A FEAST FOR WORMES SET FORTH IN A POEME OF THE HISTORY OF IONAH By FRA. QVARLES ad hoc ab hoc per hoc This Naked Pourtraiture before thine Eye Is Wretched helplesse MAN MAN borne to Die On either side an ANGELL doth protect him As well from EVILL as to GOOD direct him Th' one poynts to DEATH the t'other to a CROVVNE Who THIS attaines must tread the OTHER downe All which denotes the Briefe of MANS Estate That HEE 'S to goe from HENCE by THIS to THAT AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Richard Moore and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstans Church-yard in Fleetstreet 1620. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE ROBERT LORD SYDNEY Baron of Penshurst Viscount Lisle Earle of Leicester Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter SIR two things more especiall haue made me industrious to doe your Lordship seruice The one is the loue you did beare to my long since deceased Father whom dead your Lordship did please to honour with your Noble remembrance The other is your vndeserued Fauours and Honourable Countenance towards me in your passage thorow Germany where you haue left in the hearts of men a Pyramis of your Worth As for the first I am heire to that seruice which my Father alwayes obseruant to your Honour was ready to performe As for the second my selfe in more particular stand obliged In respect of both heere I dedicate my selfe and these few leaues to your truly-Noble Selfe hoping your Lordship will vaile my boldnesse in your good acceptance and crowne my labours with your approbation SIR Your Lordships truly obseruant FRA. QVARLES TO THE READER Reader J fairely salute thee I List not to tyre thy patient eares with vnnecessary language the abuse of complement My mouth 's no Dictionary it onely serues as a needfull Commentary vpon the obscure Text of my meaning J haue heere sent thee the first fruits of an obortiue Birth Jt is a dainty subiect not Fabulous but Truth it selfe VVonder not at the Title A FEAST FOR WORMES for it is a Song of Mercy VVhat greater FEAST than Mercy And what are Men but WORMES Moreouer J haue gleaned some few Meditations obuious to the History Let me aduise thee to keepe the Taste of the History whilest thou readest the Meditations and that will make thee Rellish both the better Vnderstanding Reader fauour me Gently expound what it is too late to correct He le va de Golpe Dios sea con ella Farewell THE PROPOSITION OF the whole Worke. 'T Is 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 Ouercame Nor One nor All of those braue Worthies Nine Whose Might was Great and Acts almost Diuine That liu'd like Gods but di ' de like Men and gone Shall giue my Pen a Taske to treat vpon 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 Voyce is Thunder Who like a Curtaine spreads the Heauens out Spangl'd with Starres in Glory round about 'T is HEE that cleft the furious waues 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 HEE that 's iustly Armed in his Ire Behind with Plagues before with flaming Fire More bright then mid-day Phoebus are his Eyes And whosoeuer sees his Visage Dyes I sing the Praises of Great Iudah's Lion The fragrant Flowre of Iesse the Lambe of Sion Whose Head is whiter then the driuen Snow Whose Visage doth like flames of Fire Glow His Loynes begirt with Golden Belt His Eyne Like Titan riding in his Southerne Shine His Feet like burning Brasse and as the noyse Of surgie Neptunes roaring is his Voyce This is that Paschall Lambe whose dearest Blood Is soueraigne Drinke whose Flesh is sauing Food His precious Blood the Worthies of the Earth Did drinke which though but borne of Mortall birth Returnd them Deities For who drinkes THIS Shall be receiu'd into Eternall Blisse Himselfe the GIFT which HE himselfe did giue His Stripes heale vs and by HIS Death we liue HEE acting GOD and MAN in double Nature Did reconcile Mankind and Mans Creator I heer 's a TASKE indeed if Mortals could Not make a Verse yet Rocks and Mountaines would The Hils shall daunce the Sunne shall stop his Course Hearing the subiect of this high Discourse The Horse and Gryphin shall together sleepe The Woolfe shall fawne vpon the silly Sheepe The Crafty Serpent and the Fearfull Hart Shall ioyne 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 INTRODVCTION ¶ THat Ancient Kingdome that old Assur swai'd Shew'd two great Cities Ah! but both decai'd Both mighty Great but of vnequall growth Both Great in People and in Building both But Ah! What hold is there of Earthly Good Now Grasse growes there where these braue Cities stood The name of one Great Babylon was hight Through which the rich Euphrates takes her flight From High Armaenia to the ruddy Seas And stores the Land with rich Commodities ¶ The other Ninus Niniueh the Great So huge a Fabrick and well chosen Seat Dan Phoebus fiery Steeds with Maines becurld That circundates in twice twelue houres the World Ne'r saw the like By Great King Ninus hand 'T was raisd and builded in th' Assyrians Land Which he subdude 'T was plac'd twixt riuers twaine Licus and swift Tygris that runnes amaine Begirt she was with Walls of wondrous might Creeping twice fifty foot in measur'd height Vpon their bredth if ought we may relie On the report of Sage Antiquity Three Chariots fairly might themselues display And ranke together in a Battell-ray The Circuit that her mighty Bulke imbraces Containes the mete of sixty-thousand paces Within her well-fenc't walles you might discouer Fiue hundred stately Towers thrice told ouer Whereof the highest draweth vp the eye As well the low'st an hundred Cubits hie All rich in those things which to state belong For beauty Braue and for munition Strong Duly and daily this Great worke was tended With ten thousand Workmen Begun and ended In eight yeeres 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 neuer dri'de Thou hast a Palace that 's renown'd so much The like was neuer is nor will be such ¶ Thou Land of Assur trebble then thy Woe And let thy Teares doe as thy Cups o'rflow For this thy Palace of so great renowne Shall be destroy'd and sackt and batterd downe But cheere vp Niniueh thine inbred might Hath meanes enough to quell thy Foemans spite Thy
