streams of thy unbounded Glory reach Beyond the straits of scanty Time and Place Beyond the ebbs and flows of matter 's narrow Seas They reach and fill the Ocean of Eternity and Space Infus'd like some vast mighty soul Thon do'st inform and actuate this spacious whole Thy unseen hand does the well-joynted Frame sustain Which else would to its primitive Nothing shrink again But most thou do'st thy Majesty display In the bright Realms of everlasting Day There is Thy residence there do'st Thou reign There on a State of dazling Lustre sit There shine in Robes of pure refined Light Where Sun 's coarse Rays are but a Foil and Stain And refuse Stars the sweepings of thy glorious Train 3. There all Thy Family of menial Saints Huge Colonies of bless'd Inhabitants Which Death through countless Ages has transplanted hence Now on Thy Throne for ever wait And fill the large Retinue of thy heav'nly State There reverend Prophets stand a pompous goodly show Of old thy Envoys extraordinary here Who brought thy sacred Embassies of Peace and War That to th' obedient this the rebel world below By them the mighty Twelve have their abode Companions once of the Incarnate suffâ—…ring God Partakers now of all his Triumphs there As they on earth did in his Miseries share Of Martyrs next a crown'd and glorious Quire Illustrious Heroes who have gain'd Through dangers and Red Seas of Bloud the Promis'd Land And pass'd through Ordeal Flames to the Eternity in Fire There all make up the Consort of thy Praise To Thee they sing and never cease Loud Hymns and Hallelujah's of Applause An Angel-Laureat does the Sense and Strains compose Sense far above the reach of mortal Verse Strains far above the reach of mortal ears And all a Muse unglorified can fancy or rehearse 4. Nor is this Consort only kept above Nor is it to the Bless'd alone confin'd But Earth and all thy Faithful here are joyn'd And strive to vie with them in Duty and in Love And tho they cannot equal Notes and Measures raise Strive to return th' imperfect Ecchoes of thy Praise They through all Nations own thy glorious Name And every where the great Three-One proclaim Thee Father of the World and Us and Him Who must Mankind whom Thou didst make Redeem Thee blessed Saviour the ador'd true only Son To man debas'd to rescue Man undone And Thee Eternal Holy Power Who do'st by Grace exalted Man restore To all he lost by the old Fall and Sin before You bless'd and glorious Trinity Riddle to baffled Knowledg and Philosophy Which cannot conprehend the mighty Mystery Of numerous One and the unnumber'd Three Vast topless Pile of Wonders at whose sight Reason it self turns giddy with the height Above the flutt'ring pitch of humane Wit And all but the strong wings of Faith that Eagle's towring flight 5. Bless'd Jesu how shall we enough adore Or thy unbounded Love or thy unbounded Pow'r Thou art the Prince of Heav'n thou are the Almighty's Heir Thou art th' Eternal Off-spring of th' Eternal Sire Hail thou the Worlds Redeemer whom to free From bonds of Death and endless misery Thou thought'st it no disdain to be Inhabiter in low mortality Th' Almighty thought it no disdain To dwell in the pure Virgins spotless Womb There did the boundless Godhead and whole Heav'n find room And a small point the Circle of Infinity contain Hail Ransom of Mankind all-great all-good Who didst attone us with thy Bloud Thy self the Offering Altar Priest and God Thy self didst die to be our glorious Bail From Death's Arrests and the eternal Flaming Jail Thy self thou gav'st th' inestimable Price To Purchase and Redeem our morgag'd Heav'n and Happiness Thither when thy great Work on Earth had end When Death it self was slain and dead And Hell with all its Powers captive led Thou didst again triumphantly Ascend There do'st Thou now by Thy great Father sit on high With equal Glory equal Majesty Joynt-Ruler of the everlasting Monarchy 6. Again from thence thou shalt with greater triumph come When the last Trumpet sounds the general Doom And lo thou com'st and lo the direful sound does make Through Deaths wide Realm Mortality awake And lo they all appear At Thy Dread Bar And all receive th' unalterable Sentence there Affrighted Nature trembles at the dismal Day And shrinks for fear and vanishes away Both that and Time breath out their last and now they die And now are swallow'd up and lost in vast Eternity Mercy O mercy angry God! Stop stop thy flaming Wrath too fierce to be