you parde your oregrowne faults Your sin-like Eagles clawes past growth of time All vndermined with destructions vaults Full of olde filth proceeding from new slime Else had you beene deformed like to those Which were your frinds but now becom your foes Those which are worthy of eternall paine Foes which are worthy of immortall hate Dimming the glory of thy childrens gaine With cloudy vapours set at darknesse rate Making new lawes which are too olde in crime Making old-wicked lawes serue a new time verse 5 Wicked no bloudy lawes bloudy yea worse If any worse may haue a worser name Men oh no murdrers not of mens remorce For they are shamefull these exempt from shame What shall I call them slaughter-drinking hearts To good a word for their too ill desarts Murder was in their thoughts they thought to slay And who poore infants harmelesse innocents But murder cannot sleepe it will betray Her murdrous selfe with selfe disparagements One child poore remnant did reprooue their deeds And God destroyd the bloudy murdrers seedes verse 6 Was God destroyer then no he was iust A iudge seuere yet of a kinde remorce Seuere to those in whome there was no trust Kind to the babes which were of little force Poor babes half murdred in whole murders thoght Had not one infant their escaping wrought T was God which breathde his spirit in the childe The liuely image of his selfe-like face T was God which drownd their childrē which defilde Their thoughts with bloud their hearts with murders place For that nights tidings our old fathers ioyd Because their foes by water were destroyd verse 7 Was God a murdrer in this tragedy No but a iudge how bloud should be repaid Wast he which gaue them vnto misery No t was themselues which miseries obaid Their thoughts did kill and slay within their hearts Murdring themselues woūding their inward parts When shines the sun but when the moone doth rest When rests the sun but when the moone doth shine When ioyes the righteous when their foes are least And when doth vertue liue when vice doth pine Vertue doth liue when villany doth die Wisedome doth smile when misery doth crie verse 8 The summer dayes are longer than the nights The winter nights are longer than the dayes They shew both vertues loues and vices spites Sins lowest fall and wisedomes highest raise The night is foe to day as naught to good The day is foe to night as feare to food A king may weare a crowne but full of strife The outward shew of a small-lasting space Mischiefe may liue but yet a deadly life Sorrow may greeue in heart and ioy in face Vertue may liue disturbd with vices paine God sends this vertue a more better raigne verse 9 She doth possesse a crowne and not a care Yet cares in hauing none but selfe-like awe She hath a scepter without care or feare Yet feares the Lord and careth for the lawe Asmuch as she doth rise so much sin falles Subiect vnto her law slaue to her calles Now righteousnesse beares sway and vice put downe Vertue is Queene treading on miscchiefes head The lawe of God sancited with renowne Religion placde in wisedomes quiet bed Now ioyfull hymnes are tuned by delight And now we liue in loue and not in spite verse 10 Strong-hearted vices sobs haue pierst the ground In the deepe cesterne of the centers breast Wayling their liuing fortunes with dead sound Accents of griefe and actions of vnrest It is not sin her selfe it is her seede Which drownd in sea lies there for seas foule weed It is the fruit of murders bloudy wombe The lost fruition of a murdrous race A little stone which would haue made a tombe To bury vertue with a sin-bolde face Me thinkes I heare the ecchoes of the vaults Sound and resound their old-new-weeping faults verse 11 View the dead carcasses of humaine state The outsides of the soule case of the harts Beholde the king beholde the subiects fate Beholde each lim and bone of earthen arts Tell me the difference then of euery thing And who a subiect was and who a king The selfe same knowledge lies in this dead scene Valde to the tragike cipresse of lament Beholde that man which hath a maister beene That king which would haue climde aboue content Beholde their slaues by them vpon the earth Haue now as high a seat as great a birth verse 12 The ground hath made all euen which were odde Those equall which had inequalitie Yet all alike were fashioned by God In bodies forme but not in harts degree One difference had in scepter crowne and throne Yet crown'd rul'd plac'd in care in griefe in mone For it was care to weare a crowne of griefe And it was griefe to weare a crowne of care The king deaths subiect death his empires theefe Which makes vnequall state and equall fare More dead then were aliue and more to die Then would be buried with a mortall eie verse 13 O well-fed earth with ill digesting food O well-ill food because both flesh and sin Sin made it sick which neuer did it good Sin made it well her well doth worse begin The earth more hungry then was Tantall's iawes Had flesh and blood held in her earthen pawes Now could beleefe some quiet harbour finde When all her foes were mantled in the ground Before their sin-enchauntments made it blind Their magick arts their negromantick sound Now truth hath got some place to speake and heare And what so ere shee speaks she doth not feare verse 14 15 16 When Phoebes axletree was limnd with pale Pale which becommeth night night which is blacke Hem'd round about with gloomy shining vale Borne vp by cloudes mounted on silence backe And when nights horses in the running waine Oretook the middest of their iournies paine Thy worde ô Lord descended from thy throne The royall mansion of thy powers command As a fierce man of war in time of mone Standing in midst of the destroyed land And brought thy precept as a burning steauen Reaching from heauē to earth from earth to heauen verse 17 Now was the night far spent and mornings wings Flew through sleepie thoughts and made them dream Hying apace to welcome sunny springs And giue her time of day to Phoebus beame No sooner had she flowne vnto the east But dreamy passage did disturb their rest And then like sleepie-waking harts and eyes Turn'd vp the fainting closures of their faces Which betweene day and night in slumber lies Keeping their wakie and their sleepie places And loe a fearing dreame and dreaming feare Made euery eye let fall a sleepie teare verse 18 19 A teare halfe wet from they themselues halfe liude Poore drie-wet teare too moyst a wet-drie face A white-red face whose red-white colour striude To make anotamy of either place Two champions both resolu'd in faces field And both had halfe yet either scornde to yeeld They which were wont to mount aboue the ground Hath leaden-quick-glude sinewes
she wise alone If alter olde for new we do olde wrong Call her still wisedome mistris of our soules Our liues deliuerer from our foes controules verse 16 To make that better which is best of all Were to disarme the title of the power And thinke to make a raise and make a fall Turne best to worst a day vnto an houre To giue two sundry names vnto one thing Makes it more commoner in Ecchoes sling She guides mans soule let her be calld a Queene Shee enters into man call hir a sprite Shee makes them godly which haue neuer beene Call her her selfe the image of her might Those which for vertue plead she prompts their tong Whose sute no tyrant nor no King can wrong verse 17 Shee stands as barre betweene their mouth and them She prompts their thoghts their thoghts prompts speeches sound Their tongues reward is honours diadem Their labours hire with duest merit crown'd Shee is as iudge and witnes of each heart Condemning falshood taking vertues part A shadow in the day star in the night A shadow for to shade them from the sunne A star in darkenes for to giue them light A shade in day a star when day is done Keeping both courses true in being true A shade a starre to shade and lighten you verse 18 19 And had she not the sunnes hot burning fire Had scorcht the inward pallace of your powers Your hot affection coolde your hot desire Two heats once met make coole distilling showers So likewise had not wisedome beene your star You had beene prisoner vnto Phoebes car Shee made the red-sea subiect to your craues The surges calmes the billowes smoothest wayes Shee made rough winds sleepe silent in their caues And Aeole watch whom all the winds obayes Their foes pursuing them with death and doome Did make the sea their church the waues their tome verse 20 21 They furrowed vp a graue to lie therin Burying themselues with their owne handie deed Sin dig'd a pit it selfe to bury sin Seed plowed vp the ground to scatter seed The righteous seeing this same sodaine fall Did praise the Lord and ceas'd vpon them all A glorious prise though from inglorious hands A worthy spoile though from vnworthy hearts Tosst with the Oceans rage vppon the sands Victorious gaine gained by wisedomes arts Which makes the dumbe to speak the blind to see The deafe to heare the babes haue grauitie Chapter XI verse 1 2 3 WHat he could haue a hart what hart a thought what thoght a tong what tong a shew of fear Hauing his ship balanste with such a fraught Which calms the euer-weeping oceans tears Which prospers euery enterprise of warre And leades their fortune by good fortunes starre A Pilate on the seas guide on the land Through vncouth desolate vntroden way Through wildernes of woe which in woes stand Pitching their tents where desolation lay In iust reuenge incountring with their foes Annexing wrath to wrath and blowes to blowes verse 4 But when the heate of ouermuch alarmes Had made their bodies subiect vnto thurst And broyld their hearts in wraths-allaying harmes With fiery surges which from body burst That time had made the totall summe of life Had not affection stroue to end the strife Wisedome affectionating power of zeale Did coole the passion of tormenting heate With water from a rocke which did reueale Her deare deare loue placde in affections seate She was their mother twice she nurst them twice Mingling their heat with cold their fire with ice verse 5 From whence receiude they life from a dead stone From whence receiude they speach from a mute rock As if all pleasure did proceed from mone Or all discretion from a senslesse blocke For what was each but silent dead and mute As if a thorny thistle should beare fruit T is strange how that should cure which erst did kill Giue life in whome destruction is enshrinde Alas the stone is dead and hath no skil Wisedome gaue life and loue t was wisedomes minde Shee made the store which poysoned her foes Giue life giue cure giue remedy to those verse 6 7 Blood-quaffing Mars which washt himselfe in gore Raignde in her foes thirst-slaughter-drinking hearts Their heads the bloody store-house of bloods store Their minds made bloody streames disburst in parts What was it else but butchery and hate To przie yong infants bloud at murders rate But let them surffet on their bloody cup Carowsing to their owne destructions health We drinke the siluer-streamed water vp Which vnexpected flow'd from wisedomes wealth Declaring by the thirst of our dry soules How all our foes did swimme in murders boules verse 8 What greater ill than famine or what ill Can be compared to the fire of thirst One be as both for both the body kill And first brings torments in tormenting first Famine is death it selfe and thirst no lesse If bread and water doe not yeelde redresse Yet this affliction is but vertues triall Proceeding from the mercy of Gods ire To see if it can finde his truths deniall His iudgements breach attempts contempts desire But oh the wicked sleeping in misdeede Had death on whom they fed on whom they feede verse 9 Adiudgde condemnd and punisht in one breath Arraignde tormented torturde in one lawe Adiudgde like captiues with destructions wreathe Arraignde like theeues before the barre of awe Condemnd tormented torturde punished Like captiues bold theeues vnastonished Say God did suffer famine for to raigne And thirst to rule amongst the choisest hart Yet father-like he easde them of their paine And proou'd them how they could endure a smart But as a righteous King condemnd the others As wicked sonnes vnto as wicked mothers verse 10 For where the diuel raignes there sure is hell Because the tabernacle of his name His mansion-house the place where he doth dwell The cole-blacke visage of his nigrum fame So if the wicked liue vpon the earth Earth is their hell from good to worser birth If present they are present to their teares If absent they are present to their woes Like as the snaile which shewes all that she beares Making her backe the mountaine of her shoes Present to their death not absent to their care Their punishment alike where ere they are verse 11 Why say they mournd lamented greeude and wailde And fed lament with care care with lament Say how can sorrow be with sorrow bailde When teares consumeth that which smiles hath lent This makes a double prison double chaine A double mourning and a double paine Captiuitie hoping for freedomes hap At length doth pay the ransome of her hope Yet frees her thought from any clogging clap Though backe be almost burst with yrons cope So they indurde the more because they knew That neuer till the spring the flowers grew verse 12 And that by patience commeth hearts delight Long-sought for blisse Long far fet happines Content they were to die for vertues right Sith ioy should be the pledge of heauines
lifes and deaths disgrace A fault without amends crime without ease A sin without excuse death without aide To loue the world and what the world did please To know the earth wherein their sinnes are laide They knew the world but not the L. that framde it They knew the earth but not the L. that namde iâ— verse 10 Narcissus drownde himselfe for his selfes shew Striuing to heale himselfe did himselfe harme These drownde them selues on earth with their selues woe Hee in a water-brooke by furies charme They made dry earth wet with their follys weepiÌ„g Hee made wet earth dry with his furies sleeping Then leaue him to his sleepe returne to those Which euer wake in miseries constraints Whose eyes are hollow caues and made sleeps foes Two dungeons darke with sin blind with complaints They called images which man first found Immortall Gods for which their tongs are bound verse 11 12 Golde was a God with them a golden God Like children in a pageant of gay toyes Adoring images for saints abode Oh vaine vaine spectacles of vainer ioyes Putting their hope in blocks their trust in stones Hoping to trust trusting to hope in mones As when a carpenter cuts downe a tree Meet for to make a vessell for mans vse He pareth all the barke most cunningly With the sharp shauer of his kniues abuse Ripping the seely wombe with no entreate Making her woundy chips to dresse his meat verse 13 14 Her bodies bones are often rough and hard Crooked with ages growth growing with crookes And full of wether-chinkes which seasons marrde Knobbie and rugged bending in like hookes Yet knowing age can neuer want a fault Encounters it with a sharpe knifes assault And carues it well though it be selfe-like ill Obseruing leasure keeping time and place According to the cunning of his skill Making the figure of a mortall face Or like some vgly beast in ruddy mould Hiding each crannie with a painters fould verse 15 16 It is a world to see to marke to view How age can botch vp age with crooked thread How his olde hands can make an olde tree new And dead-like hee can make another dead Yet makes a substantiue able to beare it And she an adiectiue nor see nor heare it A wall it is it selfe yet wall with wall Hath great supportance bearing either part The image like an adiectiue would fall Were it not closed with an yron hart The workman being olde himselfe doth know What great infirmities olde age can show verse 17 Therefore to stop the riuer of extreames Hee burst into the flowing of his wit Tossing his braines with more then thousand theams To haue a wooden stratagem so fit Woodden because it doth belong to wood His purpose may be wise his reason good His purpose wise no foolish fond and vaine His reason good no wicked vild and ill To be the authour of his owne liues paine To be the tragick actor of his will Praying to that which he before had fram'd For welcome faculties and not asham'd verse 18 19 Calling to follie for discretions sence Calling to sicknes for sick bodies health Calling to weakenes for a stronger fence Calling to pouertie for better wealth Praying to death for life for this hee praide Requiring helpe of that which wanteth aide Desiring that of it which he not had And for his iourney that which cannot goe And for his gaine her furdrance to make glad The worke which he doth take in hand to doe These windie words do rush against the wall Shee cannot speake t will sooner make her fâ—â—â— Chapter XIIII verse 1 AS doth one little sparke make a great flame Kindled from forth the bosome of the flint As doth one plague infect with it selfe name With watrie humours making bodies dint So euen so this idoll worshipper Doth make another idoll practiser The shipman cannot teeme dame Tethis waues Within a winde-taught-capring anchorage Before hee prostrate lies and suffrage craues And haue a block to be his fortunes gage More crooked then his sterne yet he implores her More rotten then his ship yet he adores her verse 2 3 4 Who made this forme he that was form'd and made T was auarice t was shee that found it out Shee made her crafts-man crafty in his trade Hee cunning was in bringing it about Oh had he made the painted shew to speake It would haue calde him vaine herselfe to wreake It would haue made him blush aliue though hee Did die her colour with a deadly blush Thy pouidence ó father doth decree A sure sure way amongst the waues to rush Thereby declaring that thy power is such That thogh a man were weake thou canst do much verse 5 What is one single barre to double death One death in death the other death in feare This single barre a borde a poore bords breath Yet stops the passage of each Neptunes teare To see how many liues one borde can haue To see how many liues one borde can saue How was this borde first made by wisedomes art Which is not vaine but firme not weake but sure Therfore do men commit their liuing hart To plancks which either life or death procure Cutting the stormes in two parting the winde Plowing the sea till they their harbour finde verse 6 The sea whose mountaine billowes passing bounds Rusheth vpon the hollow-sided barke With rough-sent kisses from the water grounds Raising a foaming heat with rages sparke Yet sea nor waues can make the shipman feare Hee knowes that die he must hee cares not where For had his timorous heart beene dide in white And sent an eccho of resembling woe Wisedome had beene vnknowne in follies night The sea had beene a desolations showe But one world hope lay houering on the sea When one worlds hap did end with one decay verse 7 8 Yet Phoebus drowned in the oceans world Phoebe disgrast with Tethis billow-roules And Phoebus firie-golden-wreath vncurl'd was seated at the length in brightnes soules Man tosst in wettest wildernes of seas Had seed on seed encrease vpon encrease Their mansion-house a tree vpon a waue O happy tree vppon vnhappy ground But euery tree is not ordain'd to haue Such blessednes such vertue such abound Some trees are carued images of nought Yet God-like reuerenc'd ador'd besought verse 9 Are the trees nought alas they sencelesse are The hands which fashion them condemne their groth Cuts downe their branches vailes their forehead bare Both made in sin though not sins equall both First God made man and vice did make him new And man made vice from vice and so it grew Now is her haruest greater then her good Her wonted winter turn'd to summers ayre Her ice to heat her sprig to cedars wood Her hate to loue her lothsome filth to faire Man loues her well by mischiefe new created God hates her ill because of vertue hated verse 10 O foolish man mounted vppon decay More vgly then Alastors pitchie backe Nights dismall summoner and end of day Carrying all
forst to lie One here one there in prison yet vnbound Heart-striuing life and death to liue and die Nor were they ignorant of fates decree In being tolde before what they should bee verse 20 There falsest visions shewde the truest cause False because fantasies true because haps For dreames though kindled by sleep-idle pause Sometime true indices of dangers claps As well doth proue in these sin-sleeping lines That dreames are falsest shewes and truest signes By this time death had longer pilgrimage And was encaged in more liuing breasts Now euery ship had fleeting anchorage Both good and bad were punisht with vnrests But yet Gods heauie plague indur'd not long For anger quencht her selfe with her selfe wrong verse 21 Not so for heat can neuer coole with heat Nor colde can warme a colde nor ice thaw ice Anger is fire and fire is angers meat Then how can anger coole her hot deuice The sunne doth thaw the ice with melting harme Ice cannot coole the sunne which makes it warme It was celestiall fire terrestriall cold It was celestiall colde terrestriall fire A true and holy praier which is bolde To coole the heat of angers hot desire Pronounced by a seruant of thy word To ease the miseries which wraths afford verse 22 Weapons and wit are double linkes of force If one vnknit they both haue weaker strength The longer be the chaine the longer corse If measurde by duplicitie of length If weapons faile wit is the better part Wit failing weapons haue the weaker hart Praier is weake in strength yet strong in wit And can do more then strength in being wise Thy word ô Lord is wisdome and in it Doth lie more force then forces can surprize Man did not ouercome his foes with armes But with thy word which conquers greater harms verse 23 That word it was with which the world was framde The heauens made mortalitie ordain'd That word it was with which all men were namde In which one word there are all words containde The breath of God the life of mortall state The enimie to vice the foe to hate When death prest downe the sin-dead-liuing soules And draw'd the curtaine of their seeing day This word was vertues shield and deaths controules Which shielded those which neuer went astray For when the dead did die and end in sin The liuing had assurance to begin verse 24 Are all these deeds accomplisht in one word O soueraigne word cheefe of all words and deeds O salue of safrie wisdomes strongest sword Both food and hunger which both starues and feeds Food vnto life because of liuing power Hunger to those whome death and sins deuoure For they which liu'd were those which vertue lou'd And those which vertue lou'd did loue to liue Thrice happy these whom no destruction mou'd Shee present there which loue and life did giue They bore the mottoes of eternall fame On diapasans of their fathers name verse 25 Here death did change his pale to purple hue Blushing against the nature of his face To see such bright aspects such splendent view Such heau'nly paradice of earthly grace And hid with lifes quick force his ebon dart Within the crannies of his meagre hart Descending to the place from whence he came With rich-stor'd chariot of fresh bleeding wounds Sore-greeued bodies from a soules-sick name Sore-greeued soules in bodies-sin-sick sounds Death was afraide to stay where life should be For they are foes and cannot well agree Chapter XIX verse 1 2 AVant destroier with thy hungry iawes Thy thirsty heart thy longing ashie bones The righteous liue they be not in thy lawes Nor subiects to thy deepe oppressing mones Let it suffice that we haue seene thy show And tasted but the shadow of thy woe Yet stay and bring thy empty car againe More ashie vessells do attend thy pace More passengers expect thy comming waine More groaning pilgrimes long to see thy face Wrath now attends the passage of misdeeds And thou shalt still be stor'd with soules that bleeds verse 3 Some lie halfe dead while others dig their graues With weake-forst teares to moyst a long-drie ground But teares on teares in time will make whole waues To bury sin with ouerwhelming sound Their eies for mattocks serue their teares for spades And they them selues are sextons by their trades What is their fee lament their paiment woe Their labour waile their practise miserie And can their conscience serue to labour so Yes yes because it helpeth villanie Though eies did stand in teares and teares in eyes They did another folishnes deuise verse 4 5 So that what praier did sin did vndoe And what the eies did win the heart did loose Whom vertue reconcilde vice did forgoe Whom vertue did forgoe that vice did choose Oh had their hearts beene iust eyes had bin winners Their eyes were iust but hearts new sins beginners They digd true graues with eyes but not with hearts Repentance in their face vice in their thought Their deluing eies did take the Sextons partes The heart vndid the labour which eies wrought A new strange death was portion for their toyle While vertue sate as iudge to end the broyle verse 6 Had tongue bin ioynde with eies tong had not strai'd Had eyes bin ioyn'd to heart heart then had seene But oh in wanting eye-sight it betrai'd The dungeon of misdeeds where it had beene So many liuing in this orbe of woe Haue heau'd-vp eyes but yet their hearts are low This chaunge of sin did make a chaunge of feature A new strange death a misery vntoulde A new reforme of every olde-new creature New seruing offices which time made olde New liuing vertue from an olde dead sin Which ends in ill what doth in good begin verse 7 When death did reape the haruest of despight The wicked eares of sin and mischiefes seed Filling the mansion of eternall night With heauy-leaden clods of sinfull breed Life sowde the plants of immortalitie To welcome olde-made new felicity The clouds the gloomy curtaines of the aire Drawne and redrawne with the foure-winged winds Made all of borrowed vapours darkesome faire Did ouershade their tents which vertue findes The red seas deepe was made a drie trod way Without impediment or stop or stay verse 8 9 The thirsty windes with ouertoyling puffes Did drinke the ruddy-oceans water drie Tearing the Zones hot-cold whole-ragged ruffes With ruffling conflicts in the field of skie So that drie earth did take wet waters place With sandy mantle and hard grounded face That way which neuer was a way before Is now a troden path which was vntrod Through which the people went as on a shoare Defended by the stretcht-out arme of God Praising his wondrous workes his mighty hand Making the land of sea the sea of land verse 10 That breast where anger slept is mercies bed That breast where mercy wakes is angers caue When mercie liues then Nemesis is dead And one for eithers coarse makes others graue Hate furrowes vp a graue to bury loue