full of teares To weepe in secret for her sinnes Thine eares Shall heare such things wil make thine eyes run ouer Thine eyes shall smart with what they shall discouer Spend not in priuate those thy zealous drops But hew and hacke spare neither trunke nor lops Make heauen earth rebound whē thou discharges Plead not like Paul but roare like Boanarges Let not the beauty of the buildings bleare thee Nor let the terrours of the Rampiers feare thee Let no man bribe thy fist I well aduise thee Nor foule meanes force thee nor let faire entice thee Ramme vp thine eares Thy heart of stone shall bee Be deafe to them as they are deafe to thee Goe cry against it If they aske thee Why Say God of heauen commanded thee to cry In stead of prayers and duties they should doe me Behold their wickednesse is mounted to me The fatnesse of their fornication fryes On coales of raging lust and vpward flies And makes me sicke I heare the mournfull grones And heauy sighs of such whose aking bones Th' oppressor grindes Alas their grones implore me Their pray'rs and their oppressions come before me Behold my children they haue slaine and kill'd And bath'd their hands within the blood they spill'd The steame of guiltlesse blood makes suit vnto me The voice of many bloods is mounted to me The vile prophaner of my sacred Names He teares my titles and mine honour maimes Makes Reth'rick of an oath sweares and forsweares Recks not my Mercy nor my Iudgement feares They eat they drink they sleepe they tyre the Day In wanton dalliance and delightfull play Heauens winged Herald Ionas vp and goe To mighty Niniueh Denounce my woe Aduance thy voice and when thou hast aduanc't it Spare Shrub nor Cedar but cry out against it I come my Selfe with plagues Goe thou afore me For all their wickednesse is come before me Apolog. Authoris IT was my morning Muse And for her sake I thus apply my selfe to vndertake This serious taske A taske for Doctors Muse To spend vpon Then let me pleade excuse For as good Physicke will not bate his force And being well appli'd prooue ne're the worse Though giuē by hands that could nor reade nor write That skill not how nor need not know t'apply't So this perchance may make another keene Though I and it be blunt as whetstones beene Applicatio TO thee Malfido now I turne my Quill That God is still that God and will be still The painfull Pastors take vp Iona's roome And thou the Niniuite to whom they come Meditatio prima HOw great 's the loue of God vnto his creature Or is his Wisedome or his Mercy greater I know not whether O th' exceeding loue Of highest God! that from his Throne aboue Will send the brightnesse of his Grace to those That grope in Darknesse and his Grace oppose He helpes prouides inspires and freely giues As pleas'd to see vs rauell out our liues He giues vs from the heape He measures not Nor deales like Manna each his stinted lot But daily sends the Doctors of his Spouse With such like oyle as from the Widowes cruse Issued forth in fulnesse without wasting Where plenty may be had yet plenty lasting I there is care in heauen and heauenly sprights That guides the world guards poore mortall wights There is else were the miserable state Of Man more wretched and vnfortunate Than sauage beasts But O th' abounding loue Of highest God! whose Angels from aboue Dismount the Towre of Blisse fly to and fro Assisting wretched man their deadly foe What thing is Man that Gods regard is such Or why should he loue retchlesse Man so much Why what are men But quicken'd lumps of earth A feast for wormes A bubble full of mirth A looking-glasse for griefe A flash A minnit A painted Toombe with putrifaction in it A mappe of Death A burthen of a song A winters Dust A worme of fiue foot long Begot in sinne In darknesse nourisht Borne In sorrow Naked Shiftlesse and forlorne His first voice heard is crying for reliefe Alas He comes into a world of griefe His Age is sinfull and his Youth is vaine His life 's a punishment his Death 's a paine His life 's an howre of Ioy a world of Sorrow His death 's a winters night that findes no morrow Mans life's an Houreglasse which being run Concludes that houre of Ioy and so is dun ¶ Ionah must goe Nor is this charge alone To Ionah giuen but giuen to euery one You Magistrates arise and take delight In dealing Iustice and maintaining right There lies your Nineueh Merchants arise Away and to your Ships and Merchandise Artificers arise and ply your shops And worke your trade and eate your meat with drops Paul to thy Tents and Peter to thy Net And all must goe that way which God hath set ¶ Grant liefest Lord for our Deare Borrow sake Thy loue in sending to vs neuer slake Encrease succession in thy Prophets liew For loe thy Haruest's great and Workmen few THE ARGVMENT But Ionah toward Tharsis went A Tempest doth his course preuent The Mariners are sore opprest While Ionah sleepes and takes his rest Sect. 2 BVt Ionah thus bethought The City's great And mighty Ashur stands with deadly threat Their hearts are hardned that they cannot heare Will greene wood burne when so vnapt's the seire Strange is the charge Shall I goe to a place Vnknowne and forraine Aye me hard 