withstood And quench it with the Deluge of thy Bloud Thy precious Bloud which was so freely spilt To wash us from the stains of Sin and Guilt O write us with it in the Book of Fate Amongst thy Chosen and Predestinate Free Denizens of Heav'n of the Immortal State 7. Guide us O Saviour guide thy Church below Both Way and Star Compass and Pilot Thou Do thou this frail and tâ—…tt'ring Vessel steer Through Life's tempestuous Ocean here Through all the tossing Waves of Fear And dang'rous Rocks of black Despair Safe under Thee we shall to the wish'd Haven move And reach the undiscover'd Lands of Bliss above Thus low behold to thy great Name we bow And thus we ever wish to grow Constant as Time does thy fix'd Laws obey To Thee our Worship and our Thanks we pay With these we wake the chearful Light With these we Sleep and Rest invite Anâ—… thus we spend our Breath and thus we spend our Days And never cease to Sing and never cease to Praise 8. While thus each Breast and Mouth and Ear Are filled with thy Praise and Love and Fear Let never Sin get room or entrance there Vouchsafe O Lord through this and all our days To guard us with Thy pow'rful Grace Within our hearts let no usurping Lust be found No rebel Passion tumult raise To break thy Laws or break our Peace But set thy Watch of Angels on the Place And keep the Tempter still from that forbidden ground Ever O Lord to us thy mercies grant Never O Lord let us thy mercies want Ne're want Thy Favour Bounty Liberality But let them ever on us be Constant as our own Hope and Trust on Thee On Thee we all our Hope and Trust repose O never leave us to our Foes Never O Lord desert our Cause Thus aided and upheld by Thee We 'll fear no Danger Death nor Misery Fearless we thus will stand a falling world With crushing Ruins all about us hurl'd And face wide gaping Hell all its slighted Pow'rs defie A Letter from the Country to a Friend in Town giving an Account of the Author's Inclinations to Poetry Written in July 1678. AS to that Poet if so great a one as he May suffer in comparison with me When heretofore in Scythian exile pent To which he to ungrateful Rome was sent If a kind Paper from his Country came And wore subscrib'd some known and faithful
Had I bin Man and the great Act to do H 'ad dy'd by this and bin what I am now Or what His Father is I would leap Hell To reach His Life tho in the midst I fell And deeper than before Let rabble Souls of narrow aim and reach Stoop their vile Necks and dull Obedience preach Let them with slavish aw disdain'd by me Adore the purple Rag of Majesty And think 't a sacred Relick of the Sky Well may such Fools a base Subjection own Vassals to every Ass that loads a Throne Unlike the soul with which proud I was born Who could that sneaking thing a Monarch scorn Spurn off a Crown and set my foot in sport Upon the head that wore it trod in dirt But say what is 't that binds your hands do's fear From such a glorious action you deter Or is 't Religion but you sure disclaim That frivolous pretence that empty name Meer bugbear word devis'd by Us to scare The sensless rout to slavishness and fear Ne're know to aw the brave and those that dare Such weak and feeble things may serve for checks To rein and curb base-mettled Hereticks Dull creatures whose nice bogling consciences Startle or strain at such slight crimes as these Such whom fond inbred honesty befools Or that old musty piece the Bible gulls That hated Book the bulwark of our foes Whereby they still uphold their tott'ring cause Let no such toys mislead you from the road Of glory nor infect your Souls with good Let never bold incroaching Virtue dare With her grim holy face to enter there No not in very Dream have only will Like Fiends and Me to covet and act ill Let true substantial wickedness take place Usurp and Reign let it the very trace If any yet be left of good deface If ever qualms of inward cowardice The things which some dull sots call conscience rise Let them in streams of Blood and slaughter drown Or with new weights of guilt still press 'em down Shame Faith Religion Honor Loyalty Nature it self whatever checks there be To loose and uncontrol'd impiety Be all extinct in you own no remorse But that you 've balk'd a sin have been no worse Or too much pity shewn Be diligent in Mischiefs Trade be each Performing as a Dev'l nor stick to reach At Crimes most dangerous where bold despair Mad lust and heedless blind revenge would ne're