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
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
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
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
golden Causie and a Road That 's leuell pleasant that is euen and broad But leads at length to death and endlesse griefe To torments and to paines without reliefe Iustice feares none but maketh all afraid And then falls hardest when 't is most delaid But thou reply'st Thy sinnes are daily great Yet thou sitt'st vncontrold vpon thy seat Thy wheat doth flourish and thy barnes doe thriue Thy sheepe encrease thy sonnes are all aliue And thou art buxom and hast nothing scant Finding no want of any thing but want Whil'st others whō the squint-e'yd world counts holy Sit sadly drooping in a melancholy With brow deiected and downe-hanging head Or take of almes or poorly beg their bread But Young man know there is a Day of doome The feast is good vntill the reck'ning come The time runnes fastest where is least regard The stone that 's long in falling falleth hard There is a Day a dying Day thou foole When all thy laughter shall be turn'd to Doole Thy roabes to tort'ring plagues and fell tormenting Thy whoops of Ioy to howles of sad lamenting Thy tongue shall yell and yawle and neuer stop And wish a world to giue for one poore drop To flatter thine intolerable paine The wealth of Pluto could not then obtaine A minutes freedome from that hellish rout Whose fire burnes and neuer goeth out Nor house nor land nor measur'd heapes of wealth Can render to a dying man his health Our life on earth is like a thrid of flax That all may touch and being toucht it cracks ¶ As when an Archer shooteth for his sport Sometimes his shaft is gone sometime 't is short Sometimes o' th' left hand wide sometimes o' th' right At last through often triall hits the White So Death sometimes with her vncertaine Rouer Hits our Superiours and so shootes ouer Sometimes for change she strikes the meaner sort Strikes our inferiours and then comes short Sometimes vpon the left hand wide she goes And so still wounding some she strikes our foes And sometimes wide vpon the right hand wends There with impartiall shafts she strikes our friends At length through often triall hits the White And so strikes vs into Eternall night ¶ Death is a Kalender compos'd by Fate Concerning all men neuer out of Date Her dayes Dominicall are writ in blood She shewes more bad dayes then she sheweth good She tells when dayes and months and termes expire And shewes thee strange aspects of fearefull fire ¶ Death is a Pursiuant with Eagles wings That knocks at poore mens dores and gates of Kings Worldling beware for lo Death sculks behind thee And as she leaues thee so will Iudgement finde thee THE ARGVMENT Within the bowels of the Fish Ionah laments in great anguish God heard his pray'r at whose command The Fish disgorg'd him on the Land Sect. 7. THen Ionah turn'd his face to heau'n and pray'd VVithin the bowels of the VVhale and sayd I cry'd out of my balefull misery Vnto the Lord and he hath heard my cry From out the paunch of hell I made a noyse And thou hast answer'd me and heard my voyce Into the Deepes and bottome thou hast throwne me Thy Surges and thy VVaues haue past vpon me Then Lord said I from out thy glorious sight I am reiected and forsaken quite Nath'lesse while these my wretched eyes remaine Vnto thy Temple will I looke againe The boyst'rous waters compasse me about My body threats to let her pris'ner out The boundlesse depth enclos'd me almost dead The weedes were wrapt about my fainting head I liu'd on earth reiected at thine hand And a perpetuall pris'ner in the Land Yet thou wilt cause my life t' ascend at length From out this pit O Lord my God my Strength When as my soule was ouer-whelm'd and faint I had recourse to thee did thee acquaint With the condition of my wofull case My cry came to thee in thine holy Place Whoso to Vanities themselues betake Renounce thy mercies and thy loue forsake To thee I 'le sacrifice in endlesse dayes With voyce of thanks and euer-sounding praise I 'le pay my vowes for all the world records With one consent Saluation is the Lords So God whose Word 's a deed whose Breath's a law Whose iust command implies a dreadfull awe Whose Word prepar'd a Whale vpon the Deepe To tend and waite for Iona's fall and keepe His out-cast body safe and soule secure This very God whose mercy must endure When heau'n and earth and sea and all things faile Disclos'd his purpose and bespake the Whale To redeliuer Ionah to his hand Whereat the Whale disgorg'd him on the Land Meditatio septimu I Well record a holy Father sayes He teaches to denie that faintly prayes The suit surceases when desire failes But whoso prayes with feruencie preuailes For Pray'rs the key that opens heauen gate And findes admittance whether earl ' or late It forces audience it vnlocks the eare Of heau'nly God though deafe it makes him heare Vpon a time Babel the Worlds faire Queene Made drunke with choller and enrag'd with Spleene Through fell Disdaine derraigned Warre ' gainst them That tender Homage to Ierusalem A Mayden fight it was yet they were strong As men of Warre The Battaile lasted long Much bloud was shed and spilt on either side That all the ground with purple gore was dyde In fine a Souldier of Ierusalem Charissa hight the Almner of the Realme Chill'd with a Feuer and vnapt to fight Into Iustitia's Castle tooke her flight Whereat great Babels Queene commanded all To lay their siege against the Castle wall But poore Tymissa not with warre acquainted Fearing Charissa's death fell downe and fainted Dauntlesse Prudentia rear'd her from the ground VVhere she lay pale and sencelesse in swound She rubb'd her temples lost in swouny shade And gaue her water that Fidissa made And said Cheare vp deare Sister though our foe Hath ta'ne vs Captiues and inthrall'd vs so We haue a King puissant and of might Will see vs take no wrong and doe vs right If we possesse him with our sad complaint Cheare vp wee 'l send to him and him acquaint Timissa new awak'd from swound replies Our Castle is begirt with enemies And clouds of armed men besiege our walls Then suer Death or worse then Death befalls To her who ere she be that stirres a foote Or dares attempt this place to fally out Alas what hope haue we to finde reliefe And want the meanes that may diuulge our griefe Within that place a iolly Matron won'd With firie lookes and drawen-sword in hond Her eyes with age were waxen wond'rous dim With hoary locks and visage sterne and grim Her name Iustitia hight to her they make Their moane who well aduis'd them thus bespake Faire Maydens well I wot y' are ill bedight And rue the suffrance of your wofull plight But Pitty 's fond alone