Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A64766
|
The ladie's blush, or, The history of Susanna, the great example of conjugal chastity an heroick poem / by W.V.
|
W. V.
|
1673
(1673)
|
Wing V15; ESTC R6702
|
18,508
|
48
|
The Ladie 's Blush Or THE HISTORY OF SUSANNA THE GREAT EXAMPLE OF Conjugal Chastity An HEROICK POEM By W. V. Attentant formâ celebréinque pudore Susannam Injusti quibus est facta repulsa Senes Ira metúsque fidem laesam testantur at insons Fatidici vatis solvitur ore nece LONDON Printed by James Cotterel for Robert Robinson neer Grays-Inne-gate in Holborn 1673. To the AMOROUS READERS PRREFACES to Books are as Gentlemen-Vshers to Ladies when they have given a short account of the person or Subject they introduce your own prudence will dictate to you that your entertainment of them should be in some measure answerable to their quality But the Lady we here bring into your view being of greater eminencie then any other as to the vertue for which her memory hath been celebrated through all ages it is thought requisite to do it with more pomp and ceremony The Author of this Poem having spent some time in the perusal of the Apocryphal part of the Holy Scriptures reflected that there were three eminent vertues recommended to us in the persons and examples of three remarkable Women The first is Prudence in those of Judith a Woman as to Counsel and Condâ—ct in the greatest extremities of a tedious Siege surpassing the best Politicians of the Jewish Government and as to Action out-doing all the Stratagems of the Inhabitants of the Hill-countries to the admiration and amazement of Posterity The second is Fortitude observable in the magnanimous Matrone mentioned in the Maccabees who with undaunted courage chose rather to follow her seven sons through the gates of death by a generous Martyrdom then violate the Law of her Country The third Continence exemplifi'd in the incomparable Susanna for which she will be look'd on by all subsequent generations as the great Example of Conjugal Chastity Our Author hath thought fit to pitch upon this last for the Subject of his Work waving the first as implying a wish of that which the world calls Dissimulation for the more prosperous management of her designe and the second as being too great a precedent of Feminine courage to be expos'd to the world when those of that sexe being made Egyptians by the Publick Faith of the Covenanting Cause were already over-forward to be personally engag'd against the late Royal Standard For about that time do I conceive this Piece to have been written if not rather in the year Forty four famous for the Story of the Four-legg'd Elder History tells us of a Romane Lady who reflecting too seriously on a forc'd enjoyment whether confounded with shame at her not having made a greater resistance or the more to animate her Relations to revenge the violence dagger'd her self out of a loath'd life But as to our Susanna what can be imagin'd more neerly approaching Martyrdome it self then for a young Lady of transcendent Beauty to be brought to a publick and shameful Execution surrounded with her disgrac'd and lamenting Relations to avoid a pleasure she had often tasted as being a Wife and might then have accepted from persons who manag'd the Government of her Nation and had the title of Elders not so much upon the score of their Age as that of their Authority Could there be a greater discovery of Resolution then for a delicate person of that tender Sexe to prefer Stoning in the open field before the pressing sollicitations of two Elderly yet not too far superannuated Gallants in the shady solitude of a Garden But never was so violent a temptation so bravely oppos'd yet without any other defensives then those of a meek and innotent resistance Let any but imagine the horrour it must have been to her to be so strangely surpriz'd in that posture of Paradise and what confusion of thoughts it must have rais'd in her to observe in the Chrystal Mirrour of her Cistern the representations of two persons so little expected and ere she could lift up her eyes to look about her to finde her self within their unwelcome embraces Let any I say but imagine these circumstances and thence compute what an incredible presence of spirit what a recollection of vertuous and Matrimonial obligations was requisite to withstand the shock of so sudden an assault These reflections I suppose occasion'd our Author's dressing up of this History of Susanna into an Heroick Poem which he might have much enlarged had he not thought it more convenient to make it somewhat proportionate to