Ev'n look march you without a blush or fear Inflam'd by all the hazards that oppose And firm as burning Martyrs to your Cause Then you 're true Jesuits then you 're fit to be Disciples of great Loyola and Me Worthy to undertake worthy a Plot Like this and fit to scourge an Huguenot Plagues on that Name may swift confusion seize And utterly blot out the cursed Race Thrice damn'd be that Apostate Monk from whom Sprung first these Enemies of Us and Rome Whose pois'nous Filth dropt from ingend'ring Brain By monstrous Birth did the vile Insects spawn Which now infest each Country and defile With their o'respreading swarms this goodly I le Once it was ours and subject to our Yoke Till a late reigning Witch th' Enchantment broke It shall again Hell and I say 't have ye But courage to make good the Prophesie Not Fate it self shall hinder Too sparing was the time too mild the day When our great Mary bore the English sway Unqueen-like pity marr'd her Royal Pow'r Nor was her Purple dy'd enough in Gore Four or five hundred such like petty sum Might fall perhaps a Sacrifice to Rome Scarce worth the naming had I had the Pow'r Or been thought fit t' have been her Counsellor She shou'd have rais'd it to a nobler score Big Bonfires should have blaz'd and shone each day To tell our Triumphs and make bright our way And when 't was dark in every Lane and Street Thick flaming Hereticks should serve to light And save the needless Charge of Links by night Smithfield should still have kept a constant fire Which never should be quench'd never expire But with the lives of all the miscreant rout Till the last gasping breath had blown it out So Nero did such was the prudent course Taken by all his mighty Successors To tame like Hereticks of old by force They scorn'd dull reason and pedantick rules To conquer and reduce the harden'd Fools Racks Gibbets Halters were their arguments Which did most undeniably convince Grave bearded Lions manag'd the dispute And reverend Bears their Doctrines did consute And all who would stand out in stiff defence They gently claw'd and worried into sense Better than all our Sorbon dotards now Who would by dint of words our Foes subdue This was the rigid Discipline of old Which modern sots for Persecution hold Of which dull Annalists in story tell Strange Legends and huge bulky Volumes swell With Martyr'd Fools that lost their way to Hell From these our Church's glorious Ancestors We 've learnt our arts and made their Methods ours Nor have we come behind the least degree In acts of rough and manly cruelty Converting Faggots and the pow'rful stake And Sword resistless our Apostles make This heretofore Bohemia felt and thus Were all the num'rous Proselytes of Huss Crush'd with their head So Waldo's cursed rout And those of Wickliff here were rooted out Their names scarce left Sure were the means we chose And wrought prevailingly Fire purg'd the dross Of those foul Heresies and sovereign Steel Lopt off th' infected Limbs the Church to heal Renown'd was that French Brave renown'd his deed A deed for which the day deserves its red Far more than for a paltry Saint that died How goodly was the Sight how fine the Show When Paris saw through all its Channels flow The blood of Huguenots when the full Sein Swell'd with the flood its Banks with joy o're-ran He scorn'd like common Murderers to deal By parcels and piecemeal he scorn'd Retail I' th' Traâ—…e of Death whole Myriads died by th' great Soon as one single life so quick their Fate Their very Pray'rs and Wishes came too late This a King did and great and mighty ' t was Worthy his high Degree and Pow'r and Place And worthy our Religion and our Cause Unmatch'd ' thad been had not Mac-quire arose The bold Mac-quire who read in modern Fame Can be a Stranger to his Worth and Name Born to out-sin a Monarch born to Reign In Guilt and all Competitors disdain Dread memory whose each mention still can make Pale Hereticks with trembling Horror quake T' undo a Kingdom to atchieve a crime Like his who would not fall and die like him Never had Rome a nobler service done Never had Hell each day came thronging down Vast shoals of Ghosts and mine was pleas'd glad And smil'd when it the brave revenge survey'd Nor do I mention these great Instances For bounds and limits to your wickedness Dare you beyond something out of the road Of all example where none yet have trod Nor shall
