrection Matth. 28 25. Vnto the Women whose faith 's imperfection Suppos'd his colde limbs in the Graue were bound Vntill th' Archangels lofty Trump should sound Another past all hope doth pre-auerr Luk. 1 13. Acts 12. â— The birth of Iohn Christ's holy Harbenger One trusty Seriant for diuine Decrees The Iewes Apostle from close Prison frees One in few howers a fearfull slaughter made Of all the First-born that the Memphians had Exod. 12 29. Exempting Those vpon whose door-postes stood A sacred token of Lambs tender blood 2. Kings 10. 35 Another mowes-down in a moments space Before Hierusalem Gods chosen place Senacharib's proud ouer-daring Hoast That threatned Heav'n and 'gainst the Earth did boast In his Blasphemous braues comparing ev'n His Idol-Gods vnto the God of Heav'n His Troups victorious in the East before Besieg'd the City which did sole adore The Onely God so that without their leaue A Sparrow scarce the sacred Wals could leaue Then Ezechias as a prudent Prince Poizing the danger of these sad euents His Subiects thrall his Cities wofull Flames His Childrens death the rape of noble Dames The Massacre of Infants and of Eld And 's Royall Self with thousand weapons queld The Templeraz'd th' Altar and Censer voyd Of sacred vse Gods Seruants all destroyd Humbled in Sack-cloath and in Ashes cries For ayd to God the God of Victories Who hears his suit and thunders down his Fury On those proud Pagan Enimies of Iury For while their Watch within their Corps de Garde About the Fire securely snorted hard From Heav'n th' Almighty looking sternly down Glancing his Friends a smile his Foes a frown A sacred Fencer 'gainst th' Assyrians sent Whose two-hand Sword at euery veny slent Not through a single Souldiers feeble bones But keenly slyces through whole Troops at once And heaws broad Lanes before it and behinde As swistly whirling as the whisking winde Now gan they fly but all too slowe to shun A flying Sword that follow'd euery one A Sword they saw but could not see the arm That in one Night had don so dismall harm As we perceiue a Winde-mils sayls to go But not the Winde that doth transport them so Blushing Aurora had yet scarce dismist Mount Libanus from the Nights gloomy Mist When th' Hebrew Sentinels discov'ring plain An hundred foure score and fiue thousand slain Exceeding ioyfull gan to ponder stricter To see such Conquest and not knowe the Victor O sacred Tutors of the Saints you Guard Of Gods Elect you Pursuiuants prepar'd To execute the Counsails of the Highest You Heav'nly Courtiers to your King the nighest Gods glorious Heralds Heav'ns swift Harbengers 'Twixt Heav'n and Earth you true Interpreters I could be well content and take delight To follow farther your celestiall Flight But that I fear heer hauing ta'n in hand So long a iourney both by Sea and Land I fear to faint if at the first too fast I cut away and make too-hasty haste For Trauailers that burn in braue desire To see strange Countries manners and attire Make haste enough if onely the First Day From their own Sill they set but on their way So Morne and Euening the First Day conclude And God perceiu'd that All his Workes were good THE SECOND DAIE OF THE FIRST WEEK THE ARGVMENT Lewd Pöets checkt Our Pöets chast Intents Heav'ns Curtain spread th' all-forming Elements Their number nature vse and Domination Concent excesse continuance situation Aire 's triple Regions and their Temper 's change Windes Exhalations and all Meteors strange Th' effects the vse apply'd to Conscience Mans Reason non-plust in som Accidents Of Prodigies of th' Elementall Flame Heav'ns ten-fold Orbs Waters aboue the same THose learned Spirits whose wits applyed wrong With wanton Charms of their in chanting song A iust reproof of wanton lasciâ—ious Poets of our Time Make of an olde foul frantike Hecuba A wondrous fresh fair witty Helena Of lewd Faustina that loose Emperess A chaste Lucretia loathing wantonness Of a blinde Bowe-Boy of a Dwarf a Bastard No petty Godling but the Gods great Master On thankless furrows of a fruitless sand Their seed and labour lose with heedless hand And pitching Netts to catch I little wott What fume of Fame that seems them to besott Resemble Spiders that with curious pain Weaue idle Webs and labour still in vain But though then Time we haue no deerer Treasure Less should I wail their miss-expence of leasure If their sweet Muse with too-well spoken Spell Drew not their Readers with themselues to Hell For vnder th' hony of their learned Works A hatefull draught of deadly poyson lurks Whereof alas Young spirits quaffe so deep The danger of their seduced Readers That drunk with Loue their Reason falls asleep And such a habit their fond Fancy gets That their ill stomack still loues euill meats Th' inchanting force of their sweet eloquence Hurls head long down their tender Audience Ay childe-like sliding in a foolish strife On th' Icie down-Hills of this slippery Life The Songs their Phoebus
grow'n Yet from their birth-place take they diuersly A diuers name and diuers quality Feeling the fower Windes that with diuers blast Of the Windes whereof there are foure principall compared to the foure Seasons the foure Complexions the foure Elements and the foure Ages of man assigned to the foure Corners of the World And called East West North South From the fower corners of the World doo haste In their effects I finde fower Temp'raments Foure Times foure Ages and foure Elements Th' East-winde in working follows properly Fire Choler Summer and soft Infancy That which dries-vp wild Affrick with his wing Resembles Aire Bloud Youth and liuely Spring That which blowes moistly from the Western stage Like Water Phlegme Winter and heauy Age That which comes shiv'ring from cold Climates solely Earth withered Eld Autumn and Melancholy Not but that Men haue long yeâ— this found-out More then these foure Windes East West North and South Those that at Sea to see both Poles are wont Vpon their Compass two and thirty count Though they be infinite as are the places Whence the Heav'n-fanning Exhalation passes But wheresoeuer their quick course they bend As on their Chiefs all on these Foure depend One while with whisking broom they brush and sweep Diuers effects of the Windes The cloudy Courtains of Heav'ns stages steep Anon with hotter sighes they dry the Ground Late by Electra and her sisters drownd Anon refresh they with a temperate blowing The soultry Aier vnder the Dog-star glowing On Trees anon they ripe the Plum and Pear In cods the Poulse the Corn within the ear Anon from North to South from East to West With ceas-less wings they driue a Ship addrest And somtimes whirling on an open Hill The round-flat Runner in a roaring Mill In flowry motes they grinde the purest grain Which late they ripened on the fruitfull Plain Diuers effect of hot exhalations If th' Exhalation hot and oily proue And yet as feeble giueth place aboue To th' Airy Regions euer-lasting Frost Incessantly th' apt-tinding fume is tost Till it inflame then like a Squib it falls Or fire-wingd shaft or sulp'hry Powder-Balls Of Comeâ—s But if This kinde of Exhalation tour Aboue the walls of Winters icy bowr ' T-inflameth also and anon becoms A new strange Star presaging wofull dooms And for this Fier hath more fewell in 't Then had the first 't is not so quickly spent Whether the Heav'ns incessant agitation Into a Star transforming th' Exhalation Kindle the same like as a coal that winkt On a sticks end and seemed quite extinct Tost in the dark with an industrious hand To light the night becoms a fier-brand Or whether th' vpper Fire doo fire the same As lighted Candles doo th' vnlight inflame According as the vapour 's thick or rare Of other fiery impressions in the regions of the Aire Euen or vn-even long or large round or square Such are the Forms it in the Aire resembles At sight whereof th' amazed Vulgar trembles Heer in the night appears a flaming Spire There a fierce Dragon folded all in fire Heer a bright Comet there a burning Beam Heer flying Launces there a Fiery Stream Heer seems a horned Goat environ'd round With fiery flakes about the Aire to bound There with long bloody hair a Blazing Star Threatens the World with Famin Plague and War To Princes death to Kingdoms many crosses To all Estates ineuitable Losses To Heard-men Rot to Plough-men hap-less Seasons To Saylers Storms to Cities ciuill Treasons But hark what hear I in the Heav'ns me thinks A liuely description of thunder and lightning The Worlds wall shakes and his Foundation shrinks It seems euen now that horrible Pâ—rsiphoné Loosing Meger Alecto and Tysiphoné Weary of raigning in black Erebus Transports her Hell between the Heav'n and vs. 'T is held I knowe that when a Vapour moist How they are ingendred As well from Fresh as from Salt water 's hoist In the same instant with hot-Exhalations In th' Aiery Regions secondary stations The Fiery Fume besieged with the Croud And keen-cold thicknes of that dampish Cloud Strengthens his strength and with redoubled Volleys Of ioyned Heat on the the Cold Leagher sallies Like as a Lion very late exil'd A simile From 's natiue Forests spit-at and reuil'd Mock't moov'd and troubled with a thousand toyes By wanton children idle girls and boyes With hideous roaring doth his Prison fill In 's narrow Cloistre ramping wildely still Runns to and fro and furious less doth long For liberty than to reuenge his wrong This Fire desirous to break forth again From 's cloudy Ward cannot itself refrain But without resting loud it grones and grumbles It roules and roars and round-round-round it rumbles Till hauing rent the lower side in sunder With Sulph'ry flash it haue shot-down his thunder Though willing to vnite in these alarms To 's Brothers Forces his own fainting arms And th' hottest Circle of the World to gain To issue vp-ward oft it striues in vain But 't is there fronted with a Trench so large And such an Hoast that though it often charge On this and that side the Cold Camp about With his Hot Skirmish yet still still the stout Victorious Foe repelleth ev'ry push So that despairing with a furious rush Forgetting honour it is fain to fly By the back-door with blushing Infamy Then th' Ocean boyls for fear the Fish doo deem Their effects The Sea too shallow to safe-shelter them The Earth doth shake the Shepheard in the field In hollow Rocks himself can hardly shield Th' affrighted Heav'ns open and in the Vale Of Acheron grim Plutoes self looks pale Th' Aire flames with Fire for the loud-roaring Thunder Renting the Cloud that it includes asunder Sends forth those Flashes which so blear our sight As wakefull Students in the Winters night Against the steel glauncing with stony knocks Simile Strike sodain sparks into their Tinder-box Moreouer Lightning of a fume is fram'd Admirable effects of lightning Through ' tselfs hot-dryness euermore inflam'd Whose powr past-credit without razing skin Can bruiz to powder all our bones within Can melt the Gold that greedy Mizers hoord In barred Cofers and not burn the boord Can break the blade and neuer sindge the sheath Can scorch an infant in the Womb to death And neuer blemish in one sort or other Flesh bone or sinew of th' amazed Mother Consume the shooes and neuer hurt the feet Empty a Cask and yer not perish it My yonger eyes haue often seen a Dame To whom the flash of Heav'ns fantastike flame Did els no harm saue in a moment's space With windy Rasor shaue a secretplace Shall I omit a hundred Prodigies Of Crownes and circles about the Sunne Moone and other Planets Oft seen in forehead of the frowning Skies Somtimes a Fiery Circle doth appear Proceeding from the beautious beams and clear Of Sun and Moon and other Stars aspect Down-looking on a
'Gainst Ezechias and that he would give The godly King fifteen years more to live Transgressing Heav'ns eternall Ordinance Thrice in one Day thou through one path didst prance And as desirous of another nap In thy ver million sweet Aurora's Lap Thy Coach turn'd back and thy swift sweating Horse Full ten degrees lengthned their wonted Course Dials went false and Forrests gloomy black Wondred to see their mighty shades go back So when th' incensed Heav'ns did fight so fell Of the Sunnes standing still in the time of Iosuah Ios. 12. 13 Vnder the Standard of deer Israel Against the Hoast of odious Ammorites Among a million of swift-Flashing Lights Rayning down Bullets from a stormy Cloud As thick as Hail vpon their Armies proud That such as scaped from Heav'ns wrathfull thunder Victorious swords might after heaw in-sunder Coâ—â—ur'd by Iosuah thy brave steeds stood still â—â—â—ull Career stopping thy whirling wheel And one whole Day in one degree they stayd In midst of Heav'n for sacred Armies ayd Least th' Infidels in their disordred Flight Should save themselues vnder the wings of Night Those that then liv'd vnder the other Pole Seeing the Lamp which doth enlight the Whole To hide so long his lovely face away Thought never more to haue re-seen the Day The wealthy Indians and the men of Spain Never to see Sun Rise or Set again In the same place Shadows stood still as stone And in twelue Houres the Dials shew'd but one THE FIFT DAIE OF THE FIRST WEEK THE ARGVMENT Fish in the Sea Fowls in the Aire abound The Forms of all things in the Waters found The various Manners of Sea-Citizens Whose constant Friendship far exceedeth Mens Arions strange escape The Fowls attend On th' only Phoenix to her end-less end Their kindes their customs and their plumes variety Som presidents of Prudence som of Piety The gratefull Aegle burning in the Fláme With her dead Mistress the fair Sestian Dáme LAtónian Lamps conducting divers ways After a Poeticall maner he craueth time opportunity to discourse in this Day of the creation of Fishes of Fowles About the World successiue Nights and Days Parents of winged Time haste haste your Carrs And passing swiftly both th' opposed Barrs Of East and West by your returning Ray Th' imperfect World make elder by a Day Yee Fish that brightly in Heav'ns Baldrik shine If you would see the Waters waving brine Abound with Fishes pray Hyperion T' abandon soon his liquid Mansion If he expect in his prefixt Career To hoast with you a Month in every Yeer And thou eternall Father at whose wink To which purpose â—specially he calleth on the true God The wrathfull Ocean's swelling pride doth sink And stubborn storms of bellowing Windes be dumb Their wide mouthes stopt and their wilde pinions num Great Soverain of the Seas whose books can draw A man aliue from the Whales monstrous maw Provide me Lord of Steers-man Star and Boat That through the vast Seas I may safely float Or rather teach me dyue that I may view Deep vnder water all the Scaly crew And dropping wet when I return to land Laden with spoils extoll thy mighty hand IN VAIN had God stor'd Heav'n with glistring studs The first part of this Book wherin he handleth how by the Commandement of the Lord thâ— Fishes began to moue in the Waters The Plain with grain the Mountain tops with woods Sever'd the Aire from Fire the Earth from Water Had he not soon peopled this large Theatre With living Creatures Therefore he began This-Day to quicken in the Ocean In standing Pools and in the straggling Riuers Whose folding Channell fertill Champain severs So many Fishes of so many features That in the Waters one may see all Creatures And all that in this All is to be found As if the World within the Deeps were drown'd Seas haue as wel as Skies Sun Moon and Stars The Seas no lesse stored with priui ledges and presidents of Gods glorious power then Heauen Earth and of the strange Fishes that liue therin As well as Aire Swallows and Rooks and Stares As well as Earth Vines Roses Nettles Millions Pinks Gilliflowrs Mushroms and many millions Of other Plants more rare and strange then these As very Fishes living in the Seas And also Rams Calfs Horses Hares and Hogs Wolves Lions Vrchins Elephants and Dogs Yea Men and Mayds and which I more admire The Mytred Bishop and the Cowled Fryer Wherof examples but a few yeers since Were showen the Norways and Polonian Prince You divine wits of elder Dayes from whom The deep Inuention of rare Works hath com Took you not pattern of your chiefest Tools Out of the Lap of Thetis Lakes and Pools Which partly in the Waues part on the edges Of craggy Rocks among the ragged sedges Bring-forth abundance of Pins Pincers Spoaks Pikes Percers Needles Mallets Pipes and Yoaks Owers sayls and swords saws wedges Razors Rammers Plumes Cornets Kniues Wheels Vices Horns Hammers And as if Neptune and fair Panâ—pé Palaeâ—on Triton and Leucothoé Kept publik Roules there is the Calamary Who ready Pen-knife Pen and Ink doth cary As a rare Painter draws for pleasure heer Why God created so many sorts of strange Fishes A sweet Adonis a foul Satyre there Heer a huge Cyclop there a Pigmè Elf Somtimes no less busying his skilfull self Vpon som vgly Monster seldom seen Then on the Picture of fair Beauties Queen Even so the Lord that in his Work 's variety We might the more admire his powerfull Dëity And that we might discern by differing features The various kindes of the vast Oceans creatures Forming this mighty Frame he every Kinde With diuers and peculiar Signet sign'd Som haue their heads groveling betwixt their feet Examples The Pour-Cuttle Cuttle Crab. Sea Harâ— Oyster As th' inky Cuttles and the Many-feet Som in their breast as Crabs som head-less are Foot-less and finn-les as the bane-full Hare And heat-full Oyster in a heap confus'd Their parts vnparted in themselues diffus'd The Tyrian Marchant or the Portuguez Can hardly build one Ship of many Trees The Tortoise But of one Tortoise when he list to float Th' Arabian Fisher-man can make a Boat And one such Shell him in the stead doth stand Of Hulk at Sea and of a House on land Shall I omit the monstrous Whirl-about Which in the Sea another Sea doth spout Where-with huge Vessels if they happen nigh Are over-whelm'd and funken sodainly Shall I omit the Tunnies that durst meet The Tunnyâ— Th' Eöan Monarchs neuer daunted Fleet And beard more brauely his victorious powrs Then the Defendants of the Tyrian Towrs Or Porus conquered on the Indian Coast Or great Darius that three Battails lost When on the Surges I perceiue from far Th' Ork Whirl-pool Whale or huffing Physeter Diuers kindes of Whales Me thinks I see the wandring Ile again Ortygian Delos floating on the Main And when in Combat these fell Monsters
fury and the Prelats gall Serv'd all as organs to repair the Fall Of Edens old Prince whose luxurious pride Made on his seed his sin for euer slide 4 He turneth the malice of Sathan and his instruments to his own glory and the good of his of whom he hath alwaies speciall care Th' Almighties Care doth diuersly disperse Ore all the parts of all this Vniuerse But more precisely his wide wings protect The race of Adam chiefly his Elect. For ay he watcheth for his Children choice That lift to him their hearts their hands and voice For them he built th' ay-turning Heav'ns Theater For them he made the Fire Aire Earth and Water He counts their hairs their steps he measureth Handles their hands and speaketh with their breath Dwels in their hearts and plants his Regiments Of watchfull Angels round about their Tents A remedy for temptation of the godly seeing the prosperity of the wicked and the afflictions of Gods children But heer what hear I Faith-less God-less men I meruail not that you impugn my pen But O! it grieues me and I am amaz'd That those whose faith like glistering Stars hath blaz'd Even in our darkest nights should so obiect Against a doctrin of so sweet effect Because alas with weeping eyes they see Th' vngodly-most in most Prosperity Clothed in Purple crown'd with Diadems Handling bright Scepters hoording Gold and Gems Croucht-to and courted with all kinde affection As priuiledged by the Heav'ns protection So that their goods their honours their delights Excell their hopes exceed their appetites And opposite the godly in the storms Of this Worlds Sea tost in continuall harms In Earth less rest then Euripus they finde Gods heauy Rods still hanging them behinde Them shame and blame trouble and loss pursues As shadows bodies and as night the deawes Peace peace deer friends I hope to cancel quite The same cōforted in diuers sorts with apt Similitudes cōfirming the reason declaring the right end of God diuers dea ling with men This profane thought from your vnsettled Sp'rit Know then that God to th' end he be not thought A powr-less Iudge heer plagueth many a fault And many a fault leaues heer vnpunished That men may also his last iudgement dread On th' other side note that the Crosse becoms A Ladder leading to Heav'ns glorious rooms A Royall Path the Heav'nly Milken way Which doth the Saints to Ioues high Court convay O! see you not how that a Father graue Curbing his Son much shorter then his Slaue Doth th' one but rare the other rife reproue Th' one but for lucre th' other all for loue As skilfull Quirry that commands the Stable Of som great Prince or Person honourable Giues oftest to that Horse the teaching spur Which he findes fittest for the vse of War A painfull School-master that hath in hand To institute the flowr of all a Land Giues longest Lessons vnto those where Heav'n The ablest wits and aptest wills hath giv'n And a wise Chieftain neuer trusts the waight Of th' execution of a braue Exploit But vnto those whom most he honoureth For often proof of their firm force and faith Such sends he first t' assault his eager foes Such 'gainst the Canon on a Breach bestowes Such he commands naked to scale a Fort And with small number to re-gain a Port. God beats his Deer from birth to buriall To make them know him and their pride appall Affliction profitable to the Faithfull To draw deuout sighes from calamitie And by the touch to try their Constancy T' awake their sloath their minds to exercise To trauail cheer'ly for th' immortall Prize A good Physician that Arts excellence Can help with practice and experience They are necessary to cure the diseases of the soule Applies discreetly all his Recipés Vnto the nature of each fell-disease Curing this Patient with a bitter Potion That with strict Diet th' other with a Lotion And sometime cutteth off a leg or arm So sharply sweet to saue the whole from harm Euen so the Lord according to th' ill humours That vex his most-Saints with soule-tainting tumours Sends somtimes Exile somtimes lingring Languor Somtimes Dishonour somtimes pining Hunger Somtime long Law-suits somtime Loss of good Somtimes a Childes death or a Widdow-hood But ay he holdeth for the good of His In one hand Rods in th' other Remedies The Souldier slugging long at home in Peace Without them Gods children decline His wonted courage quickly doth decrease The rust doth fret the blade hangd vp at rest The Moath doth eate the garment in the Chest The standing Water stinks with putrefaction And Vertue hath no Vertue but in action All that is fairest in the World we finde Subiect to trauail So with storms and winde Th' Air still is tost the Fire and Water tend This still to mount that euer to descend The spirit is spright-less if it want discourse Heavn's no more Heav'n if it once cease his Course The valiant Knight is known by many scars The Crosse an honorable mark But he that steals-home wound-less from the Wars Is held a Coward void of Valours proof That for Deaths fear hath fled or fought a-loof The Lord therfore to giue Humanitie Rare presidents of daunt-less Constancy God will be glorified in the constant sufferings of his Seruants And crown his deer Sons with victorious Laurels Won from a thousand foes in glorious quarrels Pours downe more euils on their hap-less head Then yerst Pandora's odious Box did shead Yet strengthning still their hearts with such a Plaister That though the Flesh stoop still the Spirit is Maister But wrongly I these euils Euill call There is nothing euill in Mans life but sinne vertue is best perceiued in the proofe Sole Vice is ill sole Vertue good and all Besides the same is selfly simply had And held indifferent neither good nor bad Let enuious Fortune all her forces wage Against a constant Man her fellest rage Can never change his godly resolution Though Heav'n it self should threaten his confusion A constant man is like the Sea whose brest True constantie liuely represented by two comparisons Lyes ever open vnto every guest Yet all the Waters that she drinks can not Make her to change her qualities a iot Or like a good sound stomack not soon casting For a light surfet or a small dis-tasting But that vntroubled can incontinent Convert all meats to perfect nourishment Though then the Lords deep Wisedom to this day God Resting on the seuenth Day and blessing it teacheth vs that in resting one day of the Week we should principally imploy it in his seruice That we should cease from our worldly and wicked workes to giue place to his grace and to suffer his Spirit to worke in vs by the Instrument of his holy word Work in the Worlds vncertain-certain Sway Yet must we credit that his hand compos'd All in six Dayes and that He then Repos'd
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
the Goats he shall his Sheep disseuer These Blest in Heav'n those Curst in Hell for euer O thou that once scornd as the vilest drudge Didst fear the doom of an Italian Iudge Daign deerest Lord when the last Trump shall summon To this Grand Sessions all the World in common Daign in That Day to vndertake my matter And as my Iudge so be my Mediator Th' eternall Spring of Power and Prouidence Hauing spoken of the creation of the Matter he sheweth how what Forme God gaue vnto it creating in six Dayes his admirable workes In Forming of this All-circumference Did not vnlike the Bear which bringeth forth In th' end of thirty dayes a shapeless birth But after licking it in shape she drawes And by degrees she fashions out the pawes The head and neck and finally doth bring To a perfect beast that first deformed thing For when his Word in the vast Voyd had brought A confus'd heap of Wet-dry-cold-and-hot In time the high World from the lowe he parted And by itself hot vnto hot he sorted Hard vnto hard cold vnto cold he sent Moist vnto moist as was expedient And so in Six Dayes form'd ingeniously All things contain'd in th' VNIVERSITIE Not but he could haue in a moment made Wherefore God imployed six Dayes in creating the World This flowry Mansion where mankind doth trade Spred Heav'ns blew Curtains those Lamps haue burnisht Earth aire sea with beasts birds fish haue furnisht But working with such Art so many dayes A sumptuous Palace for Mankinde to raise Yer Man was made yet he declares to vs How kinde how carefull and how gracious He would be to vs being made to whom By thousand promises of things to-come Vnder the Broad-Seal of his deer Sons blood He hath assur'd all Riches Grace and Good By his Example he doth also shewe-vs How men should imitate God in his workes We should not heedles-hastily bestowe-vs In any Work but patiently proceed With oft re-vises Making sober speed In dearest business and obserue by proof That What is well don is don soon enough O Father of the Light of Wisedom Fountain The 1. â—reature extracted from the Chaos was Light Out of the Bulk of that confused Mountain What should what could issue before the Light Without which Beauty were no beauty hight In vain Timanthes had his Cyclope drawn In vain Parrhasius counterfeited Lawn In vain Apelles Uenus had begun Zeuxis Penelope if that the Sun To make them seen had neuer showen his splendor In vain in vain had been those Works of Wonder Th' Ephesian Temple the high Pharian-Tower And Carian Toomb Tropheis of Wealth and Power In vain they had been builded euery one By Scopas Sostrates and Câ—esiphon Had All been wrapt-vp from all humane sight In th' obscure Mantle of eternall Night What one thing more doth the good Architect In Princely Works more specially respect Then lightsomness to th' end the Worlds bright Eye Careeâ—ing dayly once about the Sky May shine therein and that in euery part It may seem pompous both for Cost and Art Whether Gods Spirit mouing vpon the Ball Of bubbling Waters which yet couered All Sundry opinions concerning the matter and creation of Light Thence forç't the Fire as when amid the Sky Auster and Boreas iusting furiously Vnder hot Cancer make two Clouds to clash Whence th' aire at mid-night flames with lightning flash Whether when God the mingled Lump dispackt From Fiery Element did Light extract Whether about the vast confused Crowd For twice-six howrs he spread a shining Cloud Which after he re-darkned that in time The Night as long might wrap-vp either Clime Whether that God made then those goodly beams Which gild the World but not as now it seems Or whether else som other Lamp he kindled Vpon the Heap yet all with Waters blindled Which flying round about gaue light in order To th' vn-plaç't Climates of that deep disorder As now the Sun circling about the Ball As Light 's bright Chariot doth enlighten All. No sooner said he Be there Light but lo Gen. 1. 3. The form-less Lump to perfect Form gan growe And all illustred with Lights radiant shine Of the excellent vse and commoditie of Light Doft mourning weeds and deckt it passing fine All-hail pure Lamp bright sacred and excelling Sorrow and Care Darknes and Dread repelling Thou World's great Taper Wicked mens iust Terror Mother of Truth true Beauties onely Mirror God's eldest Daughter O! how thou art full Of grace and goodnes O! how beautifull Sith thy great Parent 's all-discerning Eye Doth iudge thee so and sith his Maiesty Thy glorious Maker in his sacred layes Can doo no less then sing thy modest prayse But yet because all Pleasures wax vnpleasant Why God ordained the Night and Day alternately to succeed each other If without pawse we still possesse them present And none can right discern the sweets of Peace That haue not felt Warrs irkesom bitterness And Swans seem whiter if swart Crowes be by For contraries each other best descry Th' All 's Architect alternately decreed That Night the Day the Day should Night succeed The Night to temper Dayes exceeding drought The commodities that the Night bringeth vs. Moistens our Aire and makes our Earth to sprout The Night is she that all our trauails eases Buries our cares and all our griefs appeases The Night is she that with her sable wing In gloomy Darknes hushing euery thing Through all the World dumb silence doth distill And wearied bones with quiet sleep doth fill Sweet Night without Thee without Thee alas Our life were loathsom euen a Hell to pass For outward pains and inward passions still With thousand Deaths would soule and body thrill O Night thou pullest the proud Mask away Where-with vain Actors in this Worlds great Play By day disguise-them For no difference Night makes between the Peasant and the Prince The poor and rich the Prisoner and the Iudge The foul and fair the Maister and the Drudge The fool and wise Barbarian and the Greek For Night's black Mantle couers all alike He that condemn'd for som notorious vice Seeks in the Mines the baits of Auarice Or swelting at the Furnace fineth bright Our soules diresulphur resteth yet at Night He that still stooping toghes against the tide His laden Barge alongst a Riuers side And filling shoars with shouts doth melt him quite Vpon his pallet resteth yet at Night He that in Sommer in extreamest heat Scorched all day in his own scalding sweat Shaues with keen Sythe the glory and delight Of motly Medowes resteth yet at Night And in the arms of his deer Pheer for goes All former troubles and all former woes Onely the learned Sisters sacred Minions While silent Night vnder her sable pinions Foldes all the World with pain-less pain they tread A sacred path that to the Heav'ns doth lead And higher then the Heav'ns their Readers raise Vpon the wings of their
Storms The lightning Flashes and the hideous Forms Seen in the Aire with language meetly brave Whilom discourst vpon a Theam so grave But This-Day flagging lowely by the Ground She seems constrain'd to keep a lowely â—ound Or if somtimes she somwhat raise her voice The sound is drown'd with the rough Oceans noise O King of grassie and of glassie Plains He calleth vpon the true God be assisted in the description of thâ—se two Elements and the things therein Whose powrfull breath at thy drad will constrains The deep Foundations of the Hills to shake And Seas salt billows 'gainst Heav'ns vaults to rake Grant me To-Day with skilfull Instruments To bound a right these two rich Elements In learned numbers teach me sing the natures Of the firm-Earth and of the floating Waters And with a flowring stile the Flowrs to limn Whose Colours now shall paint the Fields so trim All those steep Mountains whose high horned tops God in this third Day gathers together the Waters separates them from the Earth The misty cloak of wandring Clouds enwraps Vnder First Waters their crump shoulders hid And all the Earth as a dull Pond abid Vntill th' All-Monarch's bountious Maiesty Willing t'enfeof man this worlds Empery Commaunded Neptune straight to Marshall forth His Floods a-part and to vnfold the Earth And in his Waters now contented rest Thaue all the World for one whole day possest As when the muffled Heav'ns have wept a main By an apt coÌ„parison he sheweth how the Water withdrewe from off the Earth And foaming streams assembling on the Plain Turn'd Fields to Floods soon as the showrs do cease With vnseen speed the Deluge doth decrease Sups vp it self in hollow sponges sinks And 's ample arms in straighter Chanell shrinks Even so the Sea to ' tself it self he took Mount after Mount Field after Field forsook And sodainly in smaller cask did tun Her Waters that from every side did run Whether th' imperfect Light did first exhale Much of that primer Humour where withall God on the Second-Day might frame and found The Crystall Sphears that he hath spred so round Whether th' Almighty did new place provide To lodge the Waters whether op'ning wide Th' Earth's Hollow Pores it pleas'd him to conueigh Of the lodging and bed of the sea Deep vnder ground som Arms of such a Sea Or whether pressing waters gloomy Globe That cov'red all as with a cloudy Robe He them impris'ned in those bounds of brass Which to this day the Ocean dares not pass Without his licence For th' Eternall knowing The Seas commotive and inconstant flowing The Sea kept within her bouÌ„ds by the Almighty power of God Thus curbed her and 'gainst her enuious rage For-ever fenç't ouâ— Flowry-mantled Stage So that we often see those rowling Hils With roaring noise threatning the neighbour Fields Through their owne spite to split vpon the shore Foaming for fury that they dare no more For what could not that great high Admirall Work in the Waues sith at his Seruants call His dreadfull voice to save his ancient Sheep Did cleave the bottom of th' Erythrean Deepe Exod. 14 11 Iosuah 3 16 Gen. 7 21 Exod. 17. 6 And toward the Crystall of his double source Compelled Iordan to retreat his course Drown'd with a Deluge the rebellious World And from dry Rocks abundant Rivers purl'd Lo thus the waighty Water did yer-while With winding turns make all this world an I le For like as molten Lead being poured forth A fit Simile shewing the winding turns of the Sea abouâ— the Earth Vpon a leuell plot of sand or earth In many fashions mazeth to and fro Runs heer direct thear crookedly doth go Heer doth diuide it self there meets again And the hot Riv'let of the liquid vain On the smooth table crawling like a worm Almost in th' instant euery form doth form God pour'd the Waters on the fruitfull Ground In sundry figures somin fashion round Some square som crosse som long som lozenge-wise Som triangles som large som lesser size Amid the Floods by this fair difference To giue the world more wealth and excellence Such is the German Sea such Persian Sine Such th' Indian Gulf and such th' Arabian Brine And such Our Sea whose divers-brancht * Windings retortions Divide the World in three vnequall Portions And though each of these Arms how large soever The arms of the Sea distinguished into smaller members with coÌ„modities and vse thereof To the great Ocean seems a little Riuer Each makes a hundred sundry Seas besides Not sundry in waters but in Names and Tides To moisten kindely by their secret Vains The thirsty thickness of the neighbour Plains To bulwark Nations and to serue for fences Against the inuasion of Ambitious Princes To bound large Kingdomes with eternall limits To further Traffick through all Earthly Climates T' abbridge long Iourneys and with ayd of Winde Within a month to visit eyther Inde But th' Earth not only th' Oceans debter is A Catalogue of most of the most famous Riuers in the World For these large Seas But sh' owes him TanaÌ„is Nile Aegypts treasure and his neighbour stream That in the Desart through his haste extream Loseth himself so oft swift Euphrates And th' other proud Son of cold Niphates Fair spacious Ganges and his famous brother That lends his name vnto their noble Mother Gold-sanded Tagus Rhyne Rhóne Volga Tiber Danubius Albis Pô Sein Arne and Iber The Darian Plate and Amazónian River Where SPAIN'S Gold-thirsty Locusts cool their liver Our siluer Medway which doth deep indent The Flowrie Medowes of My natiue KENT Still sadly weeping vnder Pensherst walls Th' Arcadian Cygnet's bleeding Funerals Our Thames and Tweed our Severn Trent and Humber And many moe too infinite to number Of him she also holds her Silver Springs And all her hidden Crystall Riverlings And after greatly in two sorts repaies Th' Humour she borrows by two sundry waies Fountains Springs and Riuers welling out of the Earth For like as in a Limbeck th' heat of Fire Raiseth a Vapour which still mounting higher To the Still's top when th' odoriferous sweat Above that Miter can no further get It softly thickning falleth drop by drop A Similie shewing how the waters of the Earth are exhaled by the Sun then powred into the Sea And Cleer as Chrystall in the glass doth drop The purest humour in the Sea the Sun Exhales in th' Aire which thear resolv'd anon Returns to water and descends again By sundry waies vnto his Mother Main For the dry Earth having these waters first Through the wide sive of her void entrails searst Giving more room at length from Rockie Mountains How the Fountains come to breake forth of the Earth She night and day pours forth a thousand Fountains These Fountains make fresh Brooks with murmuring currents These murmuring Brooks the swift violeÌ„t Torrents These violent Torrents mighty Rivers These These Riuers make
of Heat of Light the lively sourse Life of the World Lamp of this Vniverse Heav'ns richest Gemm O teach me wher my Verse May but begin thy praise Alas I fare Much like to one that in the Clouds doth stare To count the Quails that with their shadow cover Th' Italian Sea when soaring hither over Fain of a milder and more fruitfull Clime They com with vs to pass the Summer time No sooner he begins one shoal to summ But more and more still greater shoals do com Swarm vpon Swarm that with their count-les number Break off his purpose and his sense incumber Daies glorious Eye even as a mighty King The Sun at Prince of the Ce lestiall lights marcheth in the midst of the other sixe Planets which enuiron About his Countrie stately Progressing Is compast round with Dukes Earls Lords and Knights Orderly marshall'd in their noble Rites Esquires and Gentlemen in courtly kinde And then his Guard before him and behinde And there is nought in all his Royal Muster But to his Greatness addeth grace and lustre So while about the World thou ridest ay Which only lives by vertue of thy Ray Six Heav'nly Princes mounted evermore Wayt on thy Coach three behinde three before Besides the Hoast of th' vpper Twinklers bright To whom for pay thou giuest onely Light And ev'n as Man the little-World of Cares The Sun is in Heauen as the heart in mans body Within the middle of the body bears His heart the Spring of life which with proportion Supplieth spirits to all and euery portion Even so O Sun thy Golden Chariot marches Amid the six Lamps of the six lowe Arches Which seel the World that equally it might Richly impart them Beauty Force and Light Praysing thy Heat which subtilly doth pearce His notable offects vpon the Earth The solid thickness of our Vniuerse Which in th' Earths kidneys Mercury doth burn And pallid Sulphur to bright Metal turn I do digress to praise that Light of thine Which if it should but one Day cease to shine Th' vnpurged Aire to Water would resolve And Water would the mountain tops inuolve Scarce I begin to measure thy bright Face Whose greatness doth so oft Earths greatness pass And with still running the Coelestiall Ring Is seen and felt of every liuing thing But that fantastikly I change my Theam To sing the swiftness of thy tyer-les Teem To sing how Rising from the Indian Waue Thou seem'st O Titan like a Bride-groom brave Excellent comparisons borrow ed out of the 19 Psalme Who from his Chamber early issuing out In rich array with rarest Gems about With pleasant Countenance and lovely Face With golden tresses and attractive grace Cheers at his comming all the youthfull throng That for his presence earnestly did long Blessing the day and with delightfull glee Singing aloud his Epithalamie Then as a Prince that feeles his Noble heart Wounded with Loues pure Honor-winged dart As HARDY LAELIVS that Great GARTER-KNIGHT The same exemplified in an honorable personage of our time now very aged but in his yong years the glory of Armes and Chiualrie Tilting in Triumph of ELIZA'S Right Yeerely that Day that her deerraign began Most brauely mounted on proud RABICAN All in gilt armour on his glistering Mazor A stately Plume of Orange mixt with Azur In gallant Course before ten thousand eyes From all Defendants bore the Princely Prize Thou glorious Champion in thy Heav'nly Race Runnest so swift we scarse conceivethy pase When I record how fitly thou dost guide Through the fourth heav'n thy flaming Coursers pride Of Gods wonder full prouidēce in placing the Sun in the midst of the other Planets of the commodities that come therof That as they pass their fiery breaths may temper Saturn's and Cynthya's cold and moist distemper For if thou gallop'st in the neather Room Like Phaëton thou would'st the World consume Or if thy Throne were set in Saturn's Sky For want of heat then euery thing would dy In the same instant I am prest to sing How thy return reviveth every thing How in thy Presence Fear Sloath Sleep and Night Snowes Fogs and Fancies take their sodain Flight Th' art to be brief an Ocean wanting bound Whear as full vessels haue the lesser sound Plenty of Matter makes the speaker mute As wanting words thy worth to prosecute Yet glorious Monarch 'mong so many rare Of the Sunnes continuall and daily course And match-less Flowrs as in thy Garland are Som one or two shall my chaste sober Muse For thine Immortall sacred Sisters chuse I 'll boldly sing bright Soverain thou art none Of those weak Princes Flattery works vpon No second EDWARD nor no RICHVRD Second Vn-kinged both as Rule-vnworthy recon'd Who to inrich their Minions past proportion Pill all their Subiects with extream extortion And charm'd with Pleasures O exceeding Pity Ly alwaies wallowing in one wanton City And loving only that to mean Lieutenants Farm out their Kingdoms care as vnto Tenants For once a day each Country vnder Heav'n Thou bidst Good-Morrow and thou bidst Good-Ev'n And thy far-seeing Ey as Censor views The rites and fashions Fish and Foule do vse And our behaviours worthy every one Th' Abderian Laughter and Ephesian Moan But true it is to th' end a fruitfull lew May every Climat in his time renew Of his oblique or By-course cause of the foure seasons and of the commodities of all Climates in the world And that all men may neerer in all Realms Feel the alternat vertue of thy beames Thy sumptuous Chariot with the Light returning From the same Portall mounts not every Morning But to make know'n each-where thy daily drift Doo'st every day thy Coursers Stable shift That while the Spring prankt in her greenest pride Raigns heer els-wher Autumne as long may bide And while fair Summers heat our fruits doth ripe Cold Wintets Ice may other Countries gripe No sooner doth thy shining Chariot Roule A pleasant and liuely descriptiō of the foure seasons of the yeare From highest Zenith toward Northern Pole To sport thee for three Months in pleasant Inns Of Aries Taurus and the gentle Twinns But that the mealie Mountains late vnseen Change their white garments into lusty green The Gardens prank them with their Flowry buds The Meads with grass with leaves the naked Woods Sweet Zephyrus begins to buss his Flora The Spring Swift-winged Singers to salute Aurora And wanton Cupid through this Vniverse With pleasing wounds all Creatures hearts to perce When backward bent Phlegon thy fiery Steed With Cancer Leo and the Maid doth feed Th' Earth cracks with heat and Summer crowns his Ceres With gilded Ears as yellow as her hair-is The Reaper panting both for heat and pain With crooked Rasor shaves the tufted Plain The Summer And the good Husband that due season takes Within a Month his year's Provision makes When from the mid-Heav'n thy bright flame doth fly Toward the Cross-Stars in
his courage ' gan to gather When he perceiv'd no rage but pitty rather In his new Hoast who with milde looks and meek Seem'd as it were succour of him to seek Showing him oft one of his paws wherein A festering thorn for a long time had been Then though still fearfull did the Slaue draw nigher And from his foot he lightly snatcht the Bryer And wringing gently with his hand the wound Made th' hot impostume run vpon the ground Thenceforth the Lion seeks for Booties best Through Hill and Dale to cheer his new-com Guest His new Physician who for all his cost Soon leaues his Lodging and his dreadfull Hoast And once more wanders through the wildernes Whether his froward Fortune would address Vntill re-taen his fell Lord brought him home For Spectacle vnto Imperiall Rome To be according to their barbarous Laws Bloudily torn with greedy Lions paws Fell Canniball Flint-harted Polyphem If thou would'st needs exactly torture him Inhumane Monster hatefull Lestrigon Why from thine owne hand hast thou let him gon To Bears and Lions to be giuen for prey Thy self more fell a thousand-fold then they African Panthers Hyrcan Tigres fierce Cleonian Lions and Panonian Bears Be not so cruell as who violates Sacred Humanity and cruciates His loy all subiects making his recreations Of Massacres Combats and sharp Taxations ' Boue all the Beasts that fill'd the Martian Field With bloud and slaughter one was most beheld One valiant Lion whose victorious fights Had conquered hundreds of those guilty wights Whose feeble skirmish had but striv'n in vain To scape by combat their deserued pain That very Beast with faint and fearfull feet This Runnagate at last is forç't to meet And being entred in the bloody List The Lion rowz'd and ruffles-vp his Crest Shortens his body sharpens his grim ey And staring wide he roareth hideously Then often swindging with his sinnewy train Somtimes his sides somtimes the dusty Plain Hewhets his rage and strongly rampeth on Against his foe who nigh already gon To drink of Lethè lifteth to the Pole Religious vows not for his life but soule After the Beast had marcht som twenty pase He sodain stops and viewing well the face Of his pale foe remembred rapt with ioy That this was he that eased his annoy Wherefore conuerting from his hatefull wildenes From pride to pitty and from rage to mildenes On his bleak face he both his eyes doth fix Fawning for homage his lean hands he licks The Slaue thus knowing and thus being knowen Lifts to the Heav'ns his front now hoary growen And now no more fearing his tearing paws He stroaks the Lion and his poule he claws And learns by proof that a good turn at need At first or last shall be assur'd of meed THER 's vnder Sun as Delphos God did showe No better Knowledge then Our self to Knowe Noscete ipsuÌ„ Ther is no Theam more plentifull to sean Then is the glorious goodly Frame of MAN The second part of this sixt book Wherein is discoursed at large of the creatioÌ„ of Man For in Man's self is Fire Aire Earth and Sea Man 's in a word the World's Epitomé Or little Map which heer my Muse doth try By the grand Pattern to exemplifie A witâ—y Mason doth not with rare Art And of the wonders of Gods wisedom appearing both in his body and Soule Into a Palace Paros Rocks conuert Seel it with gold and to the Firmament Rayse the proud Turrets of his Battlement And to be brief in every part of it Beauty to vse vse vnto beauty fit To th' end the Skrich-Owl and the Night-Rav'n should In those fair walls their habitations hold But rather for som wise and wealthy Prince Able to iudge of his arts excellence Even so the Lord built not this All-Theater For the rude guests of Air and Woods and Water The world made for Man But all for Him who whether he survey The vast salt kingdoms or th' Earth's fruitfull clay Or cast his eys vp to those twinkling Eys That with disordered order gild the Skyes Can every-where admire with due respect Th' admired Art of such an Architect Now of all Creatures which his Word did make Man was created last why MAN was the last that living breath did take Not that he was the least or that God durst Not vndertake so noble a Work at first Rather because he should haue made in vain So great a Prince without on whom to Raign A wise man never brings his bidden guest Fit comparison Into his Parlour till his Room be drest Garnisht with Lights and Tables neatly spred Be with full dishes well-nigh furnished So our great God who bountious euer keeps Heer open Court and th' ever-bound-les Deeps Of sweetest Nectar on vs still distills By twenty-times ten thousand sundry quills Would not our Grandsier to his Boord inuite Yer he with Arras his fair house had dight And vnder starry State-Cloaths plaç't his plates Fill'd with a thousand sugred delicates All th' admirable Creatures made beforn Which Heav'n and Earth and Ocean doo adorn All other creatures nothing in respect of Man made to the Image of God with as it were great preparation not all at once but by interims first his Body and then his reasonable Soule Are but Essays compar'd in every part To this divinest Master-Piece of Art Therefore the supream peer-les Architect When of meer nothing he did first erect Heav'n Earth and Aire and Seas at once his thought His word and deed all in an instant wrought But when he would his own selfs Type create Th' honour of Nature th' Earths sole Potentate As if he would a Councell hold he cyteth His sacred Power his Prudence he inuiteth Summons his Loue his Iustice he adiourns Calleth his Goodnes and his Grace returns To as it were consult about the birth And building of a second God of Earth And each a-part with liberal hand to bring Some excellence vnto so rare a thing Or rather he consults with 's onely Son His own true Pourtrait what proportion Gen. 1 16 What gifts what grace what soule he should bestowe Vpon his Vice-Roy of this Realm belowe When th' other things God fashion'd in their kinde The Sea t' abound in Fishes he assign'd The Earth in Flocks but having Man in hand His very self he seemed to commaund He both at-once both life and body lent To other things but when in Man he meant In mortall limbs immortall life to place Hee seem'd to pawse as in a waighty case And so at sundry moments finished The Soule and Body of Earth's glorious Head Admired Artist Architect divine Innocation Perfect and peer-les in all Works of thine So my rude hand on this rough Table guide To paint the Prince of all thy Works beside That graue Spectators in his face may spy Apparant marks of thy Divinity Almighty Father as of watery matter It pleas'd thee make the people of the Water
like to neither make Which yet of eithers ritches doth partake So oft two Creatures of a diuers kinde Against the common course through All Assign'd Confounding their lust-burning seeds together Beget an Elf not like in all to either But bastard Mongrel bearing marks apparant Of mingled members ta'en from either Parent God not contented to each Kinde to giue Of things ingendered without seed or commixtion of sexes And to infuse the Vertue Generatiue Made by his Wisdom many Creatures breed Of liue-less bodies without Venus deed So the cold humour breeds the Salamander Who in effect like to her births Commander With-childe with hundred Winters with her touch Quencheth the Fire though glowing ne'r so much So of the Fire in burning furnace springs The Fly Pyrausta with the flaming Wings Without the Fire it dies within it ioyes Liuing in that which each thing else destroyes So slowe Boötes vnderneath him sees In th' ycy Iles those Goslings hatcht of Trees Whose fruitfull leaues falling into the Water Are turn'd they say to liuing Fowls soon after So rotten sides of broken Ships doo change To Barnacles O Transformation strange 'T was first a green Tree then a gallant Hull Lately a Mushrum now a flying Gull So Morn and Euening the Sixt Day conclude And God perceiv'd that All his Works were good THE SEAVENTH DAIE OF THE FIRST WEEK THE ARGVMENT In sacred Rest vpon This sacred Day Th' Eternall doth his glorious Works suruay His only Powr and Prouidence perseuer T' vphold maintain and rule the World for euer Maugre Mens malice and Hells raging mood God turneth all things to his Childrens good Sabbaoths right vse From all Worlds-Works to cease To pray not play and hear the Word of Peace Instructions drawn from dead and liuing things And from our selues for all Estates for Kings THe cunning Painter that with curious care By an excellent Similitude of a Painter delighted with the sight of a curious table which he hath lately finished our Poet sheweth how God rested the seauenth Day and saw as saith the Scripture that all that he had made was Good Limning a Land-scape various rich and rare Hath set a-work in all and euery part Inuention Iudgement Nature Vse and Art And hath at length t'immortalize his name With weary Pencill perfected the same Forgets his pains and inly fill'd with glee Still on his Picture gazeth greedily First in a Mead he marks a frisking Lamb Which seems though dumb to bleat vnto the Dam Then hee obserues a Wood seeming to waue Then th' hollow bosom of som hideous Caue Heere a High-way and there a narrow Path Heer Pines there Oaks torn by tempestuous wrath Heer from a craggy Rocks steep-hanging boss Thrumm'd half with Iuy half with crisped Moss A siluer Brook in broken streams doth gush And head-long down the horned Cliff doth rush Then winding thence aboue and vnder ground A goodly Garden it be-moateth round There on his knee behinde a Box-Tree shrinking A skilfull Gunner with his left ey winking Leuels directly at an Oak hard by Whereon a hundred groaning Culuers cry Down falls the Cock vp from the Touch-pan flies A ruddy flash that in a moment dies Off goes the Gun and through the Forrest rings The thundering bullet born on fiery wings Heer on a Green two Striplings stripped light Run for a prize with labour som delight A dusty Cloud about their feet doth flowe Their feet and head and hands and all doo goe They swelt in sweat and yet the following Rout Hastens their haste with many a cheerfull shout Heer six pyed Oxen vnder painfull yoak Rip vp the folds of Ceres Winter Cloak Heer in the shade a pretty Shepheardess Driues softly home her bleating happiness Still as she goes she spins and as she spins A man would think som Sonnet she begins Heer runs a Riuer there springs forth a Fountain Heer vails a Valley there ascends a Mountain Heere smoks a Castle there a City fumes And heer a Ship vpon th' Ocean looms In brief so liuely Art hath Nature shap't That in his Work the Work-mans self is rapt Vnable to look off for looking still The more he looks the more he findes his skill So th' Architect whose glorious Workmanships God rested the seauēth Day contemplates on his Works My cloudy Muse doth but too-much eclipse Hauing with pain-less pain and care-less care In These Six Days finisht the Table fair And infinite of th' Vniuersall Ball Resteth This Day t' admire himself in All And for a season eying nothing els Ioyes in his Work sith all his Work excels If my dull stutting frozen eloquence May dare coniecture of his high Intents One while hee sees how th' ample Sea doth take A briefe recapitulation and cōsideration of the Works of God in the whole World and a learned Exposition of the words of Moses Gen. 1. 31 God saw that al that he had made was perfectly good The Liquid homage of each other Lake And how again the Heav'n sexhale from it Aboundant vapours for our benefit And yet it swels not for those tribute streams Nor yet it shrinks not for those boyling beams There see 's he th' Ocean-peoples plentious broods And shifting Courses of the Ebbs and Floods Which with inconstant glaunces night and day The lower Planets forked front doth sway Anon vpon the flowry Plains he looks Laced about with snaking siluer brooks Now he delights to see foure Brethrens strife Cause the Worlds peace and keep the World in life Anon to see the whirling Sphears to roule In rest-less Danses about either Pole Whereby their Cressets caried diuers waies Now visit vs anon th' Antipodés It glads him now to note how th' Orb of Flame Which girts this Globe doth not enfire the Frame How th' Airs glib-gliding firmless body bears Such store of Fowls Hail-storms and Floods of tears How th' heauy Water pronest to descond 'Twixt Air and Earth is able to depend And how the dull Earth's prop-less massie Ball Stands steddy still iust in the midst of All. Anon his nose is pleas'd with fragrant sents Of Balm and Basill Myrrh and Frankincense Thyme Spiknard Hysop Sauory Cinamon Pink Violet Rose and Cloue-Carnation Anon his ear 's charm'd with the melody Of winged Consorts curious Harmony For though each bird guided with Art-less Art After his kinde obserue a song a-part Yet the sole burden of their seuerall Layes Is nothing but the Heav'n-Kings glorious praise In brief th' Almightie's ey and nose and ear In all his works doth nought see sent or hear But showes his greatnes sauours of his grace And sounds his glory ouer euery place But aboue all Man 's many beautious features Detain the Lord more then all other Creatures Man 's his owne Minion Man 's his sacred Type And for Man's sake he loues his Workmanship Not that I mean to fain an idle God That lusks in Heav'n and neuer looks abroad That Crowns not Vertue and corrects not Vice Blinde to
our seruice deaf vnto our sighs A Pagan Idol void of powr and piety A sleeping Dormouse rather a dead Deïtie For though alas somtimes I cannot shun But som profane thoughts in my minde will run I neuer think on God but I conceiue Whence cordiall comforts Christians soules receiue Of the Prouidence of God In God Care Counsail Iustice Mercy Might To punish wrongs and patronize the right Sith Man but Image of th' Almightiest Without these gifts is not a Man but Beast Fond Epicure thou rather slept'st thy self Epicurus and his followers denying the same consuted by sundry Reasons When thou didst forge thee such a sleep-sick Elf For life's pure Fount or vainly fraudulent Not shunning th' Atheïsts sin but punishment Imaginedst a God so perfect-less In Works defying whom thy words profess God is not sitting like som Earthly State In proud Theátre him to recreate With curious Obiects of his ears and eys Without disposing of the Comoedies Content t' haue made by his great Word to moue So many radiant Starrs as shine aboue And on each thing with his owne hand to draw The sacred Text of an eternall Law Then bosoming his hand to let them slide With reans at will whether that Law shall guide Like one that hauing lately forç't som Lake Simile Through som new Channell a new Course to take Takes no more care thence-forth to those effects But lets the Stream run where his Ditch directs The Lord our God wants neither Diligence 1 Gods power goodnes wisdom shine gloriously in gouerning the world Nor Loue nor Care nor Powr nor Prouidence He prov'd his Power by Making All of nought His Diligence by Ruling All he wrought His Care by Ending it in six Daies space His Loue in Building it for Adams Race His Prouidence maugrè Times wastefull rages Preseruing it so many Yeers and Ages For O! how often had this goodly Ball By his own Greatnes caus'd his proper Fall How often had this World deceast except Gods mighty arms had it vpheld and kept 2 In him and through him all things liue and moue and haue their Beeing God is the soule the life the strength and sinnew That quickens moues and makes this Frame continue God's the main spring that maketh euery way All the small wheels of this great Engin play God's the strong Atlas whose vnshrinking shoulders Haue been and are Heav'ns heauie Globes vpholders God makes the Fountains run continually 3. All things particularly are guided by his Ordinance and Power working continually The daies and Nights succede incessantly The Seasons in their season he doth bring Summer and Autumn Winter and the Spring God makes th' Earth fruitfull and he makes the Earth's Large loignes not yet faint for so many births God makes the Sun and Stars though wondrous hot That yet their Heat themselues inflameth not And that their sparkling beams preuent not so With wofull flames the Last great Day of wo And that as mov'd with a contrary wrest They turn at-once both North and East and West Heavn's constant course his heast doth neuer break The floating Water waiteth at his beck Th' Air 's at his Call the Fire at his Command The Earth is His and there is nothing fand In all these Kingdoms but is mov'd each howr With secret touch of his eternall Powr God is the Iudge who keeps continuall Sessions 4 God is the Iudge of the World hauing all Creatures visible and invisible ready armed to execute his Iudgements In every place to punish all Transgressions Who void of Ignorance and Avarice Not won with Bribes nor wrested with Deuice Sins Fear or Fauour hate or partiall zeal Pronounceth Iudgements that are past appeal Himself is Iudge Iury and Witnes too Well knowing what we all think speak or doo He sounds the deepest of the doublest hart Searcheth the Reins and fifteth euery part Hee sees all secrets and his Lynx-like ey Yet it be thought doth euery thought descry His Sentence giuen neuer returns in vain For all that Heavn Earth Aire and Sea contain Serue him as Sergeants and the winged Legions That soar aboue the bright Star-spangled Regions Are euer prest his powrfull Ministers And lastly for his Executioners Sathan assisted with the infernall band Stands ready still to finish his Command God to be brief is a good Artizan That to his purpose aptly mannage can Good or bad Tools for for iust punishment Yea he makeeh euen the wicked this instruments to punish the wicked and to proue his Chosen He arms our sins vs sinners to torment And to preuent th' vngodly's plot somtime He makes his foes will-nill-they fight for him Yet true it is that human things seem slide Vnbridledly with so vncertain tide That in the Ocean of Euents so many Somtimes Gods Iudgements are scarce seen of any Rather it seems that giddy Fortune guideth Againe against Epicures who hold that all things happen in the World by Chance All that beneath the siluer Moon beâ—ideth Yet art thou euer iust O God though I Cannot alas thy Iudgements depth descry My wit 's too shallow for the least Designe Of thy drad Counsails sacred and diuine And thy least-secret Secrets I confess To deep for vs without thy Spirit 's address Yet oftentimes what seemeth at first sight 1 Gods Iudgements past our search yet euer iust in theÌ„selues Vniust to vs and past our reason quite Thou mak'st vs Lord acknowledge in due season To haue been don with equity and reason So suffering th' Hebrew Tribes to sell their brother Gen 45. ver 6. 7 and Gen. 50. vâ— 20. Thy eternall Iustice thou didst seem to smother But Ioseph when through such rare hap it chanced Him of a slaue to be so high aduanced To rule the Land where Nilus fertill flood Dry Heav'ns defects endeuours to make good Learn'd that his enuious brethrens treacherous drift Him to the Stern of Memphian State had lift That he might there prouide Relief and Room For Abraham's Seed against then time to com When thy strong arm which plagues the Reprobate 2. In executing his iudgements on the rebellious he sheweth mercie on his Seruants The World and Sodom did exterminate With flood and flame because there liued then Som small remains of good and righteous men Thou seem'dst vniust but when thou sauedst Lâ—t From Fire from Water Noah and his Boat 'T was plainly seen thy Iustice stands propstious To th' Innocent and smiteth but the vicious He wilfull winks against the shining Sun 5 He sheweth his power in the coÌ„fusion of the Mightiest and in the deliuerance of his Church That see 's not Pharao as a mean begun Forth ' Hebrews good and that his hardned hart Smoothed the passage for their soon-depart To th' end the Lord when Tyrants will not yeeld Might for his Glory finde the larger field Who sees not also that th' vniust Decree Of a proud Iudge and Iudas treachery The Peoples
that we should be humble Nay there is nought in our deer Mother found But Pythily som Vertue doth propound O! let the Noble Wise Rich Valiant Be as the base poore faint and ignorant And looking on the fields when Autumn shears There let them learn among the bearded ears Which still the fuller of the flowery grain Bow down the more their humble heads again And ay the lighter and the less their store They lift aloft their Chaffie Crests the more Let her that bound-less in her wanton wishes The Palme-Tree that we should be chast Dares spot the Spouse-bed with vnlawfull kisses Blush at the least at Palm-Trees loyalty Which never bears vnless her Male be by Thou thou that prançest after Honors prize Cinamon teacheth Diligence and Prudence While by the way thy strength and stomach dies Remember Honor is like Cinamon Which Nature mounds with many a million Of thorny pricks that none may danger-les Approach the Plant much less the Fruit possess Canst thou the secret Sympathy behold The Sunne and the Marigold direct vs vnto Christ the Sun of Righteousnes Betwixt the bright Sun and the Marigold And not consider that we must no less Follow in life the Sun of Righteousness O Earth the Treasures of thy hollow brest Are no less fruitfull Teachers then the rest For as the Lime doth break and burn in Water And swell and smoak crackle and skip and scatter Lyme in water teacheth vsto shew our vertue in extremitie Waking that Fire whose dull heat sleeping was Vnder the cold Crust of a Chalky Mass He that to march amid the Christian Hoast Yeelds his hearts kingdom to the holy-Ghost And for braue Seruice vnder Christ his Banner Looks to be crown'd with his Chief Champions honor Must in Affliction wake his zeal which oft In Calmer times sleeps too-securely soft And opposit as the rich Diamond The Diamond exhorteth to Constancy The Fire and Steel doth stoutly both withstand So the true Christian should till life expire Contemn proud Tyrants raging Sword and Fire Or if fell Rigour with som ruth-les smart A little shake the sinnews of his heart He must be like the richest Minerall Gold in the furnace to magnanimity purity Whose Ingots bow but never break at all Nor in the Furnace suffer any loss Of waight but Lees not of the Gold but dross The pretious Stone that bears the Rain-bowes name The stone Iris to edification of our Neighbour Receiues the bright face of Sols burnisht flame And by reflection after it displaies On the next obiect all those pointed rayes So whoso hath from the Empyreall Pole Within the centre of his happy Soule Receiv'd som splendor of the beams divine Must to his Neighbour make the same to shine Not burying Talents which our God hath giv'n To be imploy'd in a rich trade for Heav'n That in his Church he may receiue his Gold With thirty sixty and an hundred fold As th' Iron toucht by th' Adamant's effect The needle in the Mariners compasse sheweth that we shuld incessantly looke on Christ our onely load starre To the North Pole doth ever point direct So the Soule toucht once by the secret powr Of a true liuely Faith looks every howr To the bright Lamp which serues for Cynosure To all that sail vpon the Sea obscure These presidents from liue-les things collected Lessons from liuing Creatures Breed good effects in spirits well affected But lessons taken from the things that liue A liuelier touch vnto all sorts doo giue Vp vp ye Princes Prince and People rise Bees to subiects and to Princes And run to School among the Hony-Flies There shall you learn that an eternall law Subiects the Subiect vnder Princes aw There shall you learn that a courageous King To vex his humble Vassals hath no sting The Persian Prince that princely did conclude The Marlin to the vnthankeful So severe laws against Ingratitude Knew that the Marlin hauing kept her warm With aliue Lark remits it without harm And least her frend-bird she should after slay She takes her flight a quite contrary way Fathers if you desire your Children sage The Eagle so Parents Should by their Blessings bless your crooked age Train them betimes vnto true Vertues Lore By Aw Instruction and Example more So the old Eagle flutters in and out To teach his yong to follow him aboue If his example cannot timely bring His backward birds to vse their feeble wing He leaues them then som dayes vnfed whereby Sharp hunger may at length constiain them fly If that prevail not then he beats them both With beak and wings to stir their fearfull sloath You that to haste your hated Spouses end The Turtle to Wedlock-breakers Black deadly poyson in his dish doo blend O! can ye see with vn-relenting eyes The Turtle-Doue sith when her husband dies Dies all herioy for never loues she more But on dry bowghs doth her dead Spouse deplore Thou whom the freedom of a foolish tongue Wilde geese to Bâ—bblers Brings oft in danger for thy neighbours wrong Discreetly set a hatch before the door As the wise Wilde-geese when they over-soar Cilician Mounts within their bills doo bear A pebble-stone both day and night for fear Least rauenous Eagles of the North descry Their Armies passage by their cackling Cry O! Mothers can you can you O vnkinde Diuers Fishes to vnnaturall Mothers that will â— not nour se their owne Children Deny your Babes your breasts and call to minde That many Fishes many times are fain Receiue their seed into their wombs again Lucinas sad throes for the self-same birth Enduring oft it often bringing forth O! why embrace not we with Charity Dolphins to the cruell The living and the dead with Piety Giving these succour sepulture to those Even as the Dolphins doo themselues expose For their lyue fellows and beneath the Waues Cover their dead-ones vnder sandy Graues You Children whom past hope the Heav'ns benignity The wild Kid to children Hath heapt with wealth and heaved-vp to dignity Doo not forget your Parents but behold Th' officious Kids who when their Parents old With heavy Gyues Elds trembling fever stops And fetters-fast vpon the Mountain-tops As carefull purveyours bring them home to brouz The tendrest tops of all the slenderest boughs And sip self-thirst-les of the Riuers brink Which in their mouths they bring them home to drink For House-hold Rules read not the learned Writs Of the Stagirian glory of good wits The Spiders to Man and Wife Nor his whom for his honny-steeped stile They Proverbiz'd the Attik Muse yer-while Sith th' onely Spider teacheth euery one The Husbands and the Huswifes function For for their food the valiant Male doth roam The cunning Female tends her work at home Out of her bowels wooll and yarn she spitteth And all that else her learned labour fitteth Her waight's the spindle that doth twist the twine
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
