Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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ID |
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Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A00034
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Susanna: or, the arraignment of the two vniust elders
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Aylett, Robert, 1583-1655?
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1622
(1622)
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STC 1003; ESTC S100330
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23,050
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50
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That Both vs plungeth in this misery The desert sooner shall be fruitfull plaine Mount Sinas top be drown'd in Ocean maine And Iordans fruitfull valleys turne to waste Than I suspect my loyall Wife vnchaste As when fierce Stormes doe all the mountaines wash And threat to drowne the valleys with a dash If Titan please to cast a golden Gleame The coasts are cleare and all the Heau'n serene So at these gracious speeches of her Knight Susanna turnes her clowdinesse to Light Her eyes are dride which fountaines were of teares Sighs turn'd to speech And thus her selfe she cleares O wretched I yet wretched who can bee That hath so kinde a noble Lord as thee Who doe'st mee now in louing armes embrace When enemies doe plot my most disgrace My Lord shouldst thou suspect my Loyalty My heart should burst for Griefe and I should die But Iordanes streames shall sooner backward slide And Force my Body from my Soule diuide Celestiall Fire vnto Earths center tend And Center Titans fiery coach ascend Than I consent for feare of Death or Shame My conscience with eternall spots to blame Perswaded be that I haue loyall stood I ioyfully will seale it with my blood I feare no accusations vniust For I doe know in whom I put my trust These wicked Lords for mee in wait haue laid But shame and Sorow here her Speeches staid And suddenly another Cloud appeares Which dims her Light and drowneth all in teares So deepe shee sighs â—o fast her teares doe flow That Ioachim doth weepe with her for woe And both with Sighs and Groanes their loues record But neither able is to speake a word As when two Cloud in Sommers day arise In East and West which doe obscure the Skies The lesser Cloud which Zephirus doth blow Comes swift but Loâ—â— the greater comes but slow Till they both meeting in the Welkin wide Raise raging â—louds like to an Easterne tide Whose violence the eares of Oorne downe beates And all the Plough-mans Labour ill intreates So doe the teares of this grieu'd Couple fall That they in Sorow drowne Words Eyes and All. And eu'n my pen with Sorow drown'd is faint To leaue them weeping and you next acquaint With that which passed in the Iudgement Hall For there the people doe assemble all Amongst the rest one called Ieremy That was a childe of the Captiuity Who was old Helchi's ancient friend and peare And from their cradles most familiar were And often had the Elders office borne Till Pride and base Ambition with scorne Had throwne from Seate of Iustice Equitie And foisted in her roome base Briberie Being now summond to appeare that day Enquir'd of Tobith then vpon the way What cause was of this Summons generall Who told him what to Susan had befall Susan said he what Helchi's daughter faire Which is her parents onely childe and heire Could she be brought her fathers house to blame And bring her husbands honour vnto shame Togither with her parents I was one Led Captiue by the King to Babilon There was no man more noble in the Land Than he nor more for Countreys Good did stand We saw our Kings Sonnes slaine before his face And then his eyes thrust out for more disgrace Yet vertue grac'd to Helchi in this Land He in high grace soone with the King did stand And was the first dwelt here in his owne house Most Valiant Noble Wise Religious Most happy in one chaste and godly wife By whom he had this child their ioy and Life I tell thee Neighbour I this Girle did know Eu'n from a childe as pure as any Snow VVho from her mother suckd milke as sincere As euer any nurse to childe did beare For she so much this infant tendered As with her owne Brests she it suckeled For with the milke it is an old tradition The child may sucke a good or bad condition So soone as Parents could her tongue prepare To speake they neither Cost nor Labour spare To teach her all demeanour mannerly But aboue all the dread of the most High In Scripture they her daily taught to reade So that in time they sow'd in her such seede As might produce in Haruest certaine