little sweete hath many fowres Short hap immortall harmes Her louing lookes are murdring dartes Her songs bewitching charmes Like winter rose and sommer I se Her ioyes are still vntimely Before her hope behind remorse Faire first in fine vnseemely Moodes passions fancies iealous fits Attend vpon her traine She yeeldeth rest without repose A heau'n in hellish paine Her house is slouth her doore deceite And slipperie hope her staires Vnbashfull boldnesse bids her guests And euery vice repaires Her diet is of such delight As please till they be past But then the poyson kils the hart That did entise the tast Her sleepe in sinne doth end in wrath Remorse rings her awake Death cals her vp shame driues her out Dispaires her vp-shot make Plowe not the Seas sowe not the sands Leaue off your idle paine Seeke other mistres for your minds Loues seruice is in vaine Life is but losse BY force I liue in will I wish to dye In plaint I passe the length of lingring dayes Free would my soule from mortall body flye And tread the tracke of deaths desired wayes Life is but losse where death is deemed gaine And loathed pleasures breede displeasing paine VVho would not dye to kill all murdering greeues Or who would liue in neuer dying feares VVho would not wish his treasure safe from theeues And quit his hart from pangues his eyes from teares Death parteth but two euer fighting foes VVhose ciuill strife doth worke our endlesse woes Life is a wandring course to doubtfull rest As oft a cursed ryse to damning leape As happie race to winne a heauenly crest None being sure what finall fruites to reape And who can like in such a life to dwell VVhose wayes are straite to heau'n but wyde to hell Come cruell death why lingrest thou so long VVhat doth withhold thy dint from fatall stroke Now prest I am alas thou doest me wrong To let me liue more anger to prouoke Thy right is had when thou hast stopt my breath VVhy should'st thou stay to worke my double death If Saules attempt in falling on his blade As lawfull were as ethe to put in vre If Sampsons leaue a common law were made Of Abels lot if all that would were sure Then cruell death thou should'st the tyrant play VVith none but such as wished for delay VVhere life is lou'd thou ready art to kill And to abridge with sodaine pangues their ioy VVhere life is loath'd thou wilt not worke their will But dost adiourne their death to their annoy To some thou art a fierce vnbidden guest But those that craue thy helpe thou helpest least Auant ô viper I thy spight defie There is a God that ouer-rules thy force VVho can thy weapons to his will apply And shorten or prolong our brittle course I on his mercie not thy might relye To him I liue for him I hope to dye I dye aliue O Life what lets thee from a quicke decease O death what drawes thee from a present pray My feast is done my soule would beat ease My grace is said ô death come take away I liue but such a life as euer dies I die but such a death as neuer ends My death to end my dying life denies And life my liuing death no whit amends Thus still I dye yet still I do reuiue My liuing death by dying life is fed Grace more then nature keepes my hart aliue VVhose idle hopes and vaine desires are dead Not where I breath but where I loue I liue Not where I loue but where I am I dye The life I wish must future glory giue The deathes I feele in present dangers lye What ioy to line I wage no warre yet peace I none enioy I hope I feare I fry in freezing cold I mount in mirth still prostrate in annoy I all the world embrace yet nothing hold All wealth is want where chiefest wishes faile Yea life is loath'd where loue may not preuaile For that I loue I long but that I lack That others loue I loath and that I haue All worldly fraights to me are deadly wrack Men present hap I future hopes doe craue They louing where they liue long life require To liue where best I loue death I desire Heere loue is lent for loane of filthy gaine Most friends befriend thēselues with friendships shew Heere plentie perril want doth breed disdaine Cares common are ioyes faulty short few Here honour enuide meanenes is dispis'd Sinne deemed solace vertue little pris'd Heere beauty is a baite that swallowed choakes A treasure sought still to the owners harmes A light that eyes to murdring sighs prouokes A grace that soules enchant with mortall charmes A luring ayme to Cupids fiery flights A balefull blisse that damnes where it delights O who would liue so many deaths to try VVhere will doth wish that wisedome doth reproue VVhere nature craues that grace must needs denie VVhere sence doth like that reason cannot loue VVhere best in shew in finall proofe is worst VVhere pleasures vpshot is to die accurst Lifes death loues life WHo liues in loue loues least to liue And long delayes doth rue If him he loue by whom he liues To whom all loue is due VVho for our loue did choose to liue And was content to die VVho lou'd our loue more then his life And loue with life did buy Let vs in life yea with our life