less guilt in War th'hadst dy'd And from ensuing mischiefs Mankind freed Or when thou view'dst the Holy Land and Tomb Th'had'st suffer'd there thy brother Traitor's doom Curst be the womb that with the Firebrand teem'd Which ever since has the whole Globe inflam'd More curst that ill-aim'd Shot which basely mist Which maim'd a limb but spar'd thy hated breast And made th' at once a Cripple and a Priest But why this wish The Church if so might lack Champions good works and Saints for th' Almanack These are the Janizaries of the Cause The Life-Guard of the Roman Sultan chose To break the force of Huguenots and Foes The Churches Hawkers in Divinity Who ' stead of Lace and Ribbons Doctrine cry Rome's Strowlers who survey each Continent Its trinkets and commodities to vent Export the Gospel like mere ware for sale And truck't for Indigo and Cutchâ—…neal As the known Factors here the Brethron once Swopt Christ about for Bodkins Rings and Spoons And shall these great Apostles be contemn'd And thus by scoffing Hereticks defam'd They by whose means both Indies now enjoy The two choice Blessings Pox and Popery Which buried else in ignorance had been Nor known the worth of Beads and Bellarmine It pitied holy Mother Church to see A World so drown'd in gross Idolatry It griev'd to see such goodly Nations hold Bad Errors and unpardonable Gold Strange what a zeal can powerful Coin infuse What Charity Pieces of Eight produee So you were chosen th' fittest to reclaim The Pagan World and give 't a Christian Name And great was the success whole Myriads stood At Font and were baptis'd in their own blood Millions of Souls were hurl'd from hence to burn Before their time be damn'd before their turn Yet these were in compassion sent to Hell The rest reserv'd in spite and worse to feel Compell'd instead of Fiends to worship you The more inhumane Devils of the two Rare way and method of Conversion this To make your Votaries your Sacrifice If to destroy be Reformation thought A Plague as well might the good work have wrought Now see we why your Founder weary grown Would lay his former Trade of Killing down He found 't was dull he found a Crown would be A fitter case and badge of cruelty Each sniv'lling Hero Seas of Blood can spill When wrongs provoke and Honour bids him kill Each tiny Bully Lives can freely bleed When press'd by Wine or Punk to knock o' th' head Give me your through-pac'd Rogue who scorns to be Prompted by poor Revenge or Injury But does it of true inbred cruelty Your cool and sober Murderer who prays And stabs at the same time who one hand has Stretch'd up to Heav'n t'other to make the Pass So the late Saints of blessed memory Cut throats in Godly pure sincerity So they with lifted hands and eyes devout Said Grace and carv'd a slaughter'd Monarch out When the first Traitor Cain too good to be Thought Patron of this black Fraternity His bloody Tragedy of old design'd One death alone quench'd his revengeful mind Content with but a quarter of Mankind Had he been Jesuit had he but put on Their savage cruelty the rest had gone His hand had sent old Adam after too And forc'd the Godhead to create anew And yet 't were well were their foul guilt but thought Bare sin 't is something ev'n to own a fault But here the boldest flights of wickedness Are stampt Religion and for currant pass The blackest ugliest horrid'st damned'st deed For which Hell flames the Schools a Title need If done for Holy Church is sanctified This consecrates the blessed Work and Tool Nor must we ever after think 'em foul To undo Realms kill Parents murder Kings Are thus but petty trifles venial things Not worth a Confessor nay Heav'n shall be It self invok'd t'abet th' impiety Grant gracious Lord Some Reverend Villain prays ' That this the bold Assertor of our Cause ' May with success accomplish that great end ' For which he was by thee and us design'd ' Do thou t' his Arm and Sword thy strength impart ' And guide 'em steddy to the Tyrants heart ' Grant him for every meritorious thrust ' Degrees of bliss above among the Just ' Where holy Garnet and S. Guy are plac'd ' Whom works like this before have thither rais'd ' Where they are interceding for us now ' For sure they 're there Yes questionless and so Good Nero is and Dioclesian too And that great ancient Saint Herostratus And the late godly Martyr at Thoulouse Dare something worthy Newgate and the Tow'r If you 'l be canoniz'd and Heav'n ensure Dull prim'tive Fools of old who would be good Who would by virtue