to flye sin run into sin And thinke to end when they do new begin God made the earth the earth denies their sute Nor can they harbor in the centres womb God knowes their thoughts although their tongs be mute And heares the sounds from forth their bodies tomb Sounds ah no sounds but man himselfe hee heares Too true a voice of mans most falsest feares verse 10 Oh see destruction houering ore thy head Mantling her selfe in wickednes array Hoping to make thy body as her bed Thy vice her nutriment thy soule her pray Thou hast forsaken him that was thy guide And see what followes to asswage thy pride Thy roaring vices noyse hath cloyd his eares Like foaming waues they haue orewhelmde thy ioy Thy murmurings which thy whole body beares Hath bred thy waile thy waile thy lifes annoy Vnhappy thoughts to make a soules decay Vnhappie soule in suffering thoughts to sway verse 11 Then sith the height of mans felicitie Is plung'd within the pudle of misdeedes And wades amongst discredits infamie Blasting the merit of his vertues seedes Beware of murmuring the chiefest ill From whence all sin all vice all paines distill O heauie doome proceeding from a tong Heauie light tong tong to thy owne decay In vertue weake in wickednesse too strong To mischiefe prone from goodnesse gone astray Hammer to forge misdeedes to temper lies Selling thy life to death thy soule to cries verse 12 Must death needs pay the ransome of thy sin With the dead carcasse of descending spirit Wilt thou of force be snared in his gin And place thy errour in destructions merit Life seeke not for thy death death comes vnsought Buying the life which not long since was bought Death and destruction neuer needs a call They are attendants on liues pilgrimage And life to them is as their playing ball Grounded vppon destructions anchorage Seeke not for that which vnsought will betide Nere wants destruction a prouoking guide verse 13 Will you needs act your owne destruction Will you needs harbour your owne ouerthrowe Or will you cause your owne euersion Beginning with dispaire ending with woe Then die your hartes in tyrannies arraie To make acquittance of destructions pay What do you meditate but on your death What doe you practise but your liuing fall Who of you all haue any vertues breath But ready armed at a mischiefes call God is not pleased at your vices sauour But you best pleased when you lose his fauour verse 14 He made not death to be your conqueror But you to conquer ouer death and hell Nor you to bee destructions seruitor Enhoused there where Maiestie should dwell God made man to obay at his beheast And man to be obayde of euery beast He made not death to be our labours hire But we our selues made death through our desart Here neuer was the kingdome of hell fire Before the brand was kindled in mans hart Now man defieth God all creatures man Vice flourisheth and vertue lieth wan verse 15 O fruitefull tree whose roote is alwaies greene Whose blossomes euer bud whose fruites encrease Whose toppe celestiall vertues seat hath been Defended by the soueraintie of peace This tree is righteousnes ô happy tree Immortalized by thine owne decree O hatefull plant whose roote is alwaies drie Whose blossomes neuer bud whose fruites decrease On whom sits the infernall deitie To take possession of so foule a lease This plant is vice O too vnhappy plant Euer to die and neuer fill deaths want verse 16 Accursed in thy growth dead in thy roote Cancred with sin shaken with euery winde Whose top dooth nothing differ from the foote Mischiefe the sappe and wickednesse the rhinde So the vngodly like this withered tree Is slacke in doing good in ill too free Like this their wicked growth too fast too slowe Too fast in slouth too slow in vertues hast They thinke their vice a friend when t is a foe In good in wickednes too slow too fast And as this tree decayes so do they all Each one copartner of the others fall Chapter II. verse 1 INdeede they doe presage what wil betide With the misgiuing verdict of misdeeds They knowe a fall will follow after pride And in so foule a hart growes manie weeds Our life is short quoth they no t is too long Lengthned with euill thoughts and euill tong A life must needs be short to them that dies For life once dead in sin doth weakely liue These die in sin and maske in deaths disguise And neuer thinke that death new life can giue They say life dead can neuer liue againe O thoughts ô wordes ô deeds fond foolish vaine verse 2 Vilde life to harbor where such death abodes Abodes worse then are thoughts thoughts worse then words Wordes halfe as ill as deeds deeds sorrowes odes Odes ill inchaunters of too ill records Thoghts words and deeds conoyined in one song May cause an Eccho from destructions tong Quoth they t is chaunce whether we liue or die Borne or abortiue be or neuer bee Wee worship fortune shee 's our deitie If she denies no vitall breath haue wee Here are wee placed in this orbe of death This breath once gone we neuer looke for breath verse 3 Betweene both life and death both hope and feare Betweene our ioy and griefe blisse and dispaire We here possesse the fruite of what is here Borne euer for to die and die deaths heire Our heritage is death annexde to life Our portion death our death an endlesse strife What is our life but our liues tragedy Extinguishde in a momentary time And life to murder life is cruelty Vnripely withering in a flowrie prime And vrne of ashes pleasing but the showes Once dry the toiling spirit wandring goes verse 4 Like as the traces of appearing clouds Giues way when Tytan resalutes the sea With new-changd flames guilding the Oceans flouds Kissing the cabinet where I hetis lay So fares our life when death doth giue the wound Our life is led by death a captiue bound When Sol bestrides his golden mountaines toppe Lightning heauens tapors with his liuing fire All gloomye powers haue their diurnall stoppe And neuer gaines the darknes they desire So perisheth our name when wee are dead Our selues nere cald to mind our deeds nere read verse 5 What is the time wee haue what be our daies No time but shadowe of what time should be Daies in the place of houres which neuer staies Beguiling sight of that which sight should see As soone as the begin they haue their fine Nere waxe still waine nere stay but still decline Life may be cald the shadowe of effect Because the cloude of death doth shadow it Nor can our life approaching death reiect They both in one for our election sit Death followes life in euery degree But life to followe death you neuer see verse 6 Come we whose olde decrepit age doth hault Like limping winter in our winter sin Faultie wee know we are tush what 's a fault A
shadowed vision of destructions gin Our life begun with vice so let it ende It is a seruile labour to amend Wee ioyde in sin and let our ioyes renewe We ioyed in vice and let our ioyes remaine To present pleasures future hopes ensue And ioy once lost let vs fetch backe againe Although our age can lend no youthfull pace Yet let our mindes follow our youthfull race verse 7 What though olde age lies heauie on our backe Anotomie of an age crooked clime Let minde performe that which our bodies lacke And change olde age into a youthfull time Two heauie things are more then one can beare Blacke may the garments be the body cleare Decaying thinges be needfull of repaire Trees eaten out with years must needs decline Nature in time with foule doth cloude her faire Begitting youthfull daies with ages twine We liue and while we liue come let vs ioy To thinke of after life t is but a toy verse 8 Wee know God made vs in a liuing forme But wee le vnmake and make our selues againe Vnmake that which is made like winters storme Make vnmade things to aggrauate our paine God was our maker and he made vs good But our descent springs from another blood He made vs for to liue â—ee meane to die He made the heauen our seate we make the earth Each fashion makes a contrarietie God truest God man falsest from his birth Quoth they this earth shal be our chiefest heauen Our sin the anchor and our vice the hauen verse 9 Let heauen in earth and earth in heauen consist This earth is heauen this heauen is earthly heauen Repugnant earth repugnant heauen resist We ioy in earth of other ioyes bereauen This is the Paradice of our delight Here let vs liue and die in heauens spght Here let the monuments of wanton sports Be seated in a wantonnes disguise Closde in the circuit of veneriall forts To feed the long staru'd sight of Amours eyes Bee this the Chronicle of our content How wee did sport on earth till sport was spenâ—… verse 10 But in the glory of the brightest day Heauens smoothest browe sometime is furrowed And cloudes vsurp the clime in dim array Darkning the light which heauen had borrowed So in this earthly heauen wee dayly see That greife is placed where delight should bee Here liues the righteous bane vnto their liues O sound from forth the hollow caue of woe Here liues age-crooked fathers widowed wiues Poore and yet rich in fortunes ouerthrowe Let them not liue let vs increase their want Make barren their desire augment their scant verse 11 Our lawe is correspondent to our doome Our lawe to doome is dooming lawes offence Each one agreeth in the others roome To punish that which striues and wants defence This Cedar-like doth make the shrub to bend When shrubs doth wast their force but to contend The weakest power is subiect to obay The mushroms humbly kisse the cedars foote The cedar florishes when they decay Because her strength is grounded on a roote Wee are the cedars they the mushromes bee Vnabled shrubs vnto an abled tree verse 12 Then sith the weaker giues the stronger place The yong the elder and the foote the top The low the high the hidden powers the face All beastes the Lion euery spring his stop Let those which practise contrariety Be ioynd to vs with inequallity They say that we offend we say they doe Their blame is laid on vs our blame on them They stricke and we retort the strucken blowe So in each garment there 's a differing hem Wee end with contraries as they begun Vnequall sharing of what either wun verse 13 14 In this long conflict betweene tongue and tong Tongue new begining what one tonque did end Made this cold battell hot in eithers wrong And kept no pawsing limites to contend One tongue was eccho to the others sound Which breathed accents between mouth ground Hee which hath vertues armes vppon his shield Drawes his descent from an eternall King Hee knowes discretion can make follie yeild Life conquere death and vice a captiue bring The other tutred by his mother sin Respects nor deedes nor words but hopes to win verse 15 The first first essence of immortall life