Can render to a dying man his health Our life on earth is like a thred of flax That all may touch and being roucht it craks ¶ As when an Archer shooteth for his sport Sometimes his shaft is gone sometimes 't is short Somtimes o' th left haÌ„d wide sometimes o' th right At last through often tryall hits the White So death sometimes with her uncertaine Rover Hits our Superiours and so shoots over Sometimes for change shee strikes the meaner sort Strikes our Inferiours and then comes short Sometimes upon the left hand wide shee goes And so still wounding some shee strikes our foes And sometimes wide upon the right hand bends There with Imperiall shafts she strikes our friends At length through often triall hits the White And so strikes us into Eternall night ¶ Death is a Kalender compos'd by Fate Concerning all men never out of Date Her dayes Dominicall are writ in blood She shewes more bad daies than she sheweth good She tels when dayes monthes termes expire Meas'ring the lives of mortals by her squire ¶ Death is a Pursivant with Eagles wings That knocks at poore mens door gates of Kings Worldling beware betime death sculks behind thee And as she leaves thee so will Iudgement find 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 heav'n and pray'd Within the bowels of the Whale and said I cry'd out of my balefull misery Vnto my God 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 Deeps and bottome thou hast throwne me Thy Surges and thy Waves have past upon me Then Lord aid I from thy refulgent sight I am expell'd I am forsaken quite Nay'thelesse while these my wretched eyes remaine Vnto thy Temple will I looke againe The boystrous Waters compast me about My body threats to let her pris'ner out The boundlesse depth enclosed me almost dead The weeds are wrapt about my fainting head I liv'd on earth rejected 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 over-whelm'd and faint I had recourse to thee did thee acquaint With the condition of my woefull case My cry came to thee in thine holy Place Who so to Vanities themselves betake Renounce thy mercies and thy love for sake To thee I 'le sacrifice in endlesse dayes With voyce of thankes and ever-sounding praise I 'le pay my vowes for all the world records With one consent Salvation is the Lords But he whose word 's a deed whose breath 's a law Whose just command implies a dreadfull awe Whose Word prepar'd a Whale upon the Deepe To tend and wait for Ionah's fall and keepe His out-cast body safe and soule secure This very God whose mercy must endure When heaven earth when sea all things faile Disclos'd his purpose and bespake the Whale To redeliver Ionah to his hand Whereat the Whale disgorg'd him on the land Medita 7. I Well record a holy Father sayes He teaches to deny that faintly prayes The suit surceases when desire failes But whoso prayes with fervency prevailes For Prayr's the key that opes th' eternall gate And findes admittance whether earl ' or late It forces audience it unlockes the eare Of heavens great God though deafe it makes him heare Vpon a time Babel the worlds faire Queene Made drunk with choller and enrag'd with spleen Through fell disdaine derraigned war 'gainst them That tender homage to Ierusalem A maiden-fight it was yet they were strong As men of Warre The Battaile lasted long Much blood was shed an spilt on either side That all the ground with purple gore was dyde In fine a Souldier of Ierusalem Châ—â—â—ssa hight the Almner of the Realme Chill'd with an ague and unapt to fight Into Iustitia's Castle too her flight Whereat great Babets Queene commanded all To lay their siege against the Castle wall But poore Tymissa not with warr acquainted Fearing Charissa's death fell downe and fainted Dauntlesse Prudentia rear'd her from the ground Where she lay pale and senselesse in a swound She rub'd her temples and at length awaking She gave her water of Fidissa's making And said Cheare up deare sister though our foe Hath tane us Captives thus besieg'd with woe We have a King puissant and of might Will see us take no wrong and doe us right If we possesse him with our sad complaint Cheare up wee 'l send to him and him acquaint Tymissa new awak'd from swound replies Our Castle is begirt with enemies And troops of armed men besiege our walls Then suer Death or worse than death befalls To her who ere she be that stirs a foote Or rashly dares attempt to venture out Alas what hope have wee to finde reliefe And want the meanes that may divulge our griefe Within that place a jolly Matron dwell'd Whose lookes were fixt and sad her left hand held A paire of equall ballances her right A two-edg'd sword her eyes were quicke bright Not apt to squint but nimble to discerne Her visage lovely was yet bold and sterne â—â—r name Iustitia to her they make Their moane who well advis'd them thus bespake Faire Maidens more beloved then the light â—rue the suffrance of your wofull plight â—ut pitty's fond alone recures no griefe â—ut fruitlesse fals unlesse it yeeld reliefe Cheare up I have a Messenger in store Whose speed is much but faithfull trust is more Whose nimble wings shall cleave the flitting skies And scorne the terrour of your enemies â—ratio hight well knowne unto your King Your message she shall doe and tydings bring Provided that Fidissa travaile with her And so on Christs name let them goe together With that Fidissa having ta'ne her errant And good Oratio with Iustitia's Warrant In silence of the midnight tooke her flight Arriving at the Court that very night But they were both as flames of fier hot For they did fly as swift as Cannon shot But they left sudden cold should do them harme Together clung and kept each other warme But now the kingly gates were sparr'd and lockt They call'd but none made answer theÌ„ they knockt Together jâ—yning both their force in one They knockt againe Yet answer there was none But they that never learn'd to take deniall With importunity made further triall The King heard well although he list not speake Till they with strokes the gate did wel-nie breake In fine the brazen gates flew open wide Oratio moov'd her suit The King replide â—ratio was a faire and welcome guest So heard her suit so granted her request Fraile man observe In thee the practice lies Let sacred Meditation moralize Let Pray'r bee servent and thy Faith intire And
marke the malice of a wayward Fate He whom successe crown'd alwayes fortunate He that was strong t' atchieve bold to attempt Wise to foresee and wary to prevent Valiant in warre successefull to obtaine Must now be slaine and by a Woman slaine Accursed be thy sacrilegious hand That of her Patron rob'd the holy Land Curs'd be thy dying life thy living death And curs'd be all things that proud â—omyris hath O worst that death can doe to take a life Which lost leaves Kingdomes to a Tyrants knife For now alas degenerate Cambyses Whose hand was fill'd with blood whose hart with vices Sits crowned King to vexe the Persian state With heavy burdens and with sore regrate O Cyrus more unhappy in thy sonne Then in that stroke wherewith thy life was done Cambyses now fits King now Tyrant rather Vnlucky Sonne of a renowned Father Blood cries for Blood Himselfe revenged hath His bloody Tyranny with his owne death That cruell sword on his owne flesh doth feed Which made so many loyall Persians bleed Whose wofull choyce made an indiffâ—rent thing To leave their lives or lose their Tyran King Cambyses dead with him the latest drop Of Cyrus blood was spilt his death did stop The infant source of his brave Syers worth Ere after-times could spend his rivers forth Tyrant Cambyses being dead and gone On the reversion of his empty Throne Mounts up a Magus with dissembled right Forging the name of him whose greedy night Too early did perpetuate her owne And silent death had snatcht away unknowne But when the tydings of his Royall cheat Times loyall Trumpe had fam'd th' usurped seat Grew too-too hot and longer could not beare So proud a burthen on so proud a Chayre The Nobles sought their freedome to regaine Not resting till the Magi all were slaine And so renowned was that happy slaughter That it solemniz'd was for ever after So that what pen shall write the Persian story Shall treat that Triumph write that daies glory For to this time the Persians as they say Observe a Feast and keepe it holy-day Now Persia lacks a king and now the State Labours as much in want as it of late Did in abundance Too great calmes doe harme Sometimes as much the Sea-man as a storme One while they thinke t' erect a Monarchy But that corrupted breeds a Tyranny And dead Cambyses fresh before their eyes Afrights them with their new-scap'd miseries Some to the Nobles would commit the State In change of Rule expecting change of fate Others cry'd no More Kings then one incumber Better admit one Tyrant than a number The rule of many doth disquiet bring One Monarch is enough one Lord one King One sayes Let 's rule our selves let 's all be Kings No sayes another that confusion brings Thus moderne danger bred a carefull trouble Double their care is as their feare is double And doubtfull to resolve of what conclusion To barre confusion thus they bred confusion At last and well advis'd they put their choyce Vpon the verdict of a Iuries voyce Seven is a perfect number then by seven Be Persia's Royall Crowne and Scepter given Now Persia doe thy plagues or joyes commence God give thy Iurie sacred evidence Fearefull to chuse and faithlesse in their choyce Since weale or woe depended on their voyce A few from many they extracted forth Whos 's even poys'd valour and like equall worth Had set a Non plus on their doubtfull tongues Vnweeting where the most reward belongs They this agreed and thus advis'd bespake Since purblinde mortalls of themselves can make No difference 'twixt good and evill nor know A good from what is onely good in show But with unconstant frailty doth vary From what is good to what is cleane contrary And since it lyes not in the braine of man To make his drooping state more happy than His unprospitious stars allot much lesse To lend another oâ— a state successe In vaine you therefore shall expect this thing That we should give you fortune with a King Since you have made us meanes to propagate The joyfull welfare of our headlesse State Bound by the tender service that we beare Ouâ— native soyle farre than our lives more deare We sifted have and boulted from the Rest Whose worst admits no badnesse and whose best Cannot be bettered When Chaunticleere the Belman of the morne Shall summon twilight with his bugle horne Let these brave Hero's drest in warlike wise And richly â—ounted on their Paâ—feries Attend our rising Sun-gods ruddy face Within the limits of our Royall place And he whose lusty Stallion first shall neigh To him be given â—he doubtfull Monarchy The choyce of Kings lies not in mortals bâ—east This we The Gods and Fortune doe the rest So said the people tickl'd with the motion Some tost their caps some fell to their devotion Some clap their joyfull hands some shout some sing And all at one cry'd out A King A King When Phoebus Harbinger had chac'd the night And tedious Phosphe brought the breaking light Compleat in armes and glorious in their traine Came these brave Heroes prancing o're the plaine With mighty streamers came these blazing starres Poâ—tending Warres and nothing else but Warrs Into the royall Palace now they come There sounds the martiall Trump here beats the Drum There stands a Steed and champes his frothy steele This stroaks the grouÌ„d that scorns it with his heel One snorts another puffs out angry wind This mounts before and that curvets behind By this the fomy Steeds of Phaeton Puffe too and spurne the Easterne Horizon Whereat the Nobles prostrate to the ground Ador'd their God their God was early found Forthwith from out the thickest of the crowd In depth of silence there was heard the loud And lustfull language of Darius Horse Who in the dialect of his discourse Proclaim'd his rider King whereat the rest Patient to beare what cannot be redrest Dismount their lofty steeds and prostrate bring Their humbled bodies to their happy King God save the King they joyntly say God blesse Thy prosprous actions with a due successe The people clap their sweaty palmes and shout The bonfires smoake the bels ring round about The minstrels play the Parrats learne to sing Perchance as well as they God save the King Assuerus now 's invested in the throne And Persia's rul'd by him and him alone Prove happy Persia Great Assuerus prove As equall happy in thy peoples love Enough And let this broken breviate Suffice to shadow forth the downfall state Of mighty Babel and the conquest made By the fierce Medes Persians conqu'ring blade Whose just succession we have traced downe Till great Assuerus weare the Persian Crowne Him have we sought and having found him rest To morrow goe we to his royall Feast FINIS TO THE HIGHEST His Humble Servant Implores his gracious ayde THou great Directer of the Hearts of men From whence I propagate what e're is mine Still my disquiet thoughts Direct my Pen
on his fainting head He strowed Dust and from his showring eyes Ran floods of sorrow and with bitter cryes His griefe saluted heaven his groanes did borrow No Art to draw the true pourtraict of sorrow Nor yet within his troubled brest alone Too small a stage for griefe to trample on Did Tyrant sorrow act her lively Sceane But did inlarge such griefe admits no meane The lawlesse limits of her Theater i th' hearts of all the Iewish Nation where With no dissembled Action she exprest The lively Passion of a pensive brest Forthwith he posteth to the Palace gate T' acquaint Queene Ester with his sad estate But found no entrance for the Persian Court Gave welcome to delights and youthly sport To jolly mirth and such delightfull things Soft rayment best befits the Courts of Kings There lyes no welcome for a whining face A mourning habit suits no Princely Place Which when the Maids and Eunuchs of the Queen Vnable of themselves to helpe had seene Their Royall Mistresse straight they did acquaint With the dumb-shew of her sad Cousins plaint Whereat till now a stranger to the cause Perplext and forced by the tender Lawes Of deare affection her gentle heart Did sympathize with his conceived smart She sent him change of rayment to put on To vaile his griefe But he received none Then sore dismai'd impatient to forbeare The knowledge of the thing she fear'd to heare She sent her servant to him to importune What sudden Chance or what disast'rous fortune Had caus'd this strange and ill-apparell'd griefe That she if in her lyes may send reliefe To whom his sorrowes made this sad Relation And this the tenor of his Declaration Hamans that cursed Hamans haughty pride Because my 〈◊〉 deservedly denyde To make 〈◊〉 Idoll of his greatnesse hath Incenst the fury of his jealous wrath And profer'd lavish bribes to buy the blood Of me and all the faithfull Iewish brood In here the copy granted by the King Sul'd in his name confirmed with his Ring 〈◊〉 of the which into his hands 〈◊〉 Haman hath ingrost our lives our lands 〈◊〉 tell the Queene it resteth in her powers To helpe the case is â—ers as well as Ours 〈◊〉 tell my cousin Queene it is her charge To use the meanes whereby she may inlarge Hâ—â— aged kinsmans life and all her Nation Preferring to the King her supplication Meditat. 9. WHo hopes t' attain the sweet Elysian Layes To reap the harvest of his wel-spent daies Must passe the joylesse streames of Acaron The scorching waves of burning Phlegeton And sable billowes of the Stygian Lake Thus sweet with sowre each mortall must partake What joyfull Harvester did ere obtaine The sweet fruition of his hopefull gaine Vntill his hardy labours first had past The Summers heat and stormy Winters blast A sable night returnes a shining morrow And dayes of joy ensue sad nights of sorrow The way to blisse lyes not on beds of Downe And he that had no Crosse deserves no Crowne There 's but one Heav'n one place of perfect ease In man it lies to take it where he please Above or here below And few men doe Injoy the one and tast the other too Sweating and constant labour wins the Goale Of Rest Afflictions clarifie the soule And like hard Masters give more hard directionâ— Tut'ring the nonage of uncurb'd affections Wisedome the Antidote of sad despayre Makes sharpe Afflictions seeme not as they are Through patient sufferance and doth apprehend Not as they seeming are but as they end To beare Affliction with a bended brow Or stubborne heart is but to disallow The speedy meanes to health salve heales no sore If mis-apply'd but makes the griefe the more Who sends Affliction sends an end and He Best knows what 's best for him what 's best for me 'T is not for me to carve me where I like Him pleases when he list to stroke or strike I le neither wish nor yet avoid Tentation But still expect it and make preparation If he thinke best my Faith shall not be tryde Lord keep me spotless from presumptuous pride If otherwise with tryall give me care By thankfull patience to prevent Despaire Fit me to beare what e're thou shalt assigne I kisse the Rod because the Rod is thine How-ere let me not boast nor yet repine With tryall or without Lord make me thinâ— THE ARGVMENT Her ayd implor'd the Queene refuses To helpe them and her selfe excuses But urg'd by Mordecai consents To die or crosse their foes intents Sect. 10. NOw when the servant had returrn'd the words Of wretched Mordecai like pointed swords They neere impierc't Queene Esters tender heart That well could pity but no helpe impart â—allac'd with griefe and with the burthen foyld Like Ordnance over-charg'd she thus recoyl'd Gâ—â— Hatach tell my wretched kinsman thus The case concernes not you alone but us 〈◊〉 the subject of proud Hamans hate As well as you our life is pointed at As well as yours or as the meanest Iew Nâ—â— can I helpe my selfe nor them nor you You know the Custome of the Persian State No King may breake no subject violate How may I then presume to make accesse â—â—fore th' offended King or rudely presse Vâ—call'd into his presence How can I Expect my suit and have deserâ—'d to dye May my desiers hope to find successe When to â—ffect them I the Law transgresse Thâ—se thirty dayes uncall'd for have I bin 〈◊〉 my Lord How dare I now goe in Gâ—â— Hatach aâ—d returne this heavy newes 〈…〉 the truth of my vnforc'd excuse Whereof when Mordecai was full possest His troubled Soule he boldly thus exprest Goe tell the fearfull Queene too great 's her feare Too small her zeale her life she rates too deare How poore's th' adventure to ingage thy blood To save thy peoples life and Churches good To what advantage canst thou more expose Thy life than this Th' ast but a life to lose Thinke not thy Greatnesse can excuse our death Or save thy life thy life is but a breath As well as ours Great Queene thou hop'st in raine In saving of a life a life to gaine Who knowes if God on purpose did intend Thy high preferment for this happy end If at this needfull time thou spare to speake Our speedy helpe shall like the morning breake From heaven together with thy woes and he That succours us shall heape his plagues on thee Which when Queen Ester had right well perus'd And on each wounding word had sadly mus'd Startled with zeale not daring to deny She rouz'd her faith and sent this meeke reply Since heaven it is endowes each enterprize With good successe and onely in us lies To plant and water let us first obtaine Heavens high assistance lest the worke be vaine Let all the Iewes in Susa summon'd â—e And keepe a solemne three dayes Fast and we With all our servants and our maiden traine Shall fast as long and from our thoughts abstaine Then to the King
