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 |
|
A31168
|
The prodigals pilgrimage a poem wherein is contained all the remarkable passages occurring from his birth to his return.
|
R. C.
|
1698
(1698)
|
Wing C112; ESTC R5668
|
11,223
|
34
|
thing In that great City for the Bells to Ring For Bonefires to be made nay many a time The very Conduits were to run with Wine And how I daily in that place might see Of Sports and Pleasures great Variety I then dismiss'd him and began to think This was the very Spring where I might Drink And swallow in Delight I felt a Fire Surprise my Blood and with a hot desire Inflame my Heart to put in Practice strait Pride Gluttony and Lust that tempting Bait. Then did my Flesh suggest unto my Mind That hitherto I had not been so kind To Her as She deserv'd I had not Fed Nor Richly Cloath'd Her as She merited And that I should do well now to begin To Pamper Her who had so loving been She bid me cast my wand'ring Eyes about And look what Beaut'ous Prize I could find out She charg'd me with a brisk Result to make A bold Assault for Gold and Greatness shake The strongest Fortress and will pierce the Heart Which seemed Steeled against Cupid's Dart And She would not be wanting to fulfill My hot desires and Execute my Will The World did also to mine Eyes present Such glitt'ring Splendor and so Orient That I stood much Amaz'd and look'd thereon Like one surpriz'd with Admiration She bad me not to Wonder nor to think Her Power and Greatness in a small Precinct Was Bounded in but that her Empire run As far as e're the Golden tressed Sun Did stretch his glorious Beams and I should be As Brave as any Object I did see In following Her not mighty Caesars state Nor Craesus Riches should out-shine my Fate With these two Witches came the Devil in And when they ended then did He begin He show'd me in a Vision at one time The Scituation of this Earthly Clime And brought unto my Sight such Beauties rare As Rosamond might not with them compare And did present to my Inchanted Eyes Such heaps of Gold and precious Rareties As bright Apollo on his Burning Car Appear'd to them but like a twinkling Star And told me what he show'd me in a Glass In should Enjoy and really Possess If I would be his Servant and obey What he Commanded both to do and say When they had cunningly my Senses Charm'd With these illusive Spells they soon disarm'd My Soul of all her Heavenly Furniture Which should have been her Guard against their pow'r And I struck Hands with them a Contract made Protesting to observe what e're they said And wheresoe're I came no place nor time Should make me their three Friendships to resign When Juno Pallas and Loves Beauteous Queen To Paris in the Vale of Ide were seen And there as three Corrivals for the Prize Of Beauty's favour and commanding Eyes Stood in Contention and had made a Vow To stand to what his Censure did allow The first propos'd a Kingdom and a Crown For his Reward might She be first set down The second told him that He should excell All Men in Wisdom might she bear the Bell The third indeed who bore the Prize away Told him She had a Spouse as fair as day To be his Partner in the Bed of Pleasure Whose Beauty was esteem'd so Rich a Treasure That many Kings and Princes for her sake Should enter into Arms and undertake A Mortal War Millions of Souls should spend Their Lives for Her and for no other end Paris was not so much surpriz'd with Wonder And Joy when he began to think and ponder Of what these Goddesses to him had said And promis'd too as I was well apaid Of these Bewitching Syrens whose false Lyes Infected me with Thousand Vanities Then did I set a Flourish on my Back Call'd for my Taylor told him I would lack Nothing which now the Fashion did require Thus Pride did first my Senses set on fire Then did I flaunt it in the open Street And justled those whom I did chance to meet My Body cloath'd in Silk my Head implum'd With flaunting Feathers and my Hair perfum'd And quickly was I known for still I wore A Lure about me which would make Men sore And stoop to me as fast as when we see A well Man'd Faulcon from a lofty Tree Descend with speed to seize upon his Prey Being sharp and hungry kept for Sport that day Then to the Ord'nary I did frequent Where ev'ry one my Bounty did resent And soon my Friendship was indear'd to those Who love to be acquainted with good Cloaths