A Theater of Delightfull Recreation LONDON Printed for A. Iohnson 1605. TO THE WEL-AFFECTED READER REtire thy lookes and view with Iudgements eyes Mens vaine delights that passe in posting wise Their liking first and their dislike succeeding Their euery pleasure some displeasure breeding How out of league with all things lou'd they fall How all their glory is Times tennis-ball And this compar'd fixe Vertue in thy mind Which is most stay'd and heauen bred by kind No calling backe of nimble light-foote Time But to repent is to vnwrite vaine rime What worser paines can any Poet take Then rime himselfe to death for Venus sake No minute more to Satyrs I will lend Nor drop of inke on Epigram I le spend Let Humorists do as themselues thinke good My pen hath done with Letting Humors blood I le show no more to each fantastique asse His pourtraiture in Humors Looking-glasse Scatter your absurd follies as tofore I am resolu'd to gather them no more Deaths Challenge with I le stab has pass'd the Presse And so I leaue him to his powerfulnesse With Hell broke loose I haue no more to doo Leyden is hang'd and Knipperdulling too My idle houres to these I did allow But better businesse I haue for them now And all the leisure Poetrie can get Shall pay such lines as are in Vertues debt For verse ill vs'd and precious time mis-spent Poets conuert be truly penitent S. R. To all prophane Poets wearing VENVS wanton Liuerie with Cupids blind cognisance IDle good-wits that turne the glasse of Time To runne for vanitie each single sand Composing volumes full of wanton rime Fables of Cupid all you take in hand Great are your workes and yet the goodnesse small For Beauties lightnesse is the worth of all Supposedly you raise them to the skies Whom you with pen bepaint about the face And by the whole sale vtter louers lies Yet done as you imagine with great grace But how can grace concurre with such an euill Since he that praiseth pride commends the deuill Your graces in this veine no further goes But to be counted fine conceited liers That commendations all wise men bestowes Worthlesse desert a worthlesse meede requiers Your labor 's lost your time 's as vainely spent T was errors crooked way Inuention went One writes a Sonnet of his mistres fan Blessing the bird that did the feathers beare Another shewes himselfe as wise a man To rime vpon the shoo-strings she doth weare And of her bodkin scarfe and paire of gloues And little dog that she so kindly loues Another tels the actions of the gods Their heady riots and outragious strife How they haue bene amongst themselues at ods About the fairenesse of blacke Vulcans wife And then what cruelties her sonne did show That wants a paire of eyes to guide his bow Oh sacred Muses you may iust complaine Against those heau'nly sparkes of wit you nourish Who their best faculties so much prophane Which should in euery good endeuour flourish For those which greatest gifts do that way ow Do euen the worst and basest things bestow How miserable wit 's employd who sees not Spent prodigall in praising Venus pride In such sort as with Vertue it agrees not On them haue nought praise-worthy on their side Diuinest arts thereby sustaine abuses Which were ordain'd for sanctified vses Vnto renowned Vertue proue more kind Your gifts vnto her seruice dedicate And the reward of Honor you shall find When Beautie shall lie rotting out of date Blasted by death a stinking vnder ground Consum'd in graue and neuer to be found S. R. To his louing friend Mr. S. R. VAnish things worthlesse from Inuention flie You now mistake not as I was am I It is a simple thing most childish base To be a Poet for a womans face I held an heresie and here recant My pen for euer womens pride shall want Except their beautie and their faire proceeds From vertuous chast and ciuill modest deeds This is an argument that fooles they bee Men flattring them so grosse they cannot see But euen as fops composed all of pride Still loue them most which have them most belide Vnto such diuels I held a candle late But now kind friend I will thee imitate My Poetrie I le in a new mould cast Verse shall do penance for my follies past E. P. To the Muses CAlliope diuine and heauenly Muse With all thy sisters on the sacred Mount Whom the best spirits do for nurses chuse Hauing you all in reuerent account Receiue the Laurell which our Muse resignes True penitent for idle passed lines Grace not the gracelesse Poets of our time That vse you but to serue their needy states Such as for dayly profit hackney rime Those Venus brokers and loues-shifting mates That sell you all to buy themselues their dinner Famish the slaues and make their cheekes looke thinner Extend your bountie vnto free borne spirits That imitate