reach the blest abode Far other are the ways found out of late Which Mortals to that happy place translate Rebellion Treason Murder Massacre The chief Ingredients now of Saint-ship are And Tyburn only stocks the Calendar Unhappy Judas whose ill fate or chance Threw him upon gross times of ignorance Who knew not how to value or esteem The worth and merit of a glorious crime Should his kind Stars have let him acted now H 'ad dy'd absolv'd and dy'd a Martyr too Hear'st thou Great God such daring blasphemy And let'st thy patient Thunder still lie by Strike and avenge lest impious Atheists say Chance guides the world and has usurp'd thy sway Lest these proud prosp'rous Villains too confess Tou'rt sensless as they make thy Images Thou just and sacred Pow'r wilt thou admit Such Guests should in thy glorious presence sit If Heav'n can with such company dispence Well did the Indian pray Might he keep thence But this we only feign all vain and false As their own Legends Miracles and Tales Either the groundless calumnies of spite Or idle rants of Poetry and Wit We wish they were but you hear Garnet cry ' I did it and would do 't again had I ' As much of Blood as many Lives as Rome ' Has spilt in what the Fools call Martyrdom ' As many Souls as Sins I 'd freely stake ' All them and more for Mother Church's sake For that I 'll stride o're Crowns swim through a Flood ' Made up of slaughter'd Monarch's Brains and ' Blood ' For that no lives of Hereticks I 'll spare ' But reap 'em down with less remorse and care ' Than Tarquin did the Poppy-heads of old ' Or we drop Beads by which our Pray'rs are told Bravely resolv'd and 't was as bravely dar'd But lo the Recompence and great Reward The wight is to the Almanack preferr'd Rare motives to be damn'd for holy Cause A few red Letters and some painted straws Fools who thus truck with Hell by Mohatra And play their Souls against no stakes away 'T is strange with what an holy Impudence The Villain caught his innocence maintains Denies with Oaths the Fact untill it be Less guilt to own it than the perjury By th' Mass and blessed Sacraments he swears This Mary's Milk and
Sorrow kept Then thus continued he Since unjust Fate Envies my Race of Glory longer date Yet as a wounded General e're he dies To his sad Troops sighs out his last Advice Who tho they must his fatal Absence moan By those great Lessons conquer when he 's gone So I to you my last Instructions give And breath out Counsel with my parting Life Let each to my important words give Ear Worth your attention and my dying Care First and the chiefest thing by me enjoyn'd The Solemn'st tie that must your Order bind Let each without demur or scruple pay A strict Obedience to the Roman Sway To the unerring Chair all Homage Swear Altho a Punk a Witch a Fiend sit there Who e're is to the Sacred Mitre rear'd Believe all Vertues with the place conferr'd Think him establish'd there by Heav'n tho he Has Altars rob'd for bribes the choice to buy Or pawn'd his Soul to Hell for Simony Tho he be Atheist Heathen Turk or Jew Blasphemer Sacrilegious Perjur'd too Tho Pander Bawd Pimp Pathick Buggerer What e're old Sodom's Nest of Lechers were Tho Tyrant Traitor Pois'oner Parricide Magician Monster all that 's bad beside Fouler than Infamy the very Lees The Sink the Jakes the Common-shore of Vice Strait count him Holy Vertuous Good Devout Chast Gentle Meek a Saint a God who not Make Fate hang on his Lips nor Heaven have Pow'r to Predestinate without his leave None be admitted there but who he please Who buys from him the Patent for the Place Hold those amongst the highest rank of Saints Whom e're he to that Honour shall advance Tho here the Refuse of the Jail and Stews Which Hell it self would scarce for lumber chuse But count all Reprobate and Damn'd and worse Whom he when Gout or Tissick Rage shall curse Whom he in Anger Excommunicates For Friday Meals and abrogating Sprats Or in just Indignation spurns to Hell For jearing Holy Toe and Pantofle What e're he says esteem for Holy Writ And text Apocryphal if he think fit Let arrant Legends worst of Tales and Lies Falser than Capgraves and Voragines Than Quixot Rablais Amadis de Gaul Is sign'd with Sacred Lead and Fisher's Seal Be thought Authentick and Canonical Again if he Ordain't in his Decrees Let very Gospel for meer Fable pass Let Right be wrong Black White and Vertue Vice No Sun no Moon nor no Antipodes Forswear your Reason Conscience your