Or kill themselues with sharpe Inuentions knife Sith they to liue thus die without desart Long may they liue where glorie is more rife For greater glory no flesh can attaine Then die for glorie so to liue againe 212 And doe my sonnes quoth Phusis fare but thus O then aduise me Lady what to doe Who said sith they no better are for vs Thou must Astrea my deere Sister wooe To rule them with the Rod of Summum ius Before themselues they vtterly vndoe And wooe thy selfe to take it patiently For better thou shuldst beare then they shuld die 213 For if she rule them not when wilde they bee She will ore rule them being truely tam'd If in their life she doe them not oresee She in their death will see they shal be damn'd Thogh she be blind she with mine Eies doth see And I doe see how life and death are fram'd And thus the best aduice that I can giue Is them to mortifie that they may liue 214 Which hauing said she Logus with her tooke To dresse her wounds and hi'd her to her Bed So Phusis being of them both forsooke Sate at the doore of Thanatus neere dead And fell asleepe till Logus her awooke Who came againe to her as if he fled Whom when she saw her hart receiued cheare And in her face the same did soone appeare 215 Logus aduis'd her strait to take aduice Of Thanatus and Chronus what to do Which to performe she seemed somewhat nice Because she thought they sought her to vndoo Yet her loue to her sonnes did her entice Her enemies in this behalfe to woo And thus resolu'd she boldly rushed in Those Gates which erst to her had fearefull bin 216 Whos 's slipp'ry thresholds had neere made her fall Into the Lake of Lethe hard at hand But Logus held her vp yet therewithall She grew so fearefull that she scarse could stand But held by Logus and a lomy Wall Then Logus her besought that might command That she no more that passage would attempt For t is not good the Fates too much to tempt 217 But I quoth she will Chronus call outright Who forthwith came on her sweet sounding call Holpe by two wings one blacke the other white And in his hand a Sithe to cut downe All Who seem'd behind but low and poore in plight But yet before most pretious trimme and tall Thus came he forth and to these Ladies said Who calls and spake with motion most vnstaid 218 T' was I quoth Logus know'st thou not my voice Or wilt not sith thou wilt become vnkinde The time hath bin when It did thee reioyce Though now it seemes to thee it seemes but wind Wilt be vnconstant so to change thy Choice And shall I making thee thee fickle find But if I shall of this thou shalt be sure Thou shalt the lesser while for that endure 219 Thus Logus Chronus did reproue because He wold not know that voice which wel he knew But Chronus he himselfe from them withdrawes As one that fear'd worse chiding to ensue But Logus bade him stay or shew a cause Which shews to Logus are all onely due Without whose help old Chronus doth but dote And cannot sing or say right Word or Note 220 On this Iniunction Chronus mute did stand Yet stood as one that still on Thornes had stood While Logus seem'd his seruice to command And gaue his Tongue powre to be vnderstood Quoth he let Phusis haue thy helping hand To make if so thou canst her children good For they that hurt must heale or make amends Then hurting them on thee their help depends 221 Here Phusis hearing how he thus was chid Was at the point at him likewise to raâ—â—e But Logus bade her in her Eare take heede For faire words wold with Chronus most preuaile Wherewith her headstrong Will she bridle did For Logus loue and for her sonnes auaile But yet she said he did great hauocke make Of her deere children in that Lethe Lake 222 In which respect she meekely him besought By way of satisfaction that he would Preuent her Childrens going all to nought And with Examples them from that withhold For I their Mother quoth she still haue sought To make them liue as toward children should And if they perish it shall be their blame For I le leaue nought vnsought to let the same 223 I will quoth Chronus and away he flew And in one instant made the world throughout Babes youths youths Men Men Old Old Babes anew Phâ—sis mean while with Logus talkt about The hope she had that Chronus would subdue Her sonnes to Logus rule which He did doubt For no man of a rationall discourse Can thinke thei 'l mend that still waxe worse and worse 224 While thus they talkt they on the sodaine saw Chronus vpon his wings returning fast Which in her smoothest hope did make a flaw For so he fled as he had beene agast What news quoth she as he neere them did draw Fearing ere she had spoke he would be past What do my Children Chronus say O what Speake speake O speake I long to heare of that 225 They are quoth he I know not what to say Following their pleasures and do thinke of noght But how they may shift me with ease away Yet I thereby the sooner them haue caught O what a world it is to see them play Like Apes with each vaine toy too deerely bought He is no man that cannot do what not That wise men neuer knew or haue forgot 225 Ayme therefore quoth she but didst not thou With thy Sithe menace them to manage them Didst thou not tell them thou their Backs wouldst bow And that this mortal life was but a dreame O! couldst thou not with all this cast them low To mount them more to high Ierusalem What haue they sense and cannot vse the same That haue no kinde of sense of sinne and shame 226 When night was come quoth he I told ech one The day was past and when the Sabboth came I said a weeke was fully past and gone A month expir'd I told them of the same And when the Sun his compleate course had run I said a yeare was past and spent with shame But they that take delight to runne awrie Learne so to runne by Sols course in the Skie 227 In Childhood I did teach in Youth did threat In Manhood I reprooued and in Age With their own bones their bones I sore did beat And in Decrepitenesse I worse did rage For I did euen quench their vitall heat And to the gripes of death did them ingage Yet for all this they worse and worse became Still spoiling me till them I ouercame 228 What life then do my Yonglings liue quoth she The life said he of wanton skipping Roes What the Yongmen Of
so ill Vnioynt the body of their Common-weale Hew it in peeces bring it all to nought With Rigors boistrous hand all Bands canceale Wherin the heau'ns staÌ„d bound to Earth in aught Wound me the scalpe of humane Policie Sith it would stand without the help of heau'n On rotten proppes of all impietie Away with it let it be life-bereau'n With plagues strike through Extortions loathed loines And riuet in them glowing pestilence Giue giue Iniustice many mortall foynes And with a plague send send the same froÌ„ hence Wind me a Botch huge Botch about the Necke Of damn'd disguis'd man-pleasing Sanctitie And Simony with selfe same Choller decke Plague these two Plagues with all extremitie For these are Pearles that quite put out the eies Of Piety in Christian Common-wealths These these are they from whoÌ„ all plagues do rise TheÌ„ plagues on plagues by right must reaue their healths Dash Veng'aÌ„ce viall on the cursed brow Of Zodomy that euer-crying sinne And that it be no more whole Pelions throw Of plagues vpon it both without and in Throgh black Auernus hels mouth send the same Into the deepest pit of lowest hell Let neuer more the nature nor the name Be known within the Zones where meÌ„ may dwel Oppresse Oppression this Lands burning-feauer With burning sores of feauers-pestilent And now or neuer quell it now and euer For it doth quell the Poore and Innocent Bring downe damn'd Pride with a pure pestileÌ„ce Deriued from all plagues that are vnpure Extracted to th' extreamest quintessence For Pride all Sinnes plagues for sin procures In Atheismes breast instead of her curst hart Set an huge Botch or worse plague mâ—re coÌ„pact That it may neuer conuert or peruert Nor haue powre to perswade much lesse coact Beblaine the bosome of each Misteris That bares her Brests lusts signes ghests to allure With a plague kisse her that plagues with a kisse And make her with a murraine more demure Our puling puppets coy and hard to please My too strait-laced all-begarded Girles The skumme of Nicenesse London Mistresses Their skins imbroder with plagues orient Pearls For these for First-fruits haue Fifteenes to spare But to a Beggar say We haue not for yee Then do away this too-fine wastefull Ware To second death for they do most abhorre mee Then scowre the Brothel-houses make them pure That flow with filth that wholsomst flesh infects Fire out the Pox from theÌ„ce with plages vnpure For they do cause but most vnpure effects Plague carnall Colleges wherein are taught Lusts beastly lessons which no beast will brooke Where Aratine is read and nearely sought And so Lusts Precepts practiz'd by the Booke Who knowes not Aratine let him not aske What thing it is let it suffice hee was But what no Mouth can tell without a Maske For Shame it selfe will say O let that passe He was a Monster Tush O nothing lesse For Nature monsters makes how ere vnright But Nature ne'r made such a Fiend as this Who like a Fiend was made in Natures spight Therefore away with all that like his Rules Which Nature doth dislike as she doth Hell Break vp those free yet deere damned Schools That teach but gainst kinde Nature to rebell Rogh-cast the skin of smooth-fac'd glozing Guile With burning blisters to consume the same That swears to sell crackt wares yet lies the while And of gaine by deceiuing makes her game Who but to vtter but a thing of nought Vtters all othes more precious then her Soule And thinks them well bestowd so it be bought So vtters wares with othes by falshood foule