Through his distemper'd passion home he went Where to asswage the swelling of his sorrow With words the poorest helps distress can borrow His wife and friends he summon'd to partake His cause of discontent and thus be spake See see how Fortune with a lib'rall hand Hath with the best and sweetest of the Land Crown'd my desiers and hath timely blowne My budded hopes whose ripenesse hath out-growne The limits and the height of expectation Scarce to be had but in a Contemplation See see how Fortune to inlarge his breath And make me living in despight of Death Hath multiply'd my loynes that after-Fame May in my flocke preserve my blood my Name To make my honour with my fortunes even â—ehold my gracious Lord the King hath given And trusted to my hand the sword of Pow'r Or life or death lies where I laugh or lowre Who stands more gracious in my Princes eye How frownes the King if Haman be not by Ester the Queene hath made the King her Guest And wisely weighing how to grace the Feast With most advantage hath in policy Invited me And no man else but I Onely a fit Companion for a King May taste the secrets of the banquetting â— Yet what availes my wealth my place my might How can I relish them with what delight What pleasure it in dainties if the taste Be in it selfe distemper'd Better fast In many sweets one sowre offends the pallate One loaâ—â—some weed annoyes the choycest Sallat What are my riches what my honourd Place What are my Children or my Princes Grace So long as cursed Mordecai survives Whose very breath inâ—ects whose life deprives My life of blisse and visage sternely strikes Worse venome to mine eyes then Basiliskes When Haman then had launc'd his ripned griefe In bloody termes they thus apply'd reliefe Erect a Gibbet fifty Cubits hie Then urge the King what will the King deny When Haman sues that slavish Mordecai Be hang'd thereon his blood will soone allay The heat of thine his cursed death shall fame The highnâ—sse of thy power and his shame So when thy suit shall find a faire event Goe banquet with the King and live content The Councell pleas'd The Gibber fairly stands Soone done as said Revenge finds nimble hands Meditat. 12 SOme Ev'ls I must approve al Goods I dare not Some are seem not good some seem are not In choosing goods my heart will make the choyce My flattring eye shall have no casting voyce No outward sense may choose an inward blisse For seeming Happinesse least happy is The eye the chiefest Cinque-port of the Heart Keepes open doores and playes the Traytors part Le ts painted pleasures in to bribe th' Affections Which masks foule faces under false complexions It hath no pow'r to judge nor can it see Things as they are but as they seeme to be There 's but one happinesse one perfect blisse But how obtain'd or where or what it is The world of nature ne're could apprehend Grounding their labours on no other end Than bare opinion diversly affecting Some one thing some another still projecting Prodigious fancies till their learned Schooles Lent so much knowledge as to make them fooles One builds his blisse upon the blaze of glory Can perfect happinesse be transitory In strength another summes Felicity What horse is not more happy farre than he Some pile their happinesse on heapes of wealth Which sicke they 'd loath if gold could purchase health Some in the use of beautie place their end Some in th' enjoyment of a Courtly friend Like wasted Lampes such happinesses smother Age puffeth out the one and wants the other The happinesse whose worth deserves the name Of chiefe with such a fier doth inflame The brests of mortalls that heav'n thinkes it fit That men should rather thinke than taste of it All earthly joyes some â—ther aime intend This for it selfe's desir'd no other end Those if enjoy'd are crost with discontent If not in the pursuit in the event This truly good admits no contrarietie Without defect or yet a loath'd â—aciety ¶ The least is more than my desert can claime Thankfull for both at this alone I aime THE ARGVMENT The King askes Haman what respects Befits the â—an that he affects And with that â—onour doth appay The good deserts of Mordecai Sect. 13. NOw when as Morpheus Sâ—rjeant of the night Had laid his mace upon the dawning light And with his Iustlesse limbes had closly spred The sable Curtaines of his drouzy Bed The King slept not but indispos'd to rest Disguised thoughts within his troubled brest Kept midnight Revells Wherefore to recollect his randome thought He gave command the Chronicles be brought And read before him where with good attention He mark'd how Mordecai with faire prevention Of a foule treason 'gainst his blood intended His life and state had loyally defended Whereat the King impatient to repay Such faithfull service with the least delay Gently demands what thankfull recompence What worship or deserved reverence Equivalent to such great service hath Iustly repaid this loyall Liege-mans faith They answer'd None Now Haman fully bent To give the vessell of his poison vent Stood ready charg'd with full Revenge prepar'd To beg his life whom highly to reward The King intends Say Haman quoth the King What worship or what honourable thing Best fits the person whom the King shall place Within the bounty of his highest Grace So Haman thus be thought Whom more than I Deserves the Sun-shine of my Princes eye Whom seekes the King to honour more than me From Hamans mouth shall Haman honour'd be Speake freely then And let thy tongue proclame An honour suting to thy worth thy name So Haman thus This honour this respect Be done to him the King shall most affect In Robes Imperiall be his body drest And bravely mounted on that very Beast The King bestrides then be the Crowne of State Plac'd on his lofty browes let Princes waite Vpon his Stirrop and in triumph leade This Impe of Honour in Assuerus flead And to expresse the glory of his name Like Heralds let the Princes thus proclame This peerlesse honour and these Princely rites Be done to him in whom the King delights Said then the King O sudden change of Fate Within the Portall of our Palace Gate There sits a Iew whose name is Mordecai Beâ—he the man Let no perâ—erse delay Protract But what thy lavish tongue hath said Doe thou to him So Haman sore dismaid His tongue ty'd to his Roofe made no reply But neither daring answer not deny Perforce obey'd and so his Page became Whose life he sought to have bereav'd with shame The Rites solemniz'd Mordecai return'd Vnto the Gate Haman went home and mourn'd His visage muffled in a mournfull vale And told his wife this melancholy Tale Whereat amaz'd and startled at the newes Despairing thus she spake If from the Iewes This Mordecai derive his happy line His be the palme of victory not thine The highest heavens
and kisse your neighb'ring floods Let peace and love exalt your key of mirth For now there 's peace in heav'n there 's peace on earth You holy Temples of the highest Kingâ— Triumph with joy Your sacred Anthemes sing Chant forth your Hymns heav'nly roundelaies And touch your Organs on their louder keyes For Haman's dead that daÌ„ted al your myrth And now there 's peace in heav'n there 's peace on earth Proud Haman's dead whose life disturb'd thy rest Who sought to cut and seare thy Lilly brest The rav'nous Fox that did annoyance bring Vnto the Vineyard â—s taken in a Spring ¶ Seem'd not thy Spouse unkind to hear thee weep And not redresse thee Seem'd he not asleepe No Sion no he heard thy bitter pray'r But let thee weepe for weeping makes thee faire The morning Sun reflects and shines most bright When Pilgrims grope in darknesse all the night The Church must conquer e're she gets he prize But there 's no conquest where 's no enemies The day is thine In triumph make thy mirth For now there 's peace in heav'n there 's peace on earth What man 's so dull or in his brains undone To say because he sees not There 's no Sun Weake is the faith upon a sudden griefe That sayes because not now There 's no reliefe God's bound to helpe but loves to see men sue Though datelesse yet the bond 's not present due ¶ Like to the sorrowes of our child-bed wives Is the sad pilgrimage of humane lives But when by throes God sends a joyfull birth Then find we peace in heav'n peace on earthâ— THE ARGVMENT Vpon the Queene and Mordecai Dead Hamans wealth and dignity The King bestowes to their discretion Referres the Iewes decreed oppression Sect. 15. THat very day the King did freely adde More bounty to his gift What Haman had Borrow'd of smiling Fortune he repaid To Esters hand and to her use convaid And Mordecai found favour with the King Vpon his hand he put his Royall Ring Whose Princely pow'r proud Haman did abuse In late betraying of the guiltlesse Iewes For now had Ester to the King descry'd Her Iewish kin how neere she was ally'd To Mardocheus whom her father dead His love did foster in her fathers ' stead Once more the Queene prefers an earnest suit Her humble body lowly prostitute Before his Royall feet her cheekes o'reflowne With marish teares and thus her plain'full mone Commix't with bitter singults she exprest If in he Cabin of thy Prinâ—ely brest Thy loyall servant undeserv'd hath found A plâ—ce wherein her wishes might be crown'd With faire successe If in thy gracious â—ight I pleasing or my cause seeme just and right Be speedy letters written to reverse Those bloody Writs which Haman did disperse Throughout thy Provinces whose sad content Was the subversion of my innocent And faithfull people Helpe my gracious Lord The time 's prefixt wherein th' impartiall Sword Must make this massacre the day 's at hand Vnlesse thy speedy Grace send countermand How can I brooke within my tender brest To breake the bonds of Natures high behest And see my peoplâ— for whose sake I breath Like stalled Oxen bought and sould for death How can I see such mischiefe how can I Survive to see my kin and people dye Said then the King Lo cursed Haman hath The execution of our highest wrath The equall hire of his malicious pride His welth to thee I gave my fairest Bride His honour better plac'd I have bestow'd On him to whom my borrow'd life hath owâ—d Her five yeares breath the trusty Mordecai Our loyall kinsman Let his hand pourtray Our pleasure as best liketh him and thâ—e Let him set downe and be it our Dâ—cree Let him confirme it with our Royall Ring And we shall signe it with the name of King For none may alter or reverse the same That 's seal'd and written in our Princely name Medita 15. TO breathe 's a necessary gift of nature Whereby we may discerne a living Creature From plants or stones 'T is but a meere degree From Vegetation and this hath shee Like equally shar'd out to brutish beasts With man who lesse observes her due behests Sometimes than they and oft by accident Doe lesse improve the gift in the event But man whose organs are more fairely drest To entertaine a farre more noble Guest Hath through the excellence of his Creation A Soule Divine Divine by inspiration Divine through likenesse to that pow'r Divine That made and plac'd her in her fleshly shrine From hence we challenge lifes prerogative Beasts onely breath 'T is man alone doth live One end of mans Creation was Societie Mutuall Communion and friendly Piety The man that lives unto himselfe alone Subsists and breaths but lives not Never one Deserv'd the moity of himselfe for hee That 's borne may challenge but one part of three Triparted thus his Country clames the best The next his Parents and himselfe the least He husbands best his life that freely gives It for the publike good he rightly lives That nobly dyes 't is greatest mastery Not to be fond to live nor feare to dye On just occasion He that in case despises Life earnes it best but he that over-prizes His dearest blood when honour bids him die Steales but a life and lives by Robbery ¶ O sweet Redeemer of the world whose death Deserv'd a world of lives Had Thy deare breath Beone deare to Thee Oh had'st Thou but deny'd Thy precious Blood the world for e'r had dy'd O spoile my life when I desire to save it By keeping it from Thee that freely gave it THE ARGVMENT Letters are sent by Mordecai That all the Iewes upon the day Appointed for their death withstand The fury of their â—oe-mens hand Sect. 16. FOrthwith the scribes were summon'd to appear To ev'ry Province and to ev'ry Shire Letters they wrote as Mordecai directed To all the Iewes the Iewes so much dejected To all Liev-tenants Captains of the Band To all the States and Princes of the Land According to the phrase and divers fashion Of Dialect and speech of ev'ry Nation All which was stiled in the name of King Sign'd with his hand seal'd with his Royall Ring Loe here the tenour of the Kings Commission Whereas of late at Hamans urg'd petition Decrees were sent and spred throughout the Land To spoile the Iewes and with impartiall hand Vpon a day prefixt to kill and slay We likewise grant upon that very day Full power to the Iewes to make defence And quit their lives and for a Recompence To take the spoiles of those they shall suppresse Shewing like mercy to the mercilesse By posts as swift as Time was this Decree Commanded forth As fast as Day they flee Spurr'd on and hast'ned with the Kings Command Which straight was noys'd publisht through the Land As warning to the Iewes to make provision To entertaine so great an opposition So Mordecai disburthned of his griefe Which now found