your selues for you are free Let them receiue their well-deseruing merits And to Parnassus euer welcome bee For they do scorne to lay you out to pawne Like such as do on Lords and Ladies fawne To his constant beloued friend Mr. S. R. THy Theater is built of curious frame And fixt as firme vpon a sure foundation All those whose eyes shall entertaine the same Must come to see diuinest Recreation There 's no prophanesse in this worke disclosed But as the name imports it is composed All is true action that 's presented here And euery actor credit with him brings Vpon this stage great monarches do appeare Strong Samson steps with bloudy wounded Kings Some blest by God some curst when he forsooke them As from truths register the author tooke them R. W. To his louing and no lesse beloued friend M. Sam. Rowlands THe world commends each ioy And entertaines it gladly What vanitie but this our age Pursues it strange and madly Things worthlesse much esteemd The worthfull most despisde And vertue dayly counterfait Vice cunningly disguisde This makes me when into Thy Theater I looke To hold thee happy leauing toyes To write so good a booke I. G. To Time THou great consumer of huge monuments That mak'st stiffe Marble turne to cindry dust Kingdomes subuerter whom no power preuents With canker fretting brasse iron with rust Thou that didst bring the pow'rfull Monarchies To their full height then ouerthrewst their pride Thou that the arched Ilion didst surprise Whose townes with ten yeares succors were supplide That in the bosome of fore passed age The fruit of many a noble Muse hast found And kept till now in scorne of enuies rage When in obliuions gulfe great Kings were drownd Do thou preserue this worke vntill that day When earth shall melt the vniuerse decay Tho. Andrew ADAMS PASSION VPON HIS FALL OFspring of earth my ill condition'd race With sorrow looke vpon your parents case That by his sinne brought death vnto you all For you haue deadly interest in my fall I in whose soule perfection made
abode I that was like my all-creating God I being endude with admirable feature I that had Lordly rule of euery creature Oh I to whom all graces did abound Of all God made am most ingratefull found Come wofull Eue as I shar'd sinne with thee Bring euery teare thou hast and mourne with mee I tooke the fruite with thee that brought these feares Do thou take woe with me oh ioyne in teares We that in grace and glory late haue bin Are falne from God by disobedient sin Weepe thou for hearkning what the Serpent sayd And I will weepe for being both betrayd Weepe thou for yeelding first to his perswasion And I will weepe for giuing me occasion Let both our soules with sorrow be repleate Because we both haue bene seduc'd to eate When in the coole of day Gods voice I heard O how my senses trembled then I feard And sought to hide me from his angry face Foole as I was he sees in eu'ry place Where art thou Adam said he that where art Was euen a hell of horror to my hart With fig-leaues wrapt I to the Lord replide For shame of nakednesse I do me hide Who told thee of thy nakednes said hee Hast thou not eate of the forbidden tree Concerning which I said thou shouldest not Then for my selfe this bad excuse I got The woman that thou gau'st with me to liue Why she did of that fruite vnto me giue Then said he Woman why hast thou done this She said The Serpent causd me do amisse But these excuses no way could vs free Gods curses were ponounc'd against all three Yea euen the earth was cursed for my sake And I enioyned paines therewith to take By toylsome labour and in weary sweate To make my hands the earners of my meate Then did my dreadfull sin-incensed Lord Appoint a Cherubin with fiery sword To keepe the passage to the tree of life Driuing me forth of Eden with my wife Death at my heeles and Misery beside me My enemy the Diuell to deride me Cloath'd with a leather coate of dead beasts skins Which garment made me mindfull of my sins And the reward due to me for the same My outside death my inside sinne and shame Now seruile labour for my selfe I found I got a spade and fell to dig the ground For from earths bountie nothing I could gaine Vnlesse I bought it with the price of paine If I in Paradise had neuer bin Farre lesse perplexitie I should be in My doubts and feares and all my sorrowes grow That I true happinesse did tast and know To say I had to thinke If I had knowne Are of themselues torments enough alone Yet hope encounters comfort by the way Iehouah to the Serpent thus did say Betwixt you shall an enmitie be bred The womans seed shall breake the Serpents head This confidence preuents hels friend Despaire A second Adam shall with grace repaire The ruines that the first hath sinfull