This foule offence to Church Commonwealth Sweep cleane away with Wormewood of annoy For it consisteth but by lawfull stealth Then let the truest Plagues it quite destroy Of Tauerns reaking still with vomitings Draw with the Owners all the Drawers out Let none draw Aire that draw on Surffettings But Excesse and her Slaues botch all about Sith such by drawing out and drawing on Do liue let such be drawne out on a Beare For they with wine haue many men vndone And famisht them in fine through belly-cheare Browne-paper Merchants that do venâ— such trash To heedlesse heirs to more wealth borne then wit That gainst such Paper-rocks their houses dash While such slie Merchants make much vse of it Vse them as they do vse such heires to vse That is to plague them without all remorce These with their Brokers plague for they abuse God King and Law by Lawes abused force Then petti-botching-Brokers all bebotch That in a month catch eighteene pence in pound Six with a Bill and twelue for vse they catch So vse they all they catch to make vnsound That they may catch them and still patches make Which in the pound do yeeld theÌ„ eighteen pence Forc'd like sheep trespassing the Pownd to take Leauing their Fleece at last for recompence Hang in their hang-mans wardrop plagues to aire That all may flie or die that with it mell And so when none will to their ragges repaire They must forsake their liues or labour well Briefly kill cursed Sinne in generall And let Flesh Bee no more to harbour it Away with filthie Flesh away with all Wherein still-breeding Sinne on broode doth sit This was Deaths charge this charge did he giue Which was perform'd forthwith accordingly For now the dead had wasted so the liue Or wearied so that some vnburied lie For All obseru'd the Pestilence was such As laught to scorne the help of Phisickes art So that to death All yeelded with a touch And sought no help but help with ease to part An hell of heate doth scorch their seething vaines The blood doth boile and all the Body burnes Which raging Heate ascending to the Braines The powres of Reason there quite ouerturnes Then t is no sinne to say a Plague it is From whence immortall miseries do flow That makes men reason with their rest to misse And Soules and Bodies do endanger so Here crie the parents fot their Childrens death There howle the children for their parents losse And often die as they are drawing breath To crie for their but now inflicted crosse Here goes an husband heauily to seeke A Graue for his dead wife now hard to haue A wife there meets him that had done the like All which perhaps are buried in one Graue The last suruiuor of a Familie Which yesterday perhaps were all in health Now dies to beare his fellowes company And for a Graue for all giues all their wealth There wends the fainting Son with his dead Sire On his sole shoulders borne him to interre Here goes a father with the like desire And to the Graue alone his Sonne doth beare The needie greedie of a wealthie Pray Runne into houses cleans'd of Families From whence they bring with goodes their bane away So end in wealth their liues and miseries No Cat Dog Rat Hog Mouse or Vermine vile
But vsher'd Death where ere themselues did go For they the purest Aire did so defile That whoso breath'd it did his breath forgo At London sincke of Sinne as at the Fount This all-confounding Pestilence began According to that Plagues most wofull wont From whence it flowing all the realme o'reranne Which to preuent at first they pestered Pest-houses with their murraine-tainted Sicke But though from them thence the healthie fled They ere suspected mortified the Quicke Those so infected being ignorant That so they are conuerse with whom soere Whose open Shops and Houses all doe haunt And finde most danger where they least do feare And so not knowing sicke-folke from the sound For such ill Aire 's not subiect to the sense They One with Other do themselues confound And so confound all with a pestilence Out flies one from the Plague and beares with him An heauy Purse and Plague more ponderous Which in the hie-way parteth life from limbe So plagues the next of his coine couetous In this ditch lies one breathing out his last Making the same his Graue before his death On that Bancke lies another breathing fast And passers by he baneth with his breath Now runnes the Rot along each bancke ditch And with a murraine strikes Swine Sheep and all Or man or beast that chance the same to touch So all in fields as in the Cities fall The London Lanes themseluet thereby to saue Did vomit out their vndigested dead Who by cart loads are carried to the Graue For all those Lanes with folke were ouerfed There might ye see Death as with toile opprest Panting for breath all in a mortall sweat Vpon each bulke or bench himselfe to rest At point to faint his Haruest was so great The Bells had talkt so much as now they had Tir'd all their tongs and could not speake a word And Griefe so toild herselfe with being sad That now at Deaths faint threats shee would but bourd Yea Death was so familiar ah become With now resolued London Families That wheresoere he came he was welcome And entertain'd with ioyes and iolities Goods were neglected as things good for nought If good for aught good but to breed more ill The Sicke despis'd them if the Sound thē sought They sought their death which cleaued to thē stil So Sicke and Sound at last neglected them As if the Sound and Sicke were neere their last And all almost so fared through the Realme As if their Soules the Iudgement day were past This World was quite forgot the World to come Was still in minde which for it was forgot Brought on our World this little day of Dome That choakt the Graue with this contageous Rot No place was free for Free-men ne for those That were in Prisons wanting Libertie Yet Prisoners frëest were from Plagues and Woes That visite Free-men but too lib'rally For al their food came frō the helthy house Which then wold giue Gods plags from thence to keep The rest shut vp could not like bountie vse So woefull Pris'ners had least cause to weepe The king himselfe O wretched Times the while From place to place to saue himselfe did flie Which from himselfe himselfe did seeke t'exile Who as amaz'd not safe knew where to lie It s hard with Subiects when the Soueraigne Hath no place free from plagues his head to hide And hardly can we say the King doth raigne That no where for iust feare can well abide For no where comes He but Death follows him Hard at the Heeles and reacheth at his head So sincks al Sports that wold like triumphs swim For what life haue we when we all are dead Dead in our Spirits to see our Neighbours die To see our King so shift his life to saue And with his Councell all Conclusions trie To keepe themselues from th' insatiate Graue For hardly could one man another meete That in his bosome brought not odious Death It was confusion but a friend to greet For like a Fiend he baned with his breath The wildest wastes and places most remote From Mans repaire are now the most secure Happy is he that there doth finde a Cote To shrowd his Head from this Plagues smoaking showre A Beggars home though dwelling in a Ditch If farre from London it were scituate He might rent out if pleas'd him to the Rich That now as Hell their London homes doe hate Now had the Sunne the Ballance entered To giue his heate by weight or in a meane When yet this Plague more heate recouered And scowr'd the towns that erst were clēsed clean Now sad Dispaire clad in a sable weede Did All attend and All resolu'd to die For Heat cold they thought the Plague would feede Which like a Ierffe still sinn d in gluttony The heau'nly Coape was now ore-canopide Neere each ones Zenith as his sense suppos'd With ominous impressions strangely died And like a Canopie at toppe it clos'd As if it had presag'd the Iudge was nie To sit in Iudgement his last doome to giue And caus'd his cloth of State t' adorne the Skie That All his neare approach might so perceiue Now fall the people vnto publike Fast And all assemble in the Church to pray Earely and late their soules there take repast As if preparing for the later day Where fasting meeting with the sound and sicke The sicke the sound do plage while they do pray To haste before the Iudge the dead and quicke And pull each other so in post away Now Angells laugh to see how contrite hearts Incounter Death and scorne his Tiranny Their Iudge doth ioy to see them play their parts That erst so liu'd as if they ne'r should die Vp go their harts hands and downe their knees While Death wēt vp down to bring thē down That vp they might at once not by degrees Vnto the High'st that doth the humble crown◠O how the thresholds of each double dore Of Heau'n and Hell were worne with throngs of ghosts Ne'r since the Deluge did they so before Nor euer since so pollisht the side-posts The Angells good and bad are now all toil'd With intertaining of these ceaselesse throngs With howling some in heat and horror broild And othersome in blisse with ioyfull Songs Th' infernall Legions in Battallions Seeke to inlarge their kingdome lest it should Be cloid with Collonies of wicked ones For now it held more then it well could hold The Angells on the Cristall walls of Heau'n Holpe thousands ore the Gates so glutted were To whom authoritie by Grace was giu'n The prease was such to helpe them ouer there The Cherubin eie-blinding Maiestie Vpon his Throne that euer blest hath bin Is compast with vnwonted Company And smiles to see how Angells helpe them in The heau'nly streets do glitter like the Sunne With throngs of Sonnes but newly glorifide Who still to praise their Glorifier runne Along those streets full fraught on either side Now was