glorious Conquerour is now afraid His conscious heart is smitten with his sinne He cannot chuse but feare and feare agin He feares and now the terrible alarmes Of sinne doe call him from th'unlawfull armes And lips of his luxurious Concubine Bids him arise from dalliance and resigne The usurpation of his luke-warme place To some new sinner whose lesse dangerous case May lend more leisure to so soule a deed Samson with greater and vnwonted speed Leapes from his wanton bed his feares doe presse More haste to cloath than lust did to undresse He makes no tarryance but with winged hast Bestrides the streets and to the gates he past And through the armed troupes he makes his way Beares gates and barres and pillers all away So scap'd the rage of the Philistian band That still must owe his ruine to their land Medit. 19. HOw weake at strongest is poore flesh blood Samson the greatnes of whose power withstood A little world of armed men with death â—ust now be foyled with a womans breath The mother sometimes lets her infant fall To make it hold the surer by the wall God lets his servant often goe amisse That he may turne and see how weake he is David that found an overflowing measure Of heavens high favours and as great a treasure Of saving grace and portion of the Spirit As flesh and bloud was able to inherit Must have a fall to exercise his feares And make him drowne his restles couch with tears Wise Salomon within whose heart was planted The fruitfull stockes of heavenly wisdome wanted Not that whereby his weakenesse understood The perfect vanity of flesh and bloud Whose hand seem'd prodigall of his Isaacs life He durst not trust Gods providence with his wife The righteous Lâ—t had slidings Holy Paul He had his pricke and Peter had his fall The sacred Bride in whose faire face remaines The greatest earthly beauty hath her staines If man were perfect land entirely good He were not man he were not flesh and blood Or should he never fall he would at length Not see his weakenesse and presume in strength Ere children know the sharpnesse of the Edge They thinke their fingers have a priveledge Against a wound but having felt the knife A bleeding finger sometime saves a life Lord we are children our sharpe-edg'd knives Together with our bloud le ts out our lives Alas if we but draw them from the sheath They cut our fingers and they bleed to death Thou great Chirurgion of a bleeding soule Whose soveraigne baulme is able to make whole The deepest wound Thy sacred salve is sure We cannot bleed so fast as thou canst cure Heale thou our wounds that having salv'd the sore Our hearts may feare and learne to sinne no more And let our hands be strangers to those knives That wound not fingers onely but our lives THE ARGVMENT He falls in league with Delila The Nobles bribe her to discover Her Samsons strength and learne the way To binde her arme-prevailing Lover Sect. 20. NOt farre from Azza in a fruitfull Valley Close by a brooke whose silver streams did daâ—ley â—ith the smooth bosome of the wanton sands â—hose winding current parts the neighbring lands And often washes the beloved sides â—her delightfull bankes with gentle tydes â—â—re dwelt a Beauty in whose Sunne-bright eye 〈◊〉 sate in thron'd and full of Majestie 〈◊〉 forth such glorious eye-surprizing rayes 〈◊〉 she was thought the wonder of her dayes 〈◊〉 name was called Delila the faire â—â—ther did amorous Samson oft repaire 〈◊〉 with the piercing flame of her bright eye 〈◊〉 so long that like a wanton flye 〈◊〉 â—urnt his lustfull wings and so became 〈◊〉 slavish prisner to that conquering flame She askt and had There 's nothing was too high For her to beg or Samson to denie Who now but Delila What name can raise And crowne his drooping thoughts but Delila's All time 's mispent each houre is cast away That 's not imploy'd upon his Delila Gifts must be given to Delila No cost If sweetest Delila but smile is lost No ioy can please no happinesse can crowne His best desires if Delila but frowne No good can blesse his amorous heart but this Hee 's Delila's and Delila is his Now when the louder breath of fame had blowne Her newes-proclaiming Trumpet made knowne This Lovers passion to the joyfull eares Of the cow'd Philistines their nimble feates Advis'd their better hopes not to neglect So faire advantage which may bring t' effect Their best desires and right their wasted Land Of all her wrongs by a securer hand With that some few of the Philistian Lords Repaire to Delila with baited words They tempt the frailty of the simple maid And having sworne her to their counsell said Faire Delila Thou canst not chuse but know The miseries of our land whose ruines show The danger whereinto not we but all If thou deny they helpefull hand must fall Those fruitfull fields that offer'd but of late Their plenteous favours to our prosperous state See how they lie a ruinous heape and void Of all their plenty wasted and destroyde Our common foe hath sported with our lives Hath slaine our children and destroy'd our wives 〈…〉 poore distressed land doth grone Vnder that mischiefe that his hands have done â—â—dowes implore thee and poore Orphans tongues â—all to faire Delila to right their wrongs 〈◊〉 lies in thee to help Thy helpefull hand May haâ—e the Glory to revenge thy land For which our thankefull Nation shall allow Not onely honour but reward and thou From every hand that 's present here shall gaine 〈◊〉 a thousand Sicles for thy paine To whom faire Delila whom reward had tied To satisfie her owne desires replied My Lords My humble service I acknowledge due 〈◊〉 to my native country next to you If Heaven and Fortune have enricht my hand With so much power to relieve our Land When ere your honours please to call me to it 〈◊〉 Delila shall die or doe it Say then my Lords wherein my power may doe This willing Service to my land or you Thou knowest say they No forces can withstand The mighty strength of cursed Samsons hand 〈◊〉 ruines Armies and does overthrow 〈◊〉 greatest Bands nay kingdomes at a blow The limits of his more then manly powers Are not confin'd nor is his Arme like ours His strength is more then man his conquering Arme Hath sure th' assistance of some potent charme 〈◊〉 nothing but the glory of thine eyes Wherein a farre more strong enchantment lies 〈◊〉 overthrow He 's prisoner to thine eye 〈◊〉 canst thou aske what Samson can deny 〈◊〉 sweetnesse of thy language hath the Art To dive into the secrets of his heart Move Samson then unbarre his bolted brest And let his deafned eares attaine no rest Vntill his eye-inchanted tongue replyes And tells thee where his hidden power lyes Vrge him to whisper in thy private â—are And to repose his magicke mystr'y there How by what meanes
DIVINE POEMES Reuised and Corrected with Additions By the Author Fra Quarles Printed for Iohn Marriott in St Dunstons Church yard 〈…〉 DIVINE POEMS Containing The History of IONAH ESTER IOB SAMPSON SIONS SONETS ELEGIES Written and newly augmented BY FRA QVARLES LONDON Printed by M. F. for I. MARRIOT and are to be sold at his Shop in St. Dunstans Church-yard in Fleet-streete TO THE SACRED MAIESTIE of King CHARLES SIR WHen your Landed Subject dyes and leaves none of his Blood to inherite the Lawes of this your Kingdome finds the King heyre In this Volume are contained severall Poems lately dedicated to divers of your Nobility whom they have out-lived So that the Muses who seldome or never give honour for lifes have found them all for the King which have here gathered together and prostrated before the feet of your Sacred Majesty Indeed one of them I formerly dedicated and presented to your selfe So that now they are become doubly yours both by Escheate and as Survivour And if you please to owne me as your servant your Majestie hath another Title good by which I most desire they should bee knowne yours I will not sin against the common good so much as to expect your Majesties serious eye upon them If when your Crowne shall be most favourable to your Princely browes you please to afford a gracious hearing they will with the helpe of some benevolous Reader and your Royall acceptance I hope relish in your sacred eares and receive honour from your accustomed goodnes farre above their merits or the expectation of Your true-hearted and loyall Liegeman FRA QVARLES To the READER I List not to tyre thy patient eares with unnecessary Language the abuse of Complementâ— My mouth 's no Dictionary it only serves as the needfull Interpreter of my Heart I have here sent thee the first fruits of an abortive Birth It is a daintie Subject not Fabulous but Truth it selfe Wonder not at the Title A FEAST FOR VVORMES for it is a Song of Mercy What greater FEAST than Mercy And what are Men but WORMES Moreover I have gleaned some few Meditatations obvious to the History Let mee advise thee to keepe the Taste of the one whilest thou readest the other and that will make thee relish both the better Vnderstanding Reader favour mee Gently expound what it is too late to correct He leva le Golpe Dios sea con ella Farewell THE PROPOSITION of this first Worke. â—TIs not the Record of great Hectors glory Whose matchlesse Valour makes the World a Story Nor yet the swelling of that Romans name That onely Came and Look'd and Overcame Nor One nor All of those brave Worthies nine Whose Might was great and Acts almost divine That live'd like Gods but dy'd like Men and gone Shall give my Pen a Taske to treat upon I sing the praises of the KING of Kings Out of whose mouth a two-edg'd Smiter springs Whose Words are Mystery whose Works are Wonder Whose Eyes are Lightning and whose Voice is Thunder Who like a Curtaine spreads the Heavens out Spangled with Starres in Glory round about 'T is He that cleft the furious waves in twaine Making a High-way passage through the Maine 'T is He that turn'd the waters into Blood And smote the Rocky stone and caus'd a Flood 'T is He that 's justly armed in his Ire Behinde with Plagues before with flaming Fire More bright than mid-day Phoebus are his Eyes And whosoever sees his Visage dyes I sing the Praises of Great Iudahs Lyon The fragrant Flowre of Iesse the Lambe of Sion Whose Head is whiter than the driven Snow Whose visage doth like flames of Fier glow His Loynes begirt with golden Belt his Eyne Like Titan ridinst in his Southerne Shine His Feet like burning Brasse and as the noise Of surgie Neptunes roaring in hiâ— Voice This is that Paschall Lambe whose dearest Blood Is soveraigâ—e Drinke whose Flesh is saving Food His precious Blood the Worthies of the Earth Did drinke which though but borne of mortall birth Return'd them Deities For who drinkes This Shall be receiv'd into Eternall Blisse Himselfe 's the Gift which He himselfe did give His Stripes heale us and by His Death we live He acting God and Man in double Nature Did reconcile Mankinde and Mans Creator I heere 's a Taske indeed If Mortalls could Not make a Verse yet Rockes and Mountaines would The Hills shall dance the Sunne shall stop his Course Hearing the subiect of this high Discourse The Horse and Gryphin shall together sleepe The Wolfe shall fawne upon the silly Sheepe The crafty Serpent and the fearfull Hart Shall joyne in Consort and each beare a part And leape for Ioy when my Vrania sings She sings the praises of the King of Kings The Introduction ¶ THat Ancient Kingdome that old Assur swayd Shew'd two great Cities Ah! but both decayd Both mighty Great but of unequall growth Both great in People and in Building both But ah What hold is there of earthly good Now Grasse growes there where these brave Cities stood The name of one great Babylon was hight Through which the rich Euphrates takes her flight From high Armenia to the ruddy Seas And stores the Land with rich Commodities ¶ The other Ninus Nineveh the Great So huge a Fabricke and well-chosen Seat Don Phoebus fiery Steeds with Maines becurl'd That circundates in twice twelve houres the world Ne're saw the like By great King Ninus hand 'T was rais'd and builded in th' Assyâ—ians Land On one hand Lycus washt her fruitfull sides On t'other Tygris with her hasty â—ides Begirt she was with walles of wondrous might Creeping twice fifty foot in measur'd height Vpon their bredth if ought we may rely On the report of Sage Antiquity Three Chariots fairely might themselves display And ranke together in a Baâ—tell ray The Circuit that her mighty Bulke imbraces Containes the mete of sixty thousand 〈◊〉 Within her well-fenc'd walls you might discover Five hundred stately Towers thrice told over Whereof the highest draweth up the eye As well the low'st an hundred Cubits hie All rich in those things which to state belong For beauty brave and for munition strong Duly and daily this great Worke was tended With ten thousand Workmen begun and ended In eight yeares space How beautifull how faire Thy Buildings And how foule thy Vices are ¶ Thou Land of Assur double then thy pride And let thy Wells of Ioy be never dry'd Thou hast a Palace that 's renown'd so much The like was never is nor will be such ¶ Thou Land of Assur treble then thy Wâ—â— And let thy Teares doe as thy Cups o'reflow For this thy Palace of so great renowne Shall be destroy'd and sackt and batter'd downe But cheere up Niniveh thine inbred might Hath meanes enough to quell thy Foemans spite Thy Bulwarkes are like Mountaines and thy Wall Disdaines to stoope to thundring Ordnance call Thy watchfull Towers mounted round about Keepe thee in safety and thy Foe-men out I
the grounds and how unstable How many Deities yet how unable Implore these gods that list to howle and barke They bow to Dagon Dagon to the Arke But hee to whom the seale of mercy 's given Adores Iehovah the Great God of Heaven Vpon the mention of whose sacred Name Meeke Lambs grow fierce the fierce Lions tame Bright Sol shall stop heaven shal turn his course Mountains shall dance and Neptune slake his force The Seas shall part the fire want his flame Vpon the mention of Iâ—hovah's Name A Name that makes the roofe of Heaven to shake The frame of Earth to quiver Hell to quake A Name to which all Angels blow their Trumps A Name puts frolicke man into his dumps Though ne're so blythe A Name of high renown It mounts the meeke and beats the loftie downe A Name divides the marrow in the bone A Name which out of hard and flintiâ— stone Extracteth hearts of flesh and makes relent Those hearts that never knew what mercy ment O Lord how great 's thy Name in all the Land How mighty are the wonders of thy hand How is thy glory plac't above the heaven To tender mouthes of Sucklings thou hast given Coercive pow'r and boldnesse to reproove When elder men doe what them not behoove O Lord how great 's the power of thine hand O God! how great 's thy Name in all the Land THE ARGVMENT The Prophet doth his fault discover Perswadeâ— the men to cast him over They row and toyle but doe no good They pray to be excus'd from blood Sect. 5. SO Ionah fram'd this speech to their demand Not that I seeke to traverse the command Of my deare Lord and out of minde perverse T' avoid the Ninivites doe I amerâ—e My selfe Nor that I ever heard you threat Vnlesse I went to Niniveh the great And doe the message sent her from the Lord That you would kill or cast me over-boord Doe I doe thiâ— 'T is my deserved fine You all are guiltlesse and the fault is mine T is I ' tâ—â— I alone 't is I am he The tempest comes from heaven the cause from me You shall not lose a haire â—or this my sâ—â— Nor perish for the fault that mine hath bin Lo I the man am here Lâ— I am he The root of all End your revenâ—e on me I fled th' Eternall God O let me then Because I fled my God so flie from men Redeeme your lives with mine Ah why should I Not guiltlesse live and you not guilty die I am the man for whom these billowes dance My death shall purchase your deliverance Feare not to cease your feares but throw me in Alas my soule is burthen'd with my sin And God is just and bent to his Decree Which certaine is and cannot alter'd be I am proclaim'd a Traitor to the King Of heaven an earth The windes with speedy wing Acquaint the Seas The Seas mount up on high And cannot rest untill the Traytor die Oh cast me in and let my life be ended Let Death make Iustice mends which Life offended Oh let the swellinâ— waters me enbalme So shall the Waves be still and Sea be calme So said th' amazed Mariners grew sad New Love abstracted what old Feare did adde Love called Pity Feare call'd vengeance in Love view'd the Sinner Feare beheld the Sin Love cry'd out Hold for better sav'd than spil'd But Feare cry'd Kill O better kill than kill'd Thus plung'd with Passions they distracted were Betwixt the hopes and doubts of Love and Feare Some cry'd out Save if this foule deed we doe Vengeance that haunted him will haunt us too Others cry'd No May rather death befall To one that hath deserv'd to dye then all Save him sayes one Oh save the man that thus His dearest blood hath profer'd to save us No sayes another vengeance must have blood And vengeance strikes most hard when most withstood In fine say all Then let the Prophet die And we shall live For Prophets cannot lye Loth to be guilty of their owne yet loth To haste poore Ionahs death with hope that both Th' approching evils might be at once prevented With prayers and paines reutter'd reattented They try'd new wayes despairing of the old Love quickens courage makes the spirits bold They strove in vaine by toile to win the shore And wrought more hard than erâ—e they did before But now both hands and hearts begin to quaile For bodies wanting rest must faint and faile The Seas are angry and the waves arise Appeas'd with nothing but a Sacrifice Gods vengeance stormeth like the raging Seas Which nought but Ionah dying can appease Fond is that labour which attempts to free What Heaven hath bound by a divine decree Ionah must die Heaven hath decreed it so Ionah must die or else they all die too Ionah must die that from his Lord did flie The Lott determines Ionah then must die His guilty word confirmes the sacred Lott Ionah must die then if they perish not If Iustice then appoint since he must die Said they us Actors of â—is Tragedy We beg not Lord a warrant to offend O pardon blood-shed that we must intend Though not our hands yet shall our hearts be cleare Then let not stainlesse consciences beare The pond'rous burden of a Murders guilt Or pay the price of blood that must be spilt For 〈◊〉 deare Lord it is thine owne decree And we sad ministers of Iustice be Meditat. 5. BVt stay a while this thing would first be known Can Ionah give himselfe and not his owne That part to God and to his Countrey this Pertaines so that a slender third is his Why then should Ionah doe a double wrong To deale himselfe away that did belong The least unto himselfe or how could hee Teach this Thou shalt not kill if Ionah be His life 's owne Butcher What was this a deed That with the Calling he profest agreed The purblinde age whose workes almost divine Did meerely with the oyle of Nature shine That knew no written Law nor Grace nor 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 Selfe-murderers should be deny'd to have The charitable honour of a Grave 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 heavens high Spirit whisper'd in his eare Expresse command to doe 't No wavering feare Drew backe the righteous Abram's armed hand From Isaacks death secur'd by heavens command ¶ Sure is the knot that true Religion tyes And Love that 's rightly grounded never dyes It seemes a paradoxe beyond beliefe That men in trouble should prolong reliefe That Pagans to withstand a