gaine For all their tillage labour cost and paine Scarse had the Sunne twelue times through Virgo past When faire Susannas manners sweete were cast By care of Parents in so faire a mould That all with wonder did the maide behold In publique Dancing she doth not delight Faires banquets plays or sittings vp at night Nor yet in wandring Dinas conuersation But keepes at home her fathers habitation Imploying all her paines and carefull thought To please and tend on them that vp her brought Like Storke who when her parents old haue neede Sustaines in Eld who her in youth did feede Accounting it a wondrous happinesse For gifts receiu'd to render thankfulnesse At vacant houres it was her chiefe delight To reade the stories of Gods glorious might Where all the choisest precepts she could find She stor'd as heau'nly Manna for her mind The Liues of choisest Dames of Iewish nation To her as patternes are for imitation Which oft with needle lest she should forget She in most curious Colours neately set Here in a table she doth tell the story Of Egypts ouerthrowe and Iudas glory Where Miriam leades her Daughters in a dance To sing Heau'ns Prayses for Deliuerance The Red Sea here his waters doth diuide Whilst Israel passeth to the other side And here the waues begin to meete againe To drowne the proud Egyptians in the maine One breakes but knowes not how his Charet wheele Anothers horse doth of the staggers reele Here one yet without hope of Life doth swim Another siâ—â—ing catcheth hold on him And neuer lets him goe till he him straine â—nto â—he late-â—ry bottome of the Maine Here stands a Palme whose height and breadth excell Wheâ—e Debora sits iudging Israel Close by whose side sate valiant Barac who Vnto the warre without Her would not goe Here weanes She Iephtes daughter in a Lome From Conquest welcomming her father home When lo he rends his haire and teares his beard That one would thinke the picture had been scard Who for the Vow he made to the most High Deuotes her to perpetuall Chastity Then would She wish her Father such a crosse So both thereby might haue no greater losse Oft sings she to her Lute diuinest Layes And oft to make sweet Hymns her selfe assaies So that indeede to win her for his Bride Young Princes sought but she them all deuide Thus woo'd of all but yet Loues fiery dart Could neuer thaw the chaste yâ—e of her heart But like a Diamond which nothing but A Diamond is able for to cut So nothing could this peerelesse Lady moue But pairelesse Ioachims most constant Loue The yron easelier from beloued Side Of Loade-stone than their Loues you might diuide For as words cut in Diamonds ay last So Loue on vertue grounded standeth fast When that which
seeing this foule sinne doth shrowd Showres fall from heau'n as if the stars did mourne And all the birds their songs to murmurs turne The trees small drops like teares about do dasâ— And all the vnder shrubs with weeping wash The shrubs the hearbs and all make lamentation To see this Dame so neere her desolation And eu'n my Muse as I this story write Laments and mournes to see her piteous plight At last â—ore grieu'd that humane eye beholds Her naked body she her mind vnfolds My Lords for loue of God this sinne forbeare If not for loue nor honour yet for feare When you condemne another for this crime You iudge your selues T is now a fitter time To fast and pray in our captiuity Than thus to double our iniquity If I like Eue consent vnto your mind I sure with her a like reward shall find And if I doe your wickednes withstand Yet know I not how to escape your hand But I all mortall deaths will rather dy Than in Gods sight commit adultery Who doth with lust her laser lims enroule Defiles her body and doth damme her soule Haue I not promis'd before God and you To be vnto my husband iust and true And must not all by lawes iudiciall dye Without exception for adultery Oh Iudges graue but bridle yet your lust And once a womans Secrecy entrust That neuer will bewray this offerd shame For honour of our nation and your name But howsoeuer you my flesh torment My heart to wickednesse shall not consent A guilty conscience is a soarer wound Than tortures all that Tyrants out haue found Dame said the Iudge art thou yet so vnwise Thou knowst not Polititians did deuise Religion onely to represse the base And hold the Noble in the peoples grace Dost feare God should vs in this action see This Lawyers gowne shall couer thee and me Vnder which oft to Heau'n hath past vnseene Farre greater Trespasses then this I weene Lust is a Sport if closely carried And from all fleshly eyes close couered The Troth which to your husband you did plight Was but for ceremony in our Sight And