Humours Heau'n on Earth With The Ciuile Warres of Death and Fortune As also The Triumph of Death Or The Picture of the Plague according to the Life as it was in Anno Domini 1603. By Iohn Dauies of Hereford O! t' is a sacred kinde of Excellence That hides a rich truth in a Tales pretence Printed at London by A. I. 1609. ¶ To the right Noble Algernon Lord Percy sonne and heire apparant to the right Honorable Henry Earle of Northumberland THrice Noble and more hopefull Pupill I Who learnes thy Hand to shew thy Hearts conceits Would make thy heart before it Vice doth trie To know her Lures to shunne her slie deceits But in the Prime but of thy Pupillage Before the ioynts of Iudgement can be knit Although for Wit thou mai'st be Wisedomes Page Vice throwes her Lures aboue thy reach of Wit But yet when Time shall throwly close thy Mould Wherein all rare Conceits still cast shall bee Then shalt thou with cleere eies darke lines behold That leade thee to all knowledge fit for thee And sith that Childhood more in Tales delights Then saddest Truths I le tell thee merry Tales Of Lords and Ladies with their merry Knights Their merry Blisses and their sory Bales The outside of these Tales are painted o're With colours rich to please thine eagre sence But lin'd with naked Truth yet richly poore More fit for thy more rich Intelligence When thou canst cracke this Nut within the Shell Thou shalt a Kernell finde will please thy Taste The Pallate of thy Wit will like it well When thou shalt swallow it for ioy in haste Then make this Nut a whirligigge the while To make thee merry if thou canst be so To see the turning of our Sports to toile Wherein obserue how pleasures come and go For as a whirligigge doth turne so fast That sharpest sights the fruit do scarse perceiue So can no Pallate fruits of Pleasure taste When they are come so soone they take their leaue Readâ— little Lord this Riddle learne to reede So first appose then tell it to thy Pecres So shall they hold thee both in Name and Deed A perfect Pierc-ey that in darkenesse cleeres A Pierc-ey or a piâ—rcing Eie doth shâ—w Both Wit and Courage and if thou wilt learne By morall Tales sinnes mortall to eschew Thou shalt be wise and endlesse glorie earne That so thou mai'st the meanest Tutors praise So Percies fame shall pierce the Eie of Daies Then by those Raies my Pen inflam'd shall runnâ— Beyond the Moone to make thy Moone a Sunne Meane while and euer I rest prest to honour thee with my poore vttermost Iohn Dauies To the good Knight and my much honored Scholler Sir Philip Carey SIth Death deere Sir hath lately beene so fell To reaue that life than deere life deerer farre This record of his greater rage may quell The lesse perhaps in your particular Faine would I if I could beguile your griefe With telling you of others heauie harmes But ah such guile giues Griefe too true reliefe In your true humane heart that Pitty warmes Life is a Plague for who doth liue must die Yet some that haue the Plague doe scape aliue So life's more mortall than Mortalitie Then sith that life like death doth life depriue You may reioyce sith your Adolphus liu'd True Vertues life which cannot be depriu'd Viuat post funera virtus As much grieu'd for your losse as glad any way to shew his loue Iohn Dauies To the right worshipfull my deere Scholler Sir Humfrey Baskeruile of Earsley Knight And the no lesse louely than vertuous Lady his Wife SIth I am Lecturing my noblest Schollers You being two this Lecture deigne to reade For thogh it treats of nought but death dollers Yet it with pleasure may your passion feede For plagues to see vnplagu'd doth Nature please Although good nature gladly grieues thereat As we are well-ill pleas'd to see at Seas The wofull'st wracke while we are safe from that In health to tell what sickenesse we haue past Makes vs more souÌ„d for Gladnes health defends O then your eies on this Plagues-Picture cast To glad and grieue you for glad-grieuous ends But my sole End by this poore Meane to yee Is but to tie your Eares and Hearts to mee Iohn Dauies To my deere meeke modest and intirely beloued Mistris Elizabeth Dutton Mistris Mary and Mistris Vere Egerton three Sisters of hopefull destenies be all Grace and good Fortune SIth on my worthiest Schollers I doe muse How should my Muse to minde you once neglect Sith you are such TheÌ„ such she shuld abuse Should she not vse you with all deere respect Thou virgin Widow eldest of the Three That hold'st thy widows state of Death in chief Death in thy youth being fast hath made thee free Free from thy Ioy fastned thee to Griefe But he that is the Lord of lordly Death Reserues thine honor'd Sires most honor'd Sire From Deaths dispite while he draweth breath Thou lowly Soule art likely to aspire Thy Sisters like in Nature as in Name And both in Name and Nature nought but good Beloued Pupills well may hope the same Sith of like grace there is like likelihoode Yet in the height of Earths felicitie A meeke regard vnto this Picture giue To minde you so of lifes mortalitie So shall you liue to die and die to liue Meane while I hope through your cleere Stars to spie A Trinitie of Ladies ere I die He which for the exercise of your hie humilitie you please to call Master Iohn Dauies To my worthy and worthily beloued Scholer Thomas Bodenham Esquier sonne and heire apparant of Sir Roger Bodenham of Rotherwas Knight of the Bathe ANd if among them that are deere to mee Remembred by my Pen my Muses Tongue I should forget to shew my loue to thee My selfe but much more thee I so should wrong Nay wrong the right which I to thee doe owe But neuer shall my loue so guilefull proue As not to pay thee so deseru'd a due For I confesse thou well deseru'st my loue Thou wert my Scholer and if I should teach So good a Pupill such a Lesson ill By mine example I might so impeach Mine honest fame and quite disgrace my skill But when I learne thee such detested Lore Then loathe my loue and learne of me no more Yours as what 's most yours Iohn Dauies The last Booke being a Picture according to the Life dedicated To the no lesse high in Birth then honorable in Disposition right noble in either the Ladie Dorothie and Ladie Lucy Percies GReat-little Ladies greatly might you blame My little care of doing as I ought Should I neglect to set your noble Name First of those Principalls whose hands I taught Yet the more high your Birth and Places are The more ye ought to mind the blast of Breath As Philips Page did shew his Masters care When most he flourisht most to thinke on death Then with most blisse when
on the right hand lies scarse now in vse The other on the left vs'd commonly That on the left is full of all abuse And leades vnto a world of misery Wherein Gehennaes Hold is scituate Which without Patterne thus wee figurate 157 A ruinous Rowme whose bottom's most profoūd A Pit infernall full of endlesse dole A lothsome Lake where choaking damps abound A dungeon deepe a dreadfull darkesome hole Wher noght but howlīgs shriks grons do soūd And humane flesh still makes a quenchlesse Cole The common Burse where none but Bugs repaire An Harbor full of horror and despaire 158 Whos 's light is darke which darke is palpable Whose pleasur 's paine which pain no pen cā tell Whose life is death which death is damnable Whose peace is strife which strife is discords well Whose ease is toile which toile's vnthinkable Where most obedience learnes most to rebell Where all confusion raignes in endlesse date In a tumultuous State-disord'ring State 159 Where toads and vipers snakes and vermine vile Whose hissings make an hellish harmony With slimie gleere the place do cleane defile Swimming in Suddes of all sordiditie While one on others backe themselues they pile To touch the top of toplesse misery Where heate and coldnes are in their extreames And frozen harts do floate in sulphred streames 160 The wals are hung with Cobwebs which cōtaine Soule-catching hellhounds clad in Spiders shape The Roofe of burning Brasse which droppes like raine Frō which no one below could ere escape The pauement's ful of groundlesse gulfes of paine Which thogh they stil deuoure they stil do gape Whose glowing Mawes cannot cōcoct the meate Which there lies boiling in an hell of heate 161 Here weeping warbleth notes that anguish show And gnashing Teeth tunes Iigges vntuning ioy Here Seas of boiling Lead their Bounds oreflow To make a boundlesse deluge of annoy The Sands whereof are Soules orewhelm'd with woe Which though destroi'd yet death canot destroy For endlesse lords of death still life do giue To those that in that death there still do liue 162 From whose wide open Throats great flames they cast Which thūder forth with sense-cōfounding noise The din whereof makes Horrors heart agast Which in that den no other blisse enioyes Such Gall of Gall affords no better tast Which stil doth feed with that which stil annoyes Such boistrous Bugs can yeeld no other glee But mirth is mone whereas such Monsters be 163 Whos 's foule blasphemos mouths are fraught with spite That boils with heat of baneful poisō there Which spite they spit against the Cause of Light Such is the enuy which to It they beare Yet from their glowing eies flie sparkles bright As they no eies but Vulcans Forges were The sight whereof the sight doth so annoy As thogh that sight that sense wold quite destroy 164 Imagine now you see as there is seene Millions of Legions of this foule mouth'd crue With fangs more huge then Elephāts more keene Then Crocadiles chiefe grinders to pursue Soules diuing in those deepes to be vnseene Which ouergorg'd them vp againe do spue While these dogs watch to take them in the rise With teeth to teare feare them