's the case That righteous Isr'el must be thus neglected When Miscreants and Gentiles are respected How might I hope my words shall there succeed Which thriue not with the flocke I daily feed Moreo're I weet the Lord is wondrous kind And slow to wrath and apt to change his mind Vpon the least repentance Then shall I Be deem'd as false and shame my Prophesie O heauie burthen of a doubtfull mind Where shall I goe or which way shall I wind My heart like Ianus looketh to and fro My Credit bids me Stay my God bids Goe If Goe my labour 's lost my shame 's at hand If Stay Lord I transgresse my Lords command If goe from bad estate to worse I fall If stay I slide from bad to worst of all My God bids goe my credit bids me stay My guilty feare bids fly another way So Ionah straight arose himselfe bedight With fit acoutrements for hasty flight In stead of staffe he tooke a Shipmans weed In stead of going loe he flies with speed Like as a Hawke that ouermatcht with might Doing sad penance for th' vnequall fight Answ'ring the Faulkners second shout does flee From fist turnes tayle to Fowle and takes a tree So Ionah baulks the place where he was sent To Nineueh and downe to Iaffa went He sought enquired and at last he found A welcome Ship that was to Tharsis bound Where he may fly the presence of the Lord He makes no stay but straightway goes aboord His hasty
Sackcloth and his Prayre Not faintly sent to heauen nor sparingly But piercing feruent and mightie cry ¶ Here maist thou see how Pray'r and true Repentance Doe striue with God preuaile and turne his sentence From strokes to stroking and from plagues infernall To boundlesse Mercies and to life Eternall ¶ Till Zepher lend my Bark a second Gale I flip mine Anchor and I strike my saile FINIS O Dulcis saluator Mundi vltima verba quae tu dixisti in Cruce sint vltima mea verba in Luce quando amplius affare non possum exaudi tu cordis mei desiderium A Hymne to God WHo giues me then an Adamantine Quill A Marble tablet And a Dauids skill To blazon foorth the praise of my dear Lord In deep grau'n letters aye vpon Record To last for times eternall processe suer So long as Sunne and Moone and Stars enduer Had I as many mouthes as Sands there are Had I a nimble tongue for euery Starre And euery word I speake a Caractere And euery minutes time ten ages were To chaunt foorth all thy praise it nought auaile For tongues and words and time and all would faile Much lesse can I poore Weakling tune my tongue To take a taske befits an Angels song Sing what thou canst when thou canst sing no more Weep then as fast that thou canst sing no more Be blurre thy booke with teares and goe thy wayes For euery blurre will proue a booke of praise Thine Eye that viewes the mouing Spheares aboue Let it giue praise to him that makes them moue Thou riches hast Thy Hands that hold and haue them Let them giue praise to him that freely gaue them Thine Armes defend thee then for recompence Let them praise him that gaue thee such defence Thy Tongue was giuen to praise thy Lord the giuer Then let thy Tongue praise highest God for euer Faith comes by hearing and thy faith will saue thee Then let thine Eares praise him that hearing gaue thee Thy heart is begg'd by him that first did make it My sonne giue me thy heart Lord freely take it Eyes hands and armes tongues eares and hearts of men Sing praise and let the people say Amen ¶ Tune you your Instruments and let them vary Praise him vpon them in his Sanctuary Praise him within the highest Firmament Which shewes his power and his gouernment Praise him for all his mighty Acts are knowne Praise him according to his high Renowne Praise him with Trump victorious shrill and sharp With Psaltry lowd and many-stringed Harp With sounding Tymbrell and delightfull Flute With Musicks full Interpreter the Lute Praise him vpon the Mayden Virginalls Vpon the clerick Organs and Cymballs Vpon the sweet maiestick Vyalls touch Double your ioyes and let your praise be such Let all in whom is life and breath giue praise To mighty God of Hosts in endlesse dayes Let euery Soule to whom a voyce is giuen Sing Holy Holy Holy Lord of heauen For loe a Lambe is found that vndertooke To breake the seuen-fold-seale and ope the Booke ¶ O let my life add number to my dayes To shew thy Glory and to sing thy praise Let euery minute in thy praise be spent Let euery head be bare and knee be bent To thee deare Lambe Who ere thy praises hide O let his lips be clos'd and tongue for euer ty'de Halelujah Gloria Deo in excelsis Eleuen Pious Meditations 1 ¶ WIthin the holy Writ I well discouer Three speciall Attributes of God His Power His Iustice and his Mercy All vncreated Eternall all and all Vnseparated From Gods pure Essence yet from thence proceeding All very God All perfect All exceeding And from that selfe-same Text three names I gather Of Great Iehoua Lord and God and Father The first denotes him mounted on his Throne In Power Maiesty Dominion The next descries him on his Kingly Bench Rewarding Euill with dreadfull punishments The third describes him on his Mercy-seate Full great in Grace and in his Mercy great ¶ All three I worship and before all three My heart shall humbly prostrate with my knee But in my priuate choice I fancie rather Then call him Lord or God to call him Father 2 ¶ IN Hell no Life in Heauen no Death there is In Earth both Life and Death both Bale and Blis In Heauen 's all Life no end nor new supplying In Hell 's all Death and yet there is no dying Earth like a partiall Ambidexter doth Prepare for Death or Life prepares for Both Who liues to sinne in Hell his portion 's giuen Who dyes to sinne shall after liue in Heauen ¶ Though Earth my Nurse be