her beauty prove As chaste as loyall to her virgin-Love As thou hast beene then in that high degree I le honour her as I have honour'd thee Be she as constant as her Vestall vow And true to her devoted faith as thou I le crowne her head and fill her hand with power And give a Kingdome to her for a Dower BRIDE SONET XXIII VVHen time shall ripen these her greene desires And holy Love shal breathe her heav'nly fires Into her Virgin brest her heart shall be As true to love as I am true to thee O when thy boundlesse bountie shall conjoyne Her equall-glorious Majesty with mine My ioyes are perfect then in sacred bands Wedlocke shall couple our espoused hands BRIDEGROOME SONET XXIIII I Am thy Gard'ner Thou my fruitfull Vine Whose rip'ned clusters swell with richest Wine The Vines of Soâ—omon were not so faire His Grapes were not so pretious as thine are His Vines were subject to the vulgar will Oâ— hired â—ands and mercinary skill Corrupted Carles were merry with his Vines And at a price return'd their barter'd wines 2. BVt mine 's a Vineyard which no ruder hand Shall touch subjected to my sole command My selfe with this laborious arme will dresse it 〈◊〉 presence with a busie eye shall blesse it â—â—rincely Soâ—omon thy thriving Vine 〈◊〉 not so saire so bountifull as mine 〈◊〉 greedy sharers claime an earned hire 〈◊〉 mine 's reseru'd and to my selfe entire 3. O Thou that dwellest where th' eternall fame Of my renowne so glorifies my name 〈◊〉 Bride in whose celestiall tongue 〈◊〉 sacred Spels t' enchant the ruder throng â—et thy lips like a perpetuall story â—â—ulge my graces and declare my glory Direct those hearts that errour leads astray Dissolve the Waxe but make obdure the Clay BRIDE SONET XXV MOst glorious Love and honourable Lord My heart 's the vowed servant of thy Word But I am weake and as a tender Vine Shall fall unpropt by that deare hand of thine Assist me therefore that I may fulfill What thou commandst and then command thy wil O leave thy Sacred Spirit in my brest As earnest of an everlasting Rest. The end SIONS ELEGIES Wept BY IEREMIE THE PROPHET And PERIPHRAS'D By FRA. QVARLES LONDON Printed by MILES FLESHER 1632. To the READER IF the ruines of Troy Rome Thebes or Carthage have beene thought a subject worthy the imployment of more serious Pennes to entaile the remembrance therof 〈◊〉 Posterity how much more worthy the paines â—â—livelier pen then mine is this ancient most 〈◊〉 and never enough to bee lamented desoâ—â—â—â—â— and Captivity of Ierusalem Ierusalem 〈◊〉 holy City of GOD Ierusalem the type of 〈◊〉 Catholike Church After eighteene moneths siege in the eleuenth 〈◊〉 of Zedekiah the ninth day of the fourth 〈◊〉 which was the eighteenth yeere of Neâ—â—hadonozor over Babylon the Princes of â—â—bylon surprized and tooke this brave Citie of â—â—â—usalem presently after which Nabuzaradan 〈◊〉 General of the Babylonian Army commanâ—â—â— by Nebuchadonozor spoyled the Temple â—â—ried away the Vessels of Gold and Silver that 〈◊〉 consecrated to Gods service and the great 〈◊〉 given by King Salomon and burned the â—â—â—ple the first day of the next moneth which was one and twenty dayes after the surprizâ—◠〈◊〉 470. yeeres sixe moneths and ten dayes after the foundation thereof 1062. yeeres sixe moneths ten dayes after the departure of the people out of Egypt â—950 yeeres sixe moneths ten dayes after the Deluge and 3513. yeeres sixe moneths ten dayes after the Creation of Adam Thus and then was this Citie of Ierusalem taken and for seventie yeeres remained the lewes in this Captivitie And this in Briefe is the generall occasion why and the time when these Lamentations were compased Reader I tender to thy consideration two things First the Pen-man Secondly the Art and Method of this Threnodia As for the first It was penned by Ieremie the Prophet the sonne of Hilkiah a Priest and undoubtâ—dly endighted by the Spirit of God some thinke it was written when the Prophet was in prison others when he was with Godoliah at Maspath but whether at the one place or at the other it is not much materiall to discourse Secondly as touching the Art and Method it is short and concise as being most naturall to so lamentable a subject Cicero sayes Lamentationes debent esse concisaeâ— breves quia â—ito lachryma exarescit difficile est auditores aut lectores in illo affectu summae commiserationis diu tenere The Method is truly elegious not bound to any ordinary set forme but wildly depending upon the sudden subject that new griefes present and indeed the deepest sorrowes cannot be but distracted from all rules of method the neglect of which is veniall in such ejulations as these as which in all the Scriptures there is none so copious none so ardent concerning which Gregory Nazianzene confesses Threnos Ieremiae nunquam à se siccis oculis lectos esse Yet some thinke there is a Method kept but too fine and intricate for our grosse apprehensions touching this point Saint Ambrose lib. 8. Epist. adjust sayes Demus eas secundum artem non scripsisse at certè secundum gratiam scripsisse fatendum