Reprooues the hart of thought the eie of sight The eare of hearing ill the minde of strife The mouth of speach the body of despight â—…art thinks eies sees eares heares mindes meditate Mouth vtters both the soule and bodies hate But Nature differing in each natures kinde Makes differing hartes each hart a differing thought Some hath shee made to see some follie blinde Some famous some obscure some good some nought So these which differeth in each natures reason Had natures time when tâ—me was out of season verse 16 Quoth they he doth reprooue our hart of thinking Our eies of sight our eares of hearing ill Our minds our hearts in meditation linking Our mouthes in speaking of our bodies will Because hart sight and minde do disagree Hee 'ld make heart sight and mind of their decree Hee saies our hart is blinded with our eies Our eies are blinded with our blinded hart Our bodies on both parts defiled lies Our mouthes the trumpets of our vices smart Quoth hee God is my Father I his sonne His waies I take your wicked waies I shun verse 17 As meditated wrongs are deeper plaste Within the deepe crue of a wronged minde So meditated wordes is neuer past Before their sounds a setled harbour finde The wicked answering to the latter words Begins to speake as much as speach affords One tong must answer other tongues replie Beginning boasts requires an ending fall Wordes liuely spoke do somtimes wordles dye If not liue Ecchoes vnto speeches call Let not the shadow smother vp the deed The outward leafe differs from in ward seed verse 18 The shape and shewe of substance and effect Doth shape the substance in the shadowes hue And shadowe put in substance will neglect The wonted shadowe of not being true Let substance followe substance showe a showe And let not substance for the shadowe goe Hee that could giue such admonition Such vaunting wordes such words confirming vaunts As if his tongue had mounted to ambition Or clim'd the turrets which vaine-glory haunts Now let his father if he be his sonne Vndoe the knot which his prowd boasts haue spun Wee are his enimies his chaine our hands verse 19 Our wordes his fetters and our hart his caue Our sterne embracements are his seruile bands Where is the helper nowe which he should haue In prison like himselfe not to be found Hee wanteth helpe himselfe to be vnbound Then sith thy father beares it patiently To suffer torments griefe rebuke and blame T is needfull thou shouldst beare equallity To see if meekenesse harbour in thy name Help father for thy sonne in prison lies Helpe sonne or else thy helples father dies verse 20 Thus is the righteous God and righteous man Drownde in obliuion with this
may come to highest honours pitch And haue heauens crowne for mortall lifes respect Gods hands shall couer them from al their foes Gods arme defend them from misfortunes blowes verse 17 18 19 20 His hand eterniti 〈◊〉 his arme his force His armour zelousie his breast-plate heauen His helmet iudgement iustice and remorce His shield is victories immortall steauen The world his challenge and his wrath his sword Mischiefe his foe his ayde his gospels word His arme doth ouerthrowe his enimie His breast-plate sinne his helmet death and hell His shield preparde against mortallitie His sword gainst them which in the world do dwell So shall vice sinne and death world and the deuill Be slaine by him which slayeth euery euill verse 21 All heauen shall be in armes against earths world The sunne shall dart foorth fire commixt with bloud The blazing starres from heauen shall be hurlde The pale-facde moone against the Ocean floud Then shall the thundring chambers of the skie Be lightned with the blaze of Titans eie The cloudes shall then be bent like bended bowes To shoote the thundring arrowes of the ayre Thicke haile and stones shall fall on heauens foes And Tethis ouerflowe in her despayre The moone shall ouer-fill her horny hood With Neptunes Oceans ouer-flowing flood verse 22 The winde shall be no longer kept in caues But burst the iron cages of the clouds And Aeole shall resigne his office staues Suffering the windes to combate with the flouds So shall the earth with seas be paled in As erst it hath beene ouerflowde with sin Thus shall the earth weepe for her wicked sonnes And curse the concaue of her tyred wombe Into whose hollowe mouth the water runnes Making wet wildernes her driest tombe Thus thus iniquitie hath raignd so long That earth on earth is punisht for her wrong Chapter VI. verse 1 2 AFter this conflict betweene God and man Remorce tooke harbour in Gods angry breast Astraea to be pitifull began All heauenly powers to lie in mercies rest Forthwith the voice of God did redescend And his Astraea warnde all to amend To you I speake quoth shee heare learne and marke You that be Kings Iudges and Potentates Giue ere I say wisedome your strongest arke Sends me as messenger to end debates Giue care I say you Iudges of the earth Wisedome is borne seeke out for wisedomes birth verse 3 This heauenly ambassage from wisedomes tong Worthy the volume of all heauens skie I bring as messenger to right your wrong If so her sacred name might neuer die I bring you happy tidings she is borne Like golden sunne-beames from a siluer morne The Lord hath seated you in iudgements seat Let wisedome place you in discretions places Two vertues one will make one vertue great And drawe more vertues with attractiue faces Be iust and wise for God is iust and wise He thoughts he words he words and actions tries verse 4 5 If you neglect your offices decrees Heape new lament on long-tosst miseries Doe and vndoe by reason of degrees And drowne your sentences in briberies Fauour and punish spare and keepe in awe Set and vnset plant and supplant the lawe Oh bee assur'd there is a Iudge aboue Which will not let iniustice flourish long If tempt him you your owne temptation moue Proceeding from the iudgement of hid tong Hard iudgement shal he haue which iudgeth hard And he that barreth others shall be bar'd verse 6 For God hath no respect of rich from poore For he hath made the poore and made the rich Their bodies be alike though their mindes soare Their difference nought but in presumptions pitch The carcasse of a King is kept from soule The Begger yet may haue the cleaner soule The highest men do beare the highest mindes The cedars skorne to bowe the mushromes bend The hiest often superstition blindes But yet their fall is greatest in the end The windes haue not such power of the grasse Because it lowly stoopeth when as they passe verse 7 8 The olde should teach the yong obseruance way But now the yong doth teach the elder grace The shrubs doe teach the Cedars to obay These yeelde to winds but these the winds out-face Yet he that made the windes to cease and blowe Can make the highest fall the lowest growe He made the great to stoop as well as small The lions to obay as other beasts He cares for all alike yet cares for all And lookes that all should answere his beheasts But yet the greater hath the sorer triall If once he findes them with his lawes deniall verse 9 Be warnde you tyrants at the fall of pride You see how surges chaunge to quiet calme You see both flowe and ebbe in follies tide How fingers are infected by their palme This may your caueat be you being kinges Infect your subiects which are lesser things Ill sents of vice once crept into the head Doth pearce into the chamber of the braine Making the outward skin diseases bed The inward powers as nourishers of paine So if that mischeife raignes in wisedomes place The inward thought lies figured in the face verse 10 Wisdome should clothe her selfe in Kings attire Being the portrature of heauens Queene But tyrantes are no Kings but mischiefes mire Not sage but shewes of what they should haue beene They seeke for vice and how to go amis But doe not once regard what wisdome is They which are Kings by name are Kings by deed Both rulers of them selues and of their land They know that heau'n is vertues duest meed And holines is knit in holy band These may be rightly called by their name whose words and works are blaz'd in wisedomes flame To nurse vp crueltie with milde aspect verse 11 Were to begin but neuer for to end Kindenes with tygers neuer takes effect Nor proffered frendship with a foe-like friend Tyrants and tygers haue all natural mothers Tyrants her sonnes tygers the tyrants brothers No words delight can moue delight in them But rather plow the traces of their ire Like swine that take the durt defore the gem And skorns that pearle which they should most desire But Kings whose names proceed frō kindnes sound Do plant their harts thoghts on wisdōs ground verse 12 13 A grounding euer moist and neuer dry An euer fruitfull earth not fruitlesse way In whose deare wombe the tender springs do lye which euer flowes and neuer ebbes away The sunne but shines by day she day and night Doth keepe one stayed essence of her light Her beams are conducts to her substance view Here eye is adamants attractiue force A shadowe hath shee none but substance true Substance out liuing life of mortall corse Her sight is easie vnto them which loue her Her finding easie vnto them which proue her verse 14 The far fet chastitie of female sex Is nothing but allurement into lust Which will forsweare and take scorne and annex Denie and practise it mistrust and trust Wisedome is chast and of another kinde
is The lesson which she giues thee for thy learning Is euery vertues loue and sins deseruing verse 7 Dost thou desire experience for to know Why how can she be lesse than what she is The growth of knowlege doth from wisdome grow The growth of wisedome is in knowing this Wisedome can tell all things what things are past What done what vndone what are doing last Nay more what things are come what are to come Or words or works or shews or actions In her braines table-booke she hath the summe And knowes darke sentences solutions She knowes what signes and wonders will ensue And when successe of seasons will be new verse 8 Who would not be a bridegroome who not wed Who would not haue a bride so wise so faire Who would not lie in such a peacefull bed Whose canopy is heau'n whose shade the aire How can it be that any of the skies Can there be missing where heau'ns kingdom lies If care-sicke I am comforted with ioy If surfeting on ioy she bids me care Shee sayes that ouermuch will soone annoy Too much of ioy too much of sorrowes fare She alwayes counsels me to keepe a meane And not with ioy too fat with griefe too leane verse 9 Faine would the shrub growe by the highest tree Faine would the mushrome kisse the cedars barke Faine would the seely worme a sporting be Faine would the sparrow imitate the larke Though I a tender shrub a mushrome be Yet couet I the honour of a tree And may I not may not the blossoms bud Doth not the little seed make eares of corne Doth not a sprig in time beare greatest wood Doth not yong eu'nings make an elder morne For wisedomes sake I know though be yong I shall haue praises from my elders tongue verse 10 And as my growth doth rise so shall my wit And as my wit doth rise so shall my growth In wit I growe both growths grow to be fit Both fitting in one growth be fittest both Experience followes age and nature youth Some aged be in wit though yong in ruth The wisedome which I haue springs from aboue The wisedome from aboue is that I haue Her I adore I reuerence I loue Shee 's my pure soule lockt in my bodies graue The iudgement which I vse from her proceedes Which makes me maruelld at in all my deedes verse 11 Although mute silence tie my iudgements tongue Sad secretarie of dumbe action Yet shall they giue me place though I be yong And stay my leisures satisfaction Euen as a iudge which keeps his iudgements mute When clients haue no answer of their sute But if the closure of my mouth vnmeetes And diues within the freedome of my words They like petitioners tongues welcome greetes And with attentiue eare heares my accords But if my words into no limites goe Their speech shall ebbe mine in their ebbing flow verse 12 And what of this vaine world vaine hope vaine show Vaine glory seated in a shade of praise Mortalities descent and follies flow The badge of vanity the houre of daies What glory is it for to be a King When care is crowne and crown is fortunes sling Wisedome is immortalities alline And immortalitie is wisedomes gaine By her the heauens lineage is mine By her I immortalitie obtaine The earth is made immortall in my name The heau'ns are made immortall in my fame verse 13 14 Two spatious