as for our iudiciall Laws offence Iudges haue power therewith to dispence Your selfe and honour vnto vs entrust And you shall find vs faithfull true and iust Great is the honour of an Elders name Then who shall dare or thee or vs defame And for your conscience now so foolish tender Custome like ours will strong and valiant render Wee le not torment your flesh but it delight Come Madame you must try an Elders might Then like fowle Beare that greedy of his pray His filthy Paw on milke-white Lamb doth lay So he by force would bring her to his Lust. But she that in th' Almightie put her trust Needes no Stilletto now for to defend Her honour but loud cries to heau'n doth send Surest defence that women haue to cry To saue them from Lusts raging villany You females-masculine that doe pretend You weapons weare your honours to defend If in the Court or City villany Should be attempted 'gainst your chastity See here this naked woman all alone Defends her honour hauing two to one Her modest Lookes were late her sure defence 'Gainst base attempts now cries 'gainst violence Oh modell of a chaste and constant Dame The world all chaste ones hence Susannas name Eue tempted was and by temptation fell Faire Thamar forced was against her will Sarah was tane away but neuer tride Shames Feare made Lucrece yeild whereof she dide But Iuda's daughter naked all alone Here ouercomes her Tempters two to one But one of them ah â—uddainely doth run To the fore-gate which he hath sone vndone And comming backe both 'gainst the woman cry Stop stop the adulterour they both must dye The Seruants much affrighted with the noise And knowing well theâ— heard their Ladies voice Rushing in at the back-dore found their Dame Accused by the Elders to their shame Vile woman cride the one of them fie fie Is this thy modest holy Puritie Thy Prayer Fasting Almes and Meditation Sabboths and New-moones holy obseruation With which thou seekst thy wickednesse to couer God now will thy Hypocrisie discouer Thy piteous lookes and faind strict Conscience Shall be no Subterfuge for foule offence Was this the cause thou forth thy maids didst send More closely with a young man to offend We as true witnesses doe testifie That thou art taken in Adulterie Thy Minion we doe hope to catch ere long Who brake from vs because he was too strong For testimony open see the doore Through which he scap't that was close spard before And see her naked as with him she lay Lo here for heate her garments laid away The Seruants all were grieu'd and much asham'd To heare their Dame thus by the Elders blam'd For enuious Fame durst neuer till that day Least Spot or Blemish on Susanna lay The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE OF SVSANNA True Louers greeting willinger to dye Than suspect mutuall integritie An old-man into talke of Susan fals And her describes from birth to nuptials She is brought forth arraign'd condemn'd to dye God her deliuers soone as she doth cry NOw clouds black curtaines vnder Heau'n were spread And Morne was all in Scarlet manteled For chaste Aurora put on this array To shew the horrour of this bloudy day When Elders from their Beds of Downe arise Who nought but mischiefe all the night deuise And send their Serieants out to summon all The people to assemble at the Hall Their Loue was turned now to Indignation Their Lust to mischieuous Imagination And Hostile-like since they may not enioy Her Fort by parley seeke it to destroy But here chaste Susan doth my Muse inuite To tell how with her Lord she spent that night Who hearing in his study at his Booke A wondrous noise doth from his window looke But when he thence but little could discerne For shade of trees comes downe the Truth to learne As whâ—n great Ebers Sonne to saue his life Her sister call'd who was indeede his wife Which made the King of Gerar for her send And for his owne wife Sarah apprehend Was vext with Feare Doubts Loue and Iealousie For losse of Honour and the Chastitie Of mother of the faithfull who for cleaâ—e Both minde and body neuer yet had peere But when the King conuai'd her home againe And shee affirm'd her selfe without all staine Doth vnto Heau'n both Heart and hands aduance And praisd the Lord for her deliuerance And though foule Fame her for this shame reproue He her more sure and constantly doth loue Eu'n so Ioachim was at first afraid His wife was vsed as the Elders said But waying well her Faith and Constancie Soone blames his foolish Feare and Iealousie And turneth all his doubts and bitter passion To tender Loue teares pitty and compassion And her embracing thus began My Deare Forbeare to weepe And let mee from thee heare The depth of this profound iniquitie