Strangers Fate Should be neglective of his owne estate Where is this love become in later age Alas 't is gone in endlesse pilgrimage From hence and never to returne I doubt 'Till revolution wheele those times about Chill brests have starv'd her here and she is driven Away and with Astraea fled to heaven Poore Charity that naked Babe is gone Her honey's spent and all her store is done Her winglesse Bees can finde out ne're a bloome And crooked Aâ—â— doth usurpe her roome Nepenthe's dry and Love can get no drinke And curs'd Arâ—enâ—e flowes above the brinke Brave Mariners the world your names shal hallow Admiring that in you that none dare follow Your friendship 's rare and your conversion straÌ„ge From Paganisme to zeale A sudden change Those men doe now the God of heaven implore That bow'd to Puppets but an houre before Their zeale is fervent though but new begun Before their egge-shels were done off they runne And when bright Phoebus in a Summer tide New risâ—n from the bosome of his Bride Enveloped with misty fogges at length Breakes forth displaies the mist with Southerne strength Even so these Mariners of peerlesse mirrour Their faith b'ing veil'd within the mist of errour At length their zeale chac'd ignorance away They left their Puppets and began to pray ¶ Lord how unlimited 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 foote So doe thy mercies drench us round about Thy love is boundlesse Thou art apt and free To turne to Man when Man returnes to thee THE ARGVMENT They cast the Prophet over boord The storme alay'd They feare the Lord A mighty Fish him quick devoures Where he remained many houres Sect. 6. EVen as a member whose corrupted sore Infests and rankles eating more and more Threatning the bodies losse if not prevented The wise chirurgion all faire meanes attented Cuts off and with advised skil doth choose To lose a part then all the body lose Even so the feeble Sailors that addresse Their idle armes where heaven denyes successe Forbeare their thrivelesse labours and devise To roote that Evill from whence their harms arise Treason is in their thoughts and in their eares Danger revives the old and addes new feares Their hearts grow fierce and every soule applies T' abandon mercy from his tender eyes They cease t' attempt what heaven so long withstood And bent to kill their thoughts are all on blood They whisper oft each word is Deaths Alarme They hoyst him up Each lends a busie arme And with united powers they entombe His out-cast body in Thetis angry wombe Whereat grim Neptune wip't his fomy mouth Held his tridented Mace upon the South The windes were whist the billows danc't no more The storme allay'd the heavens left off to rore The waves obedient to their pilgrimage Gave ready passage and surceast their rage The skie grew cleare and now the welcome light Begins to put the gloomy clouds to flight Thus all on sudden was the Sea tranquill The Heav'ns were quiet and the Waves were still As when a friendly Creditor to get A long forborne and much-concerning debt Still plies his willing debter with entreats Importunes daily daily thumps and beates The batter'd Portals of his tyred eares Bedeafing him with what he knowes and heares The weary debter to avoid the sight He loathes shifts here and there and ev'ry night Seekes out Protection of another bed Yet ne'rethelesse pursu'd and followed His eares are still laid at with lowder volley Of harder Dialect He melancholy Sits downe and sighs and after long foreslowing T' avoid his presence payes him what is owing The thankfull Creditor is now appeas'd Takes leave and goes away content and pleas'd Even so these angry waves with restlesse rage Accosted Ionas in his pilgrimage And thundred Iudgement in his fearefull eare Presenting Hubbubs to his guilty feare The waves rose discontent the Surges beat And every moments death the billowes threat The weather-beaten Ship did every minuit Await destruction while hee was in it But when his long expected corps they threw Into the deepe a debt through trespasse due The Seagrew kinde and all her frownes abated Her face was smooth to all that navigated 'T was sinfull Ionah made her storme and rage 'T was sinfull Ionah did her storme asswage With that the Mariners astonisht were And fear'd Iehovah with a mighty feare Offring up Sacrifice with one accord And vowing solemne vowes unto the Lord. But he whose word can make the earth's foundatioÌ„ Tremble and with his Word can make cessation Whose wrath doth mouÌ„t the waves toss the Seas And make theÌ„ calme smooth wheÌ„ e're he please This God whose mercy runs on endlesse wheele And puls like Iacob Iustice by the heele Prepar'd a Fish prepar'd a mighty Whale Whose belly was both prison-house and baile For retchlesse Ionah As the two leaf'd doore Opens to welcome home the fruitfull store Wherewith the harvest quits the Plowmans hope Even so the great Leviathan set ope His beame-like Iawes prepar'd for such a boone And at a morsell swallow'd Ionah downe 'Till dewy-check't Aurora's purple dye Thrice dappell'd had the ruddy morning skie And thrice had spred the Curtaines of the morne To let in Titan when the day was borne Ionah was Tenant to this living Grave Embowel'd deepe in this stupendious Cave Meditat. 6. LO Death is now as alwaies it hath bin The just procured stipend of our sinne Sinne is a golden Causie and a Road Garnisht with joyes whose pathes are even 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 fals hardest when t is most delaid But thou reply'st thy sinnes are daily great Yet thou sittst uncontrold upon thy seat Thy wheat doth flourish and thy barnes do thrive Thy sheepe encrease thy sonnes are all alive And thou art buxom and hast nothing scant Finding no want of any thing but want Whil'st others whom the â—quint-ey'd world counts holy Sit sadly drooping in a melancholy With brow dejected and downe-hanging head Or take of almes or poorely begge their bread But young man know there is a Day of doome The Feast is good untill the reck'ning come The time runnes fastest where is least regard The stone that 's long in falling falleth hard There is a dying day thou prosp'rous foole When all thy laughter shall be turn'd to Doole Thy roabes to tort'ring plagues fel tormenting Thy whoops of Ioy to howles of sad lamenting Thy tongue shall yell and yawle and never stop And wish a world to give 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 never goeth out Nor house nor land not measur'd heaps of wealth
leaves it undecided The fleshly eye that lends a feeble sight Failes in extent and hath no further might Than to attaine the object and there ends His office and of what it apprehends Acquaints the understanding which conceives And descants on that thing the sight perceives Or good or bad unable to project The just occasion or the true effect Man sees like man and can but comprehend Things as they present are not as they end God sees a Kings heart in a shepheards brest And in a mighty King he sees a Beast 'T is not the spring tyde of an high estate Creates a man though seeming Fortunate The blaze of Honour Fortunes sweet excesse Doe undeserve the name of Happinesse The frownes of indisposed Fortune makes Man poore but not unhappy He that takes Her checks with patience leaves the name of poor And lets in Fortune at a backer doore ¶ Lord let my fortunes be or rich or poore If small the lesse account if great the more THE ARGVMENT Vnto the King proud Haman sues For the destruction of the Iewes The King consents and in his name Decrees were sent t' effect the same Sect. 8. NOw when the year had turn'd his course about And fully worne his weary howers out And left his circling travell to his heire That now sets onset to th' ensuing yeare Proud Haman pain'd with travell in the birth Till after-time could bring his mischiefe forth Casts Lots from month to month from day to day To picke the choycest time when Fortune may Be most propitious to his damned plot Till on the last month fell th' unwilling Lot So Haman guided by his Idoll Fate Cloaking with publike good his private Hate In plaintiffe tearmes where Reason forg'd a rellish Vnto the King his speech did thus imbellish Vpâ—â— the limits of this happy Nation There flotes a skumâ—e an off-cast Generation Disperst despis'd and noysome to the Land And Refractory to the Lawes to thy Command Not stooping to thy Power but despising All Government but of their owne devising Which stirs the glowing embers of division The hatefull mother of a States perdition The which not soone redrest by Reformation Will ruine-breed to thee and to thy Nation Begetting Rebels and seditioâ—s broyles And fill thy peacefull Land with bloody spoyles Now therefore if it please my gracious Lord To right this grievance with his Princely sword That Death and equall Iustice may o'rewhelme The secret Ruiners of thy sacred Realme Vnto the Royall Treasure of the King Ten thousand silver Talents wâ—ll I bring Then gave the King from off his heedlesse hand His Ring to Haman with that Ring command And said Thy proffer'd wealth possesse Yet â—e thy just Petition ne'rthelesse Entirely granted Lâ—e before thy face Thy vassals lye with all their rebell race Thine be the people and the power thine T' allot these Rebels their deserved Fine Forthwith the Scribes were summon'd to appeare Decrees were written sent to every Shire To all Lieutenants Captaines of the Band And all the Provinces throughout the Land Stil'd in the name and person of the King And made authentick with his Royall Ring By speedy Post men were the Letters sent And this the summe is of their sad content ASSVERVS REX Let ev'ry Province in the Persian Land Vpon the Day prefixt prepare his hand To make the Channels flow with Rebels blood And from the earth to roote the Iewish brood And let the sâ—finesse of no partiall heart Through melting pitie love or false desert Spare either young or old or man or woman But like their faults so let their plagues be common Dicreed and signed by our Princely Grace And given at Sushan from our Royall Place So Haman fill'd with joy his fortunes blest With faire successe of his so foule request Laid care aside to sleepe and with the King Consum'd the time in jolly banquetting Meane while the Iewes the poore afflicted Iewes Perplext and startl'd with the new-bred newes With drooping heads and selfe-imbracing armes Wept forth the Dirge of their ensuing harmes Medita 8. OF all diseases in a publike weale No one more dangerous and hard to heale Except a tyrant King then when great might Is trusted to the hands that take delight To bathe and paddle in the blood of those Whoâ— jealousies and not just cause oppose 〈…〉 as haughty power is conjoynd Vnto 〈◊〉 will of a distemper'd mind What â—â—re it can it will and what it will It in it 〈◊〉 hath power to fulfill What! 〈◊〉 then can linger unattemted What base attempts can happen unprevented Statutes must breake good Lawes must go to wracâ— And like a Bow that 's overbent must cracke Iustice the life of Law becomes so furious That over-doing right it proves injurious Mercy the Steare of Iustice flyes the City And falsly must be term'd a foolish Pity Meane while the gracious Princes tender brest Gently possest with nothing but the best Of the disguis'd dissembler is abus'd And made the cloke wherewith his fault 's excus'd The radient beames that warme shine so bright Comfort this lower world with heat and light But drawne and recollected in a glasse They burne and their appointed limits passe Even so the power from the Princes hand Directs the subject with a sweet command But to perverse fantasticks if confer'd Whom wealth or blinded Fortune hath prefer'd It spurres on wrong and makes the right retire And sets the grumbling Common-wealth on fire Their foule intent the Common good pretends And with that good they maske their private ends Their glorie 's dimme and cannot b'understood Vnlesse it shine in pride or swimme in blood Their will 's a Law their mischiefe Policy Their frownes are Death their power Tyranny Ill thrives the State that harbours such a man That can what e're he wills wills what he can May my ungarnisht quill presume so much To glorifie it selfe and give a touch Vpon the Iland of my Soveraigne Lord What language shall I use what new-founâ—â—ord T' abridge the mighty volume of of his worth And keepe me blamelesse from th' untimely birth Of false reputed flattery He lends No cursed Haman pow'r to worke his Ends Vpon our ruine but transferres his grace On just desert which in the ugly face Of foule detraction untouch't can dare And smile till black-mouth'd Envy blush and tare Her Snaky fleece Thus thus in happy peace He rules to make our happinesse increase Directs with love commands with Princely awe And in his brest he beares a living Law Defend us thou and heavens thee defend And let proud Haman have proud Hamans end THE ARGVMENT The Iewes and Mordecai lament And waile the height of their distresses But Mordecai the Queene possesses With cruell Hamans foule intent Sect 3. NOw when as 〈◊〉 the daughter of the earth Newly dis-burthen'd of her plumed birth From off her Turrets did her wings display And pearcht in the sad cares of Mordecai He rent his garments wearing in their stead Distressed sack-cloth
hopefull tokenâ— of reliefe Departs the presence of the King addrest In royall Robes and on his lofty Crest He bore a Crowne of Gold his body spred With Lawne and Purple deepely coloured Fill'd were the Iewes with triumphs with noise The common Heralds to proclaime true joyes Like as a prisner muffled at the tree Whose life 's remov'd from death scarce one degree His last pray'r said and hearts confession made His eyes possessing deaths eternall shade At last unlook'd for comes a slow Reprieve And makes him even as dead once more alive Amaz'd he rends deaths muffler from his eyes And over-joy'd knowes not he lives or dyes So joy'd the Iewes whose lives this new Decree Had quit from death and danger and set free Their gasping soules and like a blazing light Disperst the darknesse of the approaching night So joy'd the Iewes and with their solemne Feasts They chaâ—'d dull sorrow from their penâ—ive brestsâ— Meane while the people startled at the newes Some griev'd some envi'd some for feare turn'd Iewes Meditat. 16. AMong the noble Greekes it was no shame To lose a Sword It but deserv'd the name Of warres disastrous fortune but to yeeld The right and safe possession of the Shield Was foule reproach and manlesse cowardize Farre worse than death to him that scorn'd to prize His life before his Honour Honour 's wonne Most in a just defence Defence is gone The Shield once lost the wounded Theban cry'd How fares my Shield which safe he smil'd dy'd True honour bides at home and takes delight In keeping not in gaining of a Right Scornes usurpation nor seekes she blood And thirsts to make her name not great as good God gives a Right to man To man defence To guard it giv'n but when a false pretence Shall ground her title on a greater Might What doth he else but warre with heav'n and fight With Providence God seâ—s the Princely Crowne On heads of Kings Who then may take it downe No juster quarrell or more noble Fight Than to maintaine where God hath giv'n a Right There 's no despaire of Conquest in that warre Where God's the Leader Policy 's no barre To his designes no Power can withstand His high exploits within whose mighty Hand Are all the corners of the earth the hills His fensive bulwarks are which when he wills His lesser breath can bandy up and downe And crush the world and with a winke can drowne The spacious Vniverse in suds of Clay Where heav'n is Leader heav'n must win the day God reapes his honour hence That combat's safe Where hee 's a Combatant and ventures halfe Right 's not impair'd with weaknesse but prevailes In spight of strength wheÌ„ strength power failes Fraile is the trust repos'd on Troops of Horse Truth in a handfull findes a greater force ¶ Lord maile my heart with faith and be my shield And if a world confront me I 'le not yeeld THE ARGVMENT The bloody Massacre The Iâ—wes Prevaile their â—atall sword subdues A world of men and in that â—ray Hamans ten cursed sonnes they slay Sect. 17. NOw when as Time had rip'ned the Decree Whose Winter fruit unshaken from the tree Full ready was to fall and brought that Day Wherein pretended mischiefe was to play Her tragicke Sceane upon the Iewish Stage And spit the venome of her bloody rage Vpon the face of that dispersed Nation And in a minute breathe their desolation Vpon that day as patients in the fight Their scatter'd force the Iewes did reunite And to a head their straggling strength reduc'd And with their fatall hand their hand disus'd To bathe in blood they made so long recoyle That with a purple streame the thirsty soyle O'rflowd on the pavement drown'd with blood Where never was before they rais'd a flood There lies a headlesse body there a limme Newly dis-joynted from the trunke of him That there lies groaning here a gasping head Cropt froÌ„ his neighbors shoulders there halfe dead Full heapes of bodies whereof some curse Fate Others blaspheme the name of Heav'n and rate Their undisposed Starres with bitter cries One pities his poore widow-wife and dies Another bannes the night his sonnes were borne That he must dye and they must live forlorne Here all besmeard in blood congeald there lyes A throng of carcases whose livelesse eyes Are clos'd with dust death there lies the Syre Whose death the greedy heire did long desire And here the sonne whose hopes were all the pleasure His aged father had and his lifes treasure Thus fell their foes some dying and some dead And onely they that scap'd the slaughter fled But with such strange amazement were affrighted As if themselves in their owne deaths delighted That each his force against his friend addrest And sheath'd his sword within his neighbours brest For all the Rulers being sore afraid Of Mardocheus name with strength and ayde Supply'd the Iewes For Mardecheus name Grew great with honour and his honour'd Fame Was blaz'd through ev'ry Province of the Land And spred as farre as did the Kings Command In favour he increast and ev'ry how'r Did adde a greater greatnesse to his pow'r Thus did the Iewes triumph in victory And on that day themselves were doom'd to dye They slew th' appointed actors of their death And on their heads they wore that noble wreath That crownes a Victor with a Victors prize So fled their foes so dyde their enemies And on that day at Susan were imbru'd In blood five hundred men whom theyâ— subdu'd The cursed fruit of the accursed Tree That impious Decad Hamaâ—s progeny Vpon that fatall day they overthrew But tooke no spoile nor substance where they slew Medit. 