orbes of two as spatious climes Shall be the heritage which I possesse My rule in heau'n directing earthly times My raigne in earth commencing earths redresse One king made two one crowne a double crowne One rule two rules one fame a twice renowne What heauen is this which euery thought containes Wisedome my heau'n my heau'n is wisedoms heau'n What earth is this wherein my bodie raines Wisedome my earth all rule from wisedome giu'n Through her I rule through her I do subdue Through hir I raigne through hir my empire grew verse 15 A rule not tyrannie a raigne not blood An empire not a slaughter house of liues A crowne not crueltie in furies moode A Scepter which restores and not depriues All made to make a peace and not a warre By wisedome concords Queene and discords barre The coldest worde oft cooles the hottest threat The tyrants menaces the calmes of peace Two coldes augmenteth one two heates one heat And makes both too extreame when both encrease My peacefull raigne shall conquer tyrants force Not armes but wordes not battaile but remorce verse 16 Yet mightie shall I be though warre in peace Strong though abilitie hath left his clime And good because my warres and battails cease Or at the least lie smothered in their prime The sence once digged vp with feares amaze Doth rage vntam'd with follies senceles gaze If wisedome doth not harbour in delight It breakes the outward passage of the minde Therfore I place my war in wisedomes might Whose heauie labours easie harbours finde Her company is pleasure mirth and ioy Not bitternes not mourning not annoy When euery thought was ballanced by weight verse 17 18 Within the concaue of my bodies scale My heart and soule did holde the ballance streight To see what thoght was ioy what thoght was waile But when I saw that griefe did weigh down plesure I put in wisedome to augment her treasure Wisedome the weight of immortallitie Wisedome the ballance of all happinesse Wisedome the weigher of felicitie Wisedome the Paragon of blessednesse When in her hands there lies such plenties store Needs must her heart haue twice asmuch and more Her hart haue I conioyned with hir hand verse 19 20 Her hand hath she conioyned with my hart Two soules one soule two hearts one bodyes band And two hands made of foure by amours art Was I not wise in chusing earthly life Nay wise thrice wise in chusing such a wife Was I not good good then the sooner bad Bad because earth is full of wickednes Because my body is with vices clad Anotomy of my sins heauines As doth vnseemely clothes make the skin foule So the sin-inked body blots the soule verse 21 Thus lay my hart plung'd in destructions mire Thus lay my soule bespotted with my sin Thus lay my selfe consum'd in my desire Thus lay all parts ensnared in one gin At last my hart mounting aboue the mud Lay betweene hope and death mischiefe and good Thus panting ignorant to liue or die To rise or fall to stand or else to sinke I cast a fainting looke vnto the skie And sâ—we the thought which my poore hart did think Wisdome my thought at whose seene sight I prai'd And with my hart my minde my soule I said Chapter IX verse 1 2 3 O God of Fathers Lord of heau'n and earth Mercies true soueraigne pitties portraiture King of all kings a birth surpassing birth A life immortall essence euer pure Which with a breath ascending from thy thought Hast made the heau'ns of earth the earth of nought Thou which hast made mortalitie for
man Beginning life to make an end of woe Ending in him what in himselfe began His earths dominion through thy wisedomes flow Made for to rule according to desart And execute reuenge with vpright heart verse 4 Behold a crowne but yet a crowne of care Behold a scepter yet a sorrowes guise More than the ballance of my head can beare More than my hands can hold wherein it lies My crowne doth want supportance for to beare My scepter wanteth empire for to weare A leglesse body is my kingdomes mappe Limping in follie halting in distresse Giue me thy wisedome Lord my better happe Which may my follie cure my griefe redresse O let me not fall in obliuions caue Let wisedome be my baile for her I craue verse 5 Behold thy seruant pleading for his hire As an apprentice to thy gospels word Behold his poore estate his hot-cold fire His weake-strong limmes his mery woes record Borne of a woman woman-like in woe They weake they feeble are and I am so My time of life is as an houre of day T is as a day of months a month of yeeres It neuer comes againe but fades away As one mornes sunne about the hemispheres Little my memory lesser my time But least of all my vnderstandings prime verse 6 Say that my memory should neuer die Say that my time should neuer loose a glide Say that my selfe had earthly Maiestie Seated in all the glory of my pride Yet if discretion did not rule my minde My raigne would be like fortunes follie-blinde My memory a pathway to my shame My time the looking-glasse of my disgrace My selfe resemblance of my scorned name My pride the puffed shadow of my face Thus should I be remembred not regarded Thus should my labours end but not rewarded verse 7 What were it to be shadow of a king A vanitie to weare a shadow'd crowne A vanitie to loue an outward thing A vanitie vaine shadowes of renowne This King is king of shades because a shade A king in shew though not in action made His shape haue I his cognisance I weare A smoaky vapour hemd with vanitie Himselfe I am his kingdomes crowne I beare Vnlesse that wisedome change my liuerie A king I am God hath inflamed me And lesser than I am I can not be verse 8 When I commaund the people do obay Submissiue subiects to my votiue wil A prince I am and do what princes may Decreâ— commaund rule iudge performe fulfill Yet I my selfe am subiect vnto God As are all others to my iudgements rod. As doe my subiect honour my command So I at his commaund a subiect am I build a temple on mount Sions sand Erect an altar in thy citties name Resemblances these are where thou doost dwell Made when thou framedst heau'n earth and hell verse 9 Al these three casements were containd in wit T was wisedome for to frame the heauens skie T was wisedome for to make the earth so fit And hell within the lowest orbe to lie To make a heau'nly clime an earthly course And hell although the name of it be worse Before the world was made wisedome was borne Borne of heau'ns God conceiued in his breast Which knew what works would be what ages worn What labours life should haue what quiet rest What shuld displease and please in vice in good What should be clearest spring what fowlest mud verse 10 Oh make my sinfull bodies world anew Erect new elements new aires new skies The time I haue is fraile the course vntrue The globe vnconstant like ill fortunes eies First make the world which doth my soule contain And next my wisdome in whose power I raigne Illumine earth with wisedomes heau'nly sight Make her embassador to grace the earth Oh let her rest by day and lodge by night Within the closure of my bodies hearth That in her sacred selfe I may perceiue What things are good to take what ill to leaue verse 11 The bodies heate will flow into the face The outward index of an outward deede The inward sins do keepe an inward place Eies face mouth tongue euery function feede She is my face if I do any ill I see my shame in her repugnant will She is my glasse my tipe my forme my mappe The figure of my deede shape of my thought My lifes character fortune to my happe Which vnderstandeth all that heart hath wrought What workes I take in hand she finisheth And all my vitious thoughts diminisheth My facts are written in her foreheads booke verse 12 The volume of my thoughts lines of my words The sins I haue she murders with a looke And what one cheeke denies th' other affords As white and red like battels and retreates One doth defend the blowes the other beates So is her furious moode commixt with smile Her rod is profit her correction mirth She makes me keepe an acceptable stile And gouerne euery limit of the earth Through her the state of monarchie is knowne Through her I rule and guide my fathers throne verse 13 Mortalitie it selfe without repaire Is euer falling feebly on the ground Submissiue body hart aboue the aire Which faine would knowe when knowledge is not found Faine would it soare aboue the Eagles eie Though it be made of lead and cannot flie The soule and body are the wings of man The soule should mount but that lies drownd in sin With leaden spirit but doth what it can Yet scarcely can it rise when it is in Then how can man so weake know God so strong What hart from thought what thought from heart hath sprung verse 14 15 We thinke that euery iudgement is alike That euery purpose hath one finall end Our thoughts alas are feares feares horrors strike Horrors our lifes vncertaine course do spend Feare followes negligence both death and hel Vnconstant are the paths wherein we dwell The hollow concaue of our bodies vaultes Once laden vp with sins eternal graues Strait bursts into the soule the slime of faults And ouerfloweth like a sea of waues The earth as neighbour to our priuy thought keeps fast the mansion which our cares haue bought verse 16 Say can wee see our selues are we so wise Or can we iudge our owne with our owne hearts Alas we cannot folly blindes our eies Mischiefe our mindes with her mischieuous arts Folly raigns there where wisdom shuld beare sway And follies mischiefe barres discretions way O weake capacitie of strongest wit O strong capacitie of weaker sence To guide to meditate vnapt vnfit Blinde in perceiuing earths circumfluence If labour doth consist in mortall skill T is gâ—eater labour to know heauens will verse 17 The toyling spirit of a labouring man Is tosst in casualties of fortunes seas He thinkes it greater labour than he can To runne his mortall course without an ease Then who can gaine or finde celestiall things Vnlesse their hopes a greater labour brings What volume of thy mind can then containe thoghts words works which god thinks speaks
makes When heau'n it selfe cannot such honour gaine Nor Angells know the counsell which God takes Yet if thy heart be wisedomes mansion Thy soule shall gaine thy hearts made mention verse 18 Who can in one dayes space make two dayes toile Or who in two dayes space will spend but one The one doth keepe his meane in ouerbroyle The other vnder meane because alone Say what is man without his spirit swayes him Say what 's the spirit if the man decayes him An ill reformed breath a life a hell A going out worse than a comming in For wisedome is the bodies centinell Set to guard life which else would-fall in sin Shee doth correct and loue swayes and preserues Teaches and fauours rules and yet obserues Chapter X. verse 1 COrrection followes loue loue followes hate For loue in hate is hate in too much loue So chastisment is preseruations mate Instructing and preseruing those we prooue So wisedome first corrects then fauoureth But fortune fauours first then wauereth First the first father of this earthly world First man first father cal'd for after time Vnfashioned and like a heape was hurl'd Form'd and reform'd by wisedome out of slime By nature ill reform'd by wisedome purer Shee mortall life she better lifes procurer verse 2 3 Alas what was he but a clod of clay What euer was he but an ashâ—e caske By wisedome clothed in his best array If better may bee best to choose a taske One gaue him time to liue she power to raigne Making two powers one one power twaine But ó maligne ill boading wickednes Like bursting gulfes orewhelming veâ—tues seed Too furious wrath forsaking happines Loosing ten thousand ioyes with one dire deede Cain could see but follie strucke him blinde To kill his brother in a raging minde verse 4 Oh too vnhappy stroke to end two liues Vnhappy actor in deaths tragedy Murdring a brother whose name murder giues Whose staying action slaughters butcherie A weeping part had earth in that same play For she did weepe herselfe to death that day Water distill'd from millions of her eyes Vpon the long dride carcasse of her time Her watrie conduites were the weeping skies Which made her wombe an ouerflowing clime Wisedome preseru'd it which preserues all good And taught it how to make an arke of wood verse 5 Oh that one borde should saue so many liues Vpon the worlds huge billow-tossing sea T was not the borde t was wisedome which suruiues Wisedome that arke that boord that fence that bay The world was made a water-rowling waue But wisedome better hopes assurance gaue And when