Heauen be thou my Father Ten thousand deaths let me enduer rather Within my Nurses armes then One to Thee Earths honor with thy frownes is death to mee I liue-on Earth as on a Stage of sorrow Lord if thou pleasest end the Play to morrow I liue on Earth as in a Dreame of pleasure Awake me when thou wilt I wait thy leisure I liue on Earth but as of life bereauen My life 's with thee for Lord thou art in Heauen 3 ¶ NOthing that e'r was made was made for nothing Beasts for thy food their skins were for thy clothing Flow'rs for thy smell and Herbs for Cuer good Trees for thy shade Their Fruit for pleasing Food The showers fall vpon the fruitfull ground Whose kindly Dew makes tender Grasse abound The Grasse is made for beasts to feed vpon And beasts are food for Man But Man alone Is made to serue his Lord in all his waies And be the Trumpet of his Makers praise ¶ Let Heau'n be then to me obdure as brasse The Earth as yron vnapt for graine or grasse Then let my Flocks consume and neuer steed me Let pinching Famine want wherewith to feed me When I forget to honour thee my Lord Thy glorious Attributes thy Works thy Word O let the Trump of thine eternall Fame Sound euer Euer hallow'd be thy Name 4 ¶ GOd made the World and all that therein is Yet what a little part of it is his Quarter the Earth and see how small a roome Is stiled with the name of Christendome The rest through blinded ignorance rebels O're-run with Pagans Turks and Infidels Nor yet is all this little Quarter his For though all know him halfe know him amisse Professing Christ for lucre as they list And serue the triple Crowne of Antichrist Yet is this little handfull much made lesser Ther 's many Libertines for one Professor Nor doe Professors all professe aright 'Mong whom there often lurks an Hypocrite ¶ O where and what 's thy Kingdome blessed God Where is thy Scepter wher 's thine yron Rod Reduce thy reck'nings to their totall summe O let thy Power and thy Kingdome Come 5 ¶ MAN in himselfe 's a little World Alone His Soul 's the Court or high Imperiall Throne Wherein as Empresse sits the Vnderstanding Gently directing yet with awe Commanding Her Handmaid's WILL Affections
Maids of Honor All following close and duly wayting on her But Sin that alwaies enui'd mans Condition Within this kingdome raised vp Diuision Withdrawne mans Will and brib'd his false Affection That This no order hath nor That Election The Will proues traitor to the Vnderstanding Reason hath lost her power and left commanding She 's quite depos'd and put to foule disgrace And Tyrant Will vsurps her Empty place ¶ Vouchsafe Lord in this little World of mine To raigne that I may raigne with Thee in thine And since my will is quite of good bereauen Thy will be done in earth as 't is in heauen 6 ¶ WHo liue to sin they all are theeues to Heauen And Earth They steale frō God take vngiuen Good men they rob and such as liue vpright And being bastards share the free-mans Right They 're all as owners in the owners stead And like to Dogs deuoure the childrens bread They haue and lack and want what they possesse They 're most vnhappy in their most happinesse They are not goods but riches that thou hast And not be'ng goods to eu'ls they turne at last ¶ Lord what I haue let me enioy in thee And thee in it or else take it from mee My store or want make thou or fade or flourish So shall my comforts neither change nor perish That little I enioy Lord make it mine In making me that am a Sinner thine 'T is thou or none that shall supply my need O Lord Giue vs this day our daily bread 7 ¶ THe quick-conceited Schoole-men well approue A difference 'twixt Charitie and Loue Loue is a vertue whereby we explaine Our selues to God and God to vs againe But Charity 's imparted to our Brother Whereby we traffick one man with another The first extends to God The last belongs To man In giuing right and bearing wrongs In number they are twaine In vertue One For one not truly being t' others none ¶ In louing God if I neglect my Neighbour My loue hath lost his proofe and I my labour My Zeale my Faith my Hope that neuer failes me If Charitie be wanting nought auailes me ¶ Lord in my Soule a spirit of Loue create me And I will loue my Brother if he hate me In nought but loue le ts me enuy my betters And then Forgiue my debts as I may detters 8 ¶ I Finde a true resemblance in the growth Of Sin and Man Alike in breeding both The Soul 's the Mother and the Diuell Syer Who lusting long in mutuall hot desier Enioy their wils and ioyne in Copulation The Seed that fils her wombe is foule Tentation The sinnes Conception is the Soules Consent And then it quickens when it giues content The birth of Sin is finisht in the action And Custome brings it to its full perfection ¶ O let my fruitlesse Soule be barren rather Then bring foorth such a Child for such a Father Or if my Soule breed Sin not being wary O let it either dye or else miscarry She is thy Spouse O Lord doe thou aduise her Keepe thou her chaste Let not the Fiend entice her Trie thou my heart Thy Trials bring Saluation But let me not be led into Temptation 9 ¶ FOrtune that blind supposed Goddesse is Still rated at if ought succeed amisse 'T is she the vaine abuse of Prouidence That beares the blame when others make th' offence When this mans barne finds not her wonted store Fortune's condemn'd because she sent no more If this man dye or that man liue too long Fortune's accus'd and she hath done the wrong Ah foolish Dolts and like your Goddesse blind You make the fault and call your Saint vnkind For when the cause of Eu'll begins in Man Th' effect ensues from whence the cause began Then know the reason of thy discontent The eu'll of Sinne