17. I Lately mus'd and musing stood amaz'd My heart was bound my sight was overdaz'd To view a miracle could Pharo fall Before the face of Isr'el Could her small And ill-appointed handfull then prevaile When Pharo's men of warre and Charr'ots faile These stood like Gyants those like Pigmy brats These soar'd like Eagles those like swarms of gnats On foote these marcht those rod on troops of horse These never better arm'd they never worse Strong backt with vengeaÌ„ce revenge were they These with despaire themselves theÌ„selves betray They close pursu'd these fearefull fled the field How could they chuse but win or these but yeeld Sure 't is nor man nor horse nor sword availes When Isr'el conquers and great Pharo failes Poore Isr'el had no man of warre but One And Pharo having all the rest had none Heav'n fought for Isr'el weakned Pharo's heart Who had no Counter-god to take his part What meant that cloudy Pillar that by day Did usher Isr'el in an unknowne way What meant that fi'ry Pillar that by night Appear'd to Isr'el and gave Isr'el light 'T was not the secret power of Moses Rod That charm'd the Seas in twaine 't was Moses God That fought for Isr'el and made Pharo fall Well thrives the Fray where God's the Generall 'T is neither
Grave is quiet from the feare Of Tyrants Tyrants are appeased there The grinded Prisner heares not there the noyse Nor harder threatnings of th'Oppressors voyce â—oth rich and poore are equal'd in the Grave Servants no Lords and Lords no Servants have What needs there light to him that 's comfortlesse Or life to such as languish in distresse 〈◊〉 long for death which if it come by leysure They ransack for it as a hidden treasure What needs there Life to him that cannot have A Bâ—â—ne more gracious then a quiet Grave Or else to him whom God hath wall'd about That would but cannot finde a passage out When I but taste my sighes returne my food The flowing of my teares have rais'd a flood When my estate was prosperous I did feare Leâ—t by some heedlesse slip or want of care I might be brought to Misery and alas What I did then so feare is come to passe But though secure my soule did never slumber Yet doe my Woes exceed both Waight and Number Meditat. 6. SO poore a thing is Man No Flesh and blood Deserves the stile of Absolutely Good The righteous man sins oft whose power 's such To sin the least sins at the least too much The man whose Faith disdain'd his Isaacks life Dissembled once a Sister for a Wife The righteous Lot being drunk did make at once His Daughters both halfe sisters to their sonnes The royall Favorite of heaven stood Not guiltlesse of Adultery and Blood And he whose hands did build the Temple doth Bow downe his lustfull knees to Ashtaroth The sinfull Woman was accus'd but none Was found that could begin to fling a stone From mudled Springs can Christall water come In some things all men sin in all things some Even as the soyle which Aprils gentle showers Have fild with sweetnesse and inricht with flowers Reares up her suckling plants still shooting forth The tender blossomes of her timely Birth But if deny'd the beames of cheerly May They hang their withered heads and fade away So man assisted by th' Almighties Hand His Faith doth flourish and securely stand But left a while forsooke as in a shade It â—â—nguishes and nipt with sin doth fade No Gold is pure from Drosse though oft refin'd The strongest Cedar's shaken with the wind The fairest Rose hath no prerogative Against the fretting Canker-worme The Hive No honey yeeldâ— unblended with the wax The finest Linnen hath both soyle and bracks The best of men have sins None lives secure In Nature nothing's perfect nothing pure Lord since I needs must sin yet grant that I Forge no advantage by infirmity Since that my Vesture cannot want a staine Assist me lest the tincture be in Graine To thee my great Redeemer doe I flye It is thy Death alone can change my Dye Teares mingled with the Blood can scower so That Scarlet sinnes shall turne as white as Snow THE ARGVMENT Rash Eliphaz reproves and rates And falsly censures Iob Relates His Vision shewes him the event Of wicked men Bids him repent Sect. 7. THen Eliphas his pounded tongue repliev'd And said shold I conteÌ„d thou wold'st be grievd Yet what man can refraine but he must breake His angry silence having heard thee speake O sudden change many hast thou directed And strengthned those whose minds have bin dejected Thy sacred Thewes and sweet Instructions did Helpe those were falling rais'd up such as slid But now it is thy case thy soule is vext And canst not help thy selfe thy selfe perplext Thou lov'st thy God but basely for thy profit Fear'st him in further expectation of it Iudge then Did Record ever round thine eare That God forsooke the heart that was sincere But often have we seene that such as plow Lewdnesse and mischiefe reape the same they sow So have proud Tyrants from their thrones bin cast With all their off-spring by th' Almighties Blast And they whose hands have bin imbrew'd in blood Have with their Issue dyed for want of Food A Vision lately appear'd before my sight In depth of darknesse and the dead of night Vnwonted feare usurpt me round about My trembling bones were sore from head to foot Forthwith a Spirit glanc'd before mine eyes My browes did sweat my moistned haire did rise The face I knew not but a while it staid And in the depth of silence thus it said Is man more just more pure then his Creator Amongst his Angels more upright by nature Then man he hath found Weaknesse how much more Shall he expect in him that 's walled ore With mortall flesh and blood founded and floor'd With Dust and with the Wormes to be devour'd They rise securely with the Morning Sunne And unregarded dye ere Day be done Their glory passes with them as a breath They die like Fooles before they think of death Rage then and see who will approve thy rage What Saint will give thy railing Patronage Anger destroyes the Foole and he that hath A wrathfull heart is slaine with his owne wrath Yet have I seene that Fooles have oft beene able To boast with Babel but have falne with Babel Their sons despairing roare without reliefe In open ruine on the Rocks of Griefe Their harvest though but small the hungry eate And robbers seize their wealth thogh ne'r so great But wretched man were thy Condition mine I 'de not despaire as thou dost nor repine But offer up the broken Sacrifice Of a sad soule before his angry eyes Whose workes are Miracles of admiration He mounts the meeke amidst their Desolation Confounds the worldly wise that blindfold they Grope all in darknesse at the noone of day But guards the humble from reproach of wrong And stops the current of the crafty Tongue Thrice happy is the man his hands correct Beware lest Fury force thee to reject Th' Almighties Tryall He that made thy wound In Iustice can in Mercy make it sound Feare not though multiply'd afflictions shall Besiege thee He at length will rid them all In Famine he shall feed in Warre defend thee Shield thee from slander in griefes attend thee The Beasts shall strike with thee eternall Peace The Stones shall not disturbe thy fields Encrease Thy House shall thrive replenisht with Content Which thou shalt rule in prosp'rous Government The number of thy Of-spring shall abound Like Summers Grasse upon a fruitfull Ground Like timely Corne well ripened in her Eares Thou shalt depart thy life strucke full of yeeres All this Experience teâ—ls Then Iob advise Thou hast taught many now thy selfe be wise Meditat. 7. THe perfect Modell of true Friendship 's this A rare affection of the soule which is Begun with ripened judgement doth persever With simple Wisedome concludes with Never 'T is pure in substance as refined Gold That buyeth all things but is never sold It is a Coyne and most men walke without it True Love 's the Stamp Iâ—hovah's writ about it It rusts unus'd but using makes it brighter 'Gainst Heav'n high treason 't is to make
Shal blaze his shame and Earth shall stand his foe His wandring Children shall no dwelling know Behold the mans estate whom God denyes Behold thine owne pourtraicted to thine Eyes Meditat. 12. CAn mercy come from bloody Câ—in Or hath His angry Brow a smile or can his wrath Be quencht with ought but righteous Abels blood Can guilty Pris'ners hope for any good From the severer Iudge whose dismall breath Dooms them to die breaths nothing else but death Ah righteous Iudge wherein hath Man to trust Man hath offended and thy Lawes are just Thou frownest like a Iudge but I had rather That thou would'st smile upon me like a Father What if thy Esau be austere and rough Thou hast a Iacob that is smooth enough Thy Iacobs tender Kid brings forth a blessing While Esaus tedious Ven'zon is a dressing Thy face hath smiles as well as frownes by turnes Thy fier giveth light as well as burnes What if the Serpent stung old Adam dead Young Adam lives to breake that Serpents head Iustice hath struck me with a bleeding wound But Mercy poures in Oyle to make it sound The milk-white Lamb confounds the roaring Lion Blasted by Sinah I am heal'd by Sion The Law finds guilty and Death Iudgement gives But sure I am that my Redeemer lives How wretched was mans case in those dark dayes When Law was only read Which Law dismayes And taking vantage through the breach of it The Letter kills and can no way admit Release by pardon for by Law we dye Why then hop'd man without a reason Why Although there was no Sun their Morning eyes Saw by the Twilight that the Sun would rise The Law was like a mistie Looking-Glasse Wherein the shadow of a Saviour was Treats in a darker straine by Types and Signes And what should passe in after-dayes divines The Gospell sayes that he is come and dead And thus the Riddle of the Law is read Gospell is Law the Myst'ry being seal'd And Law is Gospell being once reveal'd Experience tells us when as birth denyes To man through Natures oversight his eyes Nature whose curious workes are never vaine Supplyes them in the power of his Braine So they whose eyes were barr'd that glorious sight Of the Messiah's day receiv'd more Light Inspired by the breath of Heaven then they That heard the tydings of that happy day The man that with a sharpe contracted eye Lookes in a cleere Perspective-Glasse doth spiâ— Objects remote which to the sense appeare Through help of the Perspective seeming neere So they that liv'd within the Lawes Dominion Did heare farre off a bruit and buzz'd Opinion A Saviour one day should be borne but he That had a Perspective of Faith might see That long-expected day of joy as cleere As if the triumph had beene then kept there Lord so direct me in thy perfect Way That I may looke and smile upon that Day O! bathe me in his blood spunge every staine That I may boldly sue my Counter-paine O! make me glorious in the doome he gives For sure I am that my Redeemer lives THE ARGVMENT Earths happinesse is not Heavens brand A rash recounting of Iob's crimes Iob trusts him to th' Almighties hand God ties his Iudgements not to Times Sect. 31. THen Iob replyde O let your patience prove You came not to afflict me but in Love O! beare with me and heare me speake at leysure My speech once ended mock scoffe your pleasure Myst'ries I treat not Toyes If then I range A thought beyond my selfe it is not strange Behold my case and stand amaz'd forbeare me Be still and in your deeper silence heare me Search you the hearts of men my Friends or can You judge the Inward by the Outward Man How haps the wicked then so sound in health So ripe in yeeres so prosperous in wealth They multiply their house is fill'd with Peace They passe unplagu'd their fruitfull flocks increase Their children thrive in joyfull melody Prosperous they live and peacefully they dye Renounce us God say they if God there be What need we knowledge of thy Word or Thee What is th' Almighty that we should adore him What hoots our prayer or us to fall before him 'T is not by chance their vaine Prosperity Crownes them with store or Heav'n not knowing why But you affirme That in conclusion they Shall fall But not so sudden as you say But can ye limit forth the space confine How long or when their lamps shal cease to shine Will any of you undertake to teach Your Maker things so farre above your reach The bad man lives in plenty dyes in peace The good as doe his houres his griefes increase Yet both the good and bad alike shall haue Though lives much differing yet one coÌ„mon grave I know your mining thoughts You will demand Where is the wickeds power And where stand Their lofâ—y buildings Are they to be seene Enquire of wandring Pilgrims that have beene Experienc'd in the Roade and they ' lrelate The Princely greatnesse of their Towâ—'s and State Live any more secure then they Or who Dare once reprove them for the deeds thy doe He lives in power and in peace he dyes Attended in his pompeous Obsequies How vaine are then the comforts of your breath That censure goodnesse or by Life or Death Said Eliphâ—z What then remaines Thy tongue Hath quit thy selfe accus'd thy God of wrong Gaines he by mans uprightnesse Can man adde To his perfection what he never had Fears he the strength of Man doth he torment him Lest that his untam'd power should prevent him What need I wast this breath Recall thy senses And take the Inventory of thy ' offences Thou tookst the poore mans Pawne nor hast thou fed Thy needy Brother with thy prosp'rous Bread Thy hands perverted Iustice and have spoyl'd The hopelesse Widow with her helplesse child Hence spring thy sorrowes Iob 'T is Iustice then Thou shouldst-bee plagu'd that thus plagu'd other men Is heaven just Can heavens just Creator Let passe unpunisht Sinnes of so high nature Hath not experience taught that for a while The Wicked may exalt their Crests and smile Blowne up with Insolence But in conclusion They fall and good men laugh at their confusion Iob adde not sinne to sinne cease to beguile Thy selfe thinking to quench thy fire with Oyle Returne thee to thy God confesse thy crimes Returne and he will crowne thy after times With former Blessings and thy Riches shall Be as the Sand for God is all in all His face shall welcome thee and smile upon thee And cease that mischief his just haÌ„d hath done thee He shall be pleased with thy holy Fires And grant the issue of thy best Desires Iob answer'd then Although my soule be faint And griefes weigh down the scale of my complaint Yet would I plead my cause which you defam'd Before my Maker and would plead unsham'd Could I but find him I would take upon me To quite the censures you have