made On this foundation let the faith be laid Of all my ofspring sinne from me ensude Sinne death and hell by him shall be subdude When man was ouercome by Sathans euill He lost the Paradice where he was placed When man by grace shall ouercome the diuell He shall gaine heauen whence that fiend was chased He conquering vs did cause Gods wrath increase We conquering him with God shall be at peace Caines horror of minde for the inhumane murder of his Brother BEhold the wretched heire of all the earth Most gracelesse man bloudy accursed Caine The first that in this world hath had his birth The worst that euer shall be borne againe In conscience so tormented and distrest I haue not one calme thought of quiet rest If wofull Adam when he fell from grace In such a feare of his transgression stood That he did hide him from Iehouahs face What shall I do being all imbrude in blood Whose blood My brothers what a wicked man Oh no most iust my conscience witnesse can I did present the Lord with my oblation My brother offered vp his sacrifice And that of his was held in estimation Mine nothing set by in th' Almighties eyes Whereat affection from him I estranged And vnto wrath my countenance I changed Why art thou angry said the Lord to me Why doth thy lookes seeme other then to fore If thou do well it will returne to thee If thou do ill sinne lieth at the dore Vnto dominion and to rule aspire And Abel shall incline to thy desire But what he spake my heart regarded not Wrath stopt mine eares and would not let me heare For when my brother in the field I got I lifted vp my hand against him there And that same stroke which did his life controule Kild him a body and my selfe a soule What heard I then oh this Caine Where 's thy brother When desp'rate wretch I did this answer make Am I his keeper do we gard each other What charge do we of one another take What hast thou done said God thy deed is found For Abels blood cries vengeance from the ground Euen from the earth thou art accursed now Whose mouth receiu'd the blood thy hand hath shed No profit though thou till shall it allow The strength of it shall from thy vse be fled Be thou a vagabond and fugitiue That neuer shalt in any action thriue Then in the horror of my soule I spake As desp'rate most vnworthy wretch to liue No sute of mercy purposing to make My sinne is greater then thou canst forgiue Nothing but vengeance I expect to find For there 's no roome for sorrow in my mind Behold this day I am an outcast made And from the vpper face of th' earth I go Thy countenance thou likewise hast denaid One looke of fauour neuer to bestow And whosoeuer findes me out he will Euen murder me as I did Abel kill Feare and Despaire and I all three in one My wofull heart do into shares deuide But greedy Feare would haue it all alone Till I and blacke Despaire grew stronger side And then we two together did incline That all my heart should be Despaires and mine And now I do all that Despaire would haue me Being resolute resolu'd on euill thus For my iniquitie God cannot saue me There is no grace that can do good for vs Leade on Despaire with sinne I will go hide me Gods iustice comes his grace can nere abide me The dreadfull burning of sinfull Sodome IT was about meridian of the day When Phoebus in his height of burning sway Did like vnto a giant runne his race About the spheare of his celestiall place That Abraham the blessed man of God At his tent doore for his repose abode Where lifting vp his eyes behold stood three Of Angels nature seeming men to bee With reuerence he bowed to the ground And said my Lord if I haue fauour found Passe not away but here refresh with mee Vnder the shadow of this pleasant tree Then presently with greatest speed he went
in his bones appeare That worlds commaunder while he liued here Come Nero with a sheete about thine eares See who thy tyrannie regards or feares Achilles rowse thy selfe from out thy toombe And see what man will giue thy weapon roome Hector with that renowmed Hanniball What are you now but rotten fellowes all You had a time of greatnesse now t is fled And euen as such had neuer bin y' are dead I knew you when with dread you made men bow Then dy'd turn'd dust and so are nothing now Euen with the worlds creation I began And haue seene all the course of sinfull man His state in Paradise that glorious place His disobedience and his fall from grace His banishment forth Eden for offending And so from age to age all times descending Vntill this instant yeare sixe hundred fiue All that are dead and euery one aliue Is in my register I note them well There 's not a deed they do but Time can tell Earth is a stage and mortals actors be That play before my fellow Death and me All tragedies for not a