pale malice did aduance her flagge Vpon the raging standard of despight Fiends soueraigne sins mistrâ—s and hells hagge Dunne Plutoes Lady empresse of the night Wisedome from whom immortall ioy begun Preseru'd the righteous as her faultlesse sonne verse 6 The wicked perished but they suruiu'd The wicked were ensnar'd they were preseru'd One kept in ioy the one of ioy depriu'd One feeding fed the other feeding steru'd The foode which wisedome giues is nourishment The foode which malice giues is languishment One feeds the other feeds but choking feedes Two contraries in meat two differing meats This brings forth hate and this repentance seeds This war this peace this battails this retreats And that example may be truely tride These liu'd in Sodomes fire the other dide verse 7 The land will beare me witnes they are dead Which for their sakes beare nothing else but death The witnes of it selfe with vices fed A smoaky testimony of sins breath This is my witnes my certificate And this is my sinne weeping sociate My pen will scarce holde inke to write these woes These woes the blotted inkie lines of sin My paper wrincles at my sorrowes showes And like that land will bring no haruest in Had Lots vnfaithfull wife beene without fault My fresh-inkt pen had neuer calld her salt verse 8 But now my quill the tel-tale of all moanes Is sauory bent to aggrauate salt teares And wets my paper with salt-water groanes Making me stick in agonising feares My paper now is growne to billowes might Sometimes I stay my pen sometimes I write O foolish pilate I blind-harted guide Can I not see the clifts but rent my barke Must I needs hoist vp sailes gainst winde and tide And leaue my soule behinde my wisedomes arke Well may I be the glasse of my disgrace And set my sin in other sinners place verse 9 10 But why despaire I heere comes wisedomes grace Whose hope doth lead me vnto better hap Whose presence doth direct my fore-run race Because I serue her as my beauties map Lâ—ke Cain I shall be restored to heau'n From shipwracks perill to a quiet hau'n When that by Cains hand Abel was slaine His brother Abel brother to his ire Then Cain fled to fly destructions paine Gods heauie wrath against his blouds desire But being fetcht againe by wisedomes power Had pardon for his deed loue for his lower verse 11 By his repentance he remission had And relaxation from the clogge of sin His painefull labour labours riches made His labouring paine did plesures profit win T was wisedome wisedome made him to repent And newly plac'd him in his olde content His body which was once destructions caue Blacke murders teritorie mischiefes house By her these wicked fins were made his slaue And she become his bride his wife his spouse Enriching him which was too rich before Too rich in vice in happynes too poore Maegera which did rule within his breast verse 12 And kept foule Lernas fen within his minde Both now displease him which once pleasde him best Now murdring murder with his being kinde These which were once his frends are now his foes Whose practise he retorts with wisedomes blowes Yee still lie they in ambush for his soule But he more wiser keepes a wiser way They see him and they barke snarle grin and houle But wisedome guides his steps he cannot stray By whom he coÌ„quers and throgh whom he knows The feare of God is stronger then his foes verse 13 14 When man was clad in vices liuery And solde as bondman vnto sins commaund Shee shee forsooke him not for infamie But free'd him from his harts imprisoned band And when he lay in dungeon of despight Shee interlinde his griefe with her delight Though seruile shee with him shee was content The prison was her lodge as wel as his Till she the scepter of the world had lent To glad his fortune to augment his blisse To punish false accusers of true deeds And raise in him immortall glories seeds verse 15 Say shall wee call her wisedome by her name Or new inuent a nominating stile Reciting ancient worth to make new fame Or new-old hierarchie from honours file Say shall file out fame for vertues store And giue a name not thought nor heard before Then should wee make her two where now but one Then should we make her common to each tongue Wisedome shall be her name
When vnexpected things were brought to passe They were amazde and wondred where God was Hee whom they did denie now they extoll Hee Whom they do extoll they did denie Hee whom they did deride they doe enroll In register of heau'nly maiestie Their thirst was euer thirst repentance stopt it Their life was euer dead repentance propt it And had it not their thirst had burnd their harts verse 13 Their harts had cri'd out for their tongues replie Their tongues had raised all their bodies parts Their bodyes once in armes had made all die Their foolish practises had made them wise Wise in their hearts though foolish in their eyes But they alas were dead to worshippe death Sencelesse in worshiping all shadowed showes Breathlesse wasting of so vaine a breath Dumbe in performance of their tongues suppose They in adoring death in deaths behest Were punished with life and liuing beastes verse 14 15 Thus for a shew of beasts they substance haue The thing it selfe against the shadowes will Which makes the shadowes sad woes in lifes graue As nought impossible in heauens skill God sent sad-ohes for shadowes of lament Lions and beares in multitudes he sent Newly created beasts which sight ne'er sawe Vnknowne which neither eye nor eare did know To breathe out blasts of fire against their law And cast out smoake with a tempestuous blow Making their eyes the chambers of their feares Darting forth fire as lightning from the spheares verse 16 Thus marching one by one and side by side By the prophane ill-limnd pale spectacles Making both fire and feare to be their guide Pulld downe their vaine-adoring chronicles Then staring in their faces spit forth fire Which heats and cools their frosty-hot desire Frosty in feare vnfrosty in their shame Coole in lament hot in their powers disgraces Like luke-warme coales halfe kindled with the flame Sate white and red mustring within their faces The beasts thē selues did not so much dismay them As did their vgly eyes aspects decay them verse 17 Yet what are beasts but subiects vnto man By the decree of heau'n degree of earth They haue more strength then he yet more he can Hee hauing reasons store they reasons dearth But these were made to breake subiections rod And show the stubernnesse of man to God Had they not beene ordain'd to such intent Gods word was able to supplant their powers And root out them which were to mischiefe bent With wrath vengeance minutes in deaths houres But God doth keepe a full-direct-true course And measures pitties loue with mercies force verse 18 19 The wicked thinkes God hath no might at all Because he makes no shew of what he is When God is loth to giue their pride a fall Or cloud the day wherein they do amisse But should his strength be showne his anger rise Who could withstand the sunne-caues of his eyes Alas what is the world against his ire As snowie mountaines gainst the golden sunne For'st for to melt and thawe with frosty fire Fire hid in frost though frost of colde begunne As dew-distilling drops fall from the morne So nw-destructions claps fall from his scorne verse 20 But his reuenge lies smother'd in his smiles His wrath lies sleeping in his mercies ioy Which very seldome rise at mischiefes coyles And will not wake for euery sinners toy Boundlesse his mercies are like heauens grounds They haue no limittes they nor heau'n no bounds The promontary top of his true loue Is like the end of neuer-ending streames Like Nilus water-springs which inward moue And haue no outward shew of shadowes beames God sees and will not see the sinnes of men Because they should amend amend oh when verse 21 The mother loues the issues of her wombe As doth the father his begotten sonne Shee makes her lap their quiet sleeping tombe Hee seekes to care for life which new begun What care hath he think then that cares for all For aged and for yong for great and small Is not that father carefull filld with care Louing long suffering mercifull and kinde Which made with loue all things that in loue are Vnmercifull to none to none vnkinde Had man beene hatefull man had neuer beene But perisht in the spring-time of his greene verse 22 23 But how can hate abide where loue remaines Or how can anger follow mercies path How can vnkindenesse hinder kindnesse gaines Or how can murder bathe in pitties bath Loue mercy kindenesse pitty eithers mate Doth scorne vnkindenesse anger murder hate Had it not beene thy will to make the earth It still had beene a Chaos vnto time But t was thy will that man should haue a birth And be preserude by good condemnd by crime Yet pitty raignes within thy mercies store Thou spar'st lou'st vs all what would we more Chapter XII verse 1 2 WHen all the elements of mortall life Were placed in the mansion of their skin Each hauing dayly motion to be rife Closde in that body which doth close thē in God sent his holy spirit vnto man Which did begun when first the world began So that the body which was king of al Is subiect vnto that which now is king Which chastneth those whom mischiefe doth exhale Vnto misdeeds from whence destructions spring Yet mercifull it is though it be chiefe Conuerting vice to good sin to beliefe verse 3 Old time is often lost in being balld Balld because old old because liuing long It is reiected oft when it is calld And weares out age with age still being yong Twice children we twice feeble and once strong But being old we sin and do youth wrong The more we grow in age the more in vice A house-roome long vnswept wil gather dust Our long vnthawed soules wil freeze to ice And weare the badge of long imprisoned rust So those inhabitants in youth twice borne Were old in sin more olde in heauens scorne verse 4 5 Committing workes as inckie spots of fame Commencing wordes like foaming vices waues Committing and commencing mischiefes name With workes and words sworne to be vices slaues As sorcery witchcraft mischieuous deeds And sacrifice which wicked fancies feeds Well may I call that wicked which is more I rather would be lowe than be too hie Oh wondrous practisers clothde all in gore To end that life which their owne liues did buy More than swine-like eating mans bowelles vp Their banquets dish their blood their banquets cup. verse 6 7 Butchers vnnaturall worse by their trade Whose house the bloody shambles of decay More than a slaughter-house which butchers made More than an Eschip seely bodies pray Thorow whose hearts a bloody shambles runnes They do not butcher beasts but their owne sonnes Chief murdrers of their soules which their souls boght Extinguishers of light which their liues gaue More than kniue-butchers they butchers in thought Sextons to digge their owne begotten graue Making their habitations old in sinne Which God doth reconcile and new beginne verse 8 9 That murdring place was turnd into