makes Eu'll of punishment ¶ Lord hold me vp or spurre me when I fall So shall my Eu'll be iust or not at all Defend me from the World the Flesh the Deuill And so thou shalt deliuer me from Euill 10 ¶ THe Priestly skirts of A'rons holy coate I kisse and to my morning Muse deuote Had neuer King in any age or Nation Such glorious Robes set foorth in such a fashion With Gold and Gemmes and Silks of Princely Dye And Stones befitting more then Maiestie The Persian Sophies and rich Shaeba's Queene Had ne'r the like nor e'r the like had seene Vpon the skirts in order as they fell First a Pomegranat was and then a Bell By each Pomegranat did a Bell appeare Many Pomegranats many Bels there were Pomegranats nourish Bels doe make a sound As blessings fall Thanksgiuings must abound ¶ If thou wilt clothe my heart with A'rons tyer My tongue shall praise as well as heart desier My tongue and pen shall dwell vpon thy Story O Lord for thine is Kingdome Power Glory ¶ THe Ancient Sophists that were so precise And often-times perchance too curious nice Auerre that Nature hath bestow'd on Man Three perfect Soules When this I truly scan Me thinks their Learning swath'd in Errour lyes They were not wise enough and yet too wise Too curious wise because they mention more Then one Not wise enough because not foure Nature not Grace is Mistres of their Schooles Grace counts them wisest that are veriest Fooles Three Soules in man Grace doth a fourth allow The Soule of Faith But this is Greeke to you 'T is Faith that makes man truly wise 'T is Faith Makes him possesse that thing he neuer hath ¶ This Glorious Soule of Faith bestow on mee O Lord or else take thou the other three Faith makes men lesse then Children more then Men It makes the Soule crie Abba and Amen FINIS PENTELOGIA Or THE QVINTESSENCE OF MEDITATION Mors tua Mors Christi Fraus Mundi Gloria Coeli Et Dolor Inferni sunt meditanda tibi Thy Death the Death of Christ the Worlds Tentation Heauens Ioy Hells Torment be thy Meditation AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Richard Moore and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstans Church-yard 1620. Mors tua 1 ¶ ME thinks I see the nimble-aged Syre Passe by amaine with feete vnapt to tyre Vpon his head an Hower-glasse he weares And in his wrinkled hand a Sithe he beares Both Instruments to take the liues from Men Th' one shewes with what the other sheweth when Me thinkes I heare the Dolefull Passing-bell Setting an onset to his lowder knell This moody musick of impartiall Death Who daunces after daunces out of breath Me thinkes I see my dearest friends lament With sighs and teares and wofull dryriment My tender Wife and Children standing by Dewing the Death-bed whereupon I lye Me thinkes I heare a Voyce in secret say Thy Glasse is runne and thou must dye to day Mors Christi 2 ¶ ANd am I here and my Redeemer gone Can He be dead and is not my life done Was he tormented in excesse of measure And doe I
stay awhile this thing would first be knowne Can Ionah giue himselfe and not his owne That part to God and to his Country this Pertaines so that a slender third is his Why then should Ionah doe so great a wrong To deale himselfe away that did belong The least vnto himselfe or how could he Teach this THOV SHALT NOT KILL if Ionah be His life 's owne Butcher What was this a deed That with the Calling he profest agreed The purblind age whose workes almost diuine Did meerely with the oyle of nature shine That knew no written Law ne yet no God To whip their conscience with a steely Rod How much did they abhorre so foule a fact When led by Natures glimpse they made an Act That what man e're is so vnnaturall To kill himselfe should want a buriall Can such doe so when Ionah does amisse What Ionas Isr'els Teacher and doe this The Law of charity doth all forbid In this thing to doe that which Ionah did Moreo're in charity 't is thy behest Of dying men to thinke and speake the best The mighty Samson did as much as this And who dare say that Samson did amisse If heau'nly Spirit whisper'd in his eare Expresse command to do ' t then likewise heare Who knowes of Ionah whether yea or no A secret Spirit will'd him to doe so ¶ Sure is the knot that true Religion tyes And Loue that 's rightly grounded neuer dyes It seemes a Paradox beyond beliefe That men in trouble should prolong reliefe That Pagans to withstand a Strangers Fate Should be neglectiue of their owne estate Trusting their liues vpon a twyny thread And dauntlesse daunce about in dangers dread Where is this Loue become in later age Alas 't is gone in endlesse Pilgrimage From hence and neuer to returne I doubt Till reuolution wheele those times about Chill brests haue staru'd her here and she is driu'n Away and with Astraea fled to heau'n Charity that naked Babe is gone Her hony's spent and all her store is done Her winglesse Bees can finde out ne'r a bloome And crooked Ate doth vsurpe her roome Nepenthe's dry and Loue can get no drinke And curs'd Ardenne flowes aboue the brinke Braue Mariners the world your names shall hallow Admiring that in you that none dare follow Your friendship 's rare and your conuersion strange From Paganisme to Zeale A suddaine change Those men doe now the God of heau'n implore That bow'd to Puppets but an houre before Their Zeale is feruent though but new begun Before their egge-shels were done off they run As when bright Phoebus in a Summer tide New risen from the pillow of his Bride Enueloped with misty fogges at length Breaks forth displayes the mist with Southern strēgth Euen so these Mariners of Peerelesse mirrour Their faith b'ing vayl'd within the mist of errour At length their Zeale chac'd ignorance away