Requite his liuing loue For best we liue when least we liue If loue our life remoue VVhere loue is hote life hatefull is Their grounds doe not agree Loue where it loues life where it liues Desireth most to be And sith loue is not where it liues Nor liueth where it loues Loue hateth life that holdes it backe And death it best approues For seldome is he wonne in life VVhom loue doth most desire If wonne by loue yet not inioyde Till mortall life expire Life out of earth hath not aboad In earth loue hath no place Loue setled hath her ioyes in heau'n In earth life all her grace Mourne therefore no true louers death Life onely him annoyes And when he taketh leaue of life Then loue beginnes his ioyes At home in Heauen FAire soule how long shall veyles thy graces shroud How long shall this exile with-hold thy right VVhen will thy sunne disperse this mortall cloud And giue thy glories scope to blaze their light O that a Starre more fit for Angels eyes Should pyne in earth not shyne aboue the skyes Thy ghostly beautie offred force to God It cheyn'd him in the linkes of tender loue It woon his will with man to make abode It stai'd his Sword and did his wrath remoue It made the rigor of his iustice yeeld And Crowned mercie Empresse of the feeld This lull'd our heauenly Sampson fast a sleepe And laid him in our feeble natures lap This made him vnder mortall load to creep And in our flesh his god-head to enwrap This made him soiourne with vs in exile And not disdayne our tytles in his
Ah not my sonne my soule it is that dyes It dyes for drought yet had a spring in sight VVorthy to dye that would not liue and might Faire Absolons foule faults compard with mine Are brightest sands to mud of Sodome lakes High aymes yong spirits birth of royall line Made him play false where kingdomes were the stakes He gazd on golden hopes whose lustre winnes Sometime the grauest wittes to grieuous sinnes But I whose crime cuts off the least excuse A kingdome lost but hop'd no mite of gaine My highest marke was but the worthlesse vse Of some few lingring howres of longer paine Vngratefull child his parent he pursude I Gyants warre with God himselfe renude Ioy infant Saints whom in the tender flower A happy storme did free from feare of sinne Long is their life that die in blisfull hower Ioyfull such ends as endles ioyes begin Too long they liue that lyue till they be nought Life sau'd by sinne base purchase deerely bought This lot was mine your fate was not so fearce VVhom spotlesse death in cradle rockt a sleepe Sweet Roses mixt with Lillies strow'd your hearce Death virgin white in martirs red did steepe Your downy heads both pearles and rubies crownd My hoary locks did femall feares confound You bleating Ewes that waile thys vvoluish spoyle Of sucking Lambes new bought with bitter throwes To balme your babes your eyes distill theyr oyle Each hart to tombe her child wide rupture showes Rue not theyr death whom death did but reuiue Yeeld ruth to me that liu'd to die aliue VVith easie losse sharpe wreacks dyd he eschew That Sindonles aside did naked slyp Once naked grace no outward garment knew Rich are his robes whom sinne did neuer stryp I that in vaunts displaid prides fayrest flags Disrob'd of grace am wrapt in Adams rags VVhen traytor to the Sonne in Mothers eyes I shall present my humble sute for grace VVhat blush can paint the shame that will arise Or write my inward feeling in my face Might she the sorrow with the sinner see Though I dispisde my griefe might pittyed bee But ah how can her eares my speech endure Or sent my breath still reeking hellish steeme Can Mother like what did the Sonne abiure Or hart deflowr'd a virgins loue redeeme The Mother nothing loues that Sonne doth loath Ah lothsome wretch detested of them both O sister Nymphes the sweet renowned payre That blesse Bethania bounds with your aboade Shall I infect that sanctified ayre Or staine those steps where Iesus breath'd and trode No let your prayers perfume that sweetned place Turne me with Tygers to the wildest chase Could I reuiued Lazarus behold The thyrd of that sweet Trinitie of Saints VVould not astonisht dread my sences hold Ah yes my hart euen with his naming faints I seeme to see a messenger from hell That my prepared torments comes to tell O Iohn ô Iames we made a triple corde Of three most louing and best loued friends My rotten twist was broken with a word Fit now to fuel fire among the fiends It is not euer true though often spoken That triple twisted corde is hardly broken The dispossessed deuils that out I threw In Iesus name now impiously forsworne Triumph to see mee caged in theyr mew Trampling my ruines with contempt and scorne My periuries were musick to their daunce And now they heape disdaines on my mischaunce Our rock say they is riuen ô welcome hower Our Eagles wings are clypt that wrought so hie Our thundering Cloude made noise but cast no shower He prostrate lyes that would haue scal'd the sky In womans tongue our runner found a rub Our Cedar now is shrunke