with their cries 165 Here may you see a Goblin grisly grim With hooke and line stand fishing for a Soule Which in those boiling Seas do sinking swim Baiting their hooks with Salamanders foule Which being hang'd he hales it to the brim And all the while as hunger-band doth howle Which fingred forthwith in the diuells name In go the fangs that inch-meale teare the same 166 Then others watch as Spiders for a Flie In obscure Nookes to catch a flying Ghost That to those Nooks to hide it selfe doth flie Which caught they binde it lest it should be lost And to their webs of woe with ioy they hie Where the poore Soule is still in torment tost In whom they all their deadly poison poure Which more then kills them sith they it endure 167 Now sullen Silence raignes as all were dead Then sodainely a world of Clamor rings Whereby the much more horror still is bred For sodaine feare with it most horror brings No heart so heauie as the hart of Lead Yet sodaine feare doth start it when it stings The Lightnings flash doth feare more than the flame That stil is seene and stil is seene the same 168 Heere in a Chimney all of burning Brickes Sits Grimnesse and a red-hote Spit doth turne Whereon a humane Creature melting stickes Whose grease doth make the fire the more to burn Which Turne-spit oft his filthy fingers lickes And with this liquor doth his lippes adorne Basting the roast with what most torment giues Whiles the poore Creature dies because he liues 169 But that which is most horrid to bee heard But much more hatefull to be felt or seene These Cookes oft gash their flesh to interlard The same with sulphure with woe waxen leane Lest the soft marrow the hard bone should guard From feeling woes incomparable keene So bone and marrow sinew nerue and vaine Do there endure paines farre exceeding paine 170 In other Coasts of this infernall Realme Confusions Land Gehennaes lording place True Antitype of new Ierusalem It freezeth flesh which pines in staruing case Where some do naked sticke amidst a streame To yce congeal'd whom cold winds freeze apace Yet draw they breath more cold thē coldest frost To freeze their intralls and congeale their ghost 171 If any spit for rheums cold places breede It s blowne in Ice-cicles into their face For those keene winds do forthwith do the deede And haile of drops make in a moments space On ycie morsells there the mouth must feede Sith mouthes to ycie morsells turne apace Here is cold comfort where is nought but cold That all congeales on which it taketh hold 172 Here some but new arriu'd while blood is warme Attempt by motion so to keepe the same But strait they cannot stirre nor Leg nor Arme For in the offer they freeze stiffe and lame Yet hold they vitall heate the more their harme For Ice like Oile doth feede their vitall flame If such a foe to life as such a cold Keepes life in being life hath hatefull hold 173 Who are so madde with paine that they do crie O what is this we feele we feele O what Is 't limbes of Flesh that brooke this agony All they haue rag'd with paine but this to that Is like the Ocean to a fountaine drie This flesh nerues ioynts once Racks did lacerate Yet that with this compar'd was Heau'n to Hell O what is this we feele Sense die or tell 174 It 's but a moment since we hither came Yet feele what paine Eternity inflicts And though eternally we feele the same Yet vs with what we ne'r felt it afflicts Proteus like still paines new fashons frame And one another
euer interdicts Is this the Soule we thought with flesh should die Which feeles these mortall plagues immortally 175 Here some with hands fast frozen to their mouth Do seeke to thaw them with their warmest breath But lo the frost that breath so fast pursuth That it doth freeze in comming from beneath So hand and mouth thereby the faster growth Yet liue they still though frozen quite to death For like to Alabaster Tombs they stand Frozen to death yet liue at Deaths command 176 Here boistrous Bugbeares do at foot-ball play With a still-tost and tumbled groning Ghost To catch thē heat which done they dāce the Hay About it breathlesse being ouer-tost So with transmuted formes it to dismay With feare that may afflict the seeing most While that poore Soule lies panting like an Hare Among foule hounds that seeke the same to share 177 Now Matacheyns they daunce with visage grim And at ech chāge they chāge their horrid shapes And at ech turne they torture life and limb Of this tormented Soule that gasping gapes As if the Ghost were yeelding at the brim Of deepe Not-beings Pit which yet it scapes At point of death to liue immortally Is still to liue and liuing still to die 178 Now comes a chased Ghost that flies for life Before a foule-mouth'd crie of hellish hounds And being caught twixt them is deadly strife Which of them all shall giue it deadliest wounds Each of whose teeth is like an Hangmans knife Which torments if not utterly confounds O! thinke then what an hell of feare that hart Must hold that such infernall Hounds do start 179 Here winds that whistle while they freezing are As if they merry were for freezing so Bring with their working pitchy clouds of Care Wherewith they are involu'd that thither go Those biting frosts do there make all things bare Which make the same a naked world of woe Where nought but nipping frosts are felt seene Ne'r-vading griefes do flourish euer greene 180 Here stands a Fowler fowle with Nets of Wire To take a flight of Soules that staruing flee Late fled from whence they neuer can retire So when in that fast-holding Net they bee He dragges them to the frost or to the fire Where either are in the extream'st degree This is the welcome which they first receaue That of their life mis-spent haue tane their leaue 181 This flight thus caught the Legions of the North Fill all those Regions with their hellish houles And with their vgliest formes come roaring forth To share among them those feare-shaken Soules The worthiest takes the Soule of smallest worth To execute thereon the greatest doles Quake flesh to heare what fraile flesh heere doth feele For endlesse plagues turne here still like a wheele 182 Here may you see for anguish some to tear Their flesh from bones yea bones and flesh to gnaw That so they may no more those torments beare Which make thē burst with choler in their Maw Some grate their teeth as teeth they grīding were To cut the flesh which they before did saw And all and some are so with tortures tir'd That they seeme quietst when they most are fir'd 183 Here Bugs bestirre them with a bellowing rore As at a Scamble we see Boyes to sturre Who for Soules scamble on a glowing flore Biting and scratching like the Cat and Curre Whiles with their Talons they their prey do gore And thogh they striue they do therein concurre Within whose gripes the Soule in silence grones For feare of feeling thousand hells at once 184 Here in a corner sits an vgly forme That on the matter of a liuing Corse Finds matter of much mirth which is t' informe Himselfe of all the sinews and their force Who with a knife the flesh doth all deforme To pull out nerues and sinews in their course Which like strings broken hanging at a Lute So hang these nerues the Body all about 185 Here may you see some others driuing nailes Vnder the nailes of endlesse sorrowes slaues Some others threshing them like flax with flailes Thē moow thē vp in groūdlesse gulfs by thraues Some playing on their hart-strīgs with their nails Some others broaching them on ragged staues And all and some more busie farre then Bees To gather hony from the gall of these 186 If Paine her vtmost pow'r awhile for beare As seld she doth for there she 's still in force It is suppli'd with feare surmounting feare For loe in Azur'd flames with voices horse Farre off approaching grisly Formes appeare Which feare far off neare at hand much worse For Fantasie with paine is more orecome When it is comming then when it is come 187 And all about in darknesse thicke as darke Are seene to shine like Gloworms vgly eies Which like a Partrige sprong ech soule do mark So that to scape no Soules pow'r can deuise For should they mount as doth the nimble Lark A gastly Griphon doth them strait surprise Or should they sincke into Pits bottomlesse There shuld they meet the like with like distresse 188 In mortall life though mortall be mens woes Three things their vtmost rage do qualifie That 's Comfort Hope and Rest but none of those Come neare this place of paines extremity Mens Rackers here being tir'd do let them loose But they are Sprites that men there crucifie Who can endure all labour without paine While they do Sprites that is for ere remaines 189 But if mens plaguers here immortall were And were of pow'r vntir'd to plague them still Yet would they them yer long to nothing weare Or them with lacerating torments kill But all so plagu'd are made immortall there Who thogh they stil are spoil'd yet noght cā spill Thē thogh Time wears that on Time doth depēd Yet they weare not for Time doth them attend 190 Yea thogh their Plaguers themselues were such Yet in this life the Instruments of paine To nought would waste with vsing long much But that same firie Lake doth still remaine Which though it quite cōfounds but with a tuch Yet it confounds but to torment againe And lest the fire should out prepar'd there is A Sea of Sulphure which still feedeth this 191 These present paines the Wit do pining waste But those to come the Will do martire most The Memory is plagu'd with pleasures past And Vnderstanding with the pleasures lost Which on the Soule the Soule of Sorrowes cast For endles Ioyes to lose crosse-woūds our Ghost To haue bin well doth but encrease our curse But to lose endlesse being well is worse 192 Then what remaines to ease the wounded spright When Hope that keeps it whole becoms Dispaire For in that dungeon of eternall night That most doth ruine that should most repaire For Immortalitie right good by right The Soule and Bodies powres doth most impaire Then hauing but one good thing naturall