Creed Your very Sense and Euclid if he bid Let it be held less heinous less amiss To break all Gods Commands than one of his When his great Mifsions call without delay Without Reluctance readily Obey Nor let your Inmost Wishes dare gainsay Should he to Bantam or Japan command Or farthest Bounds of Southern unknown Land Farther than Avarice its Vassals drives Thro' Rocks and Dangers loss of Blood and Lives Like great Xavier's be your Obedience shown Outstrip his Courage Glory and Renown Whom neither yawning Gulphs of deep Despair Nor scorching Heats of burning Line could scare Whom Seas nor Storms nor Wracks could make refrain From propagating Holy Faith and Gain If he but nod Commissions out to kill But becken Lives of Hereticks to spill Let th' Inquisition rage fresh Cruelties Make the dire Engines groan with tortur'd Cries Let Campo Flori every day be strow'd With the warm Ashes of the Luth'ran Brood Repeat again Bohemian Slaughters ore And Piedmont Vallies drown with floating Gore Swifter than Murdering Angels when they fly On Errands of avenging Destiny Fiercer than Storms let loose with eager haste Lay Cities Countries Realms whole Nature waste Sack â—…avish burn destroy slay massacre Till the same Grave their Lives and Names interr These are the Rights to our great Mufty due The sworn Allegiance of your Sacred Vow What else we in our Votaries require What other Gift next follows to enquire And first it will our great Advice befit What Soldiers to your Lists you ought admit To Natives of the Church and Faith like you The foremost rank of Choice is justly due 'Mongst whom the chiefest place assign to those Whose Zeal has mostly Signaliz'd the Cause But let not Entrance be to them deny'd Who ever shall desert the adverse Side Omit no Promises of Wealth or Power That may inveigled Hereticks allure Those whom great learning parts or wit renowns Cajole with hopes of Honours Scarlet Gowns Provincial ships and Palls and Triple Crowns This must a Rector that a Provost be A third succed to the next Abbacy Some Princes Tutors others Confessors To Dukes and Kings and Queens and Emperors These are strong Arguments which seldom fail Which more than all yoâ—…r weak disputes prevail Exclude not those of less desert decree To all Revolters your Foundation free To all whom Gaming Drunkenness or Lust To Need and Popery shall have reduc'd To all whom slighted Love Ambition crost Hopes often bilk't and Sought Preferment lost Whom Pride or Discontent Revenge or Spite Fear Frenzy or Despair shall Proselyte Those Pow'rful Motives which the most bring in Most Converts to our Church and Order win Reject not those whom Guilt and Crimes at home Have made to us for Sanctuary come Let Sinners of each Hue and Size and Kind Here quick admittance and safe Refuge find Be they from Justice of their Country fled With Blood of Murders Rapes and Treasons died No Varlet Rogue or Miscreant refuse From Gallies Jails or Hell it self broke loose By this you shall in Strength and Numbers grow And shoals each day to your throng'd Cloisters flow So Rome's and Mecca's first great Founders did By such wise Methods made their Churches spread When shaven Crown and hallow'd Girdle's Power Has dub'd him Saint that Villain was before Enter'd let it his first Endeavour be To shake off all remains of Modesty Dull sneaking Modesty not more unfit For needy flatt'ring Poets when they write Or trading Punks than for a Jesuit If any Novice feel at first a blush Let Wine and frequent converse with the Stews Reform the Fop and shame it out of Use Unteach the puling Folly by degrees And train him to a well-bred Shamelesness Get that great Gift and Talent Impudence Accomplish't Mankind's highest Excellence 'T is that alone prefers alone makes great Confers alone Wealth Titles and Estate Gains Place at Court can make a Fool a Peer An Ass a Bishop can vil'st Blockheads rear To wear Red Hats and sit in Porph'ry Chair 'T is Learning Parts and Skill and Wit and Sense Worth Merit Honour Vertue Innocence Next for Religion learn what 's fit to take How small a Dram do's the just Compond make As much as is by the Crafty States-men worn For Fashion only or to serve a turn To bigot Fools its idle Practice leave Think it enough the empty Form to have The outward Show is seemly cheap and light The Substance Cumbersome of Cost and Weight The Rabble judge by what appears to th' Eye None or but few the Thoughts within Descry Make 't