the Story it self as it lies in Sacred Writ Wherein if I am not mistaken he hath oblig'd several sorts of persons as first those who are mightily affected with a Story put into Verse or fitted for publick Action when in dull Prose it makes no impression at all upon them and would rather see Susanna represented with Scenes in the Theatre then hear of her exemplary Vertue and deliverance in a Sermon at St. Paul's before the whole Representative of the City To another sort especially the Sisterhood of the Nation it may serve for a smart reproach of their frailty who upon the very score of this Story have entertain'd such a pique against the Apocryphal Writings that of the many hundreds of Thousands of Bibles printed during the five fatal Olympiads of the late Usurpation I doubt the number of such as had those bound with the Canonical does not amount to the square root of the whole In fine whoever are concern'd in the sacred bond of Matrimony are accordingly concern'd in the strange accidents occurring in this Story finding here how innocent Vertue was miraculously rescu'd out of the jaws of death and the guilty contrivers of Susanna's shame brought to condigne punishment to be perpetual precedents to all such as shall presumptuously attempt the tasting of that fruit which the Laws of God and Man have forbidden them The Lady's Blush OR The HISTORY of SUSANNA SLeep on perfuming Morn let not thy smiles With one Reflex gild the Molucca-Isles 'T is time enough on Tython's Saffron-bed Repose the curls of thy refulgent head And let the Aethiopians Pearly Ore Sown by thy hand lie on their Swarthy shore A while ungather'd that no Signal may Alarm the nimble minutes of the Day To harness Sol's fierce Steeds lest while the Fates Enforce a passage through th'East's Lattice-gates And send them panting up the Indian hill This monstrous change him with amazement fill To see since he descended last t' allay His flaming Temples in th' Atlantick Sea Nature inverted heat with cold thus fight Within one body as before rude Night First spread its frozen arms to entertain That warmth which after brooded on the Main And chill December quit his weeds of gray T' usurp the Robe and Diadem of May Chaste Groves polluted where fair Daphne's hair True concord holdeth with th' affrighted Air And sacred streams complaining as they scape From Springs attempted by the Elders rape So pure a Fountain that the mighty Jove Might thence make Hebe mix him Healths of love And Iris draw
doubt Who with a comely grace i' th' midst doth stand And gravely calls for Silence with his hand Which being made ' Are ye such fools indeed ' In weighty things to make such careless speed ' Where life 's concern'd what doth of right belong ' Ev'n Heathens know thinking delays not long ' And shall the Gentiles Moral righteousness ' Shew Heav'n-taught Jews the way not to transgress ' And yet unfollow'd be For shame my friends ' See what dishonour all rash acts attends ' Us odious renders in the sight of those ' Who neither God nor yet true Judgement knows ' That thus the truth unsearched or the Cause ' You are so forward t' execute our Laws ' And upon Israel's daughter Sentence give ' Who nought has done but that she still may live ' Infernal Angels sometimes seem as bright ' As those blest ones in unapproaching light ' And Justice often in its full careers ' The true complexion of Injustice bears ' Return ye then unto the Judgement-seat ' Examine well for sure th'imposture's great ' And witnesses more false then Hell have stood ' T' imbrue their hands in this chaste womans blood The people then with one consent rejoyce And shout aloud with a confused noise Saying To the Tribunal let 's return And try if these men have false witness born Think how perplex'd the pensive Elders were 'Twixt stings of Conscience re-inforc'd with fear And Heav'ns revengeful hand that thus had sent Means unexpected for their punishment VVhilst its Revenge doth still in triumph ride For Murther more then any sin beside No am'rous blushes now no lustful eyes To Cytherea no more Sacrifice But Reason's offer'd succours once-betray'd Known too too well to those that are afraid Bloud from the Circle to the Centre flies And that which first does live with life supplies Hence came the Elders paleness that wan fit VVhich did on their cadav'rous temples sit Whereby to each indifferent person there Their guilt appear'd ere to the place drawn neer Thou sacred Conscience O mysterious thing From what hid cause does thy bright essence spring And most unhappie he whom fear alone Hath strength to chain in desolation Fear Mortal's