the earthly Mammon which had held Their Harts to Earth held most contagious A Beggar scornd to touch it so defilde So none but castawaies were couetous Now Auarice was turned Cherubin Who nought desir'd but the extreamest Good For now she saw she could no longer sinne So to the Time she sought to suite her moode The loathsome Leacher loath'd his wonted sport For now he thought all flesh was most corrupt The brainsicke brawler waxed all-amort For such blood-suckers Bane did interrupt The Pastors now steep all their words in Brine With woe woe woe and nought is heard but woe Woe and alas they say the powres diuine Are bent Mankind for sinne to ouerthrow Repent repent like Ionas now they crie Ye men of England O repent repent To see if so yee maie moue Pitties Eye To looke vpon you ere you quite be spent And oft whilst he breathes out thess bitter Words He drawing breath drawes in more bitter Bane For now the Aire no Aire but death affords And lights of Art for helpe were in the wane Nor people praying nor the Pastor preaching Death spared ought but murd'red one and other He was a walme he could not stay impeaching Who smoakt with heat chokt all with the smother The babe new born hempt strait in the head With aire that through his yet vnclosed Mould Did pierce his brains throgh theÌ„ poison spread So left his life that scarse had life in hold The Mother after hies the Father posts After the Mother Thus at Base they runne Vnto the Gole of that great Lord of Hoasts That for those keepes it that runnes for his Sonne The rest Death trippes and takes them prisoners Such lose the Gole without gainesaying-strife But all and some are as Deaths Messengers To fetch both one and other out of life The Sire doth fetch the Sonne the Sonne the Sire Death being impartiall makes his Subiects so The Priuate's not respected but intire Death pointing out the way away they go The ceremonie at their Burialls Is Ashes but to Ashes Dust to Dust Nay not so much for strait the Pit-man falles If he can stand to hide them as he must A Mount thus made vpon his Spade he leanes Tired with toile yet tired prest to toile Till Death an heape in his inu'd Haruest gleanes That so he may by heapes â—ft seed the Soile Not long he staies but ah a mightier heape Then erst he hid is made strait to be hild The Land is scarse but yet the Seed is cheape For all is full or rather ouerfill'd The Beere is laid away and Cribbes they get To fetch more dung for Fields and Garden-plots Worke-men are scarse the labour is so great That ah the Seede vnburied often rottes It rottes and makes the Land thereby the worse For being rotten it ill vapors breedes Which many mortall miseries doe nurse And the Plague ouerfed so ouerfeedes Here lies an humane Carcasse halfe consum'd And there some fow or beast in selfe same plight Dead with the Pestilence for so it fum'd That all it touched it consumed quite Quite through the hoast of Natures Animalls Death like a Conquerer in Triumph rides And ere he came too neare each Creature falls His dreadfull presence then no flesh abides Now man to man if euer fiends became Feare of infection choakt Humanitie The emptie Maw abandon'd got but blame If it had once but sought for Charitie The Poore must not about to seeke for foode And no man sought them that they might be fed Two Plagues in one inuaded so their blood Both Famine and Infection strikes them dead Some staid in hope that Death would be appeas'd And kept the towns which theÌ„ theirs had kept Till their next neighbors were perhaps diseas'd Or with Deaths fatall Fanne away were swept TheÌ„ fain wold fly but could not thogh thei wold For wil they nill they they must keep their house Till throgh some chink on theÌ„ Death taketh hold And vs'd them as he did their neighbours vse If any at some Posterne could get out As good they staid sith sure they staid should be For all the Countries watcht were round about That from the towne none might a furlong flee Then who from Death did flie the feare of Death Made Free-men keep the fliers in his Iawes Where poison'd with his fowle infectious breath Their flesh and bones he ne'r suffized gnawes Now might ye see the Plague deuoure with speed As it neare famisht were lest in a while It might be so and want whereon to feede So fed the future hunger to beguile Now doth it swell hold hide nay breake or die Till skin doth crack to make more room for meat Yet meat more meate it neuer cloid doth crie And all about doth runne the same to get The Graues do often vomit out their dead They are so ouer-gorg'd with great and small Who hardly with the earth are couered So oft discouer'd when the Earth did fall Those which in hie waies died as many did Some worthlesse wretch hir'd for no worthles fee Makes a rude hole some distance him beside And rakes him in farre off so there lies hee But if the Pit-man haue not so much sense To see nor feele which way the winde doth sit To take the same he hardly comes from thence But for himselfe perhaps he makes the pit For the contagion was so violent The wil of Heau'n ordaining so the same As often strooke stone-dead incontinent And Natures strongest forces strait orecame Here lieth one vpon his burning brest Vpon the Earths cold breast and dies outright Who wanting buriall doth the Aire infest That like a Basaliske he banes with sight There reeles another like one deadly druncke But newly strooke perhaps then downe he falls Who in the Streets or waies no sooner suncke But forthwith dies and so lies by the walles The Hay-cockes in the Meades were oft opprest With plaguy Bodies both aliue and dead Which being vs'd confounded Man and Beast And vs'd they might be ere discouered For some like Ghosts wold walk out in the night The Citie glowing furnace-like with heate Of this contagion to seeke if they might Fresh aire where oft they died for want of meate The Traueler that spied perhaps his Sire Another farre off comming towards him Would flie as from a flying flame of fire That would if it he met waste life and limbe So towns fear'd townes and men ech other fear'd All were at least attainted with suspect And sooth to say so was their enuy stirr'd That one would seeke another to infect For whether the disease to enuy mou'd Or humane natures malice was the cause Th' infected often all Conclusions prou'd To plague him that froÌ„ theÌ„ himselfe withdrawes Here do they Gloues and there they Garters fall Ruffs Cuffs handkerchers and such like things They strow about so to endanger all For Enuy now most pestilently stings So heau'n and earth
Death and Fortune 1 THere was a Time as I haue heard it sed By those that did at least in Print it finde A certaine Marriage was solemnized Betweene a mortall Paire of noble kinde And for the loue of those whom Loue doth wed Immortall Gods the company refin'd â—ith their pure presence who the Feast to grace â—id reuell as did all the rest a space 2 Among the rest of that immortall Crue Danc'd Death and Fortune whose Masks were so like That none that danc'd the one from other knew So in their choice of them they were to seeke For some that soght for Fortune Deth out-drew And some that soght for Deth did Fortune strikeâ— Tâ—me was their Minstrell who did euer play Aswell when they did dance as they did stay 3 Fortune delighted most to dance with those That best could flatter and the time obserue But Death still lou'd to foote it with his foes Or else with such as he saw best deserue When Fortune danc'd she turnes she comes and goes And kept no time thogh Time hir turns did serue But wheÌ„ death danc'd he did those Mesures tread Whose times were loÌ„g short tunes were dead 4 So Fortune vs'd Lauoltaes still to dance That rise and fall as Time doth either play And Death the Measure of least dalliance That 's Passing-measure and so strait away Or else the shaking of the Sheets per chance Which he would dance vntired night and day Wherein he put them downe so that he did Driue them from dancing vnto Winck-all-hid 5 The daÌ„cing done while yet their bloods were hot Fortune and Death began on tearmes to stand Which for their dancing had most glorie got And who their actions did best command From which dispute with choller ouershot They fel to vrge their powres by Sea and Land The while the Gods stoode most attentiuely To heare their more contentious Colloqui 6 When loe Deth Lord of all that breathe this aire Thus gan t' inforce his powre beyond compare I know saith he their honors they impaire That striue with those that their inferiors are Yet Foulnesse is not made a whit more faire By being compar'd with Beauty much more rare But Foulenesse takes the greater foile thereby And Moles are foiles to set forth Beauties die 7 Wert thou not blind bold baiard thou woldst see A mighty diffrence twixt thy might and mine Sith among those that most almighty bee I do admit no power more diuine For Empire large who can compare with mee Sith Earth and Aire the same cannot confine Nay in Earth Water yea in Aire and Fire That 's all in all I rule as I desire 8 What breathes or hath a vegetatiue Soule But paies me tribute as vnto their King Nay doe I not the hoast of starres controule Then Heau'n and Earth I to obedience bring And Kings as Beggars are in my Checke-role Nay Kings more oft then Beggars do I sting As farre as any thing hath motion I Play Rex for all that liue do liue to die 9 And therefore