They left their Paganisme and 'gan to pray ¶ Lord how vnlimmited are thy Confines That still pursu'st man in his good designes Thy mercy 's like the dew of Hermon hill Or like the Oyntment dropping downward still From Aarons head to beard from beard to foot So doe thy mercies drench vs round about Thy loue is boundlesse Thou art apt and free To turne to Man when Man returnes to thee THE ARGVMENT They cast the Prophet ouer boord The storme alay'd They feare the Lord A mighty Fish him straight deuoures Where he remayned many howres Sect. 6. EVen as a member whose corrupted sore Infests and rankl's eating more and more Threatning the bodies losse if not preuented The Surgion after all faire meanes attempted Cuts off and with aduised skill doth choose To lose a part then all the body lose Euen so the Mariners perceiuing all Their labour spent and the effect but small And of necessity that all must dye If Ionah leaue not their society They tooke vp Ionas and with one accord And common ayde threw Ionas ouer boord Whereat grim Neptune wip't his fomy mouth Held his tridented Mace vpon the South The windes were whist the billowes daunc't no more The storme allay'd the heau'ns left off to rore The waues obedient to their beheast Gaue ready passage and their rage surceast The skie grew cleare and now the glorious light Begins to put the gloomy clouds to flight Thus all on suddaine was the Sea tranquill The heau'ns were quiet and the Waues were still As when a friendly Creditour to get A long forborne and much-concerning debt Still plyes his willing debter with entreates Importunes dayly dayly thumps and beates The batter'd Portalls of his tyred eares Bedeafing hm with what he knowes and heares The weary debter to auoyd the sight He loathes shifts here and there and eu'ry night Seekes out Protection of another bed Yet ne'rethelesse pursu'd and followed His eares are still layd at with lowder volley Of harder Dialect He melancholly Sits downe and sighes and after long fore-slowing T' auoyd his presence payes him what is owing The thankfull Creditour is now appeas'd Takes leaue and goes away content and pleas'd Euen so these angry waues with restlesse rage Accosted Ionas in his pilgrimage And thundred Iudgement in his fearfull eare Presenting Hubbubs to his guilty feare The Waues rose discontent the Surges beat And euery moments death the billowes threat The wether-beaten Ship did euery minnit Await destruction while he was in it But when his long expected corps they threw Into the deepe a debt through trespasse due The Sea grew kind and all her frownes abated Her face was smooth to all that nauigated 'T was sinfull Ionah made her storme and rage 'T was sinfull Ionah did her storme asswage With that the Mariners astonish't were And feard Iehouah with a mighty feare Offring vp Sacrifice with one accord And vowing solemne vowes vnto the Lord. But God whose breath can make the heauens shake And in an instant all that force can slake Whose pow'rfull word can make the earths foundatiō Tremble and with his word can make cessation Whose wrath doth mount the waues tosse the Seas And make them calme and whist when e're he please This God whose mercy runs on endlesse wheele And pulls like Iacob Iustice by the heele Prepar'd a Fish prepar'd a mighty Whale Whose belly should be prison-house and baile For retchlesse Ionah As a Garner dore Opens his double leafe to take the store Wherewith the haruest quits the Ploughmans hope Euen so the great Leuiathan set ope His beame-like Iawes as glad of such a boone And at a morsell swallow'd Ionah downe Till Rosy-cheek't Aurora's purple dye Thrice dappl'd had the ruddy morning skye And thrice had spred the Curtaines of the morne To let in Titan when the Day was borne Ionah was Tenant to this liuing Graue Embowel'd deepe in this stupendious Caue Meditatio sexta LO Death is now as alwayes it hath bin The iust procured stipend of our sinne Sinne is a
The stint of Niniuey was forty dayes To cry for grace and turne from euill wayes To some the time is large To others small To some 't is many yeeres And not at all To others Some an hower haue and some Haue scarce a minute of their time to come Thy span of life Malfido is thy space To call for mercy and to cry for grace ¶ Lord what is man but like a worme that crawl's Open to danger euery foot that falls Death creeps vnheard and steales abroad vnseene Her darts are sudden and her arrowes keene Vncertaine when but certaine she will strike Respecting King and begger both alike The stroke is deadly come it earl ' or late And once being struck repenting's out of date Death is a minute full of sudden sorrow Then liue to day as thou maist dye to morrow THE ARGVMENT The Niniuites beleeue the Word Their hearts returne vnto the Lord In him they put their only trust They mourne in Sackcloth and in dust Sect. 9. SO said the Niniuites beleeu'd the Word Beleeued Ionas and beleeu'd the Lord They made no pause nor iested at the newes Nor slighted it because it was a Iew 's Denouncement No Nor did their gazing eyes As taken captiues with such nouelties Admire the strangers garb so quaint to theirs No idle chat possest their itching eares The whil'st he spake nor were their tongues on fier To raile vpon or interrupt the Cryer Nor did they question whether true the message Or false the Prophet were that brought th' embassage But they gaue faith to what he said relented And changing their mis-wandred wayes repented Before the searching Ayre could coole his word Their hearts returned and beleeu'd the Lord And they whose dainty palats cloy'd whileare With cates and vyands were and luscious cheare Doe now enioyne their lips not once to tast The