day you haue But some are kild and caried to their graue There goes the King from his imperiall seate Euen with the begger for to be wormes meate There noble and ignoble foole and wise Shall lie and rot till the first dead man rise And there all that haue bin do certaine show That all which are to come must thither go What one man likes another lothes VNto himselfe as each man hath his mind Seuerall distinguisht in his appetites So are his thoughts as variously inclind One liking these another those delights Some greedy hindes account the greatest pleasure Onely consisteth in the gaining treasure One loues no life but where the trumpet sterne Breaths deadly summons to oppressiue armes Caring not where gainst Spaniard or the Kerne So he may liue in martiall hot alarmes He with Tiphous dares to giue aduenture To raise a mount the frame of heauen to enter One being wrapt with forraine admiration Of lawes of customes and of peoples natures Longing to know the climates variation Of monuments remote to see the statures How dangerous so ere delights to range Till proofe approues the worst in greatest change Others to chase the timerous Hart delight Cheering the hounds with hornes rechanting blast When some applaud the towring Faulcons flight That now hath ceaz'd the moore-bred Mallard fast And some account as lost to be that day When their estates they hazard not at play But thou Calliope my Muse diuine Mak'st me neglect these fruitlesse vanities Thou doest my spirits from grosse earth refine Making my thoughts at future glory rise For when the hinde the souldier wandring knight Starues fals clay clothes shall poesie giue light The Araignement of the world at Gods generall Sessions WHen that great day of sinners dolefull feare The day of iudgement for the quicke dead Shall bring to doome all deeds that euer were With terror trembling horror woe and dread The world shall be reduc'd to ashes quite And all flesh stand amaz'd to see that sight What man by tongue or pen can make it knowne The horror that mens hearts shall then partake When the great Iudge of men sits on his throne And euery one a iust account must make In this distressed state what 's to be done Which way shall sinners flie or whither runne The Prophets do giue witnesse to this day And haue affirmed it will certaine come Our Sauiour warneth vs to watch and pray With preparation for that fearfull doome When sounding trumpe shall summon to appeare And yeeld account what liues we liued here Both Death and Nature shall amazed stand To see reuiued humane creatures rise The sea shall yeeld her dead as well as land All those that in her watery bosome lies Must make apparance at the Angels sound As well as they had graues vpon the ground Then shall each secret conscience be reuealed The bookes of humane life be opened wide Not the least thought can passe away concealed But all in publike knowledge shall abide All hidden things obscur'd within the hart And each receiue his merit and desart What can the sin-defiled creature say What aduocate will serue his case to pleade Since the vprightest man that liues this day Is debtor vnto hell and endlesse dread Worthy of nothing for his best done deeds If God in iustice gainst his sin proceeds O thou that freely doest of mercy saue Vprightest Iudge whom bribes cannot seduce Pardon of thee on my soules knees I craue My guilt is great and I haue no excuse Remember Lord thou didst to earth repaire Of sinfull man thou hadst such louing care Wilt thou permit O Lord thy grieuous paine Thy hunger thirst thy tortures wounds and death Shall all be spent on my poore soule in vaine Yea that same willing yeelding vp thy breath To God thy Father to procure my peace Shall vtterly in power and vertue cease Suffer not Lord the true effect to perish Of thy most bitter grieuous bloudy passion My fainting sprite thereby reuiue and cherish Thy bitter death 's my sweet'st consolation Mild Iesus I most meekly do intreate Shew mercy on me from thy iudgements seate Guiltie I am my guilt I do confesse Therefore I sigh and vnto thee retire Refuse me not thy mercies are not lesse Then when the theefe obtained his desire And sinfull Magdalene did fauour find Thy pitie is the same thou still as kind For in a danger so extreme as this To whom for succor might I safely flie To find assured comfort and not misse But vnto thee thou supreme of the skie Worthlesse my prayers to come before thy face Vnlesse thy mercy sit in iustice place Direct my feete that stray and wander wide And shadow me with thy protections wings Set me from goates vpon the right hand side And place me where thy Saints and Angels sings To speake thy praises with a heauenly voyce Where soule and body endlesse may reioyce FINIS