est quae omnem artem longè superat and with this I rest You shall observe that the foure first Chapters of these Lamentations carry a strict order in the Originall for every Verse throughout every Chapter begins with a severall letter of the Hebrew Alphabet except the third Chapter wherein the first and every third Verse onely is tyed to a Letter and continues the Alphabet through which for me the Prophet used partly for Eloquence partly for Memory sake meaning either literally thus that it ought to be perfect as the Alphabet in memory or Hieroglyphically thus that as the Alphabet is the Radix of all words so the miseries of the Iewes were the combination of all miseries For the same Causes I likewise here in my Periphrase have observed the same forme and continue the Alphabet in English as the Prophet did in the Hebrew desirous to be his shadow as much as I can It appeares by the strictnesse of the Order that these Lamentations were Originally writ in verse and as some thinke in Sapphicks but many of our learned Neotericks deny that any writings of the Iewes cary now any direct or certaine Lawes of Poesie though they confesse some ruinous Accents here and there discovered makes them imagine they writ some things in verse but now it seemes that God in dispersing them hath likewise dissolved and strucke dumbe their musicke Farewell TO THE TRVE THEANTHROPOS Iesus Christ THE SAVIOVR OF THE WORLD His Servant implores his favourable assistance THou Alpha and Omega before whom Things past present things yet to come Are all alike O prosper my designes And let thy spirit inrich my feeble lines Revive my passion let mine eye behold Those sorrowes present which were wept of old Strike sad my
DIVINE POEMES Reuised and Corrected with Additions By the Author Fra Quarles Printed for Iohn Marriott in St Dunstons Church yard 〈…〉 DIVINE POEMS Containing The History of IONAH ESTER IOB SAMPSON SIONS SONETS ELEGIES Written and newly augmented BY FRA QVARLES LONDON Printed by M. F. for I. MARRIOT and are to be sold at his Shop in St. Dunstans Church-yard in Fleet-streete TO THE SACRED MAIESTIE of King CHARLES SIR WHen your Landed Subject dyes and leaves none of his Blood to inherite the Lawes of this your Kingdome finds the King heyre In this Volume are contained severall Poems lately dedicated to divers of your Nobility whom they have out-lived So that the Muses who seldome or never give honour for lifes have found them all for the King which have here gathered together and prostrated before the feet of your Sacred Majesty Indeed one of them I formerly dedicated and presented to your selfe So that now they are become doubly yours both by Escheate and as Survivour And if you please to owne me as your servant your Majestie hath another Title good by which I most desire they should bee knowne yours I will not sin against the common good so much as to expect your Majesties serious eye upon them If when your Crowne shall be most favourable to your Princely browes you please to afford a gracious hearing they will with the helpe of some benevolous Reader and your Royall acceptance I hope relish in your sacred eares and receive honour from your accustomed goodnes farre above their merits or the expectation of Your true-hearted and loyall Liegeman FRA QVARLES To the READER I List not to tyre thy patient eares with unnecessary Language the abuse of Complementâ— My mouth 's no Dictionary it only serves as the needfull Interpreter of my Heart I have here sent thee the first fruits of an abortive Birth It is a daintie Subject not Fabulous but Truth it selfe Wonder not at the Title A FEAST FOR VVORMES for it is a Song of Mercy What greater FEAST than Mercy And what are Men but WORMES Moreover I have gleaned some few Meditatations obvious to the History Let mee advise thee to keepe the Taste of the one whilest thou readest the other and that will make thee relish both the better Vnderstanding Reader favour mee Gently expound what it is too late to correct He leva le Golpe Dios sea con ella Farewell THE PROPOSITION of this first Worke. â—TIs not the Record of great Hectors glory Whose matchlesse Valour makes the World a Story Nor yet the swelling of that Romans name That onely Came and Look'd and Overcame Nor One nor All of those brave Worthies nine Whose Might was great and Acts almost divine That live'd like Gods but dy'd like Men and gone Shall give my Pen a Taske to treat upon I sing the praises of the KING of Kings Out of whose mouth a two-edg'd Smiter springs Whose Words are Mystery whose Works are Wonder Whose Eyes are Lightning and whose Voice is Thunder Who like a Curtaine spreads the Heavens out Spangled with Starres in Glory round about 'T is He that cleft the furious waves in twaine Making a High-way passage through the Maine 'T is He that turn'd the waters into Blood And smote the Rocky stone and caus'd a Flood 'T is He that 's justly armed in his Ire Behinde with Plagues before with flaming Fire More bright than mid-day Phoebus are his Eyes And whosoever sees his Visage dyes