say you had abus'd his light By doing that it was asham'd to see And therefore darknesse must your portion bee The night which you can scarce distinguish then Whilst your sad thoughts your errours may condemne Instead of sleepe should with a thousand feares Sound your wak'd conscience larums in your eares Vnfold your guilts and crowne your watchfull eyes Not with a dreame but sence of Miseries Then death which or you feare not or despise Must coldly in your apprehensions rise And teach you truly what it is to die Not natures but the sonnes of infamie ☞ But such considerations haue long since With your worst thoughts a cruell difference For you beleeue you haue deseru'd to bee Admir'd not scorn'd for your past villany And that the actions you haue done are such As pace with honour can endure the touch Of cruell'st censure whilst you fondly deeme That men you braue and valiant doe esteeme And so are bound with your ills to conniue And in despight of Law keepe you aliue So from the Gaole vnto the halter goe Carelesse of now or after ouerthrow Base vsurpation and conceits as vaine As are your liues expenses and your gaine For good and braue men censure right your sinne And pitty you and the course you are in Rather in common Pietie then that Your vilde defeatings should be wondred at And since you are discouered thus by mee If by mistake before a man might bee So cheated with your boastings and lowd talke Because he neuer knew the tracke you walke With your disguises now his Iudgement may Be altered betterd or quite throwne away When all your fained worths appeare to be But faint protectors of your infamy Disabled in the poore things you commit Which neither are for worth nor valour fit Your ends besides if nothing else might draw ☞ You into feare to breake the rigorous Law Vnhappie he that hangs vpon a tree The wretched guerdon of impietie Nor Dyes the shame with him that suffers so His family in such an ouerthrow Participate and share whose innocence Are Dyed in scandall but for his offence And the whole stocke aboue an age in time Is blasted for this debt he paid his crime And yet these sencelesse Caitiues who inherit This way of dying by their owne demerit Laugh at this Iudgement call it a fine thing Thus to be pulld to heauen in a stringe And that the Apoplex fleames and Catarre More cruell to the soules of Christians are Then hanging for these passions take men hence Ere they can thinke of dying or haue sence Of their repentance being snatcht away Scarce with so poore a warning as to pray But these haue Sermons prayer Sacrament Psalmes and alwayes to bring them to repent And a great audience of the people by For whose faire warning th' are content to dy And thus their strong deluder drawes them on To laugh at and deserues destruction What should be their example and afright them Doe rather please reioyce content delight them ☞ But you fond men it may be doe suppose Because I scap'd that you shall neither loose Your forfeit liues I wish the grace I found May not to any of your harmes redownd I meane to your encouragement you know But of particulars no generalls grow One Swallow makes no Summer though Noyes flood Once ouerwhelmed all the liuing brood That stroue against the streame topping the rankes Of the great Mountaines and the lesser Bankes With euery Grawling creature not one mist Though they Lent all their powers to resist Yet God hath promised we haue vnderstood He will not send vs such another flood Things seldome are not vsuall besides strong The reasons are that did my life prolong You must conclude that had the time not byn The Iubily of mercy when my sinne Was cald in question I had president Bin not in writing but in punishment For that great power by whom we gouern'd are To limit my ill courses straind so farre Thus tooke me from my sinne and did contriue How by strange meanes I should be kept aliue For know iust at that instant when the ioyes Of great men good men old men young men Boyes Had but one obiect like the heauenly spheares Whose harmony one note one burthen beares Then when each face did like a Bridegroome smile And one entire contentment crown'd this Isle The Birds the Beasts the men and euery thing Presenting their glad Aues to their king Who like a Sunne new risen on the earth Disdaines to view a corner where 's not mirth So threw a beame on me whose lucklesse fate Was then midst all this ioy disconsolate Then was my apprehension euen iust then As if my faults distinguish'd me from men That were ordain'd for ioy or mine offence Deny'd my share in blisse of Innocence Yet this preseru'd me Barabbas must be At the great Feast from death and bondage free It was no fauour to the man or crime That sau'd his life his blessing was the time Nor could my glorious Sunne that Rose so faire With blood infect or cloud the laughing aire Or die the Crimson of his Morne with red Of Malefactors blood so early shed His beauty is his owne nor would he shine At first in Iustice though 't is cald diuine Hence grew the Mercy that my ioy so might Be in respect of all mens tripartite For besides this I had an Aduocate Whose vertue could the hardest penetrate And make compassion easie for her smile Could the sad browes of sternesse reconcile Her sweetnesse can the angry Ocean calme And turne the Aspe his poison into Balme And stay the thunders heauy hand iust then When it is threatning ruine to all men The Tiger of her yong-ones robd would stay But at her presence and forbeare her prey The angriest things must at her sight appeare As smooth as August or the springing yeare She the rich partner of his royall bed Who weares a triple crowne vpon his head Embrac'd him cald him Lord and at that word Who could denie a pardon to afford She ask'd he gaue and my deare fate in this Got my free pardon she a bountious kisse So sweetly seald was my remisse from death So ratified by this so royall breath Presume not yet on this occasion so Will not her liberall aide to all bestow One thiefe was sau'd that no man should despaire But one so that presumptions forfeit are He with his Sauiour died blest time for him Who else had found no pardon for his sinne I in my Soueraignes glory was to die And that time set my life at liberty Note the occasions strange that set vs free Me from this death him to eternitie My Prince's crowning his Redeemers death Assur'd his soule and did restore my breath But euery day is not Coronation Nor Did many suffer with our Sauiour And mercy at such times as these extended To Iudgements turne if grace be twice offended And now you thinke me happy being free From death and shame by
this benignitie But if you doe a little backe reflect On the recharges of my foes th' aspect Of this sun-shining day you cloudy find And much foule weather in my face behind For now as I haue seene a tired Hare Of his owne swiftnesse in a faint despaire After whose fearefull feet the yelping cry Of the whole kennell follow eagerly Which spi'd some Huntsman or some Shepheard neere Seeing the weary Wat halfe dead with feare In the Pursuers sight in his safe armes Folds the poore creature from their cruell harmes 'Bout whom the angry chasers leape and bay Assaulting him that keepes them from their prey And with their fearefull noyses fright it more Then the poore beast was in pursuit before Euen iust thus is my poore life pursu'de Whilst I thought danger past it was renew'd For first they followed with much speed and cry After poore mee that fled but easily And when the King of Forrests and of Chases Thus found me destitute before their faces â—Ready to be deuour'd snatch'd me away â—ust then as they were seizing on the prey And in his royall armes of grace embrac'd My panting life before so hotly chac'te And yet behold my Aduersaries rore With lowder exclamations then before And would with horrid clamours him constraine What he preseru'd thus to destroy againe Appeales and Caueats and such things they bring To force me from the bosome of my King On which diuinest altar whilst I hold I cannot be vnto their furies sold And yet the rarest eloquence in Law That I could to my causes handling draw I was enforc'd to craue so strongly they Did although pardon'd ' gainst my life inuay Here I a new must muster vp my friends Wearied before to crosse their irefull ends Make their endeauours such to saue me now As if the King no Pardon did allow Thus though my life they cannot take you see They make me weary of 't by troubling mee Thus a Delinquent must of force endure He knowes not when he 's freed nor when secure Behold the Map of your proceeding heere A Glasse in which to life there doth appeare The forme of all your actions vvhich I knovv Are vglier yet in substance then in shovv As they are vilde your Aymes are worse your ends As bad againe yet these your Hope transcends For both in ill designes it leads you on And will most faile when most you trust vpon ☞ Now then if that you are not quite bereft Of likelihoods for grace if there be left Roome but for one good thought if vnto sinne You haue not sold your selues out-right let in This motion I shall make behold your fact Summon your guilty conscience which is rackt And gladly would speake truth that it might gaine Ease to her selfe in her ensuing paine She would account and be discharg'd thereby The worme a breeding would soone liue soone die A hideous horrid sight it must needs bee When in their vgly shapes you chance to see Your monstrous sinnes appeare yet happy men You cannot euer be at all till then No nor then neither if it be to late 'T is some mens cursed and vnhappy fate That they can ne're be touch'd at heart vntill The damned bed-roll of their sinnes o're-fill Their guilty conscience in stead of prayer In vaine as they conceiue they then despaire Not able to appeale to Christ his passion They greedily lay hold on their damnation If not the feare of this your temporall death Let the eternall moue the one 's but breath The other endlesse euer-liuing paine Ere it be done it still begins againe Pitty your silly soules that else must frie In burning lakes of Brimstome neuer die Where worse then Egypt's darknesse hems you in With seuerall tortures for each vgly sinne Where howles and hollow groanes the coapes-mates be To this eternall night of Miserie Where frosts fires drownings sulphur choakings come Encreasing still ne're ending here 's your doome And these the torments that prepared are Of which vild men you must expect your share If you will still persist and not giue ore 'T is then in vaine for to perswade you more I 'le cease my faire meanes therefore and will try If I can fright you with an Hue and Cry Here would I name both you and your abode But that you varie those on euery rode Yo' are East now West and next North-Country men And then your names as oft you change agen Thus to informe then were to put in doubt Not to giue light to men to finde you out You in another kinde I will describe That euery man shall know you as you ride Or to auoid you how or his purse lost I teach you a true rule how he shall coast And dogge you as you ride how to be sure To take you when you thinke your selues secure ☞ Because I liu'd by spoyle of Passengers Thus will I recompence them this worke 's theirs Meant for their good the guerdon for my gaine Is to aduise how they may not sustaine A farther losse come be you rul'd by me And well obserue these your instructions bee When as you carrie charge let no man know Nor of your money nor yet when you goe You haue a humour when you are to ride Your Neighbours Kinsmen or your friends you bid To sup or breake their fasts only to drinke Healths to your good returne you little thinke There 's any harme in this yet I haue knowne A Father thus betray'd by his owne Sonne A Brother by a Brother and a friend Most deare in outward shew to condescend And lay the plot with theeues bid them prepare Such a prize comes whereof he takes a share Whilst but for him they neuer had bin met Another kind of men there is that set Ten times more dangerous you often choose Some one to guard you for feare you should loose Your money by the way you doe relye Both on his valour and his honestie Now as you ride together if he see You light on any other company He rounds you in the eare as if he tooke The greatest care and sayes that you mans looke He likes not you perswaded slacke your pace So that alone he brings you to the place Where his confederates lie and then surpris'd As 't was by him and them before deuis'd They hacke and hew against each others sword Till threatned to be shot you giue the word And bid him yeeld which he seemes loth to doe Nay more he is inform'd which way they goe And as you follow with an hue and Cry He will be sure to leade you quite awry ☞ Oft in your Clothiers and your Grasiers Inne You shall haue Chamberlaines that there haue bin Plac'd purposely by theeues or else consenting By their large bribes and by their often tempting That marke your purses drawne and giue a gesse What 's there within a little more or lesse Then will they gripe your cloak-bags feele there weight There 's likewise in my Host sometimes deceit If
to he first perswades to sin Then firmely that we may continue in The foule transgressions we commit he tells What faire excuse we may alledge which quells Our good intentions to desist he saies Vnto the quarreller it is a praise For to affront the meeke and a great glorie To boast thereof and to repeat the storie The enuious and the sullen minded man That aimes at bloud and ruine all he can He cherishes and sayes it is but meet Bids him persist and that reuenge is sweet Thus Satan pleads thus he deludes vs all And then at last he glories in our fall ☞ But horrid Sire of Hell I doe descry And finde thou art the Father of each lie That a delinquent has for his excuse And therein doth consist thy maine abuse Vnto mankinde immediatly next that Temptation which made Eue to perpetrate For since that damned act of thine 't is true We sinne by nature but are borne anew Through Christ which blest regeneration Has notwithstanding no relation To those accursed that doe want the grace For to appeale thereto or haue the face To iustifie themselues and with a lie As'twere confront the sacred deity Had Adam too not from his iust God sled Had he confess'd as otherwaies he did Denie what he had done and had he cried For mercy when himselfe he iustified I doe beleeue the vengeance for his sin Had not so lasting and so heauie bin Thus I debated with my selfe when I Was first attach'd and kept so priuately That none must visite me and euen then Not being allowed to haue aduice of men To thee my gracious God I did appeale To thee who knew'st before I did reueale Confesse acknowledge and bewaile my sinnes Assertained that whosoeuer winnes Mercy and fauour from thee must repent That onely causes thee for to relent And stay thy wrath I said within my heart All idle wandring thoughts first set apart O God most mercifull thou knowest all What is what was and what hereafter shall If thy foreseeing knowledge doth descry That if I liue I will liue wickedly And licking vp the vomit of my sinne The same or a worse way of ill begin Now let thy thundring hand my curs'd dayes end But if my euill daies I shall amend And by a true conuersion yeeld thee praise And glory then O then in mercy raise Me from the snares of death direct me to Both what I am to speake and what to doe Thus I besought my God what comfort then And ease came to my minde neither my pen Can write nor you imagine for that blisse He onely knowes by whom enioy'd it is But whilst this contemplation did transport My rauish'd minde behold another sort Of thoughts assault me that the Deuill might Lose all his power in me in this great fight Me thought vpon a sodaine I beheld My Conscience frighted with my sinnes that yeld And cry'd accusing me my ills were such The glorie that I saw I might not touch The World on th' other side by me offended Inditing me with eurdence transcended All trialