Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A34821
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The foure ages of England, or, The iron age with other select poems / written by Mr. A. Cowley.
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Cowley, Abraham, 1618-1667.
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1648
(1648)
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Wing C6671; ESTC R18757
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34,076
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77
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Cedars and their drops from high Made th' poor like under-woods to starve and die That in what place we saw so many poor Some great man liv'd not farr we might be sure Now these that so imperiously did awe When they perceiv'd men did not care a straw For their commands but that the shrub began To be as stately as the Gentleman Then they though not for conscience sake oppose Them that t' infringe the Kingly pow'r arose The truly noble Heroes for there be Two contrarieties in each degree Are by the blindfold people made to beare In suffering though not in sin a share For when the vulgar to be Judges come Then all must suffer for the fault of some They quickly saw when the bold Subject dares Usurp Kings Rights 't is time to look to theirs The vulgar knowing little but b'ing led By th' Priests or Gentry joyn to make a head Each as his phansie leads him Some ambidextrous villaines took one part And yet held with the other in their heart Such men desire our Warrs may still increase And feare of nothing but a needy peace Mean while the Newters Jacks of both sides stand Poysing themselves on both yet neither hand Like Goddesses of victory attend To take the Conquerors part i' th' latter end Those that are wisest were they Argos-ey'd And Bythian-like had every eye supply'd With double sight yet they could hardly see Which side to take and save their Bacon free So betwixt both these civill warres ore-whelm Th' whole superficies of this wretched Realm This land that was a Canaan while 't was good Is now the sad Aceldama of blood CHAP. VII ANd now the great State-gamesters plainly find All either stir'd in body or in mind The instruments prepar'd to work they fall Ambiguous oaths Treasons Originall They now invent impose First men are made To sweare amisse and then they do perswade Those oaths bind them to do what these intend Stretching poor soules to bring about their end Now jealousies and feares which first arose From the polluted Consciences of those That were the first contrivers these divide The limbs from th' Head nay from themselves beside One won't confide in t'other this although It rose from nothing to a world did grow Nor did it lose by th' way like Balls of snow It bigger still as it did go did grow Both separate themselves and each intends Distance a great advantage to their ends Those that had active bin on either side Are mutually accus'd sent for denyed This makes both stick to what they had begun And each his course more eagerly did run First they fall to 't by pen which did incense Both parties with a greater vehemence From hence names of disgrace at first arose And each to other made more odious And the amazed people did invite To lay aside their tedious peace and fight They plainly saw the warr before they could Discern the Cause on 't and they might behold Th' effects though not the quarrell they well knew That they must feel the warr and end it too Warr like a Serpent at the first appear'd Without a sting that it might not be fear'd But having got in 's head begins to be The sole Monopolist of Monarchie Thus by degrees we ran from peace to go Downward was easie but b'ing once below To re-ascend that glorious hill where blisse Sits thron'd with Peace oh what a labour tis Our floating eyes in seas of teares may see The heav'n we 're faln from but our miserie Does more increase to Tantalize to th' brink In happinesse when yet we cannot drink Now we must fight for peace whose worth by most Was not discern'd till utterly 't was lost None know the good of peace but such as are Broil'd in the furnace of intestine warre CHAP. VIII NOw having us'd the effeminate warr of words Which did enlarge the jarrs at length the swords Apparelling themselves in robes of blood Sate Doctors of the Chaire which never stood To heare the Cause but quickly does decide All that comes near and without skill divide All individuums 'T is a fearfull Case When undiscerning swords have Umpires place That have two-edg'd to wound but have no eye To sever Justice from iniquity When rage and Ignorance shall moderate That understand no Syllogisms but straight Turning all method into curst confusion Majors to Minors bring both to Conclusion And now the great Reformists only care Is how to help those miseries which were Of their own rearing Faction like a Snake Stings those from whom it did a quick'ning take First all the Kingdome to a need they draw Then make that need they 've brought their only Law This Mint of Lawes stands not on observation Of Statutes fixt the Birth-right of our Nation It 's turn'd a warlike Councell and no more A legall Senate as it was before Now Sâ—lus Populi begins to be The generall Warrant to all villanie Of which themselves are Judges lawlesse need The conqu'ring Rebell to all Lawes does plead A priviledge what e're they say or do New need still make them act contrary too When any injur'd Subjects did complain These two Lawes paramount could all maintain Religion too and fundamentall Lawes Are both o're-ruled by a Law call'd Cause CHAP. IX OUr quarrell is a working jealousie Fixt in a sever'd Kingdome both sides be So diffident of each they 'l rather die Then trust each other such Antipathie Springs from this ground Subjects dare spill the blood Of their anointed Soveraign for his good Th' ungratefull Son forgetting natures Lawes Dares kill his Father for the good of 's Cause Fathers their sonnes and Brothers Kinsmen Friends Do seek their Brothers Friends and Kinsmens ends Armes that long uselesse lay for want of warr Are now call'd forth more summoned from farr English to English are become a terrour One wicked action is a seconds mirrour Each strives in mischief to transcend another And every Christian is a Turk to 's Brother Blowes seldome fall upon a barren ground But beare centuple crops they still rebound Rage begets rage men do in vice climb higher And all bring fuell to increase the fire Conscience rejected men their forces bend Which shall the rest in height of sin transcend Now faith and loyalty grow out of date And Treason is the Gole that 's aimed at The sacred league 'twixt body and the soule Which Lawes preserv'd inviolate and whole Is daily broke and that sweet Bridegroom forc'd From his beloved Spouse to be divorc'd Each man is drunk with Gallus and growes mad Nor can there Hellebore enough be had To re-instate our reason in its throne Nor have we sense enough to feel we 've none Th' Age was so vile the Iron Age of old Compar'd with ours may be an Age of Gold We in the times of peace like th' Ocean were Impenetrable till Divisions tare Us from our selves and did divide us quite As the Red Sea was by the Israelite And we like walls