and the painfull prize Of their sweet labour in the hollow Chest Of the dead Lyon whose unbowell'd brest Became their plenteous storehouse where they laid The blest encrease of their laborious Trade The fleshly Hive was fill'd with curious Combes Within whose dainty waxe-divided roomes Were shops of honey whose delicious taste Did sweetly recompence th'adjourned haste Of lingring Samson who does now repay The time he borrow'd from his better way And with renewed speed and pleasure flies Where all his soule-delighting treasure lies He goes to Timnah where his heart doth finde A greater sweetnesse than he left behinde His hasty hands invites her gladder eyes To see and lips to taste that obvious prize His interrupted stay had lately tooke And as shee tasted his fixt eyes would looke Vpon her varnisht lips and there discover A sweeter sweetnesse to content a Lover And now the busie Virgins are preparing Their costly Iewels for the next dayes wearing Each lappe is sill'd with Flowers to compose The nuptiall Girland for the Brides faire browes The costâ—neglecting Cookes have now encreast Their pastry dainties to adorne the feast Each willing hand is labring to provide The needfull ornaments to deck the Bride But now the crafty Philistins for feare Lest Samsons strength which startled every eare With dread and wâ—nder under that pretence Should gaine the meanes to offer violence And through the shew of nuptiall devotion Should take advantages to breed commotion Or lest his popular power by coaction Or faire entreats may gather to his faction Some loose and discontented men of theirs And so betray them to supected feares They therefore to prevent ensuing harmes Gave strict command that thirty men of armes Vnder the maâ—ke of Bridemen should attend Vntill the nuptiall ceremonies end Meditat. 9. HOw high unutterable how profound Whose depth the line of knowledge cannot sound Are the deerces of the Eternall God! How secret are his wayes and how untrod By mans conceipt so deeply charg'd with doubt How are his Counsels past our finding out O how unscrutable are his designes How deepe and how unsearchable are the Mines Of his abundant Wisdome how obscure And his eternall Iudgements and how sure Lists he to strike the very Stones shall flie From their unmov'd Foundations and destroy Lists he to punish Things that have no sense Shall vindicate his Quarrell on th' Offence Lists he to send a plague The winters heate And summers damp shall make his will compleate Lists he to send the Sword Occasion brings New Iealousies betwixt the hearts of Kings Wills he a famine Heaven shall turne to brasse And earth to Iron till it come to passe Both stocks and stones and plants and beasts fulfil The secret Counsell of his sacred will Man onely wretched Man is disagreeing To doe that thing for which he had his being Samson must downe to Timnah in the way Must meet a Lyon whom his hands must slay The Lyons putrid Carkas must enclose A swarme of Bees and from the Bees arose A Riddle and that Riddle must be read And by the reading Choller must be bred And that must bring to passe Gods just designes Vpon the death of the false Philistines Behold the progresse and the royall Gests Of Heavens high vengeance how it never rests Till by appointed courses it fulfill The secret pleasure of his sacred will Great Savior of the world Thou Lambe of Sion That hides our sinnes That art the wounded Lyon O in thy dying body we have found A world of hony whence we may propound Such sacred Riddles as shall underneath Our feet subdue the power of Hell and Death Such Mysteries as none but he that plough'd With thy sweet Hayfer's able to uncloud Such sacred Mysteries whose eternall praise Shall make both Angels and Archangels raise Their louder voyces and in triumph sing All Glory and Honour to our highest King And to the Lambe that sits upon the throne Worthy of power and praise is he alone Whose glory hath advanc'd our key of mirth Glory to God on high and peace on Earth THE ARGVMENT The Bridegroome at his nuptiall Feast to the Philistians doth propound A Riddle which they all addrest themselves in counsell to expound Sect. 10. NOw when the glory of the next dayes light Had chas'd the shadowes of the tedious night 〈◊〉 coupling Hymen with his nuptiall bands 〈◊〉 gâ—lden Fetters had conjoyn'd their hands 〈◊〉 jolly welcome had to every Guest â—â—pos'd the bounty of the mariage Feast 〈◊〉 now appeased stomacks did enlarge 〈◊〉 captive tongues with power to discharge 〈◊〉 quit their Table-duty and disburse 〈◊〉 store of enterchangeable discourse 〈◊〉 â—â—genious Bridegroome turn'd his rolling eyes 〈◊〉 his guard of Bridemen and applies â—â—â—peech to them And whil'st that every man 〈◊〉 his attentive eare he thus began My tâ—ngue's in labour and my thoughts abound 〈◊〉 a doubtfull Riddle to propound 〈◊〉 if your joyned wisdomes can discover 〈◊〉 our seven dayes feasting be past over 〈◊〉 thirty Sheets and thirty new supplies â—â—â—â—â—â—ment shall be your deserved prize 〈◊〉 be seven dayes feast shall be dissolv'd 〈◊〉 darkned Riddle be resolv'd Ye shall be all engaged to resigne The like to me the vict'rie being mine So said the Bridemen whose exchanged eyes Found secret hopes of conquest thus replies Propound thy Riddle Let thy tongue dispatch Her cloudy errand We accept the match With that the hopefull Challenger convai'd His Riddle to their hearkning eares and said The Riddle Our food in plenty doth proceed from him that us'd to eate And he whose custome was to feed does now afford as meate A thing that I did lately meet as I did passe along Afforded me a dainty sweet yet was both sharpe and strong The doubtful Riddle being thus propounded They muse the more they mus'd the more coÌ„founded One rounds his whispring neighbour in the eare Whose lab'ring lips deny him leave to heare Another trusting rather to his owne Conceit sits musing by himselfe alone Here two are closely whispring till a third Comes in nor to the purpose speakes a word There sits two more and they cannot agree How rich the clothes how fine the Sheets must be Yonder stands one that musing smiles no doubt But he is neere it if not found it out To whom another rudely rushes in And puts him quite beside his thought agin 〈◊〉 three are Whispring and a fourths intrusion Spoiles all and puts them all into confusion â—â—re sits another in a Chaire so deepe 〈◊〉 thought that he is nodding fast asleepe The more their busie fancie doe endever The more they erre Now farther off than ever 〈◊〉 when their wits spur'd on with sharpe desire Had lost their breath and now began to tire They ceas'd to tempt conceit beyond her strength And weary of their thoughts their thoughts at length Present a new exploit Craft must supply Defects of wit Their hopes must now rely Vpon the frailty of the tender Bride She must be mov'd Perswasions may attaine If not
Vntill your land be turn'd a Golgotha And if my actions prove my words untrue Let Samson die and be accurs'd as you Medit. 14. GOd is the God of peace And if my brother Strike me on one cheeke must I turn the other God is the God of mercy And his childe Must be as he his Mercifull and milde God is the God of Love But sinner know His love abus'd hee 's God of vengeance too Is God the God of vengeance And may none Revenge his private wrongs but he alone What meanes this franticke Nazarite to take Gods office from his hand and thus to make His wrongs amends Who warranted his breath To threaten ruine and to thunder death Curious Inquisitor when God shall strike By thy stout arme thy arme may doe the like His Patent gives him power to create A deputie to whom he doth collate Assistant power in sufficient measure To exercise the office of his pleasure A lawfull Prince is Gods Lieutenant here As great a Maiesty as flesh can beare He is endued with all In his bright eye Cloath'd in the flames of Majesty doth lie Both life and death into his royall heart Heaven doth inspire and secretly impart The treasure of his Lawes Into his hand He thrusts his sword of Iustice and Command He is Gods Champion where his voice bids kill He must not feare t' imbrew his hands and spill Abundant bloud Who gives him power to doe Will finde him guiltlesse and assist him too O but let flesh and bloud take heed that none Pretend Gods quarrell to revenge his owne Malice and base Revenge must step aside When heavens uprighter Battels must be tride Where carnall glory or ambitious thurst Of simple conquest or revenge does burst Vpon a neighbouring Kingdome there to thrust Into anothers Crowne the warre 's not just 'T is but a private quarrell and bereft Of lawfull grounds 'T is but a Princely theft But where the ground 's Religion to defend Abused faith let Princes there contend With dauntles courage May their acts be glorious Let them goe prosperous and returne victorious What if the grounds be mixt Feare not to goe Were not the grounds of Sampsons Combate so Goe then with double courage and renowne When God shall mixe thy quarrels with his owne 'T is a brave conflict and a glorious Fray Where God and Princes shall divide the Prey THE ARGVMENT He burnes their standing corne makes void Their Land The Philistines enquire The cause of all their evill destroy'd The Timnite and his house with fire Sect. 15. AS â—agefull Samsons threatning language ceast His resolution of revenge increast Vengeance was in his thoughts and his desire Wanted no fuell to maintaine her fire Passion grew hot and furious whose delay Of execution was but taking day For greater payment His revengefull heart Boild in his brest whilst Fury did impart Her readie counsels whose imperious breath Could whisper nothing under bloud and death Revenge was studious quickned his conceit And sâ—rew'd her Engins to the very height At length when time had rip'ned his desires And puffing rage had blowne his secret fires To open flame now ready for confusion He thus began t' attempt his first conclusion The patient Angler first provides his baite Before his hopes can teach him to awaite Th' enjoyment of his long expected prey Revengefull Samson ere he can appay His wrongs with timely vengeance must intend To gaine the Instruments to worke his end He plants his Engines hides his snares about Pitches his Toiles findes new devices out To tangle wilie Foxes In few dayes That land had store his studious hand betrayes A leash of hundreds which he thus imploye As Agents in his rashfull enterprize With tough and force-enduring thongs of Leth He joynes and couples taile and taile together And every thong bound in a Brand of fire So made by Art that motion would inspire Continuall flames and as the motion ceast The thriftie blaze would then retire and rest In the close brand untill a second strife Gave it new motion and that motion life Soone as these coupled Messengers receiv'd Their fiercy Errand though they were bereiv'd Of power to make great hast they made good speed Their thoughts were diffring though their tailes agreed T' one drags and draws to th' East the other West One fit they runne another while they rest T' one skulks and snarles the t' other tugges and hales At length both flee with fire in their tailes And in the top and height of all their speed T' one stops before the other bee agreed The other pulls and dragges his fellow backe Whilst both their tailes were tortur'd on the racke At last both weary of their warme Embassage Their better ease discride a fairer passage And time hath taught their wiser thoughts to joyne More close and travell in a straiter linâ— Into the open Champion they divide Their straggling paces where the ploughmans pride Found a faire object in his rip'ned Corne Whereof some part was reapt some stood unshorne Sometimes the fiery travellers would seeke Protection beneath a swelling Reeke But soone that harbour grew too hot for stay Affording onely light to runne away Sometimes the full-ear'd standingâ—wheat must cover And hide their flames and there the flames would hover About their eares and send them to enquire A cooler place but there the flaming fire Would scorch their hides send theÌ„ sindg'd away Thus doubtfull where to goe or where to stay They range about flee forward then retire Now here now there wher ere they come they fire Nothing was left that was not lost and burn'd And now that fruitfull land of Iewry's turn'd A heape of Ashes That faire land while ere Which fild all hearts with joy and every eare With newes of plenty and of blest encrease The joyfull issue of a happy peace See how it lies in her owne ruines void Of all her happinesse disguis'd destroyd With that the Philistines whose sad reliefe And comfort 's deeply buried in their griefe Began to question they did all partake In th'irrecoverable losse and spake What cursed brand of Hell What more than Devill What envious Miscreant hath done this evill Whereto one sadly standing by replide It was that cursed Samson Whose faire Bride Was lately ravisht from his absent brest By her false father who before the feast Of nuptiall was a moâ—th expir'd and done By second marriage own'd another Sonne For which this Samson heav'd from off the henge Of his lost reason studied this revenge That Timnits falshood wrought this desolâ—tion Samson the Actor was but he th' occasion With that they all consulted to proceed In height of Iustice to revenge this deed Samson whose hand was the immediat cause Of this foule act is stronger than their lawes Him they referre to time For his proud hand May bring a second ruine to their land The cursed Timnite he that did divide The lawfull Bridgroome from his lawfull Bride And mov'd the
feares 'T is well But they that doe Attempt to ruine me will ransacke you First you shall firmely engage your plighted trâ—th By the acceptance of a sacred â—ath That when I shall be pris'ner to your bands I may not suffer violence by your hands With that they drawing nearer to him laid Their hands beneath his brawny thigh and said Then let the God of Iacob cease to blesse The tribe of Iudah with a faire successe In ought they put their cursed hand unto And raze their seed If we attempt to doe Bound Samson violence And if this curse Be not sufficient heaven contrive a worse With that the willing prisoner joyn'd his hands To he subjected to their stronger bands With treble twisted cords that never tried The twitch of strength their busie fingers tied His sinewy wrists which being often wound About his beating pulse they brought him bound To the forefront of the Philistian band And left him captive in their cursed hand Meditat. 17. O What a pearle is hidden in this field Whose orient luster and perfections yeeld So great a treasure that the Easterne Kings With all the wealth their colder Climate brings Nere saw the like It is a pearle whose glory Is the diviner subject of a story Pend by an Angels quill not understood By the too dull conceit of flesh and bloud Vnkinde Iudeans what have you presented Before your eyes O what have you attented He that was borne on purpose to release His life for yours to bring your Nation peace To turne your mournings into joyfull Songs To fight your Battells to revenge your wrongs Even him alas your cursed hands have made This day your prisoner Him have you betraid To death O he whose snowy arme had power To crush you all to nothing and to shower Downe strokes like thunderbolts whose blasting breath Might in a moment puft you all to death And made ye fall before his frowning Brow See how he goes away betraid by you Thou great Redeemer of the world whose bloud Hath power to save more worlds than Noahs floud Destroyed bodies thou O thou that art The Samson of our soules How can the heart Of man give thankes enough that does not know How much his death-redeemed soule does owe To thy deare merits We can apprehend No more than flesh and bloud does recommend To our confined thoughts Alas we can Conceive thy love but as the love of man We cannot tell the horror of that paine Thou bought us from nor can our hearts attaine Those joyes that thou hast purchas'd in our name Nor yet the price thou paidst our thoughts are laÌ„e And craz'd Alas things mortall have no might No meanes to comprehend an Infinite We can behold thee cradled in a Manger In a poore Stable We can see the danger The Tetrarch's fury made thee subject to We can conceive thy poverty We know Thy blessed hands that might bin freed were bouÌ„d We know alas thy bleeding browes were crown'd With pricking thorne Thy body torne with whips Thy palmes impeirc'd with ragged nailes Thy lips Saluted with a Traitors kisse Thy browes Sweating forth bloud Thy oft repeated blowes Thy fastning to the crosse Thy shamefull death These outward tortures all come underneath Our dull conceits But what thy blessed soule That bore the burden of our guilt and Scroule Of all our sinnes and horrid paines of Hell O what that soule endur'd what soule can tell THE ARGVMENT He breakes their bands And with a bone A thousand Philistians he slue Hee thirsted fainted made his moane To Heaven He drinkes his spirits renew Sect. 18. THus when the glad Philistians had obtain'd The summe of all their hopes they entertain'd The welcome pris'ner with a greater noise Of triumph than the greatnesse of their joyes Required Some with sudden death would greet The new come Guest whilst others more discreet With lingring paines and tortures more exact Would force him to discover in the Fact Who his Abettors were others gainsaid That course for feare a rescue may be made â—ome cry ' T is fittest that th' Offender bleed 〈◊〉 where his cursed hands had done the deed Others cryed No where Fortune hath consign'd him Wee 'le kill him Best to kill him where we finde him Thus variously they spent their doubtfull breath At last they all agreed on sudden death There 's no contention now but onely who Shall strike the first or give the speeding blow Have ye beheld a single thred of flax Touch'd by the fire how the fire crackes With ease and parts the slender twine in sunder Even so as the first arme began to thunder Vpon the Prisners life he burst the bands From his strong wrists freed his loosned hands He stoop'd from off the bloud-expecting grasse He snatcht the crooked jaw-bone of an Asse Wherewith his fury dealt such downe-right blowes So oft redoubled that it overthrowes Man after man And being ring'd about With the distracted and amazed rout Of rude Philistians turn'd his body round And in a circle dings them to the ground Each blow had proofe for where the jaw-bone mist The furious Champion wounded with his fist Betwixt them both his fury did uncase A thousand soules which in that fatall place Had left their ruin'd carkeises to feast The flesh-devouring fowle and rav'nous beast With that the Conquerour that now had fed And surfeited his eye upon the dead His hand had slaine sate downe and having flung His purple weapon by triumpht and sung SAmson rejoyce Be fill'd with mirth Let all Iudea know And tell the Princes of the earth How strong an arme hast thou How has thy dead enricht the land And purpled ore the grasse That hadst no weapon in thy hand But the jaw-bone of an Asse How does thy strength and high renowne The glory of men surpasse Thine arme has strucke a thousand downe With the jaw-bone of an Asse Let Samsons glorious name endure Till Time shall render One Whose greater glory shall obscure The glory thou hast wone His song being ended rising from the place Whereon he lay he turn'd his ruthlesse face Vpon those heapes his direfull hand had made And op'ning of his thirsty lips he said Great God of conquest thou by whose command The heart received courage and this hand Strength to revenge thy quarrels and fulfill The secret motion of thy sacred will That shall thy Champion perish now with thirst Thou knowst I have done nothing but what first Was warranted by thy command 'T was thou That gave my spirit boldnesse and my brow A resolution 'T is mine arme did doe No more than what thou didst enjoyne me to And shall I die for thirst O thou that sav'd Me from the Lyons rage that would have rav'd Vpon my life by whom I have subdu'd Thy cursed enemies and have imbru'd My heaven-commanded hands in a spring-tyde Of guilty bloud Lord shall I be denyde A draught of cooling water to allay The tyranny of my thirst I that this day Have