With Conge and with Cringe with Duck and Dive I was Saluted ev'ry Man did strive To be Inroll'd amongst those Friends whom I Selected as my choicest Company Thus Flattery with his Inchanting Song and Incantation wrought on me so strong And did so pow'rfully my Mind incense With an absur'd Belief and Confidence As every Man in my conceit did seem To hold my Person in a high Esteem For still my Purse was ope and out my Crowns Flew like the flakes of Snow upon the Downs Then from the City to the Court I went To feel the temper of that Element Then I observ'd with what a stately Train Some Lords pass'd by when other Lords were fain To stand a loof and hardly to appear Unless they were unto these Great Ones dear I also then observ'd the fond and vain Conceited Antick of a Courtly strain One Leap'd and Skipt and Sung and play'd the Fool As if he had been in a Dancing-School A second kiss'd his Hand and scrap'd a Leg To ev'ry one upon whose lofty Head A Feather did but Wag A third did look As big as great Alcides when he shook A Lyon by the Beard all which did seem To me no better than a sportful Scene Strange and ridiculous yet I did fall In Imitation to exceed them all For there a while I made my Residence Ruffling in Silk and Gold my large expence Had blown my Fame and Credit long before I soon got Entrance at the Presence Dore Here one great Lord did take me by the Hand Another call'd me Cousen bid command His Love and Service and Inferiors strove To gain my Friendship with obsequious Love Thus did I seem to be indear'd to all Embrac'd and courted far beyond my call And whilst my Head above the Stream did Swim I found enough to hold me by the Chin. Then to the City I return'd again Where I resolv'd my Self to entertain With all the Pleasures that I could devise And first I taught my amorous looking Eyes To Court the choicest Beauties and Inroll Their Wanton glances in my lustful Soul And with their piercing Sight to search and try And pick the very Lock of Chastity Whom with large Promises and ample Gifts I quickly Won Lust hath a thousand Shifts Then with the rarest Harmony I fed My curious Ears and on a costly Bed I laid my Corps and serv'd my Am'rous touch Till I was Cloy'd and thought I had too much And with the richest Aromatick Fume I sent the Incense of a sweet
Toy Is soon surpriz'd so did I take Delight To please my wanton Childish Appetite With whatso'er the Object did instill Into my Fancy were it Good or Ill. Here Nature gave me leave a while to stay And sport my self then on I took my Way For now she had infus'd to ev'ry Vein Hot Youthful Blood and fill'd my wandring Brain With such a strong imaginary Stream Of fond Delights as I began to dream That all this Universe was but a Stage Of glitt'ring Pomp and glorious Equipage Which should for ever last as if the Wheel Of Fortune had been fix'd and could not reel She also had imparted to my Mind Some little Understanding how to find Content in what I did Thus did she ring A Larum to my Senses gave each Limb A quick Agility to ev'ry Part An active Vigor and she crown'd my Heart With Joy and Gladness so that I conceiv'd Nothing but Mirth had been to me bequeath'd She brought me from the House into the Fields And look what Pleasure or Content that yields I Reap'd at full I Skipp'd from Place to Place Like a young wanton Kid pursu'd my Chace From Hill to Dale I ran through Thick and Thin No Limits could contain nor bound me in I Sung I Danc'd I gather'd fragrant Flowers Such as fair Virgins beautifie their Bowers And deck their Bridal Chambers with the Rose Which in the Spring doth first of all disclose The Honey-Suckle and sweet Eglantine Love and Hearts-Ease but good and wholsome Time I utterly neglected and for Rue Or Herbs of Grace I ever did eschew These healthful Herbs seem'd bitter to my Tast Harsh and unsavory I therefore cast On them a careless Look and with an Eye Full of Disdain and Scorn I pass'd them by I wash'd my Body in the Silver stream Rub'd off the Dust and Sweat then wip'd it clean Then did I many Frisks and Capers make Upon the flow'ring Grass and often shake My dewy Locks so tumbling up and down Laugh'd out my Days ne're dreaming of a Frown I thousand other Recreations took Sometimes I cast my Angle in the Brook And with some Artificial Fly or Gnat Deceiv'd those silly Fish that Bit thereat Then would I set some Spring or cunning