testifie thie modestie For error to defend is impudence In graunting that which thou canst not deny And to be true thou know'st in conscience Thou sure woldst blush if thou hadst but one eie To stand on tearmes with mine omnipotence But sith thine Eies are blind and Iudgement too Thou canst not blush at that thou can'st not doo 10 Thy reasons seeme quoth Fortune strong to such As do but sleightly weigh them but to mee That seeth more then thou at least as much For thou wanst Eyes as well as I to see They are too base to brooke my Trialls Touch For Tyrranny is no true Sou'raigntie And Empire large consistes not of large Partes But in the free subiection of whole Harts 11 Can any King be happy or secure That drawing bodies cleane with-draw the harts Or is it like that Kingdome should endure That is by Hate diuided into Parts And Hate a cruell Prince must needes procure That seekes his weale by all his Subiects smarts The Will is free and will not be constrain'd How ere for it the body may be pain'd 12 As vniuersall as the Vniuerse Extends I graunt thy grand authoritie And that thy Takers more then most peruerse Sicknesse Mischance Disgrace and Destinie Thy tribute take from Man Beast tame or fierce To fill thy still-consuming Treasurie But their vntimely taking with high hand Makes thy rule odious on Sea and Land 13 Such Officers in each craz'd common-weale That vnder colour of their Offices Do with the Sou'raignes fauour badly deale Great Mischiefs cause Inconueniences Which though they touch the Subiects kings do feele Who often smart for suffring that disease When Princes tend their priuate and neglect The common good they cause this sore effect 14 But ballance on the other side my might In th' vpright Scholes of true Indiffrencie And thou shalt find I haue their heart and spright Freely obaying mine authoritie For thou compellest but I do inuite I Fauors giue whose vse thou dost deny I do promote all those that rise to mee But thou subuertest those that fall to thee 15 Then though that vniuersall be thy powre Thinke not therefore Loue must to thee be such For Wit and Courage may high place procure But Loue and Bountie ampler powre by much Then of my currant Cause I am so sure That I dare rubbe it hard on Trialls Touch And for my part to end this Ciuile Warre I le put it to iudicious Iupiter 16 Although I iustly may quoth Death deny To put a question without question Vnto the Iudgement of selfe-Equity For so I hold iust Iupiter alone Yet not affecting Singularitie I le make him Iudge in this Contention Now Fortune proue thy powre as I will mine And then let Iupiter iudge both in fine 17 So when they were to play this masters Prize Entred this round worlds spatious Theater Fortune adorn'd her selfe with Dignities With Gold Iems which made All follow her These did she fall to make her followers rise To gather which they did themselues bestirre Keisars and Kings that vsherd her the way Oft caught much more then they could beare away 18 Here might you see like Beggars at a dole Some throng'd to death in scaÌ„bling for her almes He oft sped best that was the veriest foole Some tooke vp Come some Crownes and others Palms For which they pull'd each other by the Pole While othersome for theÌ„ found precious Balms Some found odde ends to make their States intire And all found some thing that they did desire 19 But that which was most notable to see Was the poore Priest who still came lagging last As if God wot he car'd not rich to bee To whom kinde Fortune Liuings large did cast As t' were to guerdon his humilitie Which in the name of God he still held fast
And still look'd downe to find more if he might For well he found he found well by that sleight 20 Philosophers that gold did still neglect Lookt only but wise-fooles to find their Stone Which toy in truth was nothing in effect But to get all the world to them alone For with that Stone they would pure gold proiect Worth all the world by computation But whiles they sought a Stone so rich and faire They perfect gold but turn'd t'imperfect aire 21 Thus at the heeles of Fortune all attend Whom well shee feëd for attending so On th' other side Death to and fro did wend To seeke one that with him would gladly go But none he found which made him those to end He ouertooke in going to and fro For those which are vnwilling Death to meete He is most willing soonest them to greete 22 Nor could those Officers that him foreranne Sickenesse Mischance Disgrace and Destinie Affect with his affection any Man For none they found that willingly would die Sith all before with fauours Fortune wan And such desir'd to liue eternally For it is death to thinke on Death with such That Fortune makes too merry with too much 23 Throgh Campes Hosts he trauel'd with a trice For soldiers needs must meet deth by their trade At last he came where some were throwing dice Who first a Breach should enter newly made Lord how some chaf'd through Glories auarice For missing that which they wold not haue had And he that wan to lose his life did striue Yet so as faine he would haue scapt aliue 24 Among the rouing Crew at Sea he sought For one that willing was to go with him Who thogh they valu'd all their liues at nought And oft for trifles ventred life limme Yet when their woorthlesse bloods were to bee bought They sold them deerely and in blood did swim From bloody death as long as they could moue For thogh they fear'd not death they life did loue 25 Through the Turkes Gallies 'mong the Slaues he went To seek some desp'rat slaue that loÌ„g'd to die But loe not one to die would yeeld consent For all through hope still lookt for libertie Hope doth the hart enlarge that Griefe forespent And Faith keepes Hope and Life in charitie Dispaire can neuer seize that hopefull hart That can through Faith endure an hell of smart 26 At last he to a Monasterie came Where mortified life is most profess'd And sought for one to meete him in the same But all therein from sodaine death them blest And praâ—'d to Iesus so their liues to frame That sodainely Death might not them arrest A Pater noster Aue and a Creede They thought right wel bestow'd so wel to speed 27 Thence went he to an holie Ancrets Cell Who seem'd to be quite buried there aliue He Death embrac'd but yet the feare of Hell Made him with Death for life in loue to striue He knew himselfe old Fox perhappes too well Strait to presume that God would him forgiue So was most willing and vnwilling too To do as present Death would haue him doo 28 In fine Death doubting in his Cause to faile Intreated Sickenesse such an one to finde That wold not flinch thogh Deth did him assaile And scorn'd the fauors of that Godddesse blinde So Sickenes went throgh many a lothsome Iaile And found at last one mortified in minde Who though he were but poore yet held it vaine To follow Fortune that did him disdaine 29 On whom seiz'd Sickenesse with resistlesse force And pull'd him downe so low he could not stand To whom Death came to make his corps a Corse Yet as his friend first shak'd him by the hand And by perswasions would him faine enforce With willing minde to be at his command Which if he would Death promis'd faithfully He should die sleeping or most easily 30 This forlorne wrech thaÌ„kt death for his good wil But yet desird one happy howre to liue Which ended he would Deaths desire fulfill Who from him with a Purge did Sicknesse driue Which shortly did one of his Kinred kill From whome as heire he did some wealth receiue And being well in state of health and wealth He followed Fortune more theÌ„ Death by stealth 31 Now hee betooke him to a Furriers Trade And hauing Stock hee multiplide his Store Then Death did mind him of the match he made But him hee answer'd as hee did before Quoth he O marre me not ere I am made But let me get kind Death a little more ConteÌ„te quoth Death thou shalt haue thy desire So I may haue thereby what I require 32 Sables and Ermines Death for him did kill And made his wealth thereby by heapes increase Who hauing now death thoght the world at will He asked him if now he would decease Who yet desired life of Dearh to fill His coffers to the top theÌ„ would he cease Death yet seem'd pleas'd and brought all those to nought Th'reuersions of whose States he erst had bought 33 Then when he had a world of wealth obtain'd Death came againe for his consent to die But now he told Death his mind more was pain'd With thought and care then erst in pouertie Therefore he prai'd his death might be refrain'd Till he had gotten some Nobilitie And then he would go willingly with Death And nobly yeelde to him his deerest breath 34 Death yet agreed sith his good will he sought And gaue him leaue to compasse his intent Who of a noble-man decayed bought Both Land Lordship Honor House Rent Then Hee turn'd Courtier and with Courtiers wroght By Deaths assistance with mony lent That he in time became a mightie King And al his Proiects to effect did bring 35 Then Death not doubting of his will to die Vnto him came to know his will therein But he did Death intreate most earnestly That sith to him he had so gracious bin He yet might gaine imperiall Dignitie Before his Death which soone he hop'd to win And then he would most willingly resigne His life to Death although a life diuine 36 Death hoping that the greater he was made The greater glorie he by him should gaine Which might the vmpire Iupiter perswade That Death in powre was Fortunes Soueraigne Made neighbour Kings each other to inuade To whom this King a Neuter did remaine Who wheÌ„ they had by wars themselues consum'd He all their States as Emperour assum'd 37 Now being Caesar Death came strait to him As most assured of his company But to the Emperour he seem'd more grim Then erst he did which made him loath to die Come on quoth Deth therwith held a limme No oddes there must be now twixt you and I To Ioue I le bring you then with goodwill go To him with me and see you tell him so 38 Alas said hee I am but newly come To honors height and