with lips the Fruit forbod so much Thus yet in league with Heav'n and Earth he liues Description of the beauties of the Garden of Eden Enioying all the Goods th' Almighty giues And yet not treading Sins false mazy measures Sails on smooth surges of a Sea of pleasures Heer vnderneath a fragrant Hedge reposes Full of all kindes of sweet all-coloured Roses Which one would think the Angels daily dress In true loue-knots tri-angles lozenges Anon he walketh in a leuell lane The Orchard On either side beset with shady Plane Whose arched boughs for Frize and Cornich bear Thick Groues to shield from future change of air Then in a path impal'd in pleasant wise With sharp-sweet Orange Limon Citron trees Whose leauy twigs that intricately tangle Seem painted walls whereon true fruits do dangle Now in a plentious Orchard planted rare With vn-graft trees in checker round and square Whose goodly fruits so on his will doe wait That plucking one another's ready straight And hauing tasted all with due satiety Findes all one goodnes but in taste variety Anon he stalketh with an easie stride The Brooks By som cleer Riuer's lilly-paued side Whose sand's pure gold whose pebbles precious Gemms And liquid siluer all the curling streams Whose chiding murmur mazing in and out With Crystall cesterns moats a mead about And th' art-less Bridges ouer-thwart this Torrent Are rocks self-arched by the eating current The Bridges Or louing Palms whose lusty Femals willing Their marrow-boyling loues to be fulfilling And reach their Husband-trees on th' other banks Bow their stiff backs and serue for passing-planks Then in a goodly Garden 's alle is smooth The Alleis beds and Borders Where prodig Nature sets abroad her booth Of richest beauties where each bed and border Is like pide posies diuers dies and order Now far from noise he creepeth couertly Into a Caue of kindly Porphyry The Caues Which rock-fall'nspowts congeald by colder air Seem with smooth anticks to haue sceled fair There laid at ease a cubit from the ground Vpon a Iaspir fring'd with yâ—ie round Purfled with vains thick thrumm'd with mossie Beuer He falls asleep fast by a silent Riuer Whose captiue streams through crooked pipes still rushing The pleasant murmur of the Waters Make sweeter Musick with their gentle gushing Then now at Tiuoli th' Hydrantik Braul Of rich Ferrara's stately Cardinall Or Ctesibegrave s rare engines framed there Where as they made of Ibis Iupiter Musing anon through crooked Walks he wanders The Maze Round-winding rings and intricate Meanders False-guiding paths doubtfull beguiling strays And right-wrong errors of an end-less Maze Not simply hedged with a single border Of Rosenoary cut-out with curious order In Satyrs Centaurs Whales and half-men-Horses And thousand other counterfaited corses But with true Beasts fast in the ground still sticking The wonderfull Plants Feeding on grass and th' airy moisture licking Such as those Bonarets in Scythia bred The Bonarets Of slender seeds and with green fodder fed Although their bodies noses mouths and eys Of new-yeand Lambs haue full the form and guise And should be very Lambs saue that for foot Within the ground they fix a liuing root Which at their nauell growes and dies that day That they haue brouz'd the neighbour grass away O wondrous vertue of God only good The Beast hath root the Plant hath flesh bloud The nimble Plant can turn it to and fro The nummed Beast can neither stir norgoe The Plant is leaf-less branch-less void of fruit The Beast is lust-less sex-less fire-less mute The Plant with Plants his hungry paunch doth feede Th' admired Beast is sowen a slender seede Then vp and down a Forrest thick he paseth The Trees of the Garden of Eden Which selfly opening in his presence baseth Her trembling tresses neuer-vading spring For humble homage to her mightie King Where thousand Trees wauing with gentle puffs Their plumy tops sweep the celestiall roofs Yet enuying all the massie Cerbas fame The Cerbas Sith fiftie pases can but clasp the same There springs the Shrub three foot aboue the grass The Balme Which fears the keen edge of the Curtelace Whereof the rich Egyptian so endears Root bark and fruit and much-much more the tears There liues the Sea-oake in a little shel There growes vntill'd the ruddy Cochenel The Sea-Oak The Cochenel The Chermez And there the Chermez which on each side Arms With pointed prickles all his precious arms Rich Trees and fruitfull in those Worms of Price Which pressed yeeld a crimsin-coloured juice Whence thousand Lambs are died so deep in grain That their own Mothers knowe them not again There mounts the Melt which serues in Mexico For weapon wood needle and threed to sowe The admirable Melt Brick hony sugar sucket balm and wine Parchment perfume apparell cord and line His wood for fire his harder leaues are fit For thousand vses of inuentiue wit Som-times ther-on they graue their holy things Laws lauds of Idols and the gests of Kings Som-times conioyned by a cunning hand Vpon their roofs for rowes of tyle they stand Som-times they twine them into equall threeds Small ends make needles greater arrow-heads His vpper sap the sting of Serpentscutes His new-sprung bud a rare Conserue indures His burned stalks with strong fumosities Of pearcing vapours purge the French disease And they extract from liquor of his feet Sharpevinegar pure hony sugar sweet There quakes the Plant which in Pudefetan Is call'd the Shame-fac't for asham'd of man The shame-faced If towards it one doo approach too much It shrinks his boughs to shun our hatefull touch As if it had a soule a sense and sight Subiect to shame fear sorrow and despight And there that Tree from off whose trembling top Both swimming shoals and flying troups doe drop A Tree whose leaues transform to fowl and fish I mean the tree now in Iuturna growing Whose leaues disperst by Zephyr's wanton blowing Are metamorphos'd both in form and matter On land to Fowls to Fishes in the Water But seest thou not deer Muse thou treadst the same A modest correction of our Poet vnwilling to wade farther in curious search of hidden secrets Too-curious path thou dost in others blame And striv'st in vain to paint This Work so choice The which no humane spirit nor hand nor voice Can once conceiue less pourtray least express All ouer-whelm'd in gulfs so bottomless Who matching Art with Nature likeneth Our grounds to EDEN fondly measureth By painted Butter-flies th' imperiall Eagle And th' Elephant by euery little Beagle This fear to fail shall serue me for a bridle Or to wander vnprofitably in nice Questions concerning the Garden of Eden and mans abode there Least lacking wings and guide too busie-idle And ouer-bold Gods Cabinet I clime To seek the place and search the very time When both our Parents or but one was ta'en Out of our Earth into that fruitfull Plain
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
and Agent of all accidents With whom at once the three-fold times doe fly And but a moment lasts Eternity O God behold me that I may behold Thy crystall face O Sun reflect thy gold On my pale Moon that now my veiled eys Earth-ward eclipst may shine vnto the skies Ravish me Lord O my soules life reviue My spirit a-space that I may see a-lyue Heav'n yer I die and make me now good Lord The Eccho of thy all-cel estiall Word The power of Gods spirit in his Prophets and the difference between such the distracted frantike Ministers of Satan With sacred fury suddainly he glowes Not like the Bedlam Bacchanalian froes Who dauncing foaming rowling furious-wise Vnder their twinkling lids their torch-like eys With ghastly voice with visage grizly grim Tost by the Fiend that fier cely tortures them Bleaking and blushing painting shreeking swouning With wrath-les wounds their sense-les members wounding But as th' Imperiall Airy peoples Prince With stately pinions soaring hy from hence Cleaues through the clouds and brauely-bold doth think With his firm eye to make the Suns eye wink So Adam mounted on the burning wings Of a Seraphick loue leaues earthly things Feeds on sweet Aether cleaues the starry sphears And on Gods face his eys he fixtly bears His brows seem brandisht with a Sun-like fier And his purg'd body seems a cubit higher Then thus began hee Th' ever-trembling field Adam declares to his Son in how many Daiet the World was created Of scaly folk the Arches starry seeld Where th' All-Creator hath disposed well The Sun and Moon by turns for Sentinell The cleer cloud-bounding Ayr the Camp assign'd Where angry Auster and the rough North-winde Meeting in battail throwe down to the soil The Woods that midling stand to part the broyl The Diapry Mansions where man-kinde doth trade Were built in Six Dayes and the Seav'nth was made The sacred Sabbaoth So Sea Earth and Ayr And azure-gilded Heav'ns Pavilions fair Shall stand Six Dayes but longer diversly Then the dayes bounded by the Worlds bright eye The First begins with me the Seconds morn How many Ages it shall endure Is the first Ship-wright who doth first adorn The hils with Vines that Shepheard is the Third 1. Adam That after God through strange Lands leads his Heard 2. Noah And past mans reason crediting Gods word 3. Abraham His onely Son slayes with a willing sword The Fourth 's another valiant Shepheardling 4. Dauid That for a Cannon takes his silly sling And to a Scepter turns his Shepheards staff Great Prince great Prophet Poet Psalmograph The Fift begins from that sad Princes night 5. Zedechias That sees his children murdred in his sight And on the banks of fruitfull Euphrates Poor Iuda led in Captiue heauiness 6. Messias Hoped Messias shineth in the Sixt Who mockt beat banisht buried cruci-fixt For our foul sins stil-selfly-innocent Hath fully born the hatefull punishment The Last shall be the very Resting-Day Th' Ayr shall be mute the Waters work shall stay 7. Th' Eternall Sabbath The Earth her store the stars shall leaue their measures The Sun his shine and in eternall pleasures We plung'd in Heav'n shall ay solemnize all Th' eternall Sabbaoths end-less Festiuall Considerations of Adam vpon that which shuld be fall his Posterity vnto the end of the first World destroyed by the Flood according to the relation of Moses in Genesis in the 4. 5. 6. and 7. chapters Alas what may I of that race presume Next th' irefull Flame that shall this Frame consume Whose gut their God whose lust their law shall be Who shall not hear of God nor yet of me Sith those outrageous that began their birth On th' holy groundsill of sweet Edens earth And yet the sound of Heav'ns drad Sentence hear And as ey-witness of mine Exile were Seem to despight God Did it not suffize O lust full soule first to polygamize Suffiz'd it not O Lamech to distain Thy Nuptiall bed but that thou must ingrain In thy great-Grand-sires Grand-sires reeking gore Thy cruell blade respecting nought before The prohibition and the threatning vow Of him to whom infernall powrs do bow Neither his Pasports sealed Character Set in the fore-head of the Murderer Courage good Enos re-advance the Standard Of holy Faith by humane reason slaunder'd And troden-down Inuoke th' immortall powr Vpon his Altar warm bloud-offrings pour His sacred nose perfume with pleasing vapour And teend again Trueth 's neer-extinguisht Taper Thy pupil Henoch selfly-dying wholly Earths ornament to God he liueth solely Lo how he labours to endure the light Which in th' Arch-essence shineth glorious-bright How rapt from sense and free from fleshly lets Sometimes he climbs the sacred Cabinets Of the diuine Ideas euer-lasting Having for wings Faith fervent l'rayer and Fasting How at sometimes though clad in earthly clod He sacred sees feels all inioyes in God How at somtimes mounting from form to form In form of God he happy doth transform Lo how th' all-fair as burning all in loue With his rare beauties not content aboue T' haue half but all and ever sets the stairs That lead from hence to Heav'n his chosen heirs Lo now he climeth the supernall stories Adiew deer Henoch in eternall glories Dwell there with God thy body chang'd in quality Of Spirit or Angel puts on immortality Thine eys already now no longer eys But new bright stars doe brandish in the skyes Thou drinkest deep of the celestiall wine Thy Sabbaoth's endless without vail in fine Thouseest God face to face and neervnite To th' ONE-TRINE Good thou liv'st in th' Infinite But heer the while new Angell thou dost leaue Fell wicked folk whose hands are apt to reaue Whose Scorpion tongues delight in sowing strife Whose guts are gulfs incestuous all their life O strange to be beleev'd the blessed race The sacred Flock whom God by speciall grace Adopts for his even they alas most shame-less Do follow sin most beastly-brute and tame-less With lustfull eys choosing for wanton Spouses Mens wicked daughters mingling so the houses Of Seth and Cain preferring foolishly Frail beauties blaze to vertuous modesty From these profane foul cursed kisses sprung A cruell brood feeding on bloud and wrong Fell Gyants strange of haughty hand and minde Plagues of the World and scourges of Man-kinde Then righteous God though ever prone to pa Seeing his milde-ness but their malice harden List plead nolonger but resolues the fall Of man forth-with and for mans sake of all Of all at least the living creatures gliding Along the ayr or on the earth abiding Heav'ns crystall windows with one hand he opes Whence on the World a thousand Seas he drops With th' other hand he gripes and wringeth forth The spungy Globeof th' execrable Earth So straightly prest that it doth straight restore All liquid flouds that it had drunk before In every Rock new Rivers doe begin And to his aid the snowes com tumbling in
Who lacks a member yet persevereth To liue we see but members cut away From their own head do by and by decay 9. A Traytor deserues to haue his house razed to the ground Nor was God cruell when he drown'd the Earth For sit hence man had from his very birth Rebeld against him was 't not equity That for his fault his house should vtterly Be rent and raz'd that salt should there besow'n That in the ruins for instruction We for a time might read and vnderstand The righteous vengeance of Heav'ns wrathfull hand That wrought this Deluge and no hoorded waves Of ayry clouds or vnder-earthly caves If all blew Curtins mixt of ayr and water 10. The Flood was no naturall accident but a most iust iudgement of God Round-over-spreading this wide All-Theater To som one Climate all at once should fly One Country they might drown vndoubtedly But our great Galley hauing gone so far So many months in sight of either Star From Pole to Pole through sundry Climats whorld Showes that this Flood hath drowned all the world Now non-plust if to re-inforce thy Camp 11. The waters of the Flood sprung not from a naturall motion only but proceeded frō other then naturall Causes which cannot produce such effects Thou fly for succour to thine Ayery Damp Showe in the concave of what Mountains steep We may imagine Dens sufficient deep For so much ayr as gushing out in fountains Should hide the proud tops of the highest Mountains Sith a whole tun of ayr scarce yeelds in tryall Water ynough to fill one little Viall And what should then betide those empty spaces What should succeed in the forsaken places Of th' air's thin parts in swift springs shrinking thence Sith there 's no voyd in th' All-circumference Whence wilt thou say then coms this raging flood 12. The consideratiō of the power of God in subiecting the creatures to Noah in sustaining feeding them so long in the Arke which was as a Sepulchre confuteth all the obiections of Atheists That over-flowes the windy Ryphean Wood Mount Libanus and enviously aspires To quench the light of the celestiall fires Whence shall I say then whence-from coms it Cham That Wolves and Panthers waxing meek and tame Leaving the horror of their shady home Adiourn'd by Heav'n did in my presence com Who holding subiect vnder my command So many creatures humbled at my hand And now restor'd to th' honour and estate Whence Adam fell through sin and Satans hate Whence doth it com or by what reason is' t That vn-mann'd Haggards to mine empty fist Com without call Whence coms it that so little Fresh water fodder meal and other victuall Should serue so long so many a greedy-gut As in the dark holds of this Ark is shut That heer the Partridge doth not dread the Hauk Nor fearfull Hare the spotted Tiger baulk That all these storms our Vessell haue not broak That all this while we doe not ioyntly choak With noysom breath and excrementall stink Of such a common and continuall sink And that ourselues ' mid all these deaths are sav'd From these All-Seas where all the rest are Grav'd In all the compass of our floating Inns 13. The Arke full of Miracles which confound the wits stop the mouthes of profane wranglers Are not so many planks and boords and pins As wonders strange and miracles that ground Mans wrangling Reason and his wits confound And God no less his mighty powr displayd When he restor'd then when the World he made O sacred Patron pacifie thine ire Bring home our Hulk these angry floods retire A-liue and dead let vs perceiue and proove Thy wrath on others on our selues thy love Thus Noah sweetens his Captivity God causeth the Flood to cease Beguiles the time and charms his misery Hoping in God alone who in the Mountains Now slopping close the veins of all the Fountains Shutting Heav'ns sluees causing th' ayr controul'd Close-vp his channels and his Seas with-hould Cals forth the windes O Heav'ns fresh fans quoth he Earths sweeping Brooms O Forrests enmity O you my Heralds and my Harbengers My nimble Postes and speedy Messengers Mine arms my sinews and mine Eagles swift That through the ayr my rowling Chariot lift When from my mouth in my iust-kindled ire Fly Sulphry fumes and hot consuming fire When with my Lightning Scepters dreadfull wonder I muster horror darknes clouds and thunder Wake rise and run and drink these waters dry That hills and dales haue hidden from the sky Th' Aeolian Crowd obays his mighty call The Arke resteth on the Mountain Ararat in Armenia The surly surges of the waters fall The Sea retreateth and the sacred Keel Lands on a Hill at whose proud feet doo kneel A thousand Hills his lofty horn adoring That cleaues the clouds the starry welkin goaring Then hope-cheer'd Noah first of all for scout What Noah did before he went forth Sends forth the Crowe who flutters neer-about And finding yet no landing place at all Returns a-boord to his great Admirall Som few dayes after from the window flyes The harm-less Doue for new discoveries But seeing yet no shoar she almost tyr'd A-boord the Carrack back again retyr'd But yer the Sun had seav'n Heav'n-Circuits rode To view the World a-fresh she flyes abroad And brings a-boord at evening in her bill And Oliue branch with water pearled still O happy presage O deer pledge of loue O wel-com newes behold the peacefull Doue Brings in her beak the Peace-branch boading weal And truce with God who by this sacred seal Kindely confirms his holy Couenant That first in fight the Tiger rage shall want Lions be cowards Hares couragious Yer he be false in word or deed to vs. O sacred Oliue firstling of the fruits Health-boading branch be it thy tender roots Haue lived still while this strange Deluge lasted I doe reioyce it hath not all things wasted Or be it since the Ebb thou newly spring Prays'd be the bounty of th' immortall King That quickens thus these dead the World induing With beauty fresh so suddainly renuing Thus Noah spake And though the World gan lift He exspecteth Gods commandement to goe forth whereby at the first hee was shut vp in the Ark Most of his Iles above the waters drift Though waxen old in his long weary night He see a friendly Sun to brandish bright Though choak't with ill ayr in his stinking staul Hee 'l not a-shoar till God be pleas'd with-all And till devout from Heav'n he vnderstand Som Oracle to licence him to land But warn'd by Heav'n he commeth from his Cave Or rather from a foul infectious grave With Sem Cham Iapheth and their twice-two Brides And thousand pairs of living things besides Vnclean and clean for th' holy Patriark Had of all kinds inclosed in the Ark. But heer I hear th' vngodly that for fear Late whispered softly in each others ear With silent murmurs muttering secretly Now trumpet
thus their filthy blasphemy New obiectioÌ„ of Atheists concerning the capacity of the Ark. Who will beleeve but shallow-brained Sheep That such a ship scarce thirty Cubits deep Thrice fifty long and but onâ—e fifty large So many months could bear so great a charge Sith the proud Horse the rough-skinn'd Elephant The lusty Bull the Camell water-want And the Rhmocerot would with their fodder Fill-vp a Hâ—lk faâ—r deeper longer broader O profane mockers if I but exclude Answere Out of this Vâ—ssell a vast multitude Of since-born mongrels that deriue their birth From monstrous medly of Venerian mirth Fantastik Mules and spotted Leopards Of incest-heat ingendred afterwards So many sorts of Dogs of Cocks and Doves Since dayly sprung from strange and mingled loues Wherein from time to time in various sort Dedalian Nature seems her to disport If playner yet I proue you space by space And foot by foot that all this ample place By subtill iudgement made and Symmetrie Miâ—ht lodge so many creatures handsomly Sith euery brace was Geometricall Nought resteth Momes for your reply at all If who dispute with God may be content To take for currant Reasons argument But heer t' admire th' Al-mighties powrfull hand An vn-answerable answer to all profane obiections I rather loue and silence to command To mans discourse what he hath said is don For euermore his word and deed are one By his sole arm the Gallions Masters saw Themselues safe rescu'd from Deaths yawning iaw And offer-vpto him in zealous wise The Peace full sent of sweet burnt-sacrifice And send with-all above the starry Pole These winged sighes from a religious soule World-shaking Father Windes-King calming-Seas With milde aspect behold vs Lord appease Thine Anger 's tempest and to safety bring The planks escap't from this sad Perishing And bound for ever in their ancient Caues These stormy Seas deep World-deuouring waues Increase quoth God and quickly multiply Cömandements Prohibitions Promises of God to Noah and his Posterity And fill the World with fruitfull Progeny Resume your Scepter and with new beheasts Bridle again the late revolted Beasts Re-exercise your wonted rule again It is your office over them to raign Deer Children vse them all take kill and eat But yet abstain and doe not take for meat Their ruddy soule and leaue O sacred seed To rav'ning Fowls of strangled flesh to feed I I am holy be you holy then I deeply hate all cruell bloody men Therefore defile not in your brothers blood Your guilty hands refrain from cruell mood Fly homicide doe not in any case In man mine Image brutishly deface The cruell man a cruell death shall taste And blood with blood be venged first or last For evermore vpon the murderers head My roaring storms of fury shall be shed From hence-forth fear no second Flood that shall The Rain Bowe giueÌ„ for a Pledg of the Promise that there shall be no more generall Flood Cover the whole face of this earthly Ball I assure ye no no no I swear to you And who hath ever found mine Oath vntrue Again I swear by my thrice-sacred Name And to confirm it in the Clouds I frame This coloured Bowe When then som tempest black Shall threat again the fearfull World to wrack When water-loaden Heav'ns your Hils shal touch When th' ayr with Midnight shall your Noon be-pitch Your cheerfull looks vp to this Rain-bowe cast For though the same on moystful Clouds be plaç't Though hemm'd with showrs and though it seem to sup To drown the World all th' Oceans waters vp Yet shall it when you seem in danger sink Make you of me me of my promise think Noah looks-vp and in the Ayr he views Description of the Rayn-Bowe A semi-Circle of a hundred hews Which bright ascending toward th' aethereall thrones Hath a lyne drawn between two Orizons For iust Diameter an even-bent bowe Contriv'd of three whereof the one doth showe To be all painted of a golden hew The second green the third an orient blew Yet so that in this pure blew-golden-green Still Opal-like som changeable is seen A Bowe bright-shining in th' Arch-Archers hand Whose subtill string seems levell with the Land Half-parting Heav'n and over vs it bends Within two Seas wetting his horned ends A temporall beauty of the lampfull skies Where powrfull Nature showes her freshest dies What it signifieth And if you onely blew and red perceiue The same as signes of Sea and Fire conceiue Of both the flowing and the flaming Doom The Iudgement past and Iudgement yet to come Then having call'd on God our second Father Noah falls to Husbandry and tills the Earth as he had done before the Flood Suffers not sloth his arms together gather But fals to work and wisely now renew'th The Trade he learn'd to practice in his youth For the proud issue of that Tyrant rude That first his hand in brothers bloud imbrewd As scorning Ploughs and hating harm-less tillage And wantons prising less the homely village With fields and Woods then th' idle Citties-shades Imbraced Laws Scepters and Arts and Trades But Seths Sons knowing Nature soberly Content with little fell to Husbandry There to reducing with industrious care The Flocks and Droues cover'd with wooll and hair As prayse-full gain and profit void of strife Art nurse of Arts and very life of life So the bright honour of the Heav'nly Tapers Had scarcely boxed ali th' Earths dropsie vapours When hee that sav'd the store-seed-World from wrack Began to delve his fruitfull Mothers back And there soon-after planteth heedfully The brittle branches of the Nectar-tree For 'mong the pebbles of a pretty hill To the warm Suns ey lying open still He plants a vine He sets in furrows or in shallow trenches The crooked Vines choice scyons shoots and branches In March he delves them re-re-delves and dresses Cuts props and proins and God his work so blesses That in the third September for his meed The plentious Vintage doth his hopes exceed Then Noah willing to beguile the rage He is ouer-taken with Wine Of bitter griefs that vext his feeble age To see with mud so many Roofs o're-growen And him left almost in the World alone One-day a little from his strictness shrunk And making merry drinking over-drunk And silly thinking in that hony-gall To drown his woes he drowns his wits and all Description of a drunken-man His head growes giddy and his foot indents A mighty fume his troubled brain torments His idle prattle from the purpose quite Is abrupt stuttering all confus'd and light His wine-stuft stomack wrung with winde he feels His trembling Tent all topsi-turuie wheels At last not able on his legs to stand More like a foul Swine then a sober man Opprest with sleep he wallows on the ground His shame-lesse snorting trunk so deeply drownd In self oblivion that he did not hide Those parts that Caesar covered when he died Ev'n as the Ravens with windy
Among this people euery where did iangle Bring me quoth one atrowell quickly quick One brings him vp a hammer heaw this brick Another bids and then they cleaue a Tree Make fast this rope and then they let it flee One cals for planks another mortarlacks They bear the first a stone the last an ax One would haue spikes and him a spade they giue Another asks a saw and gets a siue Thus crosly-crost they prate and point in vain What one hath made another mars again Nigh breath-less all with their confused yawling In boot-less labour now begins appawling In brief as those that in som channell deep An other elegaÌ„t comparison showing that there is no Counsail no Endeuour no diligence no might nor multitude that can resist God Begin to build a Bridge with Arches steep Perceiuing once in thousand streams extending The course-chang'd Riuer from the hils descending With watry mountains bearing down their Bay As if it scorn'd such bondage to obay Abandon quickly all their work begun And heer and there for swifter safety run These Masons so seeing the storm arriu'd Of Gods iust Wrath all weak and hart-depriu'd Forsake their purpose and like frantick fools Scatter their stuffe and tumble down their tools O proud revolt O trayterous felony Discommodities proceeding froÌ„ the confusion of Tongues See in what sort the Lord hath punisht thee By this Confusion ah that language sweet Sure bond of Cities friendships mastik meet Strong curb of anger yerst vnited now In thousand drie Brooks strays I wot not how That rare-rich gold that charm-grief fancy-mouer That calm-rage harts-theef quel-pride coniure-louer That purest coyn then currant in each coast Now mingled hath sound waight and colour lost 'T is counterfeit and ouer euery shoar The confus'd fall of Babel yet doth roar Then Finland-folk might visit Affrica The Spaniard Inde and ours America Without a truch-man now the banks that bound Our Towns about our tongues do also mound For who from home but half a furlong goes As dumb alas his Reason's tool doth lose Of if we talk but with our neer confines We borrow mouthes or else we work by signes Vn-toild vn-Tutord sucking tender food We learn'd a language all men vnderstood And seav'n-yeers-old in glass-dust did commence To draw the round Earths fair circumference To cipher well and climbing Art by Art We reacht betimes that Castles highest part Where th' Encyclopedie her darlings Crowns In signe of conquest with etern renowns Now euer-boys we wax old while we seek The Hebrew tongue the Latin and the Greek We can but babble and for knowledge whole Of Natures secrets and of th' Essence sole Which Essence giues to all we tire our minde To vary verbs and finest words to finde Our letters and our syllables to waigh At Tutors lips we hang with heads all gray Who teach vs yet to read and giue vs raw An A. B. C. for great Iustinians law Hippocrates or that Diuiner lore Where God appears to whome him right adore What shall I more say then all spake the speech The Hebrew Tongue in all Mens mouthes before the confusion of Languages Of God himselfe th' old sacred Idiom rich Rich perfect language where 's no point nor signe But hides some rare deep mysterie diuine But since that pride each people hath a-part A bastard gibberish harsh and ouerthwart Which daily chang'd and losing light wel-neer Nothing retains of that first language cleer The Phrygians once and that renowned Nation A conclusion tried whereb appeareth that chil dren are naturally apt to learn to speak not able of themselues to speake without example Fed with fair Nilus fruitfull inundation Longing to know their Languages prioritie Fondly impos'd the censuring authoritie To silly Iudges voyd of iudging sense Dumb stammerers to treat of eloquence To wit two Infants nurst by Mothers dumb In silent Cels where neuer noyse should com Of charming humane voice to eccho there Till triple-twelue months full expired were Then brought before the Memphians and the men That dwell at Zant the faint-breath'd children Crie often Bek Bek Bek is all the words That their tongue forms or their dumb mouth affords Then Phrygians knowing that in Phrygian Bek meaneth bread much to reioyce began Glad that kinde Nature had now graçt them so To grant this Sentence on their side to go Fools which perceiv'd not that the bleating flocks Which powl'd the neighbour Mountains motly locks Had taught this tearm and that no tearms of Rome Greece Egypt England France Troy Iewry com Com born with vs but euery Countries tongue Is learnt by much vse and frequenting long Only we haue peculiar to our race Aptnes to speak as that same other grace Which richly-diuers makes vs differ more From dull dumb wretches that in Desarts roar Now that Buls bellow if that any say Answeres to the obiection taken from the consufused voice of Beasts That Lions roar and slothfull Asses bray Now lowe now lowd and by such languages Distinctly seeme to shew their courages Those are not words but bare expressions Of violent fits of certain passions Confused signes of sorrow or annoy Of hunger thirst of anger loue or ioy To another Obiection of the chirping of Birds And so I say that all the winged quiers Which mornly warble on green trembling briers Ear-tickling tunes for though they seem to prattle A-part by payrs and three to three to rattle To winde their voice a hundred thousand waies In curious descant of a thousand layes T' haue taught Apollo in their School his skill Their sounds want sense their notes are word-less still Their song repeated thousand times a day As dumb discourse flies in the Woods away But only Man can talke of his Creator Aduantage of Man endued with Reason aboue the rest of the Creatures Of heav'n and earth and fire and ayr and water Of Iustice Temperance Wisdom Fortitude In choise sweet tearms that various sense include And not in one sole tongue his thoughts disâ—under But like to Scaliger our ages wonder Iosephus Scaliger skilfull in 13. languages The Learned's Sun who eloquently can Speak Spanish French Italian Nubian Dutch Chaldee Syriak English Arabik Besides the Persian Hebrew Latin Greek O rich quick spirit O wits Chameleon Which any Authors colour can put on Great Iulius Son and Syluius worthy brother Th' immortall grace of Gascony their mother And as for Iayes that in their wyery gail Answer to a third obiection touching Tarotresembling Eccho and speaking without speech Can ask for victuals and vnvictuail'd rail Who daring vs for eloquences meed Can plain pronounce the holy Christian Creed Say the Lords prayer and oft repeat it all And name by name a good great houshold call Th' are like that voice which by our voice begot From hollow vale babbles it wots not what In vain the ayr they beat it vainly cleauing And dumbly speak their own speech not conceiuing Deaf to themselues for speech
from thence toward the bright Leuant That vast Extent where now fell Tartars hant In wandring troops and towards th' other side Which neer her source long Volga doth divide Moscouy Coast Permia Liuonia Prussia Biarmia Scrisinia White-Lake Lappia Russia How the New-found World discouered in our Time came peopled A double question But whence say you had that New-World his Guests Which Spain like Delos floting on the Seas Late digg'd from darknes of Obliuions Graue And it vndoing it new Essence gaue If long agoe how should it hap that no-man Knew it til now no Persian Greek no Roman Whose glorious Peers victorious Armies guiding O're all the World of this had never tyding If but of late how swarm their Cities since So full of Folk how pass their Monuments Th' Aegyptian Spires Mausolus stately Toomb The Walls and Courts of Babylon and Rome Why thinke yee fond those people fell from Heav'n â— Answere All-ready-made as in a Sommer Ev'n After a swelting Day som sultry showr Doth in the Marshes heaps of Tadpals pour Which in the ditches chapt with parching weather Lie crusht and croaking in the Mud together Or else that setting certain slips that fixt Their slender roots the tender mould betwixt They saw the light of Phoebus lyuening face Having for milk moist deaws for Cradle grass Or that they grew out of the fruitfull Earth As Toad-stools Turneps Leeks and Beets haue birth Or like the bones that Cadmus yerst did sowe Were brauely born armed from top toe That spacious Coast now call'd America Was not so soon peopled as Africa Th' ingenious Towr-full and Law-louing Soil Which Ioue did with his Lemans name en-stile And that which from cold Bosphorus doth spread To pearl'd Auroras Saffron-coloured Bed Because they ly neerer the diapry verges Of tear-bridge Tigris Swallow-swifter surges Whence our amaz'd first Grand-sires faintly fled And like sprung Patridge euery-where did spred Except that World where vnder Castiles King Famous Columbus Force and Faith did bring But the rich buildings rare magnificence Th' infinit Treasures various Governments Showe that long since although at sundry times 'T had Colonies although from sundry Climes Whether the violence of tempestuous weather Som broken Vessels haue inforced thither Whether som desperat dire extremity Of Plague War Famin orth ' Authority Of som braue Typhis in aduenture tost Brought weary Caruels on that Indian Coast. Who maketh doubt but yerst the Quinzay Fraights Conictures touching the Peopling of the same As well might venture through the Anian Straights And finde as easie and as short a way From the East Indies to the Tolguage Bay As vsually the Asian Ships are wont To pass to Greece a-cross the Hellespont Spaniards to Fez a-thwart the Straight Abilia Through Messine stream th' Italians to Sicilia From Tolm and Quiuir's spacious Plains wherein Bunch-backed Calues with Horse-like manes are seen And Sheep-like Fleece they fill Azasia Toua Topir Canada Cossia Mecchi Avacal Calicuaz Bacalos Los Campos de Labor where Floods are froze On th' other side Xalisco soyl they Mann Wonders of the New-found World Now new Galizia Cusule Mechuacan And cunningly in Mexik Sea they pile Another Uenice or a City I le Strange things there see they that amaze them much Green Trees to wither with their very touch And in Nicaragua a Mountain top That Aetna-like bright Flashes belches vp Thence reach they th' Isthmos of rich Panama And on their right hand build Oucanama With Cassamalca Cusco Quito and In famous Perv's very golden Strand Admire the Lake that laueth Colle about Whose Waues be salt within and fresh without And streams of Cinca that with vertue strange To hardest stone soft Mud and Chalk do change Then seiz they Chili where all day the Deep Runs roaring down and all the night doth sleep Chinca the Patagons and all the shoar Where th' azure Seas of Magellan do roor Left-ward they spread them ' longst the Darians side Where through th' Vrabian Fields the Huo doth slide Neer Zenu's stream which toward the Ocean drags Pure grains of Gold as big as Pullets Eggs To new Granada where the Mount embost With Emeralds doth shine Cumanean Coast Where noysom vapours like a dusky night Bedimms their eyes and doth impair their sight Therefore som troops from Cumana they carrie To Caripana Omagu and Pari By Maragnon all over fell Brasile And Plate's fat Plains where flowes another Nile Ghesse too that Grotland yerst did Picne store And Ireland fraught Los Campos de Labor As Tombut Melli Gago and Terminan Planted the Plains and shoars of Corican Yet happily thou'lt gladly grant me this That mans ambition ay so bound-les is How it was possible that Noah and his 3. Sonnes should so multiply That steepest Hills it over-climbs with ease And runs as dry-shod through the deepest Seas And maugre meagre Thirst her Carvells Lands On Afrik Tolmon and Arabian sands But hardly credit'st that one Family Out of foure couples should so multiply That Asia Europ Africa and All Seems for their off-spring now too streight and small If thouset-light by th' everlasting Voyce 1. Answere Which now again re-blest the Loue-full Choyce Of sacred Wedlocks secret-binding band Saying Increase Flourish and Fill the Land And if profane thou hold it for a Fiction 2. That Seauenty Iews in Aegypt in affliction Within foure hundred yeers and half three-score Grew to fiue-hundred-thousand soules and more Consider yet that being fed that while 3. With holesom Fruits of an vn-forced soyl And kindely meats not marred by the Book And wanton cunning of a sawcy Cook Waigh furthermore that being not cut-down With bloody swords when furious neighbours frown Nor worn with Trauail nor infeebeled With hatefull Sloath Our Grand-sires flowrished Hundreds of yeers in youth and even in Age Could render duly Venus Escuage And that Polygamy in those dayes common Most Men vsurping more then one sole Woman Made then the World so mightily augment In vpright Creatures and in continent From fruitfull Loigns of one old Father-stock So many branches of man-kinde to flock Comparison to that purpose Even as an ear of Corn if all the yield Be yeerly sow'n still in a fertill Field Fills Barns at length and spreads in spacious Plain Millions of millions of like ears again Or as two Fishes cast into a Meer With fruitfull Spawn will furnish in fewe yeer A Town with victuall and serue furthermore Their neighbour Waters with their Fry to store Haue not our Dayes a certain Father know'n An example of our dayes Who with the fruit of his own body grow'n Peopled a Village of a hundred Fires And issue-blest the Crown of Old Desires In his owne life-time his owne off-spring saw To wed each other without breach of Law So far the branches of his fruitfull Bed Past all the Names of Kindreds-Tree did spread 'T is know'n that fewe Arabian Families Another example New-planted Lybia with their Progenies In
Pearl and Gold From Russia Furres to keep the rich from cold From Florence Silks From Spayn Fruit Saffron Sacks From Denmark Amber Cordage Firres and Flax From France and Flanders Linnen Woad and Wine From Holland Hops Horse from the banks of Rhine In brief each Country as pleas'd God distribute To the Worlds Treasure payes a sundry Tribute Man lord of the World which for the commodity of his life contributes bountifully all maner of necessaries And as sometimes that sumptuous Persian Dame Out of her Pride accustomed to name One Prouince for her Roab her Rayl another Her Partlet this her Pantofles the tother This her rich Mantle that her royall Chain This her rare Bracelets that her stately Train Euen so may Man For what wilde Hill so steep What so waste Desart what so dangerous Deep What Scaso wrackfull or so barren shoar In all the World may be suppos'd so poor But yields him Rent and free from enuious Spight Contributes frankly to his Lifes Delight The same more especially dilated in the particulars Th' inammell'd Valleys where the liquid glass Of siluer Brooks in curled streams doth pass Serue vs for Gardens and their flowerie Fleece Affoords vs Sythe-work yeerly twice or thrice The Plains for Corn the swelling Downs for Sheep Small Hills for Vines the Mountains strangely-steep Those Heav'n-climbe Ladders Labyrinths of wonder Cellars of winde and Shops of sulphury Thunder Where stormie Tempests haue their vgly birth Which thou mis-call'st the blemish of the Earth Thinking profane that God or Fortune light Made them of enuie or of ouersight Bound with eternall bounds proud Emperies Bear mighty Forrests full of Timber-Trees Whereof thou buildest Ships and Houses fair To trade the Seas and fence thee from the Ayr Spew spacious Riuers full of fruitfull Breed Which neighbour-Peoples with their plenty feed Fatten the Earth with fresh sweet fertill mists Driue gainfull Mills and serue for Forts and Lists To stop the Furie of Warres waste-full hand And ioyn to th' Sea the middle of the Land The Wyldes and Desarts which so much amaze-thee Are goodly Pastures that do daily graze-thee Millions of Beasts for tillage and besides Store thee with flesh with Fleeces and with Hides Yea the vast Sea which seems but only good To drown the World and couer with his Flood So many Countries where we else might hope For thrifty pains to reape a thankfull Crop Is a large Lardar that in brynie Deeps To nourish thee a World of Creatures keeps A plentious Victualler whose prouisions serue Millions of Citties that else needs must starue Like half-dead Dolphins which the Ebb le ts lie Gasping for thirst vpon the sand a-drie ' Tincreaseth Trade Iournies abbreuiates The flitting Clouds it cease-les exhalates Which cooling th' ayr and gushing down in rain Make Ceres Sons in sight to mounta-main But shall I still be Boreas Tennis-ball Here as it were wearied with so long a voyage from so broad bottom-les an Ocean in imitation of the inimitable Author the Translator hoping kind entertainmeÌ„t puts in for the Port of England whose happy praises hee prosecutes at large Concluding with a zealous Praier for preseruation of the King and prosperity of his Kingdoms Shall I be still stern Neptunes tossed Thrall Shall I no more behold thy natiue smoak Deer Ithaca Alas my Barkis broak And leaks so fast that I can rowe no more Help help my Mates make haste vnto the shoar O! we are lost vnless som friendly banks Quickly receiue our Tempest-beaten planks Ah courteous ENGLAND thy kinde arms I see Wide-stretched out to saue and welcom me Thou tender Mother wilt not suffer Age To snowe my locks in Forrein Pilgrimage That fel Bresile my breath-les Corps should shrowd Or golden Peru of my Praise be prowd Orrich Cathay to glory in my Verse Thou gav'st me Cradle thou wilt giue me Herse All-haile deer ALEION Europ's Pearl of price The Worlds rich Garden Earths rare Paradise Thrice-happy Mother which ay bringest-forth Such Chiualry as daunteth all the Earth Planting the Trophies of thy glorious Arms By Sea and Land where euer Titan warms Such Artizans as do wel-neer Eclipse Fair Natures praise in peer-les Workmanships Such happy Wits as Egypt Greece and Rome At least haue equall'd if not ouer-com And shine among their Modern learned Fellows As Gold doth glister among paler Yellows Or as Apollo th' other Planets passes Or as His Flowr excels the Medow-grasses Thy Riuers Seas thy Cities Shires do seem Ciuil in manners as in buildings trim Sweet is thine Ayr thy Soyl exceeding Fat Fenç't from the World as better-worth then That With triple Wall of Water Wood and Brass Which neuer Stranger yet had power to pass Saue when the Heav'ns haue for thy haynous Sin By som of Thine with false Keys let them in About thy borders O Heav'n-blessed I LE There neuer crawls the noy som Crocodile Nor Bane-breath'd Serpent basking in thy sand Measures an Acre of thy flowry Land The swift foot Tiger or fierce Lioness Haunt not thy Mountains nor thy wilderness Nor rauening Wolues worry thy tender Lambs Bleating for help vnto their help-les Dams Nor subtle Sea-Horse with deceiptfull Call Intice thy Children in thy Floods to fall What though thy Thames and Tweed haue neuer rowl'd Among their grauel massie grains of Gold What though thy Mountains spew no Siluer-streams Though euery Hillock yield not pretious Gemms Though in thy Forrests hang no Silken Fleeces Nor sacred Incense nor delicious Spices What though the clusters of thy colder Vines Distill not Clarets Sacks nor Muscadines Yet are thy Wolls thy Corn thy Cloath thy Tin Mines rich enough to make thee Europes Queen Yea Empress of the World Yet not sufficient To make thee thankfull to the Cause efficient Of all thy Blessings Who besides all this Hath now nine Lustres lent thee greater Bliss His blessed Word the witnes of his fauour To guide thy Sons vnto his Son their Sauer With Peace and Plenty while from War and Want Thy neighbours Countries neuer breathed scant And last not least so far beyond the scope Of Christians Fear and Anti-Christians Hope When all thy Fall seem'd to Prognosticate Hath higher rais'd the glory of thy State In raysing STVARDS to thy regal Throne To Rule as Dauid and as Salomon With prudence Prowess Iustice and Sobrietie Thy happy People in Religious Piety Otoo-too happy too-too fortunate Knew'st thou thy Weal or wert thou not ingrate But least at last Gods righteous wrath consume-vs If on his patience still we thus presume-vs And least at last all Blessings had before Double in Curses to torment-vs more Deer Mother ENGLAND bend thine aged knee And to the Heav'ns lift vp thy hands with me Off with thy Pomp hence with thy Pleasures past Thy Mirth be Mourning and thy Feast a FAST And let thy soule with my sad soule confesse Our former sins and â—oul vnthankefulnes Pray we the Father through th' adopting Spirit Not measure vs
And Lees of All doth hold the lowest place Whom prudent Nature girdeth ouer-thwart With azure Zone or rather euery part Couers with Water winding round about Saue heer and there som Angles peeping out For th' Oceans liquid and sad slyding Waues Sinking in deepest of Earths hollow Caues Seek not within her vast vnequall height The Centre of the wideness but the weight Ther should be th' Ayr the Fire and wandring Seauen The Firmament and the first-mouing Heav'n Besides th' Empyreall Palace of the Saincted Each ouer other if they could be painted But th' Artist faining in the steed of these His 10. Circles Ten Circles like Heav'ns Superficies To guide vs to them by more easie Path In hollow Globe the same described hath ' Mid th' amplest Six whose crossing difference 1 The Equi-noctiall Diuides in two the Sphears Circumference Stands th' Equinoctial equi-distant all From those two Poles which do support this Ball. Therefore each Star that vnderneath it slides A rest-les long and weary Iourney rides Goes larger Circuit and more speedy far Then any other steady fixed Star Which wexeth slowe the more it doth aduaunce Neer either Pole his God-directed Daunce And while Apollo driues his Load of Light Vnder this Line the Day and dusky Night Tread equall steps for learned Natures hand Then measures them a-like in euery Land The next which there beneath it sloaply slides And his fair Hindges from the World's diuides Twice twelue Degrees is call'd the Zodiack 2 The Zodiak The Planets path where Phoebus plies to make Th' Yeers Reuolution through new Houses ranging To cause the Seasons yeerly foure-fold changing Th' other which crossing th' Vniuersall Props 3 The 1. Colure And those where Titans whirling Chariot sloaps Rect-angles forms and crooking cuts in two Heer Capricorn there burning Cancer too Of the Sun's stops it Colure hath to name Because his Teem doth seem to trot more tame On these cut points for heer he doth not ride Flatling a-long but vp the Sphears steep side Th' other which cuts this equi-distantly 4 The 2. Colure With Aries Poles and Scale is like-wisely The Second Colure The Meridian This 5 The Meridian Which neuer in one Point of Heav'n persists But still pursues our Zenith as the light 6 The Horizon Inconstant Horizon our shifting sight For the foure small ones heer the Tropiks turn 7 and 8 The Tropiks Both that of Cancer and of Capricorn And neerer th' Hindges of the golden Sphear Heer 's the South-Circle the North-Circle there 9 and 10 The South and North Circles Which Circles cross not as you see at all The Center-point of th' Vniuersall Ball But parting th' Orb into vn-equall ells ' Twixtth ' Equi-nox and them rest Parallels The Celestiall Globes The other Ball her left hand doth support Is Heav'ns bright Globe for though that Art com short Of Nature far heer may ingenious soules Admire the stages of Star-seeled Poles O what delight it is in turning soft The diuers aspects of the celestiall Bodies The bright Abbridgement of that Vpper Loft To seem to see Heav'ns glorious Host to march In glistring Troops about th' Aethereal Arch Where one for Arms bears Bowe and Shafts a Sword A second hath a trembling Launce a third One fals another in his Chariot rowles On th' azure Brass of th' euer-radiant Bowles This serues a-foot that as a Horseman rides This vp that down this back that forward slides Their Order order-less and Peace-full Braul With-child's the World fils Sea and Earth and All. I neuer see their glaunces inter-iect Simile In Triangle Sextile or Square aspect Now milde now moody but me thinks I see Som frollik Swains amid their dauncing glee Where Men and Maids together make them merry With Iigs and Rounds till Pipe and all be weary Where on his Loue one smiles with wanton eye Wher-at his Riuall frowns for Iealousie But why quoth Phalec hath th' All-Fair who frames Question Nought heer below but 's full of Beauties flames Ingrav'n on th' Orbs of th' azure ' Crystalline Where Beauties self and Loue should euer shine So many hideous Beasts and Monsters fell Fellows more fit for th' vgly Fiends in Hell Surely saith Heber God's all-prudent pleasure Answere Makes nothing Art-less nor without iust measure And this the Worlds chief praise of Beauty carries That in each part it infinitly varies Our learned Elders then who on this Sphear The reason of the names giuen to the 12. Signes of the Zodiak Heav'ns shining Signes imagin'd fitly-fair Did vnto each such Shape and Name deuise As with their Natures neerly symbolize In form of Ram with golden Fleece they put 1. Aries The bi-corn'd Signe which the Yeers bounds doth ' butt Because the World vnder his temp'rate heat In fleece of flowrs is pranked richly neat Of Bull the next because the husband-men 2. Taurus With yoaks of slowe-paç't smoking Bullocks then Tear-vp their Fallows and with hope-full toyl Furbush their Coultars in the Corn-fit soyl Of Twins the third because then of two Sexes 3. Gemini Kinde-cruell Cupid one whole body mixes Then all things couple then Fruits double growe Then Flowrs do flourish and corn Fields do showe The fourth a Lobstars name and frame they made 4. Cancer Because then South-ward Sol doth retrograde Goes Crab-like backward and so neuer stinteth But still his wheels in the same track reprinteth The fift a Lion for as Lions breath 5. Leo. Is burning hot so likewise vnderneath This fiery Signe th' Earth sparkles and the streams Seem sod-away with the Suns glowing beams 6. Virgo The sixt a Maid because with Maid-like honour Th' Earth loatheth then the Suns Loue-glances on her T' inflame her loue and reclus'd as it were This Virgin Season nought at all doth bear Ballance the seuenth because it equall weighs 7. Libra Nights louing-silence and grief-guiding Daies And Heat and Cold and in Must-Month the Beam Stands equi-poiz'd in equipeizing them Scorpion the next because his percing sting 8 Scorpio Doth the first tydings of cold Winter bring The ninth an Archer both in shape and Name 9 Sagittarius Who day and night follows his fairest game And his keen Arrows every-where bestowes Headed with Yce featherd with Sleet and Snowes The next a Kid because as Kids do clime And frisk from Rock to Rock about this Time 10 Capricornus The Prince of Planets with the locks of Amber Begins again vp towards vs to clamber And then because Heav'n alwayes seems to weep Vnder th' ensuing Signes on th' Azure steep 11 Aquarius 12 Pisces A deeper and more curious reason of the same Our Parents plaç't a Skinker and by him Two silver Fishes in his floods to swim But if my Son this superficiall gloze Suffice thee not then may we thus suppose That as before th' All-working Word alone Made Nothing be All 's womb and
for super-Intendent there The supream Voice placed in every Sphear A Syren sweet that from Heav'ns Harmony Inferiour things might learn best Melody And their rare Quier with th' Angels Quier accord To sing aloud the prayses of the Lord In 's Royall Chappell richly beautifi'd With glist'ring Tapers and all sacred Pride Simile Where as by Art one selfly blast breath'd out From panting bellowes passeth all-about Winde-Instruments enters by th' vnder Clavers Which with the Keys the Organ-Master quavers Fils all the Bulk and severally the same Mounts every Pipe of the melodious Frame At once reviving lofty Cymbals voice Flutes sweetest ayr and Regals shrillest noyse Even so th' all-quickning spirit of God above The Heav'ns harmonious whirling wheels doth move So that-re-treading their eternall trace Th' one bears the Treble th' other bears the Base A foure-folde Consort in the humors seasons and Elements But brimmer far than in the Heav'ns heer All these sweet-charming Counter-Tunes we hear For Melancholy Winter Earth belowe Bear ay the Base deep hollow sad and slowe Pale Phleagm moist Autumn Water moistly-cold The Plummet-like-smooth-sliding Tennor hold Hot-humid Bloud the Spring transparent Air The Maze-like Mean that turns and wends so fair Curst Choler Sommer and hot-thirsty Fire Th' high-warbling Treble loudest in the Quire And that 's the cause my Son why stubborn'st things The power of Musike towards all things Are stoopt by Musick as reteining springs Of Number in them and they feeble live But by that Spirit which th' Heav'ns dance doth drive Sweet Musik makes the sternest men-at-Arms Let-fall at once their anger and their Arms Towards Men. It cheers sad soules and charms the frantik fits Of Lunatiks that are bereft their wits It kils the flame and curbs the fond desire Of him that burns in Beauties blazing Fire Whose soule seduced by his erring eyes Doth som proud Dame devoutly Idolize It cureth Serpents bane-full bit whose anguish In deadly torment makes men madly languish The Swan is rapt the Hinde deceiv'd with-all And Birds beguil'd with a melodious call Towards Beasts Birdes Plies Fishes Th' Harp leads the Dolphin and the buzzing swarm Of busie Bees the tinkling Brass doth charm O! what is it that Musik cannot doo Sith th' all-inspiring Spirit it conquers too And makes the same down from the Empyreall Pole Descend to Earth into a Prophets soule With divine accents tuning rarely right Towards God himselfe Vnto the rapting Spirit the rapted Spright Sith when the Lord most moved threatneth most With wrathfull tempest arming all his Hoast When angry stretching his strong sinnewy arms With bended back he throwes down thundry storms Th' harmonious sighs of his heart-turning Sheep Supple his sinnews lull his wrath a-sleep While milde-ey'd Mercy stealeth from his hand The sulph'ry Plagues prepar'd for sinfull Man But while that Heber eloquently would Conclusion of the 2. Day of the 2. Week Olde Musikes vse and excellence haue told Curst Canaan seeking Iordans fatall course Past by the Pillars and brake his Discourse And mine with-all for I must rest me heer My weary Iourny makes me faint well-neer Needs must I craue new ayd from High and step A litle back that I may farther leap The ende of the Second Day of the Second Week ABRAHAM The THIRD DAY Of The SECOND WEEK Containing 1. THE VOCATION 2. THE FATHERS 3. THE LAWE 4. THE CAPTAINS Acceptam refero The VOCATION THE I. PART OF THE III. DAY OF THE II. WEEK THE ARGVMENT ABRAM from Chaldé is Divinely CALL'D How Blest abroad His parted Nephew Thrall'd In Sodom's ayd to Chedorlaomer Rescu'd by Him Type of that bloudy War Melchisedec His Hap congratulates Ismael great but GOD confederates With promis'd Isaak and his CHRIST-kin Seed Which shall in number even the Stars exceed Lot harbors Angels sav'd from Sodom's Fire His Wife Transform'd His Daughter 's foul Desire VNtill this Day deer Muse on every side Within straight lists thou hast been boundifi'd Pend in a Path so narrow every-where Thou couldst not manage onely heer and there Reaching thine arms over the Rails that close Thy bounded Race thou caught'st som fragrant Rose Som Gilly-flowr or som sweet Sops-in-Wine To make a Chaplet thy chaste brows to binde But now behold th' art in the open Plain Where thou maist liuely like the Horse of Spain Simile That having burst his halter and his holde Flings through the field where list him vncontrol'd Coruet and turn run prance advance and pride-thee As sacred fury of thy Zeal shall guide-thee Th' whole World is thine hēceforth thy Sythe may mowe The fairest Crop that in Fame's fields doth growe And on the Sea of richest Histories Hulling at large a hundred Victories A hundred Rowts a hundred Wonders new Com huddling in in heaps before thy view So that I fear lest trayn'd with various sent Thou be at fault in this vast Argument And least the best choice in so bound-less Store Painthee no less now than did Want before But wotst thou what my Muse my deer delight My care my comfort we will follow right The modest hand of a fair Shepheardling Simile Who doth not rudely spoyl the flowry Spring Of all her painted beauties nor deface All in one day a pleasant Gardens grace But mannerly amid the Quarters seeks Such rarest flowrs as best her fancy likes And heer a blew one there a red she pulls A yellow heer and there a white she culls Then bindes them with her hair and blessed over With a chaste kiss she sends them to her Lover Wee 'l ouer-run the Annalls of all Ages And choosing-out the chiefest Personages And Prodigies amid the Hebrew Story Wee 'l offer them on th' Altar of Gods glory For He I hope who no less good then wise First stirr'd vs vp to this great Enterprise And gaue vs heart to take the same in hand For Level Compass Rule and Squire will stand Will change the Pebbles of our puddly thought To Orient Pearls most bright and bravely wrought And will not suffer in this pretious Frame Ought that a skilfull Builders ey may blame Or if he suffer ought 't shall be som trace But of that blindnes common to our Race T' abate my glory and to giue me proof That mortall I build but with mortall stuff IAMES richest Iem of Scots and Scotland's Praise Dedication to the Kings Maiestie Who with the same hand that the Scepterswayes On Heav'n-faln paper in a golden stile Doost happily immortall lines compile And new Apollo vnder Others names Singst in thy Childehood thine Ownefuture Fames To whom but thee should I these Verses vow Who through the World hast made me famous now And with a liberall learned hand indew'd My Muse with lustre of a Royall Sute Before so ragged that she blusht wel-neer That her chaste Sisters should so homly see-her The scorn of Art of Helicon the shame Vsurping wrong VRANIA'S sacred Name Through thee she 's Heav'nly O wise worthy
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
they took And couer'd close with nights deceitfull cloak A liuely descrip tion of Sleep with his Cel Seruants furniture company In Groon-land fields is found a dungeon A thousand-fold more dark than Acheron It hath no door lest as it turns about On rusty hooks it creak too lowdly out But Silence serues for Port and Porter there A gagged Vsher that doth never wear Stif-rustling silks nor ratling chamlet sutes Nor gingling spurs nor creaking spanish boots But that he make no noyse when ere he sturs His high-day sutes are of the softest Furs At other times less-stately-service-ful Hee 's only clad in cotton shod in wool His left fore-finger ore his lips he locks With th' other beckens to the early Cocks The rushing streams and roaring Eölus Seeming though dumb to whisper softly thus Sleep silver Torrents cease sweet Chante-cleer To bid Good-morrow to the Morning heer Be still ye Windes keep in your natiue nest Let not your storms disturb this house of Rest. In midst of all this Caue so dark and deep On a still-rocking couch lies blear-ey'd Sleep Snorting alowd and with his panting breath Blowes a black fume that all envapoureth Obliuion lies hard-by her drowzy brother Who readily knowes not her self nor other Then solitary Morpheus gently rockt And nasty Sloath self-pyn'd and poorly-frockt Irresolute vnhandsom comfortless Rubbing her eyes with Poppy and doth press The yellow Night-shade and blew Gladiols iuice Wher-with her sleep-swoln heauy lids she glewes Confusedly about the silent Bed Fantastick swarms of Dreams there hovered Green red and yellow tawny black and blew Som sacred som profane som false som true Som short som long som diuelish som divine Som sad som glad but monstrous all in fine They make no noyse but right resemble may Simile Th' vnnumbred Moats which in the Sun do play When at som Cranny with his percing ey He peepeth-in som darker place to spy Thither th' Almighty with a iust intent To plague those tyrants pride his Angel sent No sooner entred but the radiant shine Of 's glistring wings and of his glorious eyn As light as Noon makes the dark House of Night The gawdy swarm of Dreams is put to flight And opening wide the sable Canapey The winged Herald summon'd Sleep away Silence dislodg'd at the first word he spake But deaf dead Sleep could not so soon awake Hee 's call'd a hundred times and tugg'd and touz'd And by the angel often rubb'd and rouz'd At length he stirs and stretching lazily His legs and arms and opening half an ey Foure or fiue times he yawns and leaning-on His Lob-like elbowe hears This Message don Great Spirits-restorer Cares-charm Chacing-grief Night-short'ning Sier Man's-Rest and Mind's Relief Vp vp sayd he dispatch thee hence in poste And with thy Poppy drench the conquering Hoste Of those prowd Kings that richly charg'd with Prey On Canaan Mountains lodge in dis-aray Th' angell in th' instant back to Heav'n-ward gon Sleep slowely harnest his dull Bears anon And in a noys-less Coach all darkly dight Takes with him Silence Drowsiness and Night Th' ayr thickning where he goes doth nod the head The Woolf in Woods lies down th' Oxe in the Mead Th' Orque vnder Water and on Beds of Down Men stretch their limbs and lay them softly down The Nightingale pearcht on the tender spring Of sweetest Haw-thorn hangs her drowsie wing The Swallow's silent and the lowdest Humber Leaning vpon the Earth now seems to slumber Th' Yew mooues no more the Aspe doth cease to shake Pines bow their heads seeming som rest to take So soon as Sleep's black wings had over-spread The Pagan Hoast the Souldiers haste to bed For instantly begin they all to wink To hang their heads and let their weapons sink Their words half-spoke are lost between their lips Through all their veins Sleep's charming humor slips Which to a deep and death like Letharge brings Both Heathen Souldiers and their Heathen Kings Abram perceiving now the Army neer Abrams oration to his little Troope By their owne Fires gan thus hir Troups to cheer Souldiers sayd he behold this happy Night Shall make amends for that dis-astrous Fight Was fought in Siddim and acquittance cry For Sodom's shame and Lot's captivity Me thinks already Uictory adorn'd With Bowes and Blades and Casks and Crowns return'd From th' Enemy on our triumphant spears Erecteth Tropheis far more rich than theirs Me thinks already on our glistering Crests The glorious Garland of the Conquest rests Our way to Vertue lyes so smooth and plain With pain-less Honour and vn-vent'red Gain This Hoast you see is not the valiant Troup That stript Gomorrha and made Segor stoop That Iordan Inde and Euphrates admire But a foul heard of Swine wallowing in myre Regard them as they are not as they were See but their sloath do not their number fear He that 's asleep is dead and he that 's dead Bites not they say what haue we then to dread Why stay we Lads already down they are Their throats be naked and their bosoms bare Their liues ly prostrat heer at our command And Fortune calls but for your helping hand Com follow me rather the Lord of Hoasts Terrour of Tyrants who through all the Coasts Of all the Earth confoundeth with a thought All worldly powr and brings mens plots to nought Com happy Troop follow with one accord Th' invincible braue Standard of the Lord. This sayd eft-soons I wot not what a grace What divine beam reflected on his face For as in March the Serpent having cast Simile His old foul skin crawls from his hole full fast Hisses and stings and stares vs in the face And gold-like glistering glides along the grass So Heav'n inspires fresh vigour in each part His blood renews his heart doth take new heart A martiall Fury in his breast there boyls His stature seems much taller then yer-whiles Youth paints his cheeks with Rose and Lilly Dies A louely Lightning sparkles in his eyes So that his gallant Port and gracefull Voice Confirms the faintest makes the sad reioyce Then on the Camp he sets where round about Abraham sets vpon the Campe of Chedorlaomer Lie mingled Carrs and Horse and Men that rout Rest seizeth all and wanting what it fed The Fire it self slept in his ashy bed Th' Hebrews the-while laid-on on back or breast Or arm or side according as their Rest To th' ground had bound them and those liues bereft The which Death's Image in an Image reft Heer one beheaded on a Trunk of Pine Pours-out at once his gore his ghost and Wine The full Helm hops and with a voyce confused Murmurs as if it his fell Fate accused Another taken by inchanting sleep Mid Pots and Cups and Flagons quaffing deep Doth at a wound given in his rattling gorge The Wine again in his owne Cup dis-gorge Another while ingeniously he plays Vpon his Lute som passing-pleasing Lays Sleep sieles his eyes vp with a gloomy
Coward lose the Crown So neer your head to heap you with renown Shal we so dare to dally with the Lord To cast his yoak and to contemn his Word Where shall we fly his hand Heav'n is his Throne The Earth his foot-stool and dark Acheron The Dungeon where the damned soules be shut Is of his anger euermore the Butt On him alone all our good-hap depends And he alone from dangers vs defends Ah! weep no more This sacred Turf doth craue More blood than Tears let vs vs so behaue That ioyn'd in zeal we yield vs willingly To make a vertue of necessity Let 's testifie we haue a time abod I in your School you in the school of God Where we haue learned that his sacred Word Which made of Nothing all that euer stirr'd Which all sustaines and all directeth still To diuers ends conducts the good and ill Who loues not God more than all Kinn's respect Deserues no place among his deer Elect And who doth once God's Till age vnder-take Must not look back neither his Plough forsake Here-with th' old Hebrew cheerfuller becam And to himself cries Courage Abraham The World the Flesh Adam are dead in thee God Spirit and Faith alone subsisting be Lord by thy Spirit vnto my spirit annex So liuely Faith that still mine eyes may fix On thy true Isaac whose sharp sin-less Suffering Shall purge from sin me and my sinfull offering Scarce had he draw'n his sword in resolution With heaued hand for instant execution When instantly the thundring voyce of God Stay'd heart and hand and thus the Fact forbod Abram enough holde holde thy hand sayd he Put-vp thy sword thine Isaac shall not die Now of thy faith I haue had perfect proof Thy Will for Deed I do accept enough Glad Abram then to God giues thanks and prayse Vnbindes his Son and in his room he lays A Lamb there strangely hampered by the head And that to God devoutly offered Renowned Abraham Thy noble Acts Excell the Fictions of Heröik Facts And that pure Law a Son of thine shall write Shall nothing els but thy braue deeds recite Extol who list thy wisdom's excellence Victorious Valour frank Beneficence And Iustice too which even the Gentiles honor Ill dares my Muse take such a task vpon-her Onely thy Faith not all with all th' Effects Onely one fruit of thousand she selects For glorious subiect which to say the right I rather loue to wonder-at than write Go Pagans turn turn-over every Book Through all Memorials of your Martyrs look Collect a Scroule of all the Children slain On th' Altars of your Gods dig-vp again Your lying Legends Run through every Temple Among your Offerings choose the best example Among your Offerings which your Fathers past Haue made to make their names eternall last Among them all fondlings you shall not finde Such an example where vnkindely-kinde Father and Son so mutually agree To showe themselues Father nor Son to be Where man 's deep zeal and God's deer fauour stroue For Counter-conquest in officious loue One by constraint his Son doth sacrifice Another means his Name t' immortallize By such a Fact Another hopes to shun Som dismall Plague or dire Affliction Another only that he may conform To Tyrant Custom 's aw-les law-les Form Which blears our eys and blurs our Senses so That Lady Reason must her seat forgo Yea blindes the iudgement of the World so far That Uertue's oft arraign'd at Vice's Bar. But vn-constrain'd our Abram all alone Vpon a Mountain to the guise of none For it was odious to the Iewes to doo And in a time of Peace and plenty too Fights against Nature prickt with wondrous zeal And slaying Isaac wars against his Weal O sacred Muse that on the double Mount With withering Bayes bind'st not thy Singers Front But on Mount Sion in the Angels Quire With Crowns of glory doest their brows atrire Tell for thou know'st what sacred Mystery Vnder this shaddow doth in secret ly O Death Sin Satan tremble ye not all For hate and horror of your dreadfull Fall So liuely figur'd To beholde Gods Bowe So ready bent to cleaue your heart in two To see yong Isaac Pattern of that Prince Who shal Sin Satan Death and Hell convince Both only Sons both sacred Potentates Both holy Founders of two mighty States Both sanctified both Saints Progenitors Both bear their Cross both Lamb-like Sufferers Both bound both blame-less both without reply Both by their Fathers are ordain'd to dy Vpon Mount Sion which high glorious Mount Serues vs for Ladder to the Heav'ns to mount Restores vs Edens key the key of Eden Lost through the eating of the fruit forbidden By wretched Adam and his weaker Wife And blessed bears the holy Tree of life Christ dies indeed but Isaac is repriv'd Because Heav'ns Councell otherwise contriv'd For Isaac's blood was no sufficient price To ransom soules from Hell to Paradise The Leprosie of our contagious sin More powr-full Rivers must be purged in FINIS The LAWE THE III. PART OF THE III. DAY OF THE II. WEEK THE ARGVMENT Envy in Pharao seeks to stop the Cause Of Iews increase Moses escapes his claws Out of a Burning vnburnt Bush a Voice For Iacob's Rescue doth of Him make choice Sends him with Aaron to the Egyptian King His Hard'ning PLAGVING finall Ruining In the Red Sea Israel ingrate for all Christ-Typing Manna Quails rock-Rock-waters fall The glorious LAVVE the golden Calf strange Fire Coré in-gulft MOSES prepar'd t' expire ARm-Arming Trumpets lofty Clarions Rock-battering Bumbards Valour-murdering Guns Think you to drown with horror of your Noise The choise sweet accents of my sacred Voice Blowe till you burst roar rend the Earth in sunder Fill all with Fury Tempest War and Thunder Dire Instruments of Death in vain yee toyl For the loud Cornet of my long-breath'd stile Out-shrills yee still and my Stentorian Song With warbled Ecchoes of a silver tongue Shall brim be heard from India even to Spain And then from thence even to the Artik Wayn Yet 't is not I not I in any sort My sides's too-weak alas my breath 's too-short It is the spirit-inspiring Spirit which yerst On th' eldest Waters mildly moved first That furnishes and fills with sacred winde The weak dull Organs of my Muse and minde So still good Lord in these tumultuous times Giue Peace vnto my Soule soule to my Rimes Let me not faint amid so fair a course Let the World's end be th' end of my Discourse And while in FRANCE fell MARS doth all devour In lofty stile Lord let me sing thy Powr ALL-CHANGING Time had cancell'd and supprest IOSEPH'S Deserts his Master was deceast His Sons were dead when currish Envie 's strife Lays each-where ambush for poor ISRAEL'S life Who notwithstanding doth far faster spread Comparison And thicker spring than in a fruitfull Mead Moted with Brooks the many-leaved locks Of thriving Charvel which the bleating Flocks Can with their dayly hunger hardly mowe So
Pestilence In hate of thee th' Air thick and sloathful breeds No â—lowe Disease both yong and old itspeeds All are indifferent For through all the Land It spreads almost in turning of a hand To the so-sick hard seems the softest plumes Flames from his eys from 's mouth come Iakes-like fumes His head his neck his bulk his legs doth tire Outward all water inward all a-fire With a deep Cough his spungy Lungs he wastes Black Blood and Choler both at-once he casts His voices passage is with Biles be-layd His Soul's Interpreter rough foul and flayd Thought of the Grief it 's rigor oft augments 'Twixt Hope and fear it hath no long suspence With the Disease Death ioyntly traverseth Th' Infections stroak is even the stroak of Death Art yeelds to th' anguish Reason stoops to rage Physicians skill himself doth ill engage The streets too still the Town all out of Town All Dead or Fled vnto the halowed ground The howling Widow though she lov'd him deer Yet dares not follow her dead husbands Beer Each mourns his Losse each his owne Case complains Pel-mel the liuing with the dead remains As a good-natur'd and wel-nurtur'd Chyld â—mile Found in a fault by 's Master sharply myld Blushing and bleaking betwixtshame and fear With down-cast eyes laden with many a tear More with sad gesture than with words doth craue An humble Pardon of his Censor graue So Dauid hearing th' holy Prophets Threat Dauids Repentance He apprehends Gods Iudgements dradly-great And thrill'd with fear flies for his sole defence To pearly Tears Mournings and sad Laments Off-goes his Gold his Glory treads he down His Sword his Scepter and his pretious Crown He fasts he prayes he weeps he grieues he grones His hamous Sins he bitterly be-mones And in a Cauehard-by he roareth out A sigh-full Song so dolefully devout That even the Stone doth groan and pearç't withall Le ts it's salt tears with his sad tears to fall Ay-gracious Lord thus Sings he night and day Psal. 51. Wash wash my Soule in thy deep Mercies sea O Mercy Mercy Lord alowd he Cries And Mercy Mercy still the Rock replyes Application to France O God my God sith for our grievous Sin Which will-full we so long haue weltred in Thou powr'st the Torrents of thy Vengeance down On th' azure Field with Golden Lillies sow'n Sith every moment thy iust Angerdrad Roars thunders lightens on our guilty head Sith Famine Plague and War with bloody hand Doo all at once make havock of this Land Make vs make vse of all these Rods aright That we may quench with our tears-Tears-water quight Thine Ire-full Fier our former Vices spurn And true-reform'd Iustice to Mercy turn And so O Father fountain of all Good The like to England now for many yeares together grieuously afflicted with the Plague Ocean of Iustice Mercie 's bound-les Flood Since for Our Sins exceeding all the rest As most ingrate-ful though most rarely blest After so long Long-Sufferance of Thine So-many Warnings of thy Word diuine So-many Threatnings of thy dread-full Hand So-many Dangers seap't by Sea and Land So-many Blessings in so good a King So-many Blossoms of that fruit-ful Spring So-many Foes abroad and False at home So-many Reskueâ— from the rage of Rome So-many Shields against so many Shot So-many Mercies in that Powder-Plot So light regarded and so soon forgot Since for Our Sins so many and so great So little mov'd with Promise or with Threat Thou now at last as a iust ielouze God Strik'st vs thy Self with thine immediate Rod Thy Rod of PESTILENCE whose rage-full smart With deadly pangs pearcing the strongest hart Tokens of Terror leaues vs where it lights And so infects or so at least affrights That Neighbour Neighbour Brother Brother shuns The tendrest Mother dares not see her Sons The neerest Friend his deerest Friend doth flye Yea scarce the Wife dares close her Husbands eye For through th' Example of our Vicious life As Sin breeds Sin and Husband marr's the Wife Simile Sister prowdes Sister Brother hardens Brother Andone Companion doth corrupt another So through Contagion of this dire Disease It iustly doth thy heav'nly Iustice please To cause vs thus each other to infect Though This we flye and That too-nigh affect Since for our Sins which hang so fast vpon-vs So dreadfully thy Fury frowneth on-vs Sith still thou Strikest and still Threat'nest more More grieuous Wounds then we haue felt before O gratious Father giue vs grace in fine To make our Profit of these Rods of thine That true Converted by thy milde Correction We may abandon euery foule Affection That Humblenes may flaring Pride dis-plume That Temperance may Surfaiting consume That Chastity may chase our wanton Lust That Diligence may wear-off Slothfull rust That Loue may liue in Wrath and Envies place That Bounties hand may Auarice deface That Truth may put Lying and Fraud to flight That Faith and Zeal may keep thy Sabbaths right That Reverence of thy drad Name may banish Blasphemous Oaths and all Profanenesse vanish Since for our Sins aswell in Court as Cottage Of all Degrees all Sexes Youth and Dotage Of Clarks and Clownes Rich Poore and Great and Small Thy fear-ful Vengeance hangeth ouer all O Touch vs all with Horror of our Crimes O Teach vs all to turn to thee be-times O Turn vs Lord and we shall turned be Giue what thou bidst and bid what pleaseth thee Giue vs REPENTANCE that thou mayst repent Our present PLAGVE and future Punishment FINIS THE MAGNIFICENCE THE SECOND BOOK OF the fourth Day of the second Week of BARTAS THE ARGVMENT Death-summon'd DAVID in his sacred Throne Instals instructs his yong Son SALOMON His pleas-God Choice of WISEDOM wins him Honor And Health and Wealth at-once to wait vpon her His wondrous Doom quick Babe's Claim to decide Mis-Matches taxt in His with PHARAONIDE Their pompous Nuptials Seav'n Heav'n Masquers there The glorious TEMPLE Builded richly-rare Salem's Renown drawes Saba to his Court King IAMES to His brings BARTAS in like sort HAppy are You ô You delicious Wits That stint your Studies as your Fury fits That in long Labours full of pleasing pain Exhaust not wholly all your learned brain That changing Note now light and grave anon Handle the Theam that first you light vpon That here in Sonnets there in Epigrams Euaporate your sweet Soule-boyling Flames But my deer Honor and my sacred Vows And Heav'ns decree made in that Higher-House Hold me fast fetter'd like a Gally-slaue To this hard Task No other Care I haue Nought else I dream of neither night nor day Aim at ought else or look I other-way But alwayes busie like a Mil-stone seem Simile Still turned round with the same rapid stream Thence is 't that oft maugrè Apollos grace I humme so harsh and in my Works in chase Lame crawling Lines according to the Fire Which more or lesse the whirling Pâ—les inspire And also mingle Linsie-woolsie-wise This gold-ground
steams Stopt with dead bodies so that never-more It should haue seen the Ocean as before Nor payd the Tribute that his Duty craues Saue that the crimsin holp the crystall waues Praysed be God sayd Iuda praysed be The Lord of Hoasts the King of Maiesty That moawes his Foes that doth his owne protect That holds so deer the blood of his elect That fights for vs and teacheth vs to fight Conquer and triumph of the Pagan's might And finally doth punish Tyrants fel With their owne swords to saue his Israel But notwithstanding Ieroboam's Plot Wicked generatioÌ„ of the wicked His third Successor yet succeeds him not A barbarous Fury raigneth in his Race His bloudy Scepter shifteth hands apace Nadab his son and all his seed beside Feels cursed Baasha's cruell Paricide And Baasha's issue is by Zimri slain Zimri by Zimri then doth Omri raign Omri accursed for his owne transgression But more accursed for the foule succession Of such a Son as Achab sold to Sin That boldly brings Sidonian Idols in Builds vnto Baal and of all Kings the worst Weds Iezabel adds Drunkenness to Thirst. Blinde Superstition's like a drop of Oyl 2. Similes Still spreading till it all a Garment spoyl Or like a spark fall'n in a floor of Mat Which soon inflameth all the Chamber that Fiers the whole House the House the Town about Consuming all and never going-out Till Goods and Bodies Towrs and Temples high All in a Toomb of their owne ashes lye When one begins how little be 't to stray From the diuine Law 's little-beaten way We cursed fall into the black Abysse Of all foul Errrors every Sin that is Donns sacred Mask and monsters most ahhord Killing the Saints we think to please the Lord As Achab did who vanquisht with the spel Speach grace and face of painted Iezabel Presumes to lay his sacrilegious hand On th' oyled Priests that in Gods presence stand Of honest Men his Towns depopulates Lessens the Number of his Noble States T' augment his Lands and with the bloud of His Wrights th' Instruments of his new Purchases But slain at last by th' Hoast of Benhadad His Son * Ahaziah succeeds him and almost as bad He breaks his neck and leaues his fatall place To 's brother Ioram last of Achab's race An odious race th' alliance of whose blood Corrupts the Heirs of Iosaphat the good Causing his Son charm'd with Athalia's wile In 's Brother's bloud his armed arms to file And Ahaziah's giddy brain t' infect With the damn'd Error of Samarian Sect. But though these Kings did openly oppugn And stubbornly the King of Heav'n impugn Though Abrah'ms issue now degenerate Did but too-neer their Princes imitate Though over all a Chaos of confusion A Hell of Horror Murder and Delusion A Sea of Sins contempt of God and Good Cover'd these Kingdoms as another Flood God left not yet that Age without his Oracles A hundred Prophets strong in word and miracles Resist their rage and from sad drowning keep The wracked planks on th' Idol-Ocean deep Cleer Sommer Noons need not a candle-light Simile Nor sound Physician but clean opposite So in our Soules the more Sin 's Floods do flowe The more God makes his Mercie 's Gulf to growe For his Embassage in sad Achab's dayes Elijah the Prophet Thes bite Elijah did th' Almighty rayse Who burning-bold in spirit and speach cries-out In Achab's ears and all his Court about O impious Achab fear'st thou not quoth he The sulphury flames and Thunder-bolts that be Already roaring in the dreadfull fist Of God the Lord that doth the proud resist Revengeth wrongs th' outrageous Heathen's Hammer Terror of Terrors and all Tyrants Tamer Doost thou not knowe He threats to Israel A Heav'n of Brass if they his grace repel Reiect his loue and get them other Loues Whoring about with forrain Gods in Groves God cannot lie His dreadfull Threatnings ever Draw dreadfull Iudgements if our Sin persever As the Lord lives this thirsty yawning Plain In seav'n six Month's drinks not a drop of Rain No sooner spoken but in present view Description of the extreame Drought in Israel for three years and a half The Heav'ns begin to change their wonted hew Th' Aire deadly thick doth quickly vanish quight To a sad Day succeeds a sadder Night A bloudy vapour and a burning cloud By day begirt the Sun all coaly-browd By night the Moon denies to fading Flowrs Her silver sweat and pearly-purled showrs The Welkin 's studded with new Blazing-Stars Flame-darting Lances fiery crowns and Cars Kids Lions Bears wrapt in prodigious Beams Dreadfull to see and Phoebus as it seems Weary of travail in so hote a time Rests all the while in boyling Cancer's clime Hills lately hid with snowe now burn a main May hath no Deaw nor February Rain Sad Atlas Nieces and the Hunter's Star Have like effect as the Canicular Zephyre is mute and not a breath is felt But hectik Auster's which doth all things swelt And panting-short puffs every-where vpon The withered Plains of wicked Shomeron Th' vnsavorie breath of Serpents crawling o're The Lybians pest-full and vn-blest-full shoar Now Herbs to fail and Flowrs to fall began The miserable effects therof Mirtles and Bayes for want of moist grew wan With open mouth the Earth the aid doth crave Of black-blew Clouds cleer Kishon's rapid wave Wars now no more with Bridges arched round Sorek for shame now hides him vnder ground Mokmur whose murmur troubled with the noise The sleeping Shepheards hath nor stream nor voice Cedron's not Cedron but late Cedron's bed And Iordan's Current is as dry as dead The beam-brow'd Stag and strong-neckt Bull do ly On palc-faç't banks of Arnon also dry But neither sup nor see the Crystal Wave Ouer the which so often swom they have The lusty Courser that late scorn'd the ground Now lank and lean with crest and courage downd With rugged tongue out of his chained mouth With hollow-flanks panting for inward drouth Rouling his Bit but with a feeble rumor Would sweat for faintnes but he wanteth humour The Towr-backt Camel that best brooketh Thirst And on his bunch could have transported yerst Neer a whole Houshold now is able scant To bear him self he is so feebly-faint Both yong and olde both of the base and best Feel a fel Aetna in their thirstie brest To temper which they breath but to their wo For for pure air they sup into them so A putride thick and pestilentiall fume Which stuffs their Lights and doth their lives consume Ther 's not a Puddle though it strangely stink But dry they draw't sea-Sea-Water's dainty Drink And fusty-Bottles from beyond-Sea South Bring Nile to Somer for the Kings owne mouth For though the Lord th' whole Land of Syria smights Th' heat of his Anger on Samaria lights With greatest force whose furious Prince implies The Prophet Cause of all these miseries Therefore he fearing Achab's ragefull hate Down to Brook Châ—rith's hollow
askt in vain For what is it Elijah cannot do If he be hungry Fouls and Angels too Becom his Stewards Fears he th' armed Bands Of a fel Tyrant from their bloody hands To rescue him Heav'n his confederate Consumes with Fire them and their fierie hate Or would he pass a Brook that brooks no bay Nor Bridge nor Bank The Water giues him way Or irks him Earth To Heav'n alive he hies And sauing Henoch onely He not-dies This Man of God discoursing with his heir Elijah taken vp aliue into Heaven Of th' vpper Kingdom and of Gods Affair A sodain whirl-winde with a whiffing Fire And flaming Chariot rapts him vp intire Burns not but fines and doth in fashion strange By death-les Death mortall immortall change A long-tail'd squib a flaming ridge for rut Seems seen a while where the bright Coach hath cut This sacred Rape nigh rapt Elisha too Who taking vp his Tutors Mantle tho Follows as far as well he could with ey The fire-snort Palfreys through the sparkling Sky Crying My father father mine fare-well The Chariots and the Horse of Izrael The Thisbian Prophet hangs not in the Air Amid the Meteors to be tossed there As Mists and Rains and Hail and hoarie Plumes And other Fierie many-formed Fumes Amid the Air tumultuous Satan roules And not the Saints the happy heav'nly Soules Nor is he nailed to some shining Wheel Ixion-like continually to reel For CHRIST his flesh transfigur'd and divine Mounted aboue the Arches Crystalline And where CHRIST is from pain and passion free There after death shall all his Chosen bee Elijah therfore climbs th' Empyreal Pole Where ever-blest in body and in soule Contemns this World becoms an Angel bright And doth him firm to the TRINE-ONE vnite But how or why should He this vantage haue Yer CHRIST right call'd the first-fruits of the Grave O happy passage O sweet sacred Flight O blessed Rape thou raptest so my spright In this Dispute and mak'st my weaker wit So many wayes to cast-about for it That I confess the more I do contend I more admire and less I comprehend For lack of wings then biding heer belowe With his Successor I proceed to showe How soon as he took-vp his Cloak to bear-it Elizeus or Elisha Within Elisha shin'd Elijah's Spirit By powr whereof immediatly he cleaves An vn-couth way through Iordan's rapid waves Past hope he gives to the Sunamian Wife A Son and soon restores him dead to life With sodain blindness smightes the Syrian Troup The which in Dothan did him round in coup Increaseth bread and of a pound of Oyl Fills all the Vessels in a Town that while His hoary head in Bethel laught to scorn Is veng'd by Bears on forty children torn Naaman's cleans'd and for foul Simonie Gehazi's punisht with his Leprosie Mends bitter Broath he maketh Iron swim As porie Cork vpon the Water's brim Rich Iericho's sometimes sal-peetry soil Through brinie springs that did about it boil Brought forth no fruit and her vn-holsom Brooks Voyded the Town of Folk the Fields of Flocks The Towns-men therefore thus besought the Seer Thou seest our Citie 's situation heer Is passing pleasant but the ground is naught The Water worse we pray thee mend the fault Sweeten our Rivers make them pleasanter Our Hills more green our Plains more fertiler The Prophet calls but for a Cruse of Salt O strangest cure to cure the brynie fault Of all their Floods and casting that in one Foul stinking Spring heals all their streams anon Not for an houre or for a day or twain But to this Day they sweet and sound remain Their Valley walled with bald Hills before But even a horror to behold of-yore Is now an Eden and th' All-circling Sun For fruitfull beauty sees no Paragon There labour-les mounts the victorious Palm There and but there growes the all-healing Balm There ripes the rare cheer-cheek Myrobalan Minde-gladding Fruit that can vn-olde a Man O skilfull Husbands giue your fattest Plains Five or six earths spare neither cost nor pains To water them rid them of weeds and stones With Muck and Marle batten and baste their bones Vnles God bless your Labour and your Land You plough the Sea and sowe vpon the sand This Iurie knowes a Soil somtimes at least Sole Paradise of all the proudest East But now the brutest and most barren place The curse of God and all the Worlds disgrace And also Greece on whom Heav'ns yerst so good Rain nothing now but their drad Furie's Flood The grace of God is a most sure Revenue A Sea of Wealth that ever shall continew A never-failing Field which needs not ay The cool of Night nor comfort of the Day What shall I say This sacred Personage Not only profits to his proper Age But after life life in his bones hee leaves And dead the dead he raiseth from their graves Nor is Elisha famous more for Miracles Than for the Truth of his so often Oracles He showes the Palms and Foils of Israell Benhadad's death the Raign of Hazael Beyond all hope and passing all appearance Deiected Ioram's neer relief he warrants For now the Syrian with insulting Powrs The fiege and Famine of Samaria So streict besiegeth the Samarian Towrs That even al-ready in each nook agrising Fell wall-break all-break Famin ill-advising Howls hideously even the bare bones are seen As sharp as kniues thorough the emptie skin Of the best bred and each-man seems almost No Man indeed but a pale ghastly Ghost Som snatch the bread from their owne Babes that pine Som eat the Draff that was ordain'd for Swine Som doo defile them with forbidden flesh Som bite the grass their hunger to refresh Som gold for Birds-dung waight for waight exchange Som of their Boots make them a Banquet strange Som fry the Hay-dust and it savorie finde Som Almond-shels and Nut-shels gladly grinde Som mince their Fathers Wills in parchment writ And so devoure their Birth-right at a bit The King when wearie he would rest awhile Dreams of the Dainties he hath had yer-while Smacks swallows grindes both with his teeth and iaws But only winde his beguil'd bellie draws And then awaking of his owne spare Diet Robbs his owne brest to keep his Captains quiet He is importun'd heer and there about Aboue the rest a Woman skrieketh out In moornfull manner with disheueled haire Her face despight her fashion showes despaire O! stay my Liege heat hear a grieuous thing Mothers eat their owne Children Iustice great Ioram Iustice gentle King O no not Iustice did I Iustice craue Fondling in Iustice thou canst nothing haue But a iust death nay but a Torture fell Nay but a Torment like the pains of Hell Yet even this Plea is worse then death to me Then grant me Iustice Iustice let it be For O! what horror can restrain desire Of iust Revenge when it is once afire My Lord I bargain'd and to bind the Pact By solemn Oath I sealed the Contract
withstand The Heathen host with ech of them in hand An yron mace in stead of launces long And brazen bucklers beating back the throng Their habergions like stiddies stithe they baire With helmets high and pennons pight in aire Of equall age they were and equall length Of equall courage and of equall strength Like Poplers twain that recheth vp their tops And holds their heads so high that none them crops But on the Riuers side do sweetly sway Like germain brether hailsing oft a day The Heathen seeing thus the Iews descend With edge of sword their Citie to defend They left th' assault and thence retyring went As they commanded were vnto their tent But when I think how xxx dayes that towne Tormented was with mischief vp and down Too sad a song I cannot hear inuent So great a sadnesse right to represent My hand for horrour shakes and now no more Can lead my sacred pen as erst before For now mine eyes that watred are with tears Declares my matter all of mischief bears Oh Sprite from whence all sprit and life doth come Thou loosde the tongue of Zacharie that was dōme And sent thy Heralds through the world to preach Thy name and in a hundreth tongues to teach Guide thou my pen and courage to me lend That to thy honour I this worke may end Although that Izak sawe on euery hand A world of folke against his towne to stand Yet tracting time he thought he would prouide No lesse to keep then coole th' Assiegers pride But when they fand the conduits cut and rent By which their water to their towne was sent Their courage bolde and all their craks alas As licour faild so did their stoutnesse pas Their Lords preferring death to bondage vile Made them beleeue the thing did them beguile To wit they gaue men hope that they might keep Sufficient wat'r in wels and cesterns deep Through all the towne the people to relieue That thirst should not the souldiers greatly grieue The magistrates in deed had great regard To see this water wisely spent and spar'd That Bottell sweet which serued at the first To keep the life but not to slocken thirst A viue description of Thirst. When wels grew dry the Commons ran in rage And sought out euery sink their thirst t' asswage And drank with long som draught the pools in haste To quench their thirst with ill contented taste Which poysoned ayre enfect their purest breath Whereby the drinker drank his present death O wretched folke who felt so hard a strife Drink or not drink both wayes must lose their life For he that drank and he that did refrain Had of their enmies both an equall pain For why the water vile slew them throughout No lesse then did their enmies them about That wretched towne had neuer a street nor rewe But Parcas there had found som facion newe To murder men or martyr them with fears As mov'd the most indurate hart to tears If so much water in their brains had been As might forbear a drop to wete their een There plaind the old man that the souldier strong Had reft his Bottell from his head with wrong But while he spake his hart for thirst did faint And life him left which frustrate his complaint The souldier braue Oh hart brek for to tell His proper vryne drank thirst to expell The wofull mother with her spettle fed Her little childe half dead in cradle bed The Lady with her Lord at point of death Embracing fals and yeelds their latest breath For cruell thirst came out of Cyren Land Where she was fostred on that burning sand With hote intracted tongue and sonken een With stomack worn and wrinkled visage keen With light and meigre corse and pailed vains In stead of blood that brimstone hote retains Her poysond mouth blew throw that holy town Such hellish ayr that stifled vp and down The Arters of the Iewes in such a way That nought was seen but burials night and day So that the heauen to see their dolours deep Could scarsly keep his course but preasd to weep And would haue ioind his tears to their complaint If God of hosts had made them no restraint Yea I my self must weep who cannot speak The woes that makes my heavy hart to break And so will silent rest and not rehearse But counterfait the painter in my verse Who thought his colours paile could not declare The speciall woe king Looke the Table Agamemnon bare When sacrificed was his onely race With bend of black he bound the fathers face Now while the people were in this estate And with their princes wrangling in debate They thus besought the Lord for to decide Between their simplesse and their princes pride The Lord be iudge of that which ye haue wrought And what your wicked counsells hath vs brought If you had offred peace to this great Lord At first we might haue wonne him to accord Then happy happy dayes we might haue seen And not so many souldiers murdred been Alas what hope haue we within this holde Our enmies are more meek a thousand folde Then are our owne They haps would vs preserue Our wilfull owne pretends to see vs sterue Our children do our childrens weal denay And headlong hastes vnto their owne decay We knowe O Lord the breaking of thy law Hath caused thee this sword on vs to draw And iustly thou thine yrefull bowe doest bend On our vnloyall heads the shot to send But thou who doth not long retain thine yre Against thine owne thy mercy we require Change thou the purpose of our foolish guides And of these Heathen armed at our sides Or els let vs vpon their weapons fall And of their hands to be destroyed all Er we this drougth and deadly venim haue With languishing to send vs to the graue My brethren dear the Ruler then gan say Our whole desire hath been both night and day Not for to see the seed of Abrahm lost For which we striue against this furious hoste What haue ye pain so likewise pain haue we For in one boat we both imbarked be Vpon one tide one tempest doth vs tosse Your common ill it is our common losse Th' Assyrian plague shall not vs Hebrews grieue When pleaseth God our mischief to relieue Which he will doe if ye can be content And not with grudge his clemency prevent Then striue not you against that puissant king Who create all and gouerns euery thing For comfort of his Church and children dear And succours them though time do long appear Somtime an Archer leaues his bowe vnbent And hong vpon a naile to that intent It may the stronger be to bend again And shoot the shot with greater might and main Right so th' eternall doth withholde his ill A longer time perchance for that he will More egerly reuenge him of their crime Who do abuse his long for bearing time When men applauds to sinne they count it light And but a matter
Hermon with thy burning blast Or why doest thou on carefull Carmell cast Thy dreadfull darts forgetting all the space These Giants that thy Scepter would displace Ah wretch what say I Lord apardon me Thy burning zeale and none hypocrisie That frets my heauy heart at euery howre Compels my toung this language out to powre O thou the euerliuing God and Guide Of all our race I know thou wilt prouide For our reliefe against this furious boste And iustly kill the Captaine of this hoste I knowe that thou wilt help my onely hand To be the wrack of all this heathen Band. FINIS THE SVMMARIE OF The V. BOOKE HOlophernes being surprised with the sweete language and excellent beautie of the chaste Iudith becommeth altogether negligent of his charge and gouernement Wherein is represented the vnhabilitie of the reprobate who cannot withstand such temptations as the Lord sendeth vpon them But as they become slaues to their owne affections so by the same they are enforced to fall into perdition In place of some faithfull seruant to warne him of his vices Holophernes conferreth with Bagos an Eunuch who feedeth him in his humour bringeth Iudith to his Tent. And here the Poet reprooues all flatterers and bawdes with the vices of all Courts in Generall Iudith seeing her chastitie in perill and the time vnmeete to execute her enterprise subtilie drawes the Tyrant to talke of other affaires He thinking to insinuate himselfe the more into her fauour taketh pleasure to crack of his conquests and of his speciall worthinesse discoursing so long till suppertime approached she auoyded the inconuenience And here is to be noted that whilest the tyrants boast of their cruelty against the Church God prouideth for his owne preserueth them for that worke that he hath ordained by them to be done THE FIFT BOOKE of IVDITH IN stead of marrow-in bone and blood in vaines Great Holopherne doth feede his cruell paines He bootlesse flees and feeles but he ne knowes The quenched fire that of his ashes growes For so the charming Image of this Dame The onely marke where at his soule did ame Transported him in passions of despaire That of his mighty camp he quits the care And goes no more his matters to dispatch Nor vewes his corpsgard nor relieues his watch Nor Councell cals nor sent to spy the coste Nor vewes the quarters of his spacious hoste But as the sheep that haue no hirde nor guide But wandring strayes along the riuers side Throw burbling brookes or throw the forrest grene Throw meadowes closures or throw shadows shene Right so the Heathen hoste without all bridle Runns insolent to vicious actions ydle Where none obeyes ech one commanding speaks Eche one at pleasure from his banner breaks What do you Hebrews now within your wall Now time to fight or neuer time at all To pay these Pagans whose confused corse Combats against themselfs with deadly force Nay stay a while of such a great victory Your onely God will haue the onely glory Before this tyrant was with loue yblent To winne the towne he plide his whole entent But now both night and day his minde doth frame To conquer this most chast vnconquest Dame So lust him led th' vndaunted Theban knight With waighty mace had neuer him affright But now a womans look his hart enfeares And in his brest the curelesse wound he beares Ambition erst so had him ouercumme That made him dayly ryse by sound of drumme Now Cupid him awaks with hote alarmes That him with holds to do the Hebrews harmes Before he rulde aboue both Prince and King Now can he not himselfe in order bring Alas quoth he what life is this I haue Complaint Becomming captiue to my captiue slaue Vnhappy chance what life is this I say My vertue gone my forces fals away Nay sure no life it is more pain I feele Then Ixion torn vpon th' Eternall wheele Prometheus My life is like the theefs that stole the fire On whose mortall hart there doth alwayes tire A rauenous fowle that gnawes him to the bone Reuiuing still bound to the Scythian stone What serues it me t' haue won where I haue haunted What serues my victor arme for to haue daunted The people situate tween Hydaspe large And port where Cydnus doth in sea discharge Since I am vanquisht by the feeble sight Of captiue Iudith what auailes my might My targe of steele my Burguinet of Brasse My guard of warriours stout whereso I passe Since her sweet eye hath sent the pointed dart Throgh men and weapons pearcing throu my hart What serues my coursers who with swiftnes light Exceeds the swallow swiftest bird of flight Since I on him cannot auoide one ynch The care that night and day my heart doth pinch Then change O Hebrewes change your tears in song And triumph ore my hoste and army strong I am no more that Duke whose name alone Hath made great warriours quake both lim and bone But I am he whose hart was sometime braue Now lesse then nought the slaue but of a slaue I com not here your Isaac to annoy With fire and sword your houses to destroy But to require your Iudith her to render More milde to me What is my wit so slender Berapt with loue haue I not heer my ioy That onely may relieue me from annoy Yet neuerthelesse I clieue the aire in vain With plaints and makes myne eyes but fountains twain I wretch am like the wretched man indeed Tantalus The more he hath the greater is his need Although he deeply plonge in water cleare To quench his thirst yet he is not the neare For so do I respect the heavenly grace That largely is bestowde vpon her face That with mine eyes I dare not her behold My toung doth stay and in the palat folde Why haue not I a heart of Crystall cleare Tronsparent through to let my paine appeare That there she might of all my torments reed Which loue with holds within my heart in dreed Now since that Iudith to this camp arriv'd The light of heav'n had thrise his course reviv'd And darkned thrise and gan with saffron hew To light the Ynds the fourth day to renewe When thus the Duke who leftrepast and rest Vnto his Eunuch this like porpos drest O Bagos sonne adoptife not by chaunce Whom I haue chose of nought thee to aduance By speciall grace and made thee though I boaste First of my hart and second of myne Hoaste I rage I burne I dye in desp'rate thought Through loue by this same strangers beuty brought Go seek her then and shortly to her say What secret flame torments me day by day Shew that I shall her to such honours bring As he that beares the Scepter of a King But chiefly see thy talke be framed thus That she do come this night and suppe with vs. Now should it not to me be folly and shame To haue within my holde the fairest dame That ground doth heare if I
this Sea belowe Which round about our Earthly Globe doth flowe Remains still round and maugre all the surly Aeolian Slaves and Water's hurly burly Dares not to levell her proud liquid Heap Neuer so little past her limits leap Why then beleeue we not that vpper Sphear May without falling such an Ocean bear Vncircumcised O hard hearts at least Lett 's think that God those Waters doth digest In that steep place for if that Nature heer 5. Diuers effects continual admirable in Nature Can form firm Pearl and Crystall shining cleer Of liquid substance let 's beleeue it rather Much more in God the Heav'ns and Natur 's Father Let vs much more much more lett 's peiz and ponder Th' Almighties Works and at his Wisedom wonder Let vs obserue and double-waigh it well That this proud Palace whear we rule and dwell Though built with match-less Art had fall'n long since Had 't not ben seel'd-round with moist Elements For like as in Man's Little-World the Brain Doth highest place of all our Frame retain And tempers with it's moistfull coldnes so Th' excessive heat of th' other parts belowe Th' eternall Builder of this beautious Frame To enter-mingle meetly Frost with Flame And cool the great heat of the Great-Worlds Torches This-Day spred Water over Heav'ns bright Arches These Seas they say leagu'd with the Seas belowe Hiding the highest of the Mountains tho Had drown'd the whole World had not Noah builded A holy Vessell where his house was shielded Taking occasioÌ„ by his former discourse he treateth of the incouÌ„ ter of the vpper waters with the lower whence followed the general stood in the daies of Noah Which hâ—re he liuely representeth Where by direction of the King of Kings He sav'd a seed-payr of all liuing things No sooner shipâ— but instantly the Lord Down to th' Aeolian dungeon him bestirr'd There muzled close Cloud-chasing Boreas And let loose Auster and his lowring race Who soon set forward with a dropping wing Vpon their beard for every hair a spring A night of Clouds muffled their brows about Their wattled locks gusht all in Rivers out And both their hands wringing thick Clouds asunder Send forth fierce lightning tempest rain and thunder Brooks Lakes and Floods Rivers and foaming Torrents Sodainly swell and their confused Currents Losing their old bounds break a neerer way To run at randon with their spoyls to Sea Th' Earth shakes for fear and sweating doth consume her And in her veins leaues not a drop of humour And thou thy self O Heav'n didst set wideope Through all the Marshes in thy spacious cope All thy large sluces thy vast Seas to shed In sodain spouts on thy proud sisters head Whose aw-less law-less shame-les life abhord Onely delighted to despight the Lord. Th' Earth shrinks sinks now th' Ocean hath no shore Now Rivers run to serue the Sea no more Themselues are Sea the many sundry Streams Of sundry names deriv'd from sundry Realms Make now but one great Sea the World it self Is nothing now but a great standing Gulf Whose swelling surges strive to mix their Water With th' other Waves above this round Theater The Sturgeon coasting over Castles muses Vnder the Sea to see so many houses The Indian Manat and the Mullet float O'r Mountain tops where yerst the bearded Goat Did bound and brouz the crooked Dolphin seuds O'r th' highest branches of the hugest Woods Nought boots the Tigre or the Hart or Hors Or Hare or Grey-hound their swift speedy cours For seeking Land the more they strain breath them The more alas it shrinks and sinks beneath them The Otter Tortois and fell Crocodile Which did enioy a double house yer-while Must be content with only water now The Wolf and Lamb Lions and Buçks do rowe Vpon the Waters side by side suspect-less The Glead and Swallow laboring long effect-less 'Gainst certain death with wearied wings fall down For want of Perch and with the rest do drown And for mankinde imagine som get vp To som high Mountains over-hanging top Som to a Towr som to a Cedar tree Whence round about a World of deaths they see But wheresoeuer their pale fears aspire For hope of safety th' Ocean surgeth higher And still-still mounting as they still do mount When they cease mounting doth them soon surmount One therefore ventures on a Plank to rowe One in a Chest another in a Trough Another yet half-sleeping scarce perceives How 's bed and breath the Flood at once bereaves Another labouring with his feet and hands A while the fury of the Flood withstands Which by his side hath newly droun'd his Mother His Wife his Son his Sister Sire and Brother But tyr'd and spent weary and wanting strength He needs must yeeld too to the Seas at length All all must die then but * Parcae à non parcendo Thenone-sparing Fates that is to say Death th' impartiall Maids Who wont to vse so sundry tools for ayds In execution of their fatall slaughters Had only now the furious foaming Waters Safely the while the sacred Ship did float On the proud shoulders of that boundless-Moat Though mast-les oar-les and from Harbour far For God was both her Steers-man and her Star Thrice fifty dayes that Vniuersall Flood Wasted the World which then the Lord thought good To re-erect in his Compassion great No sooner sounds he to the Seas retreat But instantly wave into wave did sink With sodain speed all Rivers gan to shrink Th' Ocean retires him to his wonted prison The Woods are seen the Mountain tops are risen Out of their slimy Bed the Fields increase And spread apace so fast the waters cease And briefly th' onely thundring hand of God Now Earth to Heav'n Heav'n vnto Earth re-show'd That he again Panchaian Fumes might see Sacred on Altars to his Maiesty He concludeth with a most godly prayer accommodated to the state of the Church in our time Lord sith't hath pleas'd thee likewise in our Age To saue thy Ship from Tyrants stormy rage Increase in Number Lord thy little Flock But more in Faith to build on thee the Rock So Morn and Euen the second Day conclude And God perceiu'd that All his Works were good THE THIRD DAIE OF THE FIRST WEEK THE ARGVMENT The Sea and Earth their various Equipage Seuer'd a-part Bounds of the Oceansrage ' Timbraceth Earth it doth all Watersowe Why it is salt How it doth Ebb and Flowe Rare streams and Fountains of strange operation Earth's firmnes greatnes goodnes sharp taxation Of Bribes Ambition Treason Auarice Trees Shrubs Plants Mines Metals Gemms of price Right vse of Gold the Load-stones rare effects The Countrey-life preferr'd in all respects MY sacred Muse that lately soared high Among the glist'ring Circles of the Sky FroÌ„ the Heauen Regions of the Aire the Poet descendeth to the Earth and Sea Whose various dance which the first Moover driues Harmoniously this Vniverse revives Commanding all the Windes and sulphry
stately Toombes externly gilt and garnisht With dust and bones inwardly fill'd and furnisht But inwardly shee 's no less fraught with riches Of the riches vnder or within the Earth Nay rather more which more our soules bewitches Within the deep folds of her fruitfull lap So bound-less Mines of treasure doth she wrap That th' hungry hands of humane avarice Cannot exhaust with labour or device For they be more then ther be Starrs in Heav'n Or stormy billows in the Ocean driv'n Or ears of Corn in Autumn on the Fields Or Savage Beasts vpon a thousand Hills Or Fishes diving in the silver Floods Or scattred Leaves in Winter in the Woods Slat Iet and Marble shall escape my pen Of Minerals I over-pass the Salt-mount Oromene I blanch the Brine-Quar Hill in Aragon Whence there they pouder their provision I 'le onely now emboss my Book with Brass Dye't with Vermilion deck't with Coperass With Gold and Siluer Lead and Mercury Tin Iron Orpine Stibium Lethargy And on my Gold-work I will onely place The Crystall pure which doth reflect each face The precious Ruby of a Sanguin hew Of pretious stones The Seal-fit Onyx and the Saphire blew The Cassidonie full of circles round The tender Topaz and rich Diamond The various Opal and green Emerald The Agate by a thousand titles call'd The skie-like Turquez purple Amethists And fiery Carbuncle which flames resists I knowe to Man the Earth seems altogether No more a Mother but a Step-dame rather Because alas vnto our loss she bears Blood-shedding Steel and Gold the ground of cares As if these Mettals and not Man 's amiss Had made Sin mount vnto the height it is But as the sweet bait of aboundant Riches Bodies and Soules of greedy men bewitches The vse or abuse of things makes theÌ„ good or euill helpfull or hurtful to Mankinde Gold gilds the Vertuous and it lends them wings To raise their thoughts vnto the rarest things The wise not onely Iron well apply For houshold turns and Tools of Husbandry But to defend their Country when it calls From forrain dangers and intestine bralls But with the same the wicked never mell But to do seruice to the Haggs of Hell To pick a Lock to take his neighbours Purse To break a House or to doo somthing worse To cut his Parents throat to kill his Prince To spoyl his Country murder Innocents Even so profaning of a gift divine The Drunkard drowns his Reason in the Wine So sale-tongu'd Lawyers wresting Eloquence Excuse rich wrong and cast poor Innocence So Antichrists their poyson to infuse Miss-cite the Scriptures and Gods name abuse For as a Cask through want of vse grow'n fusty Makes with his stink the best Greek Malmsey musty So God's best gifts vsurpt by wicked Ones To poyson turn through their contagious But shall I baulk th' admired Adamant Of the rare vertue of the Loadstone Whose dead-live power my Reasons power doth dant Renowned Load-stone which on Iron acts And by the touch the same aloof attracts Attracts it strangely with vnclapsing crooks With vnknow'n cords with vnconceived hooks With vnseen hands with vndiscerned arms With hidden Force with sacred secret charms Wherewith hee wooes his Iron Misteriss And never leaves her till he get a kiss Nay till he fold her in his faithfull bosom Never to part except we love-less loose-em With so firm zeal and fast affection The Stone doth love the Steel the Steel the Stone And though somtime som Make bate com betwixt Still burns their first flame 't is so surely fixt And while they cannot meet to break their mindes With mutuall skips they shew their loue by signes As bashfull Suters seeing Strangers by Parley in silence with their hand or eye Who can conceiue or censure in what sort One Loadstone-touched Annlet doth transport Another Iron-Ring and that another Till foure or fiue hang dangling one in other Greatest Apollo might he be me thinks Could tell the Reason of these hanging links Sith Reason-scanners haue resolved all That heavie things hangd in the Aire must fall I am not ignorant that He who seeks In Romane Robes to sute the Sagest Greeks Whose iealous wife weening to home-revoke-him With a Love-potion did with poyson choak-him Hath sought to showe with arguing subtilty The secret cause of this rare Sympathy But say Lucretius what 's the hidden cause That toward the North-Star still the needle draw's Whose point is toucht with Load-stone loose this knot And still-green Laurell shall be still thy Lot Yea Thee more learned will I then confess Then Epicurus or Empedocles W' are not to Ceres so much bound for Bread Of the excellent vse of the Mariners Compasse Neither to Bacchus for his Clusters red As Signor Flauio to thy witty triall For first inuenting of the Sea-mans Diall Th' vse of the Needle turning in the same Diuine deuâ—â— e O admirable Frame Whereby through th' Ocean in the darkest night Our hugest Caraques are conducted right Whereby w' are stor'd with Truch-man Guide and Lamp To search all corners of the watery Camp Whereby a Ship that stormy Heav'ns haue whurld Neer in one Night into another World Knowes where she is and in the Card descries What degrees thence the Equinoctiall lies Cleer-sighted Spirits that cheer with sweet aspect My sober Rymes though subiect to defect If in this Volume as you ouer-read it You meet som things seeming exceeding credit Because perhaps heer proued yet by no-man Their strange effects be not in knowledge common Think yet to som the Load-stone's vse is new And seems as strange as we haue try'd it true Let therefore that which Iron draw's draw such To credit more then what they see or touch Nor is th' Earth onely worthy praise eternall Of medicinable Earthes For the rare riches on her back externall Or in her bosom but her own selfs worth Solicits me to sound her glory forth I call to witnes all those weak diseased Whose bodies oft haue by th' effects been eased Of Lemnos seal'd earth or Eretrian soil Or that of Chios or of Melos I le All-hail fair Earth bearer of Towns and Towrs Of Men Gold Grain Physik and Fruits and Flowrs The Earths Encomion Fair firm and fruitfull various patient sweet Sumptuously cloathed in a Mantle meet Of mingled-colour lac't about with Floods And all imbrodered with fresh blooming buds With rarest Gemmes richly about embost Excelling cunning and exceeding cost All-hail great Heart round Base and stedfast Root Of All the World the Worlds strong fixed foot Heav'ns chastest Spouse supporter of this All This glorious Buildings goodly Pedestall All hail deer Mother Sister Hostess Nurse Of the Worlds Soverain of thy liberall purse W' are all maintained match-less Emperess To doo thee seruice with all readiness The Sphears before thee bear ten thousand Torches The Fire to warm thee foldes his heatfull arches In purest flames aboue the floating Cloud Th' Aire to refresh thee willingly
is bow'd About the Waues and well content to suffer Milde Zephyrs blasts and Boreas bellowing rougher Water to quench thy thirst about thy Mountains Wraps her moist arms Seas riuers lakes and fountains O how I grieue deer Earth that given to gays Commendations of the Country-life Most of best wits contemn thee now-a-days And noblest hearts proudly abandon quight Study of Hearbs and Country-lifes delight To brutest men to men of no regard Whose wits are Lead whose bodies Iron-hard Such were not yerst the reuerend Patriarks Whose prayse is penned by the sacred Clarks Noah the iust meek Moses Abraham Who Father of the Faithfull Race becam Were Shepheards all or Husbandmen at least And in the Fields passed their Dayes the best Such were not yerst Attalus Philemetor Archelaus Hiero and many a Pretor Great Kings Consuls who haue oft for blades And glistering Scepters handled hooks and spades Such were not yerst Cincinnatus Fabricius Serranus Curius who vn-self-delicious With Crowned Coultars with Imperiall hands With Ploughs triumphant plough'd the Roman lands Great Scipio sated with fain'd curtsie-capping With Court Eclipses and the tedious gaping Of golden beggers and that Emperour Of Slave turn'd King of King turnd Labourer In Country Granges did their age confine And ordered there with as good Discipline The Fields of Corn as Fields of Combat first And Ranks of Trees as Ranks of Souldiers yerst O thrice thrice happy He who shunns the cares Of City-troubles and of State-affairs And seruing Ceres Tills with his own Teem His own Free-land left by his Friends to him Never pale Enuie's poysonie heads doo hiss To gnaw his heart nor Vultur Auarice Free from enuy ambition auarice and consequently from the diuelish practises of MachiauiliaÌ„ Politikes His Field's bounds bound his thoughts he never supps For Nectar poyson mixtin silver Cups Neither in golden Platters doth he lick For sweet Ambrosia deadly Arsenick His hand 's his boaul better then Plate or Glass The siluer Brook his sweetest Hypocrasse Milk Cheese and Fruit fruits of his own endeuour Drest without dressing hath he ready ever False Counsailours Concealers of the Law Not vâ—xed with counterfait wrestings of wrangling Laywers Turn-coat Attourneys that with both hands draw Sly Peti-Foggers Wranglers at the Bar Proud Purse-Leaches Harpies of Westminster With fained chiding and foul iarring noyse Break not his brain nor interrupt his ioyes But cheerfull Birds chirping him sweet Good-morrows With Natures Musick doo beguile his sorrows Teaching the fragrant Forrests day by day The Diapason of their Heav'nly Lay. His wandring Vessell reeling to and fro Not dreading shipwracke nor in danger of Pirates On th' irefull Ocean as the Windes doo blowe With sodain Tempest is not ouer-whurld To seek his sad death in another World But leading all his life at home in Peace Alwaies in sight of his own smoak no Seas No other Seas he knowes nor other Torrent Then that which waters with his siluer Corrent His Natiue Medowes and that very Earth Shall giue him Buriall which first gaue him Birth To summon timely sleep he doth not need Not diseased in body through delicious Idlenes Aethyop's cold Rush nor drowsy Poppy-seed Nor keep in consort as Mecaenas did Luxurious Villains Viols I should haue sayd But on green Carpets thrumd with mossy Beuer Frendging the round skirts of his winding Riuer The streams milde murmur as it gently gushes His healthy limbs in quiet slumber hushes Drum Fife and Trumpet with their loud A-larms Not drawen by factions to an vntimely Death Make him not start out of his sleep to Arms Nor deer respect of som great Generall Him from his bed vnto the block doth call The crested Cock sings Hunt is vp to him Limits his rest and makes him stir betime To walk the Mountains or the flowry Meads Impearld with tears that sweet Aurora sheads Never gross Aire poysond in stinking Streets Not choaked with contagion of a corrupted Aire To choak his spirit his tender nostrill meets But th' open Sky where at full breath he liues Still keeps him sound and still new stomack giues And Death drad Seriant of th' eternall Iudge Coms very late to his sole seated Lodge His wretched yeers in Princes Courts he spends not Nor Chamelâ—â—like changing with euery obiect the colour of his conscience His thralled will on Great mens wils depends not He changing Master doth not change at once His Faith Religion and his God renounce With mercenary lies hee doth not chaunt Praysing an Emmet for an Elephant Nor soothing Sin nor licking the Tayl of Greatnesse Sardanapalus drown'd in soft excess For a triumphant vertuous Hercules Thersites foul for Venus louely Loue And every Changeling for a Turtle-Doue Nor lavishes in his lascivious layes On wanton Flora chaste Alcestes prayse But all self-priuate serving God he writes Fear-less and sings but what his heart in dites No sallow Fear doth day or night afflict-him Vnto no fraud doth night or day addict-him Neither prest with Fear nor plotting Fraud Or if he muse on guile 't is but to get Beast Bird or Fish in toil or snare or net What though his Wardrobe be not stately stuft With sumptuous silks pinked and powne't and puft With gold-ground Velvets and with siluer Tissue And all the glory of old Eues proud Issue What though his feeble Cofers be not cramd With Misers Idols golden Ingotsramd He is warm-wrapped in his own-growen Wooll Of vn-bought Wines his Cellar 's everfull His Garner's stor'd with grain his Ground with flocks His Barns with Fodder with sweet streams his Rocks For heer I sing the happy Rustiks weal Whose handsom house seems as a Common-weal And not the needy hard rack-rented Hinde Or Copy-holder whom hard Lords doo grinde The pined Fisher or poor-Daiery-Renter That liues of whay for forfeiting Indenture Who scarce haue bread within their homely Cotes Except by fits to feed their hungry throats Let me good Lord among the Great vn-kend My rest of daies in the calm Countrey end Let me deserue of my deer AEGLE-Brood For Windsor Forrest walks in Almes-wood Bee Hadley Pond my Sea Lambs-bourn my Thames Lambourn my London Kennet's siluer streams My fruitfull Nile my Singers and Musicians The pleasant Birds with warbling repetitions My company pure thoughts to work thy will My Court a Cottage on a lowely Hill Where without let I may so sing thy Name That times to-com may wonder at the same Or if the new North-star my Souerain IAMES The secret vertue of whose sacred beams Attracts th' attentiue seruice of all such Whose mindes did euer Vertue 's Load-stone touch Shall euer daign t' inuite mine humble Fate T'approoch the Presence of his Royall State Or if my Duty or the Grace of Nobles Shall driue or draw me neer their pleasing-Troubles Let not their Fauours make me drunk with folly In their Commands still keep my Conscience holy Let me true Honour not the false delight And play the