bane and this world's slavery That makes too pensive man not dare to die But slight his happiness which no where dwells Within the concave of our earthly cells And forceth silence where most need 's to speak And courage stops when she her flight should take Such was our Elders fate no word we hear They said till to the Court return'd they were Then passion somewhat overcome they mutter These speeches as their stammering tongues could utter ' Thou Princely Youth admired for thy fame ' Since first we to th' Caldean Nation came ' Great is thy wisdom that all Asia know ' That ' mongst the Heathen makes thee honour'd so ' And doth thy hand with such a Scepter fill ' As shines no less then our dread Monarch's will ' Who thinks the Gods do love thee whilst such years ' To thy great gifts but small proportion bears ' Come and with us thy Seniors sit down ' Since God does youth oft-times with knowledg crown ' And turns Gray-hairs to Babes come let us see ' If thou canst shew it our iniquity ' We both are Witnesses th'Indictment's read ' Then as truth shall appear thou may'st proceed VVhereat young Daniel to th' Assembly said ' Let these two Elders forthwith be convey'd ' To sev'ral distant places not to speak ' T' each other whilst I shall enquiry make ' Whom once examin'd you will surely finde ' This woman guiltless and they both combin'd ' To second Lust with Murther and disguise ' With shew of Justice their leud Villanies ' Justice sometimes becomes that cooling shade ' Wherein Serpentine wickedness is laid The Elders are to all the peoples wonder At Daniel's strange proceeding set asunder And Joakim's house did more with men abound Then Dagon's when from Gaza Sampson bound Was brought to make th'uncircumcised sport So great 's the throng so num'rous the resort A sudden change and great methinks to see Two Judges late now Prisoners to be Such is the nature of polluting sin T' enslave those souls where once it enters in VVhen Righteousness a Kingdom gives no less Is Bondage purchased by Wickedness Such was that grand Rebellion those evils That poison'd glorious Angels into Devils Till spirit'al pustules to appear began And Leprosie those Spirits over-ran That to the world's amazement their bright frame Is grown as loathsome as their cursed name One Elder forth is call'd observe his pace And read Guilt 's crimson lines upon his face Drawn in a duskie Argent he whose pride With murther joyn'd even now his God defi'd Arraigned stands 'fore man his junior too 'T is VVisdom's priviledge and this Truth can do VVherefore our Princely youth unto him said ' O thou in sin grown old wert not afraid ' False Judgement gainst this woman to declare ' VVhose spotless dealings so resplendent are ' Adorn'd with Vertue that renowned Gem ' Of Honour and immortal Diadem ' VVas not think'st thou just Heaven's dreadful hand ' VVith vengeance arm'd enough to countermand ' Such high presumption O most foolish spight ' That dares against the very Thunder fight ' But 't is decreed thy sins hith'rto lyen hid ' Now in their time should be discovered ' Thus have you dealt with the poor innocent ' And Malefactors freed from punishment ' Regarding not that Greatness which doth say ' The guiltless soul thou by no means shalt slay ' Now therefore since this woman thou didst see ' And took'st i'th'act tell me under what tree The Elder at this Question could not chuse Demurring till th'enrag'd concourse of Jews Most part Susanna favouring now bethought Themselves she might be to this Tryal brought Unjustly and with a tumultuous cry Say Answer Elder or expect to die After some pause astonish'd he declar'd Under a Mastick they their pleasure shar'd Then Daniel smiling ' Very well reply'd ' Against thy self vile man thus hast thou ly'd ' Behold I see an Angel now receiving ' Command to take thee from among the living ' But stand aside And bring his fellow hither ' That as two Brethren both may go together ' VVhen't shall appear false witnesses own breath ' Themselves not I shall sentence unto death The other 's brought for whose true counterfeit Unto the former we need not retreat Being much confounded and amaz'd to hear The Court with Acclamations rend the air At last a silence made ' O cursed breed ' Of Cham says Daniel not of Judah's seed ' Could Beauty thus bewitch you why then see ' Its full perfection blest Eternity ' Thou shouldst have looked thither where thy fill ' No less were then to understand and will ' So hadst thou been too high for Satans lure ' And all false joys beneath thee lain obscure ' But Lust's still armed with most pois'nous stings ' And where