into a shrub These scornefull wordes vpbraid my inward thought Proofes of their damned prompters neighbour voice Such vgly guests still wait vpon the nought Fiends swarm to soules that swarue from vertues choise For breach of plighted truth this true I trie Ah that my deede thus gaue my word the lie Once and but once too deere a once to twice it A heauen in earth Saints nere my selfe I saw Sweet was the sight but sweeter loues did spice it But sightes and loues did my misdeed with-draw From heauen and Saints to hell and diuels estrang'd Those sights to frights those loues to hates are chang'd Christ as my God was tempted in my thought As man he lent mine eyes their dearest light But sinne his temple hath to ruine brought And now he lightneth terrour from his sight Now of my lay vnconsecrate desires Prophaned wretch I tast the earned hires Ah sinne the nothing that doth all things file Out-cast from heauen earths curse the cause of hell Parent of death author of our exile The wrecke of soules the wares that fiends do sell. That men to monsters Angels turnes to diuels VVrong of all rights selfe ruine root of euils A thing most done yet more then God can doe Dayly new done yet euer done amisse Friended of all yet vnto all a foe Seeming a heauen yet banishing from blisse Serued with toyle yet paying nought but paines Mans deepest losse though false esteemed gaine Shot without noyse wound without present smart First seeming light prouing in fyne a lode Entring with ease not easily wonne to part Far in effects from that the showes abode Endorc'd with hope subscribed with dispaire Vgly in death though life did faine it faire O forfeiture of heauen eternall debt A moments ioy ending in endlesse fires Our natures scumme the worlds entangling Net Night of our thoughts death of all good desires VVorse then all this worse then all tongues can say VVhich man could owe but onely God defray This fawning viper dumme till he had wounded VVith many mouthes doth now vpbraid my harmes My sight was vaild till I my selfe confounded Then did I see the dissinchanted charmes Then could I cut the anotomy of sinne And search with Linxes eyes what lay within Bewitching euill that hides death in deceits Still borrowing lying shapes to maske thy face Novv know I the deciphring of thy sleights A cunning deerely bought with losse of grace Thy sugred poyson now hath wrought so well That thou hast made me to my selfe a hell My eye reades mournfull lessons to my hart My hart doth to my thought the griefes expound My thought the same doth to my tongue impart My tongue the message in the eares doth sound My eares back to my hart theyr sorrowes send Thus circkling griefes runne round without an end My guilty eye still seemes to see my sinne All things Charecters are to spell my fall VVhat eye doth reade without hart rues within VVhat hart doth rue to pensiue thought is gall VVhich when the thought would by the tongue disgest The eare conuayes it backe into the brest Thus gripes in all my parts do neuer fayle VVhose onely league is now in bartring paines VVhat I in grosse they traffique by retayle Making each others miseries theyr gaines All bound for euer prentizes to care VVhile I in
blasphemies did swell VVith taynted breath infecting all resort VVhy didst thou lead me to this hell of euills To shew my selfe a fiend among the diuels Euill president the tyde that wafts to vice Dumme Orator that woes with silent deedes VVriting in workes lessons of ill aduise The doing tale that eye in practise reedes Taster of ioyes to vnacquainted hunger VVith leauen of the olde seasoning the yonger It seemes no fault to doe that all haue done The number of offenders hides the sinne Coatch drawne with many horse doth easely runne Soone followeth one where multitudes begin O had I in that court much stronger bin Or not so strong as first to enter in Sharpe was the weather in that stormie place Best suting hearts benum'd with hellish frost VVhose crusted malice could admit no grace VVhere coales were kindled to the warmers cost VVhere feare my thoughts canded with ysie colde Heate did my tongue to periuries vnfolde O hatefull fire ah that I euer saw it Too hard my hart was frozen for thy force Farre hotter flames it did require to thawe it Thy hell resembling heate did freeze it worse O that I rather had congeal'd to yse Then bought thy warm'th at such a damning price O wakefull bird proclaimer of the day VVhose piercing note doth daunt the Lions rage Thy crowing did my selfe to me bewray My frights and brutish heates it did aswage But ô in this alone vnhappie cocke That thou to count my foyles wert made the clocke O bird the iust rebuker of my crime The faithfull waker of my sleeping feares Be now the daylie clocke to strike the time VVhen stinted eyes shall pay their taske of teares Vpbraide mine eares with thine accusing crow To make me rew that first it made me know O milde reuenger of aspiring pride Thou canst dismount high thoughts to low effects Thou mad'st a cocke me for