offall bread for they proclaim'd a Fast And they whose wanton bodies once did lye Wrapt vp in Robes and Silkes of princely Dye Lo now in stead of Robes in Rags they mourne And all their Silkes doe into Sackcloth turne They reade themselues sad Lectures on the ground Learning to want as well as to abound The Prince was not exempted nor the Peere Nor yet the richest nor the poorest there The old man was not freed whose hoary age Had eu'n almost outworne his Pilgrimage Nor yet the young whose Glasse but new begun By course of nature had an age to run For when that fatall Word came to the King Conuay'd with speed vpon the nimble wing Of flitting Fame He strait dismounts his Throne Forsakes his Chaire of State he sate vpon Disrob'd his body and his head discrown'd In dust and ashes grou'ling on the ground And when he rear'd his trembling corpes againe His haire all filthy with the dust he lay in He clad in pensiue Sackcloth did depose Himselfe from state Imperiall and chose To liue a Vassall or a baser thing Then to vsurpe the Scepter of a King His golden cup of Honour and Authority Made him not drunke and so forget mortality Respectlesse of his pompe he quite forgate He was a King so mindlesse of his State That he forgate to rule or be obey'd Nor did he weild the Sword nor Scepter sway'd Meditatio nona ¶ IS fasting then the thing that God requires Can fasting expiate or slake those fires That Sinne hath blowne to such a mighty flame Can sackcloth clothe a fault or hide a shame Can ashes clense thy blot or purge thy ' offence Or doe thy hands make God a recompence By strowing dust vpon thy bryny face Are these the tricks to purchase heau'nly grace No though thou pine thy selfe with willing want Or face looke thinne or Carkas ne r so gaunt Although thou worser weeds then sackcloth weare Or naked goe or sleep in shirts of haire Or though thou chuse an ash-tub for thy bed Or make a daily dunghill on thy head Thy labour is not poysd with equall Gaines For thou hast nought but labour for thy paines Such idle madnesse God reiects and loaths That sinkes no deeper than the skinne or cloaths 'T is not thine eyes which taught to weep by art Looke red with teares not guilty of thy hart 'T is not the holding of thy hands so hye Nor yet the purer squinting of thine eye 'T is not your Mimmick mouthes nor Antick faces Nor Scripture phrases nor affected Graces Nor prodigall vp-banding of thine eyes Whose gashfull balls doe seeme to pelt the skyes 'T is no the strict reforming of your haire So close that all the neighbour skull is bare 'T is not the drooping of thy head so low Nor yet the lowring of thy sullen brow Nor howling wherewithall you fill the ayre Nor repetitions of your tedious pray'r No no 't is none of this that God regards Such sort of fooles their owne applause rewards Such Puppit-playes to heau'n are strange and quaint Their seruice is vnsweet and foully taint Their words fall fruitlesse from their idle braine But true Repentance runnes in other straine Where sad contrition harbours there thy hart Is first acquainted with an inly smart And restlesse grones within thy mournfull brest Where sorrow finds her selfe a welcome ghest It throbs it sighes it mournes in decent wise Dissolu's and fills the Cisternes of thine eyes It frights thy pensiue soule with strange aspects Of crying sinnes committed It detects Thy wounded conscience It cryes amaine For mercy mercy cryes and cryes againe It vowes it sadly grieues and sore laments It yernes for grace Reformes Returnes Repents I this is Incense whose accepted sauour Mounts vp the heauenly Throne and findeth fauour I this is it whose valour neuer failes With God it stoutly wrestles and preuailes I this is it that pierces heauen aboue Neuer returning home like Noah's Doue But brings an Oliffe leafe or some encrease That works Saluation and eternall Peace THE ARGVMENT The Prince and people fasts and prayes God heard accepted lik'd their wayes Vpon their timely true repentance God reuerst and chang'd his sentence Sect. 10. THen suddenly with holy zeale inflam'd He caus'd a Generall act to be proclam'd By good aduice and counsell of his Peeres Let neither Man nor child of youth or yeeres From greatest in the City to the least Nor Heard nor pining Flock nor hungry beast Nor any thing that draweth ayre or breath On forfeiture of life or present death Presume to taste of nourishment or food Or moue their hungry lips to chew the cud From out their eyes let Springs of water burst With teares or nothing let them slake their thurst Moreo're let euery man what e're he be Of high preferment or of low degree D' off all they weare excepting but the same That nature craues and that which couers shame Their nakednesse with sackcloth let them hide And mue the vest'ments of their silken pride And let the braue cariering Horse of warre Whose rich Caparisons and Trappings