I sing the Praises of Great Iudahs Lyon The fragrant Flowre of Iesse the Lambe of Sion Whose Head is whiter than the driven Snow Whose visage doth like flames of Fier glow His Loynes begirt with golden Belt his Eyne Like Titan ridinst in his Southerne Shine His Feet like burning Brasse and as the noise Of surgie Neptunes roaring in hiâ— Voice This is that Paschall Lambe whose dearest Blood Is soveraigâ—e Drinke whose Flesh is saving Food His precious Blood the Worthies of the Earth Did drinke which though but borne of mortall birth Return'd them Deities For who drinkes This Shall be receiv'd into Eternall Blisse Himselfe 's the Gift which He himselfe did give His Stripes heale us and by His Death we live He acting God and Man in double Nature Did reconcile Mankinde and Mans Creator I heere 's a Taske indeed If Mortalls could Not make a Verse yet Rockes and Mountaines would The Hills shall dance the Sunne shall stop his Course Hearing the subiect of this high Discourse The Horse and Gryphin shall together sleepe The Wolfe shall fawne upon the silly Sheepe The crafty Serpent and the fearfull Hart Shall joyne in Consort and each beare a part And leape for Ioy when my Vrania sings She sings the praises of the King of Kings The Introduction ¶ THat Ancient Kingdome that old Assur swayd Shew'd two great Cities Ah! but both decayd Both mighty Great but of unequall growth Both great in People and in Building both But ah What hold is there of earthly good Now Grasse growes there where these brave Cities stood The name of one great Babylon was hight Through which the rich Euphrates takes her flight From high Armenia to the ruddy Seas And stores the Land with rich Commodities ¶ The other Ninus Nineveh the Great So huge a Fabricke and well-chosen Seat Don Phoebus fiery Steeds with Maines becurl'd That circundates in twice twelve houres the world Ne're saw the like By great King Ninus hand 'T was rais'd and builded in th' Assyâ—ians Land On one hand Lycus washt her fruitfull sides On t'other Tygris with her hasty â—ides Begirt she was with walles of wondrous might Creeping twice fifty foot in measur'd height Vpon their bredth if ought we may rely On the report of Sage Antiquity Three Chariots fairely might themselves display And ranke together in a Baâ—tell ray The Circuit that her mighty Bulke imbraces Containes the mete of sixty thousand 〈◊〉 Within her well-fenc'd walls you might discover Five hundred stately Towers thrice told over Whereof the highest draweth up the eye As well the low'st an hundred Cubits hie All rich in those things which to state belong For beauty brave and for munition strong Duly and daily this great Worke was tended With ten thousand Workmen begun and ended In eight yeares space How beautifull how faire Thy Buildings And how foule thy Vices are ¶ Thou Land of Assur double then thy pride And let thy Wells of Ioy be never dry'd Thou hast a Palace that 's renown'd so much The like was never is nor will be such ¶ Thou Land of Assur treble then thy Wâ—â— And let thy Teares doe as thy Cups o'reflow For this thy Palace of so great renowne Shall be destroy'd and sackt and batter'd downe But cheere up Niniveh thine inbred might Hath meanes enough to quell thy Foemans spite Thy Bulwarkes are like Mountaines and thy Wall Disdaines to stoope to thundring Ordnance call Thy watchfull Towers mounted round about Keepe thee in safety and thy Foe-men out I
have still conspir'd to blesse That faithfull seed and with a faire successe Have crown'd their just designes If Mordecai Descend from thence thy hopes shall soone decay And melt like waxe before the mid-day Sun So said her broken speech not fully done Haman was hasted to Queene Esters Feast To mirth and joy an indisposed Guest Medita 13. THere 's nothing under heaven more glorifies The name of King or in a subjects eyes Winnes more observance or true loyalty Than sacred Iustice shared equally No greater glory can belong to Might Than to defend the feeble in their right To helpe the helplesse and their wrongs redresse To curbe the haughty-hearted and suppresse The proud requiting ev'ry speciall deed With punishment or honourable meed Herein Kings aptly may deserve the name Of gods enshrined in an earthly frame Nor can they any way approach more nye The full perfection of a Deity Than by true Iustice imitating heaven In nothing more than in the poizing eaven Their righteous ballance Iustice is not blinde As Poets feigne but with a sight refin'd Her Lyncian eyes are clear'd and shine as bright As doe their errours that denie her sight The soule of Iustice resteth in her eye Her contemplation's chiefly to descry True worth from painted showes and loyalty From false and deepe dissembled trechery A noble Statesman from a Paraâ—ite And good from what is meerely good in sight Such hidden things her piercing eye can see If Iustice then be blinde how blinde are we ¶ Right fondly have the Poets pleas'd to say From earth the faire Astraea's fled away And in the shining Baudrike takes her seat To make the number of the Signes compleat For why Astraea doth repose and rest Within the Zodiake of my Sov'raignes brest And from the Cradle of his infancy Hath train'd his Royall heart with industry In depth of righteous lore and sacred thewes Of Iustice Schoole that this my Haggard Muse Cannot containe the freenesse of her spright But make a Mounty at so faire a flight Perchance though like a bastard Eagle daz'd With too great light she winke and fall amaz'd ¶ Heav'n make my heart more thankfull in confessing So high a blisse than skilfull in expressing THE ARGVMENT The Quene brings Hamans accusation The King 's displeas'd and growes in possion Proud Hamans trechery descry'd The shamefull end of shamelesse pride Sect. 14. FOrthwith to satisfie the Queenes request The King and Haman came unto her Feast Whereat the King what then can hap amisse Became her suitor that was humbly his And fairely thus intreating this bespake What is 't Queene Ester would and for her sake What is 't the King would not preferre thy suit Faire Queene Those that despaire let them be mute Cleare up those clouded beames my fairest Bride My Kingdomes halfe requested I 'le divide Whereat the Queene halfe hoping halfe afraid Disclos'd her trembling lips and thus she said If in the bounty of thy Princely Grace Thy sad Petitioner may finde a place To shrow â—her most unutterable griefe Which if not there may hope for no reliefe If in the treasure of thy gracious eyes Where mercy and relenting pity lies Thy hand-â—aid hath found favour let my Lord Grant me my life my life so much abbord To doe him service and my peoples life Which now lye open to a Tyrants knife Our lives are sold 't is I t is guiltlesse I Thy loyall Spouse thy Queene and â—ers must dye The spotlesse blood of me thy faithfull Bride Must swage the swelling of a Tyrants pride Had we beene sold for drudges to attend The busie Spindle or for slaves to spend Our weary howers to deserve our bread So as the gaine stood but my Lord in stead I had beene silent and ne're spent my breath But neither he that seekes it nor my death Can to himselfe the least advantage bring Except revenge nor to my Lord the King Like to a Lyon rouzed from his rest Rag'd then the King and thus his rage exprestâ— Who is the man that dares attempt this thing Where is the Traitor What am I a King May not our subjects serve but must our Queene Be made the subject of a visâ—aines spleene Is not Queene Ester bosom'd in our heart What Traitor then dares be so bold to part Our heart and us Who dares attempt this thing Can Ester then be slaine and not the King Reply'd the Queene The man that hath done this That cursed Haman wicked Haman is Like as a Felon shakes before the Bench Whose troubled silence proves the Evidence So Haman trembled when Queene Ester spake Nor answer nor excuse his guilt could make The King no longer able to digest So foule a trechery forsooke the Feast Walk'd in the Garden where consuming rage Boil'd in his heart with fire unapt t' asswage So Haman pleading guilty to the fault Besought his life of her whose life he sought When as the King had walk'd a little space So rage and choller often shift their place In he return'd where Haman fallen flat Was on the bed whereon Queene Ester sate Whereat the King new cause of rage debares Apt to suppose the worst of whom he hates New passion addes new fuell to his fire And faines a cause to make it blaze the higher Is 't not enough for him to seeke her death Said hee but with a Letchers tainted breath Will be inforce my Queene before my face And make his Brothell in our Royall Place So said they veiled Hamans face as he Vnfit were to be seene or yet to see Then said an Eunuch sadly standing by In Hamans Garden fifty Cubits high There stands a Gibbet built but yesterday Made for thy loyall servant Mordecai Whose faithfull lips thy life from danger freed And merit leads him to a fairer meed Said then the King It seemeth just and good To shed his blood that thirsted after blood Who plants the tree deserves the fruit 't is fit That he that bought the purchase hansell it Hang Haman there It is his proper good So let the Horseleach burst himselfe with blood They straight obeyd Lo here the end of Pride Now rests the King appeas'd and satisfi'd Meditat. 14. CHeere up and caroll forth your silver ditie Heavens winged quiristers and fil your City earth The new Ierusalem with jolly mirth The Church hath peace in heaven hath peace on Spread forth your golden pinions and cleave The flâ—tting skies dismount and quite bereave Our stupid senses with your heavenly mirth For loe there 's peace in heav'n there 's peace on earth Let Hallelujah fill your warbling tongues And let the ayre compos'd of saintly songs Breathe such celestiall Sonnets in our eares That whosoe're this heav'nly musicke heares May stand amaz'd ravisht at the mirth ChaÌ„t forth there 's peace in heav'n there 's peace on earth Let mountaines clap their joyfull joyfull hands And let the lesser hils trace o're the lands In equall measure and resounding woods Bow downe your heads