duskie vapours hemde in blacke Behold thy downfall ready at thy hand Behold thy hopes wherein thy hazards stand Oh spurne away that blocke out of thy way With vertues appetite and wisedomes force That stumbling blocke of follie and decay That snare which doth ensnare thy treading corse Beholde thy body falls let vertue beare it Beholde thy soule doth fall let wisedome reare it verse 11 Say art thou yong or olde tree or a bud Thy face is so disfigured with sin Yong I doe thinke thou art in what in good But olde I am assur'd by wrinckled skin Thy lips thy tongue thy heart is yong in praying But lips and tongue and heart is olde in straying Olde in adoring idolls but too yong In the obseruance of diuinest lawe Yong in adoring God though olde in tong Olde and too olde yong and too yong in awe Beginning that which doth begin misdeeds Inuenting vice which all thy body feeds verse 12 13 But this corrupting and infecting foode This caterpiller of eternitie The foe to blisse the canker vnto good The new accustom'd way of vanitie It hath not euer beene nor shall it be But perish in the branch of follies tree As her descent was vanities aline So her descending like to her descent Here shall shee haue an end in hell no fine Vaine glory brought her vainely to be spent You know all vanity drawes to an end Then needs must shee decay because her frend verse 14 Is there more follie then to weepe at ioy To make eyes watrie when they should be drie To greeue at that which murders griefes annoy To keepe a shower where the sunne should lie But yet this folly-cloude doth oft appeare When face should smile and watry eie bee cleere The father mournes to see his sonne life-dead But seldome mournes to see his sonne dead-liu'd Hee cares for earthly lodge not heau'ns bed For death in life not life in death suruiu'd Keeping the outward shadow of his face To worke the inward substance of disgrace verse 15 Keeping a shew to counterpoize the deed Keeping a shadow to be substance heire To raise the thing it selfe from shadowes seed And make an element of liuelesse aire Adoring that which his owne hands did frame Whose hart inuention gaue whose tong the name But could infection keepe one setled place The poyson would not lodge in euery brest Nor feede the hart the minde the soule the face Lodging but in the carcasse of her rest But this Idolatry once in mans vse Was made a custome then without excuse verse 16 Nay more it was at tyrannies commaund And tyrants cannot speake without a doome Whose iudgement doth proceed from heart and hand From heart in rage from hand in bloudy tombe That if through absence any did neglect it Presence should pay the ransome which reiect it Then to auoide the doome of present hate Their absence did performe their presence want Making the image of a kingly state As if they had new seed from sins olde plant Flattring the absence of olde mischiefes mother With the like forme and presence of another verse 17 Making an absence with a present sight Or rather presence with an absent view Deceiuing vulgars with a day of night Which know not good from bad nor false from true A crafts-man cunning in his crafty trade Beguiling them with that which he had made Like as a vane is turn'd with euery blast Vntill it point vnto the windie clime So stand the people at his worde agast Hee making olde new forme in new-olde time Defies and deifies all with one breath Making them liue and die and all in death verse 18 They like to Tantalus are fed with shoes Shewes which exasperat and cannot cure They see the painted shadow of suppose They see her sight yet what doth sight procure Like Tantalus they feed and yet they starue Their foode is caru'd to them yet hard to carue The crafts-man feeds them with a staruing meat Which doth not fill but empty hungers gape Hee makes the idoll comely faire and great With well limnd visage and best fashioned shape Meaning to giue it to some noble view And faine his beautie with that flattring hue verse 19 Enamour'd with the sight the people grew To diuers apparitions of delight Some did admire the portraiture so new Hew'd from the standard of an olde trees hight Some were allur'd through beutie of the face With outward eye to worke the soules disgrace Adored like a God though made by man To make a God of man a man of God T is more then humaine life or could or can Though multitudes applause in error trode I neuer knew since mortall lifes abod That man could make a man much lesse a God verse 20 Yes man can make his shame without a maker Borrowing the essence from restored sin Man can be vertues foe and vices taker Welcome himselfe without a welcome in Can he doe this yea more oh shamlesse ill Shamefull in shame shamelesse in wisedomes will The riuer of his vice can haue no bound But breakes into the ocean of deceit Deceiuing life with measures of dead ground With carued idols disputations baite Making captiuitie cloth'd all in mone Bee subiect to a God made of a stone verse 21 Too stony hearts had they which made this lawe Oh had they beene as stony as the name They neuer had brought vulgars in such awe To be destructions pray and mischiefes game Had they beene stone-dead both in looke fauour They neuer had made life of such a sauour Yet was not this a too sufficient doome Sent from the roote of their sin-oregrowne tong To cloud gods knowledge with hel mischiefs gloome To ouerthrowe truths right with falshoods wrong But dayly practised a perfect way Still to begin and neuer end to stray verse 22 23 For either murders pawe did gripe their harts With whispring horrors drumming in each eare Or other villanies did play their parts Augmenting horror to newe strucken feare Making their hands more then a shambles stall To slay their children ceremoniall No place was free from staine of blood or vice Their life was markt for death their soule for sin Marriage for fornications thawed ice Thought for despaire body for eithers gin Slaughter did either end what life begunne Or lust did end what both had left vndone verse 24 25 The one was sure although the other faile For vice hath more competitors then one A greater troupe doth euermore auaile And villanie is neuer found alone The bloud-hound folows that which slaughter kild And theft doth folow what deceit hath spild Corruption mate to infidelitie For that which is vnfaithfull is corrupt Tumults are schoole fellowes to periury For both are full when either one hath supt Vnthankfullnes defiling and disorders Are fornications and vncleannes borders See what a sort of rebells are in armes verse 26 To root out vertue to supplant her raigne Opposing of them selues against all harmes To the deposing of her empires
mountaines tops My honour shall bee placed in deceit And counterfait new shewes of little weight verse 10 My pen doth almost blush at this replie And faine would call him wicked to his face But then his breath would answeâ—… with a lie And staine my inck with an vntruths disgrace Thy maister bids thee write the pen sayes no But when thy maister bids it must be so Call his hart ashes oh too mild a name Call his hope vile more viler then the earth Call his life weaker then a clayeie frame Call his bespotted heart an ashye hearth Ashes earth clay conioyn'd to heart hope life Are features loue in being natures strife verse 11 Thou mightst haue chose more stinging wordes then these For this he knowes he is and more then lesse In saying what he is thou dost appease The foming anger which his thoughts suppresse Who knowes not if the best be made of clay The worst must needs be clad in foule array Thou in performing of thy maisters will Dost teach him to obay his lords commaunds But he repugnant is and cannot skill Of true adoring with heart-heau'd vp hand Hee hath a soule a life a breath a name Yet is he ignorant from whence they came verse 12 My soule saith he is but a mappe of shoes No substance but a shadow for to please My life doth passe euen as a pastime goes A momentary time to liue at ease My breath a vapour and my name of earth Each one decaying of the others birth Our conuersation best for there is gaines And gaine is best in conuersations prime A mart of lucre in our conscience raignes Our thoughts as busie agents for the time So we get gaine ensnaring simple men It is no matter how nor where nor when verse 13 We care not how for all misdeedes are ours We care not where if before God or man We care not when but when our crafts haue powres In measuring deceit with mischiefes fanne For wherefore haue we life forme and ordaining But that we should deceiue and still be gaining I made of earth haue made al earthen shops And what I sell is al of earthy sale My pots haue earthen feete and earthen tops In like resemblance of my bodies vale But knowing to offend the heauens more I made fraile images of earthy store verse 14 O bold accuser of his owne misdeedes O heauy clod more than the earth can beare Was neuer creature clothde in sauage weedes Which would not blush when they this mischief hear Thou toldst a tale which might haue bin vntolde Making the hearers blush the readers olde Let them blush still that heares be olde that reades Then boldnes shal not raigne nor youth in vice Thrice miserable they which rashly speeds With expedition to this bold deuice More foolish than are fooles whose misery Cannot be changde with new felicitie verse 15 Are not they fooles which liue without a sence Haue not they misery which neuer ioy Which takes an idoll for a Gods defence And with their self-willd thoghts themselues destroy What folly is more greater than is here Or what more miserie can wel appeere Call you them gods which haue no seeing eyes No noses for to smell no eares to heare No life but that which in deaths shadow lies Which haue no hands to feele no feete to beare If gods can neither heare liue feele nor see A foole may make such gods of euery tree verse 16 And what was he that made them but a foole Conceiuing follie in a foolish braine Taught and instructed in a wodden schoole Which made his head run of a wodden vaine T was man which made them he his making had Man full of wood was wood and so ran mad He borrowed his life and would restore His borrowed essence to another death He faine would be a maker though before Was made himselfe and God did lend him breath No man can make a god like to a man He sayes he scornes that worke he furder can verse 17 He is deceiude and in his great deceit He doth deceiue the folly-guided harts Sin lies in ambush he for sin doth waite Here is deceit deceiude in either parts His sin deceiueth him and he his sin So craft with craft is mewed in either gin The crafts-man mortall is craft mortall is Each function nursing vp the others want His hands are mortall deadly what is his Onely his sins buds in destructions plant Yet better he than what he doth deuise For he himselfe doth liue that euer dies verse 18 Say call you this a God where is his head Yet headlesse is he not yet hath he none Where is his godhead fled his power dead His raigne decayed and his essence gone Now tell me is this God the God of good Or else Siluanus monarch of the wood There haue I pierst his barke for he is so A wooden god fainde as Siluanus was But leauing him to others let vs go To senslesse beasts their new adoring glasse Beasts which did liue in life yet died in reason Beasts which did seasons eate yet knew no season verse 19 Can mortall bodies and immortall soules Keepe one knit vnion of a liuing loue Can sea with land can fish agree with foules Tygers with lambes a serpent with a doue Oh no they cannot then say why doe wee Adore a beast which is our enimy What greater foe than folly vnto wit What more deformitie than vgly face This disagrees for follie is vnfit The other contrary to beauties place Then how can senslesse heads deformed shoes Agree with you when they are both your foes Chapter XVI verse 1 OH call that word againe they are your friends Your liues associats and your loues content That which begins in them your follie ends Then how can vice with vice be discontent Beholde deformitie sits on your heads Not hornes but scornes not visage but whole beds Beholde a heap of sins your bodies pale A mountaine-ouerwhelming villany Then tell me are you clad in beauties vale Or in destructions pale-dead liuerie Their life demonstrates now aliue now dead Tormented with the beasts which they haue fed verse 2 3 You like to Pelicans haue fed your death With follies-vaine let bloud from follies veyne And almost sterude your selues stopt vp your breath Had not Gods mercie helpt and easde your paine Beholde a new-found meat the Lord did send Which taught you to be new and to amend A strange disgested nutriment euen quailes Which taught them to be strange vnto misdeeds When you implore his aide he neuer failes To fill their hunger whom repentance feeds You see when life was halfe at deaths arrest Hee new created life at hungers feast verse 4 Say is your God like this whom you ador'd Or is this God like to your handie frame If so his power could not then afford Such influence which floweth from his name Hee is not painted made of wood and stone But he substantiall is and rules alone He can oppresse and