would not haue that had the Hart inflates Yet would I haue my Lucke light on that Lot That mends the drouping Mind Bodies states In too much Nature oft is ouershot And oft too little Art disanimates Then in this life that seeke I for my part That Nature keepes in life and quickens Art 94 To bury Liuing thoughts among the dead Dead earthly things is ere Death comes to die For dead they are that lie in Gold or Lead As they are buried that in Earth still lie The thoughts are most relieu'd when they are fed With Angells foode or sweete Philosophie But some seeme on this Manna still to liue Whom Quailes and Woodcoks most of al relieue 95 Well let these some out-liue as many yeares As they haue haires they do but liuing die If so their Soules must needs be full of feares Whose Hopes in this dead life alone do lie For they weare euer double as Time weares In Soule and Body weare they double die O then how painefull is that pleasant life Wherein all ioy with such annoy is rife 96 Beare with me Readers that 's the recompence I aske for telling you this merry Tale For running out of my Circumference I le come in strait before a merry Gale But yet a word or two ere I goe hence And then haue with you ouer Hill and Dale Nothing shall let me to relate the rest For commonly behind remaines the best 97 This world me seemes is like I wot not what That 's hard for that is no comparison Why that 's the cause I it compare to that For who 's he like to that is like to none T is not like God for t is too full of hate Nor like the Diu'l for he feares God alone It is not like to Heau'n Earth nor Hell Nor aught therein for they in compasse dwell 98 Then what is 't like if like to any thing It s like itselfe and so it is indeede Or if you will like to the oldest Ling That limes their fingers that on it doe feede So that all things they touch to them do cling And let them so from doing purest deede If so it be how mad are men the while To cleaue to that which do them so defile 99 Now this most noghtie thing or thing of noght I cannot skill of though but bad I am Therefore by me it least of all is sought Though oft I seeke for pleasure in the same Which yet I hope shall not be ouer-bought For I will giue but good-will for my game And if good-will will me no pleasure bring I le buy therewith I hope a better thing 100 Now from my selfe I eft to Fortune flie And yet I flie from Her and She from me Who came thus followd with this Company That Iupiter did enuie it to see There did she muster them in policie That Ioue of all might well informed be For when an heape confus'd are call'd by Poll The many parts do make the number whole 101 Mongst whom Philosophers and Poets came Last of the Crowde and could not well appeare To whoÌ„ blind Fortune gaue noght else but fame Wherof they fed but lookt lean with their cheere So they in Heau'n deifi'd this Dame Sith they poore souls could not come at her here And euer since a Goddesse call'd she is Poets thanke her for That Shee you for This. 102 Who though they be perhaps but passing poore Yet can they deâ—fie whom ere they will Then Demy-gods should cherish them therefore That they may make theÌ„ whol gods by their skil Twixt whom there shuld be interchange of store And make of Wit and Wealth a mixture still That may each others woefull wants supply For men by one another liue or die 103 Vaine fooles what do ye meane to giue hir heau'n That giues you nothing but an earthly hell That 's only aire which she to you hath giu'n To make ye pine whilst ye on earth do dwell Ne'r speake of Wit for ye are Wit-bereau'n To lie for nought and make Nought so excell For now who for him self 's not wise alone Is vainely wise though wise as Salomon 104 By this time Death came with his Emperor Who followed Death far off which Ioue did see To whom Death said Loe vpright Iupiter This Kesar though a Caesar followes mee He doth indeed said Ioue though somewhat farre But kept in off to shew indiffrencie For though the Iudge do iudge aright sometime Before both Tales be heard it is a crime 105 How saist quoth he Lieutenant didst thou come With Death to vs of thy meere owne accord Whereat the Emprour was stroken dumbe For he fear'd death as slaues do feare their Lord Yet with desire of glorie ouercome At last he spake yet spake he but a word Which was saue I the shortest word of words For No a letter more then I affords 106 Which he with submisse voice scarse audible Vtterd as one that would not well be heard But Iupiter although most sensible Tooke on him not to heare and prest him hard To speake through feare not so insensible For my vice Ioues quoth he are ne'r afeard Therefore on thy allegeance vnto mee I charge thee speake as thou from death wert free 107 Then with a princely death-out-daring looke He said Dread Ioue I had bin worse then mad Sith your Lieutenancie to me you tooke If I so great a grace neglected had Which so I had if so I had forsooke Without your notice that which made me glad Nor would I haue with Death come now to you But that he threatned me to bring me low 108 Wherewith the Iudge iust Ioue did sentence giue On Fortunes side which made Death rage so sore That at the Emprour he amaine did driue Whilst Ioue lookt on and Fortune fled therefore Short tale to make he did him life depriue And euer since Death rageth more and more That now all men false Fortune doe preferre Before iust Death nay iuster Iupiter 109 And thus with Death that All in fine doth end We end our Tale and if a lie it be Yet naked Truth dares such a lie defend Because such lies doe lie in veritie But though loude lies do lie they will not bend So lowe as most profound Moralitie Then be it lie or be it what it will It lies too high and lowe for Death to kill Bene cogitata si excidunt non occidunt Mimi Publiani Finis The Triumph of DEATH OR The Picture of the Plague According to the Life as it was in Anno Domini 1603. SO so iust Heau'ns so and none otherwise Deale you with those that your forbearaunce wroÌ„g Dumb Sin not to be nam'd against vs cries Yea cries against vs with a tempting tong And it is heard for Patience oft prouokt Conuerts to Furies all-consuming flame And fowlest sinne thogh ne'r so cleanly cloakt Breaks out
to publike plagues and open shame Ne'r did the Heau'ns bright Eie such sins behold As our long Peace and Plenty haue begot Nor ere did Earths declining proppes vphold An heauier plague then this outragious Rot Witnesse our Citties Townes and Villages Which Desolation day and night inuades With Coffins Cannon-like on Carriages With trenches ram'd with Carkases with Spades A shiu'ring cold I sensibly do feele Glides through my veines and shakes my hart and hand When they doe proue their vertue to reueale This plague of plagues that ouerlades this Land Horror stands gaping to deuoure my Sense When it but offers but to mention it And Will abandon'd by Intelligence Is drown'd in Doubt without her Pilot Wit But thou O thou great giuer of all grace Inspire my Wit so to direct my Will That notwithstanding eithers wretched case They may paint out thy Plagues with grace with skil That so these Lines may reach to future times To strike a terror through the heart of Flesh And keep It vnder that by Nature climbes For Plagues do Sin suppresse when they are fresh And fresh they be when they are so exprest As though they were in being seene of Sense Which diuine Poësie performeth best For all our speaking Pictures come from thence The obiect of mine outward Sense affords But too much Matter for my Muse to forme Her want though she had words at will is words T' expresse this Plagues vnvtterable * Storme Fancie thou needst not forge false Images To furnish Wit t' expresse a truth so true Pictures of Death stoppe vp all Passages That SeÌ„se must needs those obuious obiects view If Wit had powre t' expresse what Sense doth see It would astonish Sense that heares the same For neuer came there like Mortalitie Since Death from Adam to his Children came Scarse three times had the Moone replenished Her empty Horns with light but th' empty Graue Most rauenous deuoured so the Dead As scarse the dead might Christian buriall haue Th' Almighties hand that long had to his paine Offer'd to let his Plagues fall by degrees And with the offer pull'd it backe againe Now breakes his Viall and a Plague out-flees That glutts the Aire with Vapors venemous That puttrifie infect and flesh confound And makes the Earthes breath most contagious That in the Earth and Aire but Death is found A deadlie Murraine with resist lesse force Runnes through the Land and leuells All with it The Coast it scoured in vncleanlie Course And thousands fled before it to the Pitte For ere the breath of this Contagion Could fully touch the flesh of Man or Beast They on the sodaine sinke and strait are gone So instantlie by thousands are decreast No Phisicke could be found to be a meane But to alâ—aie their Paine delaie their Death In this Phisitions Haruest They could gleane But corrupt Aire and Danger by that Breath All Artes and Sciences were at a stand And All that liu'd by them by them did die For death did hold their heads staid their haÌ„d Sith they no where could vse their Facultie The nursing Mothers of the Sciences Withdrew their Foster-milke while witt did fast For both our forlorne Vniuersities Forsaken were and Colledges made fast The Magistrates did slie or if they staid They staid