labourd in thy Vineyard rooted out So many weeds whose lofty crests did sprout Above thy trodden Vines what shall I dye For want of water thou the fountaine by I know that thou wert here for had'st thou not Supplyde my hand with strength I ne're had got So strange a vict'rie Hath thy servant taken Thy worke in hand and is he now forsaken Hast thou not promis'd that my strengthned hand Shall scourge thy Foe-men and sccure thy Land From slavish bondage will that arme of thine Make me their slave whom thou hast promist mine Bow downe thy eare and heare my needfull crye O quench my thirst great God or else I dye With that the jaw wherewith his arme had laid So many sleeping in the dust obeyde The voice of God and cast a tooth from whence A sudden spring arose whose confluence Of chrystall waters plenteously disburst Their precious streames and so allaid his thurst Meditat. 18. THe jaw bone of an Asse how poore a thing God makes his powerfull Instrument to bring Some honour to his name and to advance His greater glory came this bone by chance To Samsons hand Or could the Army goe No further but must needs expect a foe Iust where his weapon of destruction lay Was there no fitter place for them to stay But even just there How small a thing 't had bin If they had beene so provident to winne The day with ease Had they but taken thence That cursed bone what colour of defence Had Samson found Or how could he withstood The necessary danger of his bloud Where Heav'n doth please to ruine humane wit Must faile and deeper policie must submit There wisdome must be fool'd strength of braine Must worke against it selfe or worke in vaine The tracke that seemes most likely often leads To death and where securitie most pleads There dangers in their fairest shapes appeare And give us not so great a helpe as feare The things we least suspect are often they That most affect our ruine and betray Who would have thought the silly Asses bone Not worth the spurning should have overthrowne So stout a band Heav'n oftentimes thinkes best To overcome the greatest with the least He gaines most glory in things that are most slight And winnes in honour what they want in might Who would have thought that Samsons deadly thurst Should have bin quencht with waters that did burst And flow from that dry bone who would not thinke The thirstie Conquerour for want of drinke Should first have died what mad man could presume So dry a tooth should yeeld so great a Rheume God does not worke like man not is he tyed To outward meanes His pleasure is his guide Not Reason He that is the God of nature Can worke against it He that is Creator Of all things can dispose them to attend His will forgetting their created end Hee whose Almighty power did supply This bone with water made the red Sea dry Great God of nature 'T is as great an ease For thee to alter nature if thou please As to create it Let that hand of thine Shew forth thy powre and please to alter mine My sinnes are open but my sorrow 's hid I cannot drench my couch as David did My braines are marble and my heart is stone O strike mine eyes as thou didst strike that bone THE ARGVMENT He lodgeth with a Harlot Wait Is laid and guardes are pitcht aboutâ— He beeres away the City gate Vpon his shoulders and goes out Sect. 19. THus when victorious Samson had unliv'd This hoast of armed men and had reviv'd His fainting spirits and refresht his tongue With those sweet christal streames that lately spruÌ„g From his neglected weapon he arose Secured from the tyrannie of his Foes By his Heaven-borrowed strength boldly came To a Philistian City knowne by th' name Of Azza where as he was passing by The carelesse Champion cast his wandring eye Vpon a face whose beauty did invite His wanton heart to wonder and delight Her curious haire was crisp'd Her naked brest Was white as Ivory and fairely drest With costly Iewells In her glorious face Nature was hidden and dissembled grace Damaskt her rosie cheekes Her eyes did sparke At every glance like Diamonds in the darke Bold was her brow whose frowne was but a foile To glorifie her better-pleasing smile Her pace was carelesse seeming to discover The passions of a discontented Lover Sometime her opned Casement gives her eye A twinckling passage to the passer by And when her fickle fancy had given ore That place she comes and wantons at the doore There Samson view'd her and his steps could finde No further ground but guided by his minde Cast Anchor there Have thy observing eyes Ere mark'd the Spiders garbe How close she lies Within her curious webbe And by and by How quicke she hastes to her intangled Flie And whispring poyson in her murmuring eares At last she tugges her silent guest and beares His Hampred body to the inner roome Of her obscure and solitary Home Even so this snaring beauty entertaines Our eye-led Samson tampred with the chaines Of her imperious eyes and he that no man Could conquer now lies conquered by a woman Faire was his welcome and as fairely exprest By her delicious language which profest No lesse affection than so sweet a friend Could with her best expressions recommend Into her glorious chamber she directs Her welcome guest and with her faire respects She entertaines him with a bountious kisse She gives him earnest of a greater blisse And with a brazen countenance she brake The way to her unchaste desires and spake Mirrour of mankinde thou selected flowre Of loves faire knot welcome to Flora's howre Cheare up my Love and looke â—pon these cyes Wherein my beauty and thy picture lyes Come take me prisner in thy folded armes And boldly strike up sprightly loves alarmes Vpon these rubey lips and let us trie The sweets of love Here 's none but thee and I My beds are softest downe and purest lawne My sheets my Vallents and my curtaines drawne In gold and silkes of curious diâ— Behold My covrings are of Tap'stry ' inricht with gold Come come and let us take our fill of pleasure My husbands absence lends me dainty leasure To give thee welcome Come let 's spend the night In sweet enjoyment of unknowne delight Her words prevail'd And being both undrest Together went to their defiled rest By this the newes of Samsons being there Possest the City and fill'd every eare His death is plotted And advantage lends New hopes of speed An armed guard attends At every gate that when the breaking day Shall send him forth th' expecting forces may Betray him to his sudden death and so Revenge their kingdomes ruines at a blow But lustfull Samson whose distrustfull eares Kept open house was now possest with feares He heares a whisp'ring and the trampling feet Of people passing in the silent street He whom undaunted courage lately made A
the God of Love's as blinde as hee 〈◊〉 that they brought poore Samson to the Hall 〈◊〉 as he past he gropes to finde the wall 〈◊〉 paâ—â— was slow His feet were lifted high 〈◊〉 tongue would taunt him Every scornfull eye 〈◊〉 filld with laughter Some would cry aloud 〈◊〉 in state His Lordship is growne proud 〈◊〉 bid his honour â—asle whilst others cast â—prochfull termes upon him as he past 〈◊〉 would salute him fairely and embrace 〈◊〉 wounded sides then spit upon his face 〈◊〉 would cry For shame for heare t' abuse 〈◊〉 high and great redeemer of the Iewes 〈◊〉 gibe and flout him with their taunts quip◠〈◊〉 others flurt him on the starting lips 〈◊〉 that poore Samson whose abundant griefe 〈…〉 hopes of comfort or reliefe Resolv'd for patience Turning round he made Some shift to feele his Keeper out and said Good Sir my painfull labour in the Mill Hath made me bold although against my will To crave some little rest If you will please To let the Pillour but afford some ease To my worne limmes your mercy should relieve A soule that has no more but thanks to give The keeper yeelded Now the Hall was filld With Princes and their People that beheld Abused Samson whilst the Roofe retain'd A leash of thousands more whose eyes were chainâ—â— To this sad Object with a full delight To see this flesh-and-blood-relenting sight With that the pris'ner turnd himselfe and pray'd So soft that none but heaven could heare and saidâ— My God my God Although my sinnes doe cry For greater vengeance yet thy gratious eye Is full of mercy O remember now The gentle promise and that sacred vow Thou mad'st to faithfull Abram and his seed O heare my wounded soule that has lesse need Of life then mercy Let thy tender eare Make good thy plenteous promise now and heare See how thy cursed enemies prevaile Above my strength Behold how poore and fraile My native power is and wanting thee What is there Oh what is there Lord in me Nor is it I that suffer My desert May challenge greater vengeance if thou wert â—xtreme to punish Lord the wrong is thine The punishment is just and onely mine I am thy Champion Lord It is not me They strike at Through my sides they thrust at thee 〈◊〉 thy Glory 't is their Malice lies 〈◊〉 at that when they put out these eyes 〈◊〉 their blood-bâ—dabl'd hands would flie 〈…〉 thou but cloth'd in flesh as I 〈◊〉 thy wrongs great God O let thy hand 〈◊〉 thy suffring honour and this land 〈◊〉 â—e thy power Renew my wasted strength 〈…〉 fight thy bâ—ttels and at length 〈◊〉 thy glory that my hands may do 〈◊〉 faithfull service they were borne unto 〈…〉 thy power that I may restore 〈◊〉 and I will never urge thee more 〈◊〉 having ended both his armes he laid 〈◊〉 the pillours of the Hall and said 〈◊〉 with the Philistines I resigne my breath 〈◊〉 let my God finde Glory in my death 〈◊〉 having spoke his yeelding body strain'd 〈◊〉 those Marble pillours that sustain'd 〈◊〉 pondrous Roofe They cracket and with their fall 〈◊〉 fell the Battlements and Roofe and all 〈◊〉 with their ruines slaughter'd at a blow 〈◊〉 whole Assembly They that were below 〈◊〉 their sudden deaths from those that fell 〈◊〉 off the top whilst none was left to tell 〈◊〉 horrid shreckes that filld the spatious Hall 〈◊〉 ruines were impartiall and slew all 〈◊〉 fell and with an unexpected blow 〈◊〉 every one his death and buriall too Thus di'd our Samson whose brave death has won 〈◊〉 honour then his honourd life had done 〈◊〉 di'd our Conquerour whose latest breath 〈◊〉 crown'd with Conquest triumph'd over death 〈◊〉 di'd our Sampson whose last drop of blood â—deem'd heavn's glory and his Kingdome 's good Thus di'd heavens Champion and the earths bright Glory The heavenly subject of this sacred Story And thus th' impartiall hand of death that gathers All to the Grave repos'd him with his fathers Whose name shall flourish and be still in prime In spight of ruine or the teeth of Time Whose fame shal last till heaven shal please to free This Earth from Sinne and Time shall cease to be Medita 23. WAges of sinne is death The day must come Wherin the equall hand of death must sum The severall Items of mans fading glory Into the easie totall of one Story The browes that sweat for Kingdomes and renown To glorifie their Temples with a Crowne At length grow cold and leave their honourd name To flourish in th' uncertaine blast of Fame This is the heighth that glorious Mortalls can Attaine This is the highest pitch of Man The quilted Quarters of the Earths great Ball Whose unconfined limits were too small For his extreame Ambition to deserve Six foote of length and three of bredth must serve This is the highest pitch that Man can flie And after all his Triumph he must die Lives he in Wealth Does well deserved store Limit his wish that he can wish no more And does the fairest bounty of encrease Crown him with plenty and his dayes with peaceâ— It is a right hand blessing But supply Of wealth cannot secure him He must die Lives he in Pleasure Does perpetuall mirth 〈◊〉 him a little Heaven upon his earth â—eets he no sullen care no sudden losse 〈◊〉 coole his joyes Breathes hee without a crosse â—ants he no pleasure that his wanton eye 〈◊〉 crave or hope from fortune He must dye 〈◊〉 he in Honour Hath his faire desart â—â—tain'd the freedome of his Princes heart 〈◊〉 may his more familiar hands disburse 〈◊〉 liberall favors from the royall purse 〈◊〉 his Honour cannot soare too high 〈◊〉 palefac'd death to follow He must dye Lives he a Conqu'rour And doth heaven blesse 〈◊〉 heart with spirit that spirit with successe Successe with Glory Glory with a name To live with the Eternitie of Fame The progresse of his lasting fame may vye With time But yet the Conquerour must dye Great and good God Thou Lord of life and deth 〈◊〉 whom the Creature hath his being breath Teach me to underprize this life and I Shall finde my losse the easier when I dye So raise my feeble thoughts and dull desire That when these vaine and weary dayes expire I may discard my flesh with joy and quit My better part of this false earth and it Of some more sinne and for this transitory And tedious life enjoy a life of Glory The end SIONS SONETS Sung By SOLOMON the KING And PERIPHRAS'D By Fra. Quarles LONDON Printed by MILES FLESHER 1632. To the READERS REaders now you have them May the end of my paines be the beginâ—ing of your pleasures Excuse me for â—haring so high else give me leave to excuse my selfe Indeed I flew with Eagles feathers otherwise I had not flowne or falne It is the Song of Songs There present you with The Author King SOLOMON the wisest of Kings The matter mysticall the divinest of subjects