liue yet And yet liue in pleasure Alas could Sinners finde out ne'r a one More fit then Thee for them to spit vpon Did thy cheekes entertaine a Traytors lips Was thy deare body scourg'd and torne with whips So that the guiltlesse blood came trickling after And did thy fainting browes sweat blood and water Wert thou Lord hang'd vpon the Cursed Tree O world of Griefe And was all this for mee ¶ Burst foorth my teares into a world of sorrow And let my nights of griefe ne'r finde a morrow Since thou art dead Lord grant thy seruant roome Within his heart to build thy heart a Tombe Fraus Mundi 3 ¶ WHat is the World A great Exchange of ware Wherein all sorts and sexes cheapning are The Flesh the Diuell sit and cry What lack ye When most they fawne they most intend to rack ye The wares are Cups of Ioy and Beds of Pleasure There 's goodly choice downe weight and flowing measure A Soul 's the price but they giue time to pay Vpon the Death-bed on the dying Day ¶ Hard is the Bargaine and vniust the Measure When as the Price so much out-lasts the Pleasure The Ioyes that are on earth are Counterfeits If ought be true 't is this Th' are true Deceits They flatter fawne and like the Crocadile Kill where they laugh and murther where they smile They daily dip within thy Dish and Cry Who hath betray'd thee Mastre Is it I Gloria Coeli 4 ¶ WHen I behold and well aduise vpon The Wisemans speech There 's nought beneath the Sun But vanitie my Soule rebells within And loaths the Dunghill-prison she is in But when I looke to new Ierusalem Wherein 's reseru'd my Crowne my Diadem O what a Heauen of blisse my Soule enioyes On sudden rapt into that heauen of Ioyes Where rauisht in the depth of meditation She well discernes with Eye of Contemplation The Glory of God in his Imperiall Seat Full strong in Might in Maiestie compleat Where troups of Powers Vertues Cherubins Angels Archangels Saints and Seraphins Are chaunting praises to their heauenly King Where Halelujah they for euer sing Dolor Inferni 5 ¶ LEt Poets please to torture Tantalus Let gryping Vultures gnaw Prometheus And let Ixion turne his endlesse Wheele Let Nemesis torment with whips of Steele They far come short t' expresse the paines of those That rage in Hell enwrapt in endlesse woes Where time no end nor plagues finde no exemption Where cryes admit no helpe nor place redemption Where fier lacks no flame the flame no heate To make their torments sharp and plagues compleat Where wretched Soules to tortures bound shall bee Seruing a world of yeeres and not be Free Where nothing's heard but yells and sudden cryes Where fier neuer slakes nor Worme e'r dyes But where this Hell is plac'd my Muse stop there Lord shew me what it is but neuer where 1 Mors tua ¶ CAn he be Faire that withers at a Blast Or he be Strong that Ayery Breath can cast Can he be Wise that knowes not how to liue Or he be Rich that nothing hath to giue Can he be Yong that 's Feeble Weake and Wan So Faire so Strong so Wise so Rich so Yong is Man So Faire is Man that Death a parting Blast Crops his faire Flow'r and makes him Earth at last So Strong is Man that with a Gasping Breath He totters and bequeaths his Strength to Death So Wise is Man that if with Death he striue His Wisdome cannot teach him how to liue So Rich is Man that all his Debts b'ing pay'd His wealth 's the Winding-sheet wherein hee 's lay'd So Yong is Man that broke with Care and Sorrow Hee 's old enough to Day to Dye to Morrow Why bragg'st thou then Thou Worme of Fiue foot-long Th' art neither Faire nor Strong nor Wise nor Rich nor Yong. 2 Mors Christi I Thurst And who shall quench this Eager Thurst I Grieue And with my griefe my Heart will Burst I Grieue because I thurst without Reliefe I Thurst because my Soule is burnt with Griefe I thurst And dri'd with Griefe my Heart will Dye I Grieue and thurst the more For Sorrow's drie The more I grieue the more my thurst appeares Would God! I had not grieu'd out all my teares I Thurst And yet my Griefes haue made a Floud But Teares are salt I Grieue and Thurst for Bloud I Grieue for Bloud for Bloud must send Reliefe I Thurst for Bloud for Bloud must ease my Griefe I Thurst for sacred Bloud of a Deare Lambe I Grieue to thinke from whence that Deare Blood came 'T was shed for Mee O let me drinke my fill Although my Griefe remaine Entier still O soueraigne Pow'r of that Vermilion SPRING Whose Vertue neither Heart conceiues nor Tongue can sing 3 Fraus Mundi I Loue the World as Clients loue the Lawes To manage the vprightnes of my Cause The World loues me as Sheepheards doe their Flocks To Rob and spoyle them of their fleecy Locks I loue the World and vse it as mine Inne To bait and rest my tyred Carkasse in The World loues me For what To make her Game For filthy Sinne she sels me timely Shame Foorth from her Eyes doe Springs of Venome burst But like a Basiliske I 'le see her first And this my firme intended Course shall be To poyson her or she will poyson me We liue at Iarres as froward Gamesters doe Still guarding not Regarding others Foe I loue the World to serue my turne and leaue her 'T is no Deceit to Coozen a Deceiuer Shee 'l not misse me I lesse the World shall misse To lose a World of Griefe t' enioy a World of Blisse 4 Gloria Coeli EArth stands immou'd and Fixt Her Cituation Admits no locall Change no Alteration HEAVEN alway moues renuing still his place And euer sees vs with another Face EARTH standeth Fixt yet there I liue opprests HEAVEN alway moues yet there is all my Rest Enlarge thy selfe my SOVLE with Meditation Mount there and there bespeake thy Habitation Where Ioyes are full and pure not mixt with mourning All Endlesse and from which is no returning No Theft no Cruell Murther harbours there No Hoary-headed Care no sudden Feare No pinching Want no Griping fast Oppression Nor Death the stipend of our soule Transgression But dearest Friendship Loue and lasting Pleasure Aye there abides withouten stin◠or Measure Fulnesse of Riches Comfort sempeternall Excesse without a surfeiting And Life Eternall 5 Dolor Inferni THe Trump shall blow The Dead awak'd shall rise And to the Clouds shall turne their wondring Eyes The Heauen shall ope The Bridegroome foorth shall come To iudge the World and giue the World her Doome Ioy to the IVST to others Endlesse SMART To those the Voyce bids COME to these DEPART DEPART from LIFE yet dying liue for Euer For Euer dying be and yet Dye Neuer DEPART like Dogs with DIVELS take your lot DEPART like DIVELS for I know you not Like