Gin To catch those pretty Birds that peep'd therein And sometimes hunt the Fox or fearful Hare Or use some Art to take them in my Snare And with my nimble and strong scented Hound Pursue the Buck or pull the Stag to ground And from their Misery and hard Distress I did receive a kind of Happiness And thus as in Elizium Fields my days I seem'd to spend ne're dreaming of those ways Those Rugged Rough and dang'rous passages Those Brakes those Briers and that Wilderness I was to Wander through nor of those Foes That lie in wait where e're poor Mortal goes To strip him of his Richest Ornaments His Faith his Grace his spotless Innocence And in their stead his wretched Soul invest With loathsome Rags which God doth much detest I hitherto was Blind I could not See Nor understand the Fatal Destiny Which like the Sword of Damocles hung down Just perpendicular upon my Crown And in the mid'st of all my Pomp and Chear Fore-shew'd my Fall and Ruin to be near My Feet were Fetter'd yet and could not Run The Race which they most gladly would have done My Hands were also Pinyon'd and my Mind Within it's Orb and Circle was confin'd For with a careful Look and awful Eye My Parents Mark'd me when I step'd awry And often brought me to the Fold again When I was lost and stragling in the Plain I had besides a Tutor to Survey My wandring Steps and keep me at a Bay At home and eke abroad I had a Guide To Prop me up when I began to Slide But when the Rod was Burnt and winged Time Compell'd these careful Guardians to Resign And leave me to my Self as being now A Knotty Piece more apt to Break than Bow When Nature had perform'd her Work in me And rais'd me from a Shrub unto a Tree When she had furnish'd me in ev'ry point Made strong each Sinew knit each slender Joynt And with soft Down had so inrich'd my Chin As new Spring Leaves adorn the Trees in Spring Then did I hoise up Sails and from the Shoar Into the swelling Ocean with my Oar I forthwith sought to Lanch both Wind and Tide And all black threatning Gusts I did deride I cast the servile Yoke from off my Neck A Frown seem'd harsh to me much more a Check And from my former Sports I scorn'd to think That e're my lofty Spirit could stoop to Drink At such a pudled Stream The Court alone Presented to my thoughts a glitt'ring Throne Enrich'd with all Delights and therefore now The Portion which my Birth-right did allow I labour'd to obtain nor could the kind And fair perswasions of my Parents bind My refractory Will but ev'ry thought Like an Inchanted Spell within me wrought 'Till like a Pilgrim labouring in a streight I found the Error of my vain Conceit When I had fill'd my Bags and cram'd my Purse I bad adieu fall better or fall worse So mounting up upon a stately Steed I cry'd St. George and Fortune be my speed And as I pass'd along where e're I came My large Expences Eccho'd out my Name At last I touch'd and Landed at that Shore Where Tagus like the Sand with Golden Ore Did seem to be Inrich'd this place I spy'd Like Ilium in the height of all her Pride For at my first Arrival there I found Mirth at its height and Pleasure to abound The Air with Acclamations loud did Ring The People Danc'd and Sung as in the Spring The Winged Choiristers did stretch their Throats To Carrol out a Thousand sev'ral Notes The Bells did Ring the Bonefires up did fly And ev'ry House was fill'd with Melody The very Eccho seemed to Rejoice And to this Musick tun'd her curtail'd Voice I saw at ev'ry great and spacious Gate Wine dol'd about to People as they sate I saw at ev'ry mean and common door Beer freely given both to Rich and Poor I saw a Troop of Coaches in the Street Lin'd with Brisk Beaus and the proud Horses Feet Struck on the Pavement with so loud a din As if it had a ratling Thunder bin I heard the Cannons from the Tow'r to roar As if the whole Foundation would have tore Of all the Stately Buildings much I mus'd To see these Sights and hear this Noise confus'd And presently conceiv'd this was the Cell Where all the Gods and Goddesses did dwell Or that it was the Theatre where they Descended to behold poor Mortals Play For I had of their Banquetting and Sports Read in the Histories and strange Reports Of Ancient Poets then into an Inn I set my Horse and call'd the Chamberlain I ask'd of him from what Triumphant Cause Arose that Joy that Mirth and great Applause He told me 't was a Customary