my fault to chide My lofty boastes this lowlie bird corrects VVell might a cocke correct me with a crow VVhom hennish cackling first did ouer-throw VVeake weapons did Golias fumes abate VVhose storming rage did thunder threates in vaine His bodie huge harnest with massie plate Yet Dauids stone brought death into his braine VVith staffe and sling as to a dog he came And with contempt did boasting fury tame Yet Dauid had with Beare and Lyon fought His skilfull might excusd Golias foyle The death is easd that worthy hand hath wrought Some honour liues in honorable spoile But I on whom all infamies must light VVas hisd to death with wordes of womens spight Small gnats enforst th' Egiptian king to stoupe Yet they in swarmes and arm'd with piercing stings Smart noyse annoyance made his courage droupe No small incombrance such small vermine brings I quaild at words that neither bit nor stoung And those deliuered from a womans toung Ah feare abortiue impe of drouping mind Selfe ouer-throw false friend root of remorce Sighted in seeing euils in shunning blind Foyld without field by fancie not by force Ague of valour phrensie of the wise True honours staine loues frost the mint of lies Can vertue wisedome strength by women spild In Dauids Salomons and Sampsons falls VVith semblance of excuse my errour guild Or lend a marble glose to muddy walles O no their fault had show of some pretence No veyle can hide the shame of my offence The blaze of beauties beames allur'd their lookes Their lookes by seeing oft conceiued loue Loue by affecting swallowed pleasures hookes Thus beautie loue and pleasure them did mooue These Syrens sugred tunes rockt them a sleepe Enough to damne yet not to damne so deepe But gratious features dazeled not mine eies Two homely droyles were authors of my death Not loue but feare my sences did surprize Not feare of force but feare of womans breath And those vnarm'd ill grac'd despisd vnknowne So base a blast my truth hath ouer-throwne O women woe to men traps for their fals Still actors in all tragicall mischances Earthes necessarie euils captiuing thralls Now murdring with your tongs now with your glances Parents of life and loue spoylers of both The theeues of harts false do you loue or loth In time ô Lord thine eyes with mine did meete In them I reade the ruines of my fall Their chearing raies that made misfortune sweete Into my guiltie thoughts pourd floods of gall Their heauenly lookes that blest where they beheld Darts of disdaine and angrie checks did yeeld O sacred eyes the springs of liuing light The earthly heauens where Angels ioy to dwell How could you deigne to view my deathfull plight Or let your heauenly beames looke on my hell But those vnspotted eyes encountred mine As spotlesse Sunne doth on the dounghill shine Sweet volumes stoard with learning fit for Saints VVhere blisfull quires imparadize their minds VVherein eternall studie neuer faints Still finding all yet seeking all it finds How endlesse is your laborinth of blisse VVhere to be lost the sweetest finding is Ah wretch how oft haue I sweet lessons read In those deare eyes the registers of truth How oft haue I my hungrie wishes fed And in their happie ioyes redress'd my ruth Ah that they now are Heralds of disdaine That erst were euer pittiers of my paine You flames diuine that sparkle out your heats And kindle pleasing fires in mortall hearts You nectar'd Aumbryes of soule feeding meates You gracefull quiuers of loues deerest darts You did vouchsafe to warme to wound to feast My cold my stony my now famishd brest The matchles eyes match'd onely each by other VVere pleasd on my ill matched eyes to glaunce The eye of liquid pearle the purest mother Broch'd teares in mine to weepe for my mischance The cabinets of grace vnlockt their treasure And did to my misdeed their mercies measure These blazing Comets lightning flames of loue Made me their warming influence to know My frozen hart theyr sacred force did proue VVhich at their lookes did yeeld like melting snow They did not ioyes in former plentie carue Yet sweet are crums where pined thoughts do starue O liuing mirrours seeing whom you shew which equall shadows worths with shadowed things Yea make things nobler then in natiue hew By being shap'd in those life-gyuing springs Much more my image in those eyes was grac'd Then in my selfe whom sinne and shame defac'd All-seeing eyes more worth then all you see Of which one is the others onely price I worthlesse am direct your beames on mee VVith quickning vertue cure my killing vice By seeing things you make things worth the sight You seeing salue and beeing seene delight O Pooles of Hesebon the bathes of grace VVhere happy spirits diue in sweet desires VVhere Saints reioyce to glasse theyr glorious face VVhose banks make Eccho to the Angels quires An Eccho sweeter in the sole rebound Then Angels musick in the fullest sound O eyes whose glaunces are a silent speech In ciphred words high misteries disclosing VVhich with a looke all Sciences can