to pray for if they did command Hardly or neuer should they be obaid For Death dares all Authority withstand And where 's no Magistrate no Order is Where Order wants by order doth ensue Confusion strait and in the necke of this Must silent Desolation all subdue For feare wherof both king kingdome shakes Sith Desolation threatens them so sore All hope of earthly helpe the Land forsakes And Heau'n powres plags vpoÌ„ it more more Now Death refreshed with a little rest As if inspired with the Spirit of Life With furie flies like Aire throgh man and beast And makes eftsoons the murraine much more rife London now smokes with vapors that arise From his foule Sweat himselfe he so bestirres Cast out your Dead the Carcasse-carrier cries Which he by heaps in grouÌ„dlesse graues interres Now scowres he Streets on either side as cleane As smoking showrs of raine the Streets do scowre Now in his Murdring he obserues no meane But tagge and ragge he strikes and striketh sure He laies it on the skinnes of Yong and Old The mortall markes whereof therein appeare Here swells a Botch as hie as hide can hold And Spots his surer Signes do muster there The South wind blowing froÌ„ his swelling cheeks Soultry hot Gales did make Death rage the more That on all Flesh to wreake his Wrath he seekes Which flies like chaffe in wind his breath before He raiseth Mountaines of dead carkases As if on them he would to Heau'n ascend T' asswage his rage on diuine Essences When he of Men on Earth had made an end Nothing but Death alone could Death suffize Who made each Mouse to carry in her Coate His heauy vengeance to whole Families Whilst with blunt Botches he cuts others throate And if such Vermine were thus all imploide He would constraine domestike foules to bring Destruction to their haunts So men destroid As swiftly as they could bestirre their wing So Death might well be said to flie the field And in the House foile with resistlesse force When he abroad all kinde of Creatures kill'd That he found liuing in his lifelesse Course Now like to Bees in Summers heate from Hiues Out flie the Citizens some here some there Some all alone and others with their wiues With wiues and children some flie All for feare Here stands a Watch with guard of Partezans To stoppe their Passages or too or fro As if they were nor Men nor Christians But Fiends or Monsters murdring as they go Like as an Hart death-wounded held at Bay Doth flie if so be can from Hunters chase That so he may recouer if he may Or else to die in some more easie place So might ye see deere Heart some lustie Lad Strooke with the Plague to hie him to the field Where in some Brake or Ditch of either glad With plesure in great painâ— the ghost doth yield Each Village free now stands vpon her guard None must haue harbour in them but their owne And as for life and death all watch and ward And flie for life as Death the man vnknowne For now men are become so monsterous And mighty in their powre that with their breath They leaue no ils saue goods from house to house But blow away each other from the Earth The sickest Sucklings breath was of that force That it the strongest Giant ouerthrew And made his healthie corpse a carrion Corse If it perhaps but came within his view Alarme alarme cries Death downe downe with All I haue and giue Commission All to kill Let not one stand to pisse against a wall Sith they are all so good in works
second Richard the second Edward the fift Rich. the third HeÌ„ry the sixt * His Councellours * Feare betraieth the comforts and succours which Reason offereth * True ioy coÌ„tents the desire and excludes feare which worldly ioy doth not * The ioy of the Soule is incident to good and ghostly liuers onely * Glory atteÌ„ds vpon God his onely * Vaine pleasures doe effeminate the minde * To obey reason is to rule kingly * Reason is thought to be most vnreasonable by the sensuall * Philem. 9. * Merâ— vâ—tâ—â—nea putet * Not to see our sinne is to liue and die in sinne * Christ Lord of life * Reason the eie of the soule * Humane creatures are reasonable thogh many liue brutishly * Humane reason assisted by diuine grace true guide to perfect felicity * 3. sins most familiar with mens nature * We hate our euill Councellors when we are plagued for following them * All men are conceiued in sinne * Repentance * The present time is sure to repent in which is no sooner thoght on but gone for euer * They are enemies to reason that desire to liue sensually * The Iay sits with â—he lay Eccles 17.9 * A true mark of reprobatioÌ„ * Iob 15.16 * Nature * Custome Phusis her habit described * As it is saide of the Ape * Custome is another nature * Custome is ouercome by Custome if Nature be willing * Natures loosenes must be restrained by Reasons stedfastnes * Ouer-kinde mothers make vnkind Children * Though fire be good yet fire in flaxe is not good so though pleasure be good yet in youâ— hiâ— is not good * A good preteÌ„ce for a fault maks the fault the fouler * Founts of Frailtie * Strength of pleasures * Affection transports iudgement into partialitie * Reason is very preualent with the attentiue * When Reason is reiected men are lest to all brutishnesse * Truth * Hell made for torment Esa 30 33. * Deceit and Guile excluded Truth froÌ„ the Earth * Truth is one but Errour is manifold * As without the Sun none can see the Sun so without Trueth none caÌ„ come at the Author of Truth * Time * Death The description of Chronus and Thâ—natus * Nature caÌ„not abide Death nor Time running thereto * A well tunde tongue cannot please an eare vtterly out of tune * The choice is miserable where the best is misery * In case of distresse we willingly imbrace the aduice of Reason * Sicknesse * Naturall heate sustaines the vital powers in sickenesse Sickenesse described * Reason begets in vs resolution to die coragiously * True loue deemes no paine intollerable endured for the beloued The descriptioÌ„ of the house of Time * The vpper Crust of a Rocke vnfrequented * Noisome Plants produced from Mans more noisome offence * Deaths house described * The Graue is irkesome to flesh blood * If Graues open by reason of the earths hollownesse they soone are closed againe with feete that treade on theÌ„ * The Graue and Destruction can neuer be full Prou. 27.20 * Nothing more noisome to the Nose and Eie then a rotten Carcasse * Friends of those that are in burying * No sense enioyed in the Graue * The earthly Carcasse * Christ the Lord of Loue. * Isa 34.14 * Death is the beginning of â—oy or misery * The Graue is the reâ—t of the restleâ—â—â— * The mortified in conuersation most familiar with Death * The Humors are the Children ofâ— be Elements * Tombe or Pyramed * Time ruines al monuments how euer substantiall * In a Graue lies the Anatotomy of Ruine * Trueth True descriptions are able to quicken things dead * Sicknesse is manifold for we are borne one way and die an hundred waies * Nature is â—ed by reason to the knowlege of Truth * Gifts get fauour but not with Death or Sickenesse sauing that Sicknes is the better borne by the gift of naturall heate * Who tenders sicknesse shall haue his company * Sicknesse extinguisheth our vitall flame * Nature can not endure to be bettered by Sicknesse * An inbred hate twixt Nature and Death * Truth is hid with cloudes of mysteries that shee is hard to bee found * Truth being masked we must vse the more diligenâ—â— to discouer her * Many of theÌ„ measure truth by their present worldly profite * Poets which all men taxe for lying doe least lie of any the morall of their fictions considered * Their soules abhorre that light foode for feeding it doth but famish * Natures eies are dimd by Adams transgression * Whether I be my selfe or no because euery like is not the same * Vices perswasions are most forcible with the Sons of Nature * Hell is much more horrible then can enter into the thoght or vnderstanding An ample description of Hell * Reuel 20.3 * Maâ—th 8.12 25.30 Iob. 10.21 22. * Isai 30.33 * Reue. 20.14 * Reue. 16.11 * Marke 9.44.48 Isa 66.24 * Reue. 16.11 * Reuel 6.8 * Reue. 16.13 * Hell and the Graue are insatiable * The damned still are dying and neuer dead * Math. 24.51 * And men boiled in great heate blasphemed the name of God which bath power ouer these plagues ond they repented not to giue him glory Reue 16.9 * Deuills * Reuel 16.9 * Reuel 20 3. * Reuel 20.10 * So fares the Flie with the Spider * The light of Lightning is much more horrible then comfortable * Reuel 17.16 * Flesh of the tormented A prudent man seeth the plague and hideth himselfe but a foole goeth on still and is punished Prou. 22.3 Frigida Gehenna * Reuel 16.21 * Reuel 16 2â— Rewarde her as she hath rewarded you and giue her double according to her workes and in the Cuppe which shee haâ—h filled to you fill her the double Reuel 17.6 Deliuer thy selfe as a Doe from the haÌ„d of the hunter and as a Bird from the haÌ„d of the Fowler Prou 6.5 They shall passe from the waters of the snow to ouer much heate Iob. * The greateâ— the diuell the worse * Psal 83.13 * And they gnawed their tongues for sorrow Reu. 16.10 * And they gnawed their tongues for sorrow Reu. 16.10 * Math. 24 5â— * In tormenting * Reuel 20.3 * Matth. 8.12 * The paines of the damned are without end meane or measure * Nothing in this world that is violent is permanent * Immortall * Reuel 19.20 * Isay 30.33 * In this world * In heauen * The more our losse the more is our griefe * The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can beare it Pro. 18.14 * Wert not for Hope Heart would breake * Immortalitie naturally is good * The paine of the damned are as great as the wisedome of the Creator could deuise which is infinite and vnvtterable * The way to