helpe helpe and oppresse The sinfull incolants of his made earth He can redresse and paine paine and redresse The mountaine-miseries of mortall birth Now tyrants you are next this but a show And merry index of your after woe verse 5 6 Your hot-colde misery is now at hand Hot because furies heat and mercies colde Cold because limping knit in frosty band And cold and hot in being shamefast-bolde They cruell were take crueltie their part For misery is but too meane a smart But when the Tygers iawes the Serpents stings Did summon them vnto this lifes decay A pardon for their faults thy mercy brings Cooling thy wrath with pitties sunnie day O tyrants tere your sin-bemired weeds Beholde your pardon sealde by mercies deeds verse 7 8 That sting which pained could not ease the paine Those iaws that wounded could not cure the wounds To turne to stings for helpe it were but vaine To iawes for mercie which wants mercies bounds The stings ô Sauiour were puld out by thee Their iawes claspt vp in midst of crueltie O soueraigne salue stop to a bloody streame O heauenly care and cure for dust and earth Celestiall watch to wake terrestriall dreame Dreaming in punishment mourning in mirth Now knowes our enimies that it is thee Which helpes and cures our griefe and misery verse 9 Our punishment doth end theirs new begins Our day appeares their night is not oreblowne Wee pardon haue they punishment for sins Now we are raisde now they are ouerthrowne Wee with huge beasts opprest they with a flie Wee liue in God and they against God die A flie poore flie to follow such a flight Yet art thou fed as thou wast fed before With dust and earth feeding thy wonted bite With selfe-like food from mortall earthly store A mischiefe-stinging food and sting with sting Do ready passage to destruction bring verse 10 Man beeing grasse is hopt and graz'd vpon With sucking grasse-hoppers of weeping dew Man being earth is wormes vermilion Which eats the dust and yet of bloudy hue In being grasse he is her grazing food In being dust he doth the wormes some good These smallest actors were of greatest paine Of follies ouerthrow of mischiefes fall But yet the furious dragons coulde not gaine The life of those whom verities exhale These follie ouercame they foolish were These mercie cur'd and cures these godly are verse 11 When poysoned iawes and veninated stings Were both as opposite against content Because content with that which fortune brings They eased were when thou thy mercies sent The iawes of dragons had not hungers fill Nor stings of serpents a desire to kill Appal'd they were and struck with timerous feares For where is feare but where destruction raignes Agast they were with wet eye-standing teares Outward commencers of their inward paines They soone were hurt but sooner healde and cured Lest black obliuion had their minds inured verse 12 The lion wounded with a fatall blow Is as impatient as a king in rage Seeing himselfe in his owne bloody show Doth rent the harbour of his bodies cage Scorning the base-housde earth mounts to the skie To see if heauen can yeeld him remedy Oh sinfull man let him example be A patterne to thine eye glasse to thy face That Gods diuinest word is cure to thee Not earth but heauen not man but heauenly grace Nor hearb nor plaister could help teeth or sting But t was thy word which healeth euery thing verse 13 We fooles lay salues vpon our bodies skin But neuer drawe corruption from our minde We lay a plaister for to keepe in sin We drawe foorth filth but leaue the cause behinde With hearbs and plaisters we do guard misdeedes And pare away the tops but leaue the seedes Away with salues and take our Sauiours word In this word Sauiour lies immortall ease What can thy cures plaisters and hearbs afford When God hath power to please and to displease God hath the power of life death help and paine He leadeth downe and bringeth vp againe verse 14 15 Trust to thy downefall not vnto thy raise So shalt thou liue in death not die in life Thou dost presume if giue thy selfe the praise For vertues time is scarce but mischiefes rife Thou mayst offend mans nature is so vaine Thou now in ioy beware of after paine First commeth fury after fury thirst After thirst blood and after blood a death Thou mayst in fury kill whome thou louedst first And so in quassing blood stop thine owne breath And murther done can neuer be vndone Nor can that soule once liue whose life is gone verse 16 What is the body but an earthen case That subiect is to death because earth dies But when the liuing soule doth want Gods grace It dies in ioy and liues in miseries This soule is led by God as others were But not brought vp againe as others are This stirs no prouocation to amend For earth hath many partners in one fall Although the Lord doth many tokens send As warnings for to heare when he doth call The earth was burnt drownd with fire raine And one could neuer quench the others paine verse 17 Althogh both foes God made them then both frends And onely foes to them which were their foes That hate begun in earth what in them ends Sins enimies they which made friends of those Both bent both forces vnto single earth From whose descent they had their double birth T is strange that water should not quench a fire For they were heating-cold and cooling hot T is strange that wailes could not allay desire Wailes waters kinde and fire desires knot In such a cause though enimies before They would ioyne friendship to destroy the more The often weeping eies of drie lament verse 18 Doth powre forth burning water of despaire Which warms the caues frō whence the tears are sent And like hot fumes do foule their natures faire This contrary to icie-waters vale Doth scorch the cheekes makes them red pale Here fire and water are conioynde in one Within a red-white glasse of hote and cold Their fire like this double and yet alone Raging and tame and tame and yet was bold Tame when the beasts did kill and felt no fire Raging vpon the causers of their ire verse 19 Two things may well put on two seuerall natures Because they differ in each natures kind They differing colours haue and differing features If so how comes it that they haue one minde God made them friends let this the answer be They get no other argument of me What is impossible to Gods command Nay what is possible to mans vaine eare T is much he thinkes that fire should burne a land When mischiefe is the brand which fiers beare He thinkes it more that water should beare fire Then know it was Gods will now leaue t' enquire verse 20 Yet mightst thou aske because importunate How God preserude the good why because good Ill fortune made not them infortunate They Angells were
betrayed Mischiefe beguilde a night surpassing night Vice fought with vice and feare was then dismayde Horror it selfe appal'd at such a sight Sinâ—s snare was then ensnarde the fisher cought Sinnes net was then entrapt the fouler fought Yet all this conflict was but in a dreame A show of substance and a shade of truth Illusions for to mocke in flattring theame Beguiling mischiefe with a glasse of ruth For boasts require a fall and vaunts a shame Which two vice had in thinking but to game verse 8 Sinne tolde her creditours she was a Queene And now become reuenge to right their wrong With hony-mermaids speech alluring seene Making new-pleasing words with her olde tongue If you be sick quoth she I 'le make you whole Shee cures the body but makes sicke the soule Safe is the body when the soule is wounded The soule is ioyfull in the bodies griefe Ones ioy vpon the others sorrow grounded Ones sorrow placed in the ones releefe Quoth siâ— feare nothing know that I am heere When shee alas her selfe was sick for feare verse 9 A promise worthy of derisions place That feare shoulde helpe a feare when both are one Shee was as sick in hart though not in face With inward griefe though not with outward mone But shee claspt vp the closure of the tongue For feate that words should do her body wrong Cannot the body weepe without the eies Yes and frame deepest canzons of lament Cannot the body feare without it lies Vpon the outward shew of discontent Yes yes the deeper feare sits in the heart And keeps the parliament of inward smart verse 10 So sin did snare in minde and not in face The dragons iaw the hissing serpents sting Some liu'd some dide some ran a fearefull race Some did preuent that which ill fortunes bring All were officious seruitours to feare And her pale connizance in heart did weare Malice condemnd her selfe guiltie of hate With a malicious mouth of enuious spight For Nemesis is her owne cruell fate Turning her wrath vpon her owne delight Wee need no witnes for a guiltie thought Which to condemne it selfe a thousand brought verse 11 12 For feare deceiues it selfe in being feare It feares it selfe in being still afraid It feares to weepe and yet it sheds a teare It feares it selfe and yet it is obaid The vsher vnto death a death to doome A doome to die in horrors fearefull toome His owne betrayer yet feares to betray He feares his life by reason of his name He feares lament because it brings decay And blames himselfe in that he merites blame He is tormented yet denies the paine He is the king of feare yet loath to raigne verse 13 His sons were they which slept and dreamt of feare A waking sleepe and yet a sleepy waking Which passt that night more longer than a yeare Being griefes prisners and of sorrowes taking Slept in nights dungeon insupportable Lodgde in nights-horror too indurable Oh sleepe the image of long-lasting woe Oh waking image of long-lasting sleepe The hollow caue where visions come and goe Where serpents hisse where mandrakes grone creep Oh fearefull shew betrayer of a soule Dieng each heart in white each white in foule verse 14 15 A guilefull hole a prison of deceit Yet nor deceit nor guile in being dead Snare without snarer net without a bait A common lodge and yet without a bed A holow-sounding vault knowne and vnknowne Yet not for mirth but too too well for mone T is a free prison a chainde libertie A freedomes caue a sergeant and a baile It keepes close prisoners yet doth set them free Their clogges not yron but a clog of waile It stayes them not and yet they cannot goe Their chaine is discontent their prison woe verse 16 Still it did gape for more and still more had Like greedy auarice without content Like to Auernus which is neuer glad Before the dead-liude wicked soules be sent Pull in thy head thou sorrowes tragedy And leaue to practise thy olde cruelty The merry shepheard can not walke alone Tuning sweete Madrigals of haruests ioy Caruing loues Roundelayes on euery stone Hanging on euery tree some amorous toy But thou with sorrow enterlines his song Opening thy iawes of death to do him wrong verse 17 18 Oh now I know thy chaine thy clog thy fetter Thy freechainde prison and thy clogged walke T is gloomy darknesse sins eternall detter T is poysoned buds from Acharonticke stalke Sometime t is hissing winds which are their bands Somtime inchanting birds which binds their hands Sometime the foaming rage of waters streame Or clattring downe of stones vpon a stone Or skipping beasts at Titans gladsome beame Or roaring lions noyse at one alone Or babbling Eccho tell-tale of each sound From mouth to skie from skie vnto the ground verse 19 20 Can such like feares folow mans mortall pace Within drie wildernes of wettest woe It was Gods prouidence his will his grace To make midnoone midnight in being so Midnight with sin midnoone where vertue lay That place was night all other places day The sun not past the middle line of course Did cleerely shine vpon each labours gaine Not hindring daily toyle of mortall force Nor clouding earth with any gloomy staine Onely nights image was apparant there With heauy-leaden appetite of feare Chapter XVIII verse 1 YOu know the Eagle by her soaring wings And how the Swallow takes a lower pich Ye kno the day is clear clearenes brings And how the night is pore thogh gloomy rich This Eagle vertue is which mounts on hie The other sin which hates the heauens eie This day is wisedome being bright and cleare This night is mischiefe being blacke and fowle The brightest day doth wisedomes glory weare The pitchie night puts on a blacker rowle Thy saints O Lord were at their labors hire At whose heard voyce the wicked did admire verse 2 They thought that vertue had beene clothde in night Captiue to darknesse prisoner vnto hell But it was sin it selfe vice and despight Whose wished harbours do in darknesse dwell Vertues immortall soule had middaies light Mischiefes eternall foule had middayes night For vertue is not subiect vnto vice But vice is subiect vnto vertues seate One mischiefe is not thawed with others ice But more adioynde to one makes one more great Sin vertues captiue is and kneeles for grace Requesting pardon for her rude-run race The tongue of vertues life cannot pronounce verse 3 The doome of death or death of dying doome T is mercifull and will not once renounce Repentant teares to wash a sinfull roome Your sin-shine was not sun-shine of delight But shining sin in mischiefes sunny night Now by repentance you are bathde in blisse Blest in your bath eternall by your deedes Behold you haue true light and can not misse The heau'nly foode which your saluation feedes True loue true life true light your portions true What hate what strife what night can danger you verse 4 Oh happy when