Soule and give my Pen the Art To move and Me an understanding heart O let the Accent of each word make knowne I mixe the Teares of Sion with mine owne Preserve all such as beare true hearts to Sion We are thy Lambes O be thou still our Lion SIONS ELEGIES Threnodia I. ELEG 1. AH griefe of Times Ah sable times of Griefe Whose torments find a voice but no reliefe Are these the buildings These the tower and state That all th' amazed Earth stood wondring at Is this that Citie whose eternall Glory Could find no period for her endlesse storie And is she come to this Her Buildings raz'd Her Towers burnt Her Glory thus defac'd O sudden Change O world of Alterations She she that was the Prince the Queen of Nations See how she lyes of strength of all bereiv'd Now paying Tribute which she once receiv'd ELEG 2. BEhold her eyes those glorious eyes that were Like two faire Suns in one celestiall Sphaere Whose radiant beames did once reflect so bright Are now eclipsed and have lost their light And seeme like Ilands about which appeares A troubled Ocean with a Tide of Teares Her servant Cities that were once at hand And bow'd their servile necks to her command Stand all aloofe as strangers to her mone And give her leave to spend her teares alone Her neighbours flatter with a false reliefe And with a kisse betray her to her griefe ELEG 3. COmpast around with Seas of briny teares Iudah laments distraught with double feares Even as the fearfull Partridge to excuse her From the fierce Gos-hawk that too close pursues her Falls in a Covert and her selfe doth cover her From her unequall Foe that sits above her Meane while the treason of her quick Retrivers Discovers novell dangers and delivers Her to a second feare whose double fright Findes safety nor in staying nor in flight Even so is Iudah vext with change of woes Betwixt her home-bred and her forreine Foes ELEG 4. DId not these sacred Cawsies that are leading To Sion late seeme pav'd with often treading Now secret Dens for lurking Theeves to meet Vnprest unlesse with sacrilegious feet Sion the Temple of the highest God Stands desolate her holy steps untrod Her Altars are defac'd her Virgin fires Surcease with a stinke her snuff expires cries Her Priests have chang'd their Hymus to sighs and cries Her Virgins weepe forth Rivers from their eyes O Sion thou that wert the Childe of mirth Art now the scorne and By-word of the Earth ELEG 5. ENcreas'd in power and high Chevisance Of armes thy Tyrant foem en doe advance Their crafty crests He he that was thy father And crownd thee once with blessings now doth gather His troops to work thy end him who advanâ—'t thee To be Earths Queen thy sins have bent against thee Strange spectacle of Griefe Thy tender frie Whom childhood taught no language but their cry T' expresse their infant griefe these wretched these By force of childish teares could not appease The ruthlesse sword which deafe to all their cries Did drive them Captives from their mothers eies ELEG 6. FAire Virgin Sion where ah where are those Pure cheekes wherein the Lilly and the Rose So much contended lately for the place Till both compounded in thy glorious face How hast thou blear'd those sun-bright eies of thine Those beames the royall Magazens of divine And sacred Majesty from whose pure light The purblind worldlings did receive their sight Thy fearfull Princes leave their fencelesse towers And flie like Harts before their swift pursuers Like light-foot Harts they flie not knowing where Prickt on with Famine and distracted Feare ELEG 7. GAll'd with her griefe Ierusalem recalls To minde her lost delights her Festivalls Her peacefull freedome and full joyes in vaine Wishing what Earth cannot restore againe Succour she sought and begg'd but none was there To give the Almes of one poore trickling teare The scornefull lips of her amazed Foes Deride the griefe of her disastrous woes They laugh and lay more ample torments on her Disdaine to looke and yet they gaze upon her Abuse her Altars hate her Offerings Prophane her Sabbaths and her holy Things ELEG 8. HAdst thou Ierusalem O had thy heart Beene loyall to his love whose once thou wert O had the beames of thy unvailed eye Continu'd pure hadst thou beene nice to try New pleasures thus thy Glory ne're had wasted Thy Walls till now like thy Reproch had lasted Thy Lovers whose false beauties did entice thee Have seene thee naked and doe now despise thee Drunke with thy wanton pleasures they are fled And scorne the bountie of thy loathed bed Lest to thy guilt the servant of thy sin Thou sham'st to show what once thou gloriedst iâ— ELEG 9. IErusalem is all infected over With Leprosie whose filth no shade can cover Puft up with pride unmindfull of her end See how she lyes devoid of helpe or friend Great Lord of Lords whose mercy far transceÌ„ds Thy sacred Iustice whose full Hand attends The cries of empty Ravens bow downe thine eareâ— To wretched Sion Sion drownd in teares Thy hand did plant her Lord she is thy vine Confound her foes they are her foes and thine Shew wonted favour to thy holy hill Rebuild her walls and love thy Sion still ELEG 10. KNees falslie bent to Dagon now defile Her wasted Temple rudely they dispoile Th' abused Altars and no hand releeves Her house of prayer is turn'd a den of theeves Her costly Robes her sacred treasure stands A willing prey to sacrilegious hands Her Priests are slaine in a lukewarme flood Through every channel runs the Levites blood The hallowed Temple of the highest God Whose purer foot-steps were not to be trod With unprepared feet before her eye Is turn'd a Grove for base Idolatrie ELEG 11. LIngring with Death and Famine Iudah groanes And to the ayre breathes forth her ayrie moanes Her fainting eyes waxe dim her cheekes grow pale Her wandring steps despaire to speed and faile She faints and through her trembling lips halfe dead She whispers oft the holy name of bread Great God let thy offended wrath surcease Behold thy servants send thy servants peace Behold thy vassals groveling on the dust Be mercifull deare God as well as just 'T is thou 't is thou alone that sent this griefe 'T is thou 't is thou alone can send reliefe ELEG 12. MY tongu's in labour with her painefull birth That finds no passage Lord how strange a dearth Of words concomitates a world of woes I neither can conceale nor yet disclose You weary Pilgrimes you whom change of Climes Have tought you change of Fortunes and of Times Stay stay your feeble steps and cast your eyes On me the Abstract of all miseries Say Pilgrimes say if e're your eyes beheld More truer Iliades more unparalleld And matelesse evils which my offended God Reulcerates with his enraged Rod. ELEG 13. NO humane power could no envious Art Of mortall man could thus subject my
And froÌ„ their ragged wounds they suck forth blood The father dies and leaves his pined Coarse T' inrich his Heire with meat The hungry Nurse Broyles her starv'd suckling on the hastie coales Devoures one halfe and hides the rest in holes O Tyrant Famine that compell'st the Mother To kill one hungry Childe to feed another ELEG 11. LAment O sad Ierusalem lament O weepe if all thy teares be yet unspent Weepe wasted Iudâ—h let no drop be kept Vnshed let not one teare be left unwept For angry heaven hath nothing left undone To bring thy ruines to perfection No curse no plague the fierce Almighty hath Kept backe to summe the totall of his wrath Thy Citie burnes thy Sion is dispoyld Thy Wives are ravisht and thy Maides defil'd Famine at home the Sword abroad destroyes thee Thou cry'st to heav'n heav'n his â—are denies thee ELEG 12. MAy thy dull senses O unhappy Nation Possest with nothing now but desolation Collect their scatter'd forces and behold Thy novell fortunes ballanc'd with the old Couldst thou ô could thy prosp'rous heart coÌ„ceive That mortall powre or art of State could reive Thy ' illustrious Empire of her sacred glory And make her ruines the Threnâ—dian story Of these sad times and ages yet to be Envie could pine but never hope to see Thy buildings crusht and all that glory ended Which Man so fortifyde and Heav'n defended ELEG 13. NE're had the splendor of thy bright renowne Beene thus extinguisht ludah Thy fast Crowne Had ne're beene spurn'd from thy Imperiall brow Plenty had nurs'd thy soule thy peacefull plough Had fill'd thy fruitfull Quarters with encrease Hadst thou but knowne thy selfe and loved peace But thou hast broke that sacred truce concluded Betwixt thy God and thee vainly deluded Thy selfe with thine own strength with deadly feud Thy furious Priests and Prophets have pursude The mourning Saints of Sion and did sâ—ay All such as were more just more pure then they ELEG 14. O How the Priests of Sion whose pure light Should shine to such as grope in Errors night And blaze like Lampâ— before the darkned eye Of Ignorance to raise up those that lie In dull despaire and guide those feet that strey Ay me How blinde how darke how dull are they Fierce rage fury drives them through the street And like to mad men stabbe at all they meet They weare the purple Livery of Death And live themselves by drawing others breath Say wasted Sion could Revenge behold So foule an acted Scene as this and hold ELEG 15. PRophets and sacred Priests whose tongues whilere Did often whisper in th'Eternalls eare Disclos'd his Oracles found ready passage Twixt God and Man to carry heavens Embassage Are now the subjects of deserved scorne Of God forsaken and of man forlorne Accursed Gentiles are asham'd to know What Sions Priests are not asham'd to doe They see and blush and blushing flee away Fearing to touch things so defil'd as they They hate the filth of their abomination And chace them forth from their new conquer'd nation ELEG 16. QVite banisht from the joyes of earth and smiles Of heaven and deeply buried in her spoiles Poore Iudah lies unpitied disrespected Exil'd the World of God of Man rejected Like blasted eares among the fruitfull wheat She roames disperst and hath no certaine seat Her servile neck 's subjected to the yoake Of bondage open to th' impartiall stroake Of conquering Gentiles whose afflicting hand Smites every nooke of her disguised Land Of Youth respectlesse nor regarding Yeeres Nor Sex nor Tribe like scourging Prince Peers ELEG 17. REnt and deposed from Imperiall state â—y heavens high hand on heaven we must await To him that struck our sorrowes must appeale Where heaven hath smitâ— no hand of man can heale In vaine our wounds expected mans reliefe For disappointed hopes renew a griefe Aegypt opprest us in our fathers loynes What hope 's in Aegypt Nay if Aegypt joynes Her force with Iudah our united powres Could nere prevaile 'gainst such a foe as our's Aegypt that once did feele heavens scourge for grieving His flock would now refinde it for reliving ELEG 18. SO the quick-sented Beagles in a view O're hill and dale the fleeing Chase pursue As swift-foot Death and Ruine follow me That flees afraid yet knowes not where to flee Flee to the fields There with the sword I meet And like a Watch Death stands in every street No covert hides from death no Shade no Cells So darke wherein not Death and Horror dwells Our dayes are numbred and our number 's done The empty Houre-glasse of our glorie 's run Our sins are summ'd and so extreame 's the score That heauen could not doe lesse nor hell do more ELEG 19. TO what a downfall are our fortunes come Subjected to the suffrance of a doome Whose lingring torments Hell could not conspire More sharp than which hell needs no other fire How nimble are our Foemen to betray Our soules Eagles are not so swift as they Where shall we flee Or where shall sorrow finde A place for harbour Ah what prosp'rous winde Will lend a gale whose bounty ne're shall cease Till we be landed on the I le of peace My foes more fierce than empty Lions are For hungry Lions woo'd with teares will spare ELEG 20. VSurping Gentiles rudely have engrost Into their hands those fortunes we have lost Devoure the fruits that purer hands did plant Are plump and pampred with that bread we want And what is worse than death a Tyrant treads Vpon our Throne Pagans adorne their heads With our lost crowns their powers have dis-jointed The Members of our State and Heavens Anointed Their hands have crusht ravisht from his throne And made a Slave for Slaves to tread upon Needs must that flock be scattred and accurst where wolves have dar'd to seize the Shepherd first ELEG 21. WAxe fat with laughing Edom with glad eies Behold the fulnesse of our miseries Triumph thou Type of Antichrist and feed Thy soule with joy to see thy brothers â—eed Ruin'd and rent and rooted from the earth Make haste and solace thee with early mirth But there 's a time shall teachâ—thee how to weepe As many teares as I thy lips as deepe Shall drinke in sorrowes Cup as mine have done Till then cheere up thy spirits and laugh on Offended Iustice often strikes by turnes Edom â—eware for thy next neighbour burnes ELEG 22. YE drooping sonnes of Sion O arise And shut the flood-gates of your flowing eyes Surcease your sorrowes and your joyes attend For heaven hath spoke it and your griefes â—â—al end Beleeve it Sion seeke no curious signe And wait heav'ns pleasure as heav'n waited thine And thou triumphing Edâ—m that dost lye In beds of Roses thou whose prosp'rous eye Did smile to see the Gates of Sion fall Shalt be subjected to the selfe-fame thrall Sion that weepes shall smile and Edoms eye That smiles so fast as fast shall shortly cry The Prophet Ieremie his
tempting that no power Was left in thee to stay another hower Or didst thou feed by chance and not observ'd What food it was but tooke as Fortune carv'd 'T is done Be it or Fortunes act or thine It fed the one whose want made Millions pine ELEG 5. ENvie now burst with joy and let thine eyes Strut forth with fatnesse let thy collops rise Pampred and plump Feed full for many yeares Vpon our losse Be drunken with our teares For he is dead whose soule did never cease To crosse and violate your malitious peace He 's dead but in his death hath overthrowne More vices than his happy life had done In life he taught to dye and he did give In death a great example how to live Though he be gone his fame is left behinde Now leave thy laughing Envie and be pin'd ELEG 6. FArewell those eyes whose gentle smiles forsooke No misery taught Charity how to looke Farewell those cheerefull eyes that did e'rewhile Teach succour'd misery how to blesse a smile Farewell those eyes whose mixt aspect of late Did reconcile humility and state Farewell those eyes that to their joyfull guest Proclaim'd their ordinary fare a feast Farewell those eyes the load-stars late whereby The graces â—ail'd secure from eye to eye Farewell deare eyes bright Lamps ô who can tell Your glorious welcome or our sad farewell ELEG 7. GOe glorious Saint I knew 't was not a shrine Of flesh could lodge so pure a soule as thine I saw it labour in a holy scorne Of living dust and ashes to be sworne A heavenly Quirifter It sigh'd and groan'd To be dissolv'd from mortall and enthron'd Among his fellow Angells there to sing Perpetuall Anthems to his heavenly King He was a stranger to his house of Clay Scarce own'd it but that necessary stay Miscall'd it his And onely zeale did make Him love the building for the builders sake ELEG 8. HAd vertue learning the Diviner Arts Wit judgement wisdome or what other parts That make perfection and returne the minde As great as Earth can suffer beene confin'd To earth had they the Patent to abide Secure from change our Ailmer ne're had dy'de Fond earth forbeare and let thy childish eyes Ne're weep for him thou ne're knew'st how to prize Shed not a teare blinde earth for it appeares Thou never lov'dst our Ailmer by thy teares Or if thy flouds must needs oreflow their brim Lament lament thy blindenesse and not him ELEG 9. I Wondred not to heare so brave an end Because I knew who made it could contend With death and conquer and in open chace Would spit defiance in his conquered face And did Dauntlesse he trod him underneath To shew the weaknesse of unarmed death Nay had report or niggard Fame denyde His name it had beene knowne 't was Ailmer dyde It was no wonder to heare rumor tell That he which dyde so oft once dyde so well Great Lord of life how hath thy dying breath Made man whoÌ„ death had conquerd coÌ„quer death ELEG 10. KNowledge the depth of whose unbounded maine Hath bin the wreck of many a curious braine And from her yet unreconciled schooles Hath fill'd us with so many learned fooles Hath tutor'd thee with rules that cannot erre And taught thee how to know thy selfe and her Furnisht thy nimble soule in height of measure With humane riches and divinest treasure From whence as from a sacred spring did flow Fresh Oracles to let the hearer know A way to glory and to let him see The way to glory is to studie thee ELEG 11. LOoke how the body of heavens greater light Inâ—iches each beholder with his bright And glorious rayes untill the envious West Too greedy to enjoy so faire a guest Calls him to bed where ravisht from our sight He leaves us to the solemne frownes of night Even so our Sun in his harmonious spheare Enlightned every eye rapt every eare Till in the earely sunset of his yeares He dyde and left us that survive in teares And like the Sun in spight of death and fate He seemed greatest in his lowest state ELEG 12. MOlest me not full sighes and flowing teares You stormes showres of nature stop your eares Fond flesh and bloud against the strong temptation Of fullen griefe and sense-bereaving passion Cease to lament Let not thy slow pac'd numbers Disturbe his rest that so so sweetly slumbers The child of virtue is asleepe not dead He dies alone whom death hath conquered Why should we shed a teare for him or why Lament we whom we rather should envie He lives he lives a life shall never tast A change so long as Crownes of glory last ELEG 13. NO no he is not dead The mouth of fame Honors shrill Herald would preserve his name And make it live in spight of death and dust Were there no other heaven no other trust He is not dead The sacred Nine deny The soule that merits fame should ever dye He lives and when the latest breath of fame Shall want her Trumpe to glorifie a name He shall survive and these selfe closed eyes That now lie slumbring in the dust shall rise And fill'd with endlesse glory shall enjoy The perfect vision of eternall joy ELEG 14. O But the dregs of flesh and bloud How close They grapple with my soule and interpose Her higher thoughts which yet but young of wing They cause to stoope and strike at every thing Passion presentâ— before their weakned eye Iudgement and better reason standing by I must lament Nature commands it so The more I strive with teares the more they flow These eyes have just nay double cause of mone They weepe the coÌ„mon losse they weep their own He sleepes Indeed then give me leave to weepe Teares fully answerable to his sleepe ELEG 15. PArdon my teares if they be too too free And if thou canst not weepe I 'le pardon thee Dull Stoick If thou laugh to heare his death I 'le weep that thou wert borne to spend that breath Thou dry-brain'd Portick whose Ahenian brest Transcending passion never was opprest With griefe O had your flinty Sect but lost So rare a prize as we lament and boast Your hearts had crost your Tenet and disburst As many drops as we have done or burst No marvell that your marble braines could crosse Her lawes that never gave you such a losse ELEG 16. QVicke-sould Pythagoras O thou that wert So many men and didst so oft revert From shades of death if we may trust to Fame With losse of nothing but thy buried name Hadst thou but liv'd in this our Ailmers time Thou wouldst have dyde once more to live in him Or had our Ailmer in those daies of thine But dyde and left so glorious so divine A soule as his how would thy hasty brâ—st Have gasp'd to entertaine so faire a guest Which if obtained had no doubt supplyde thee With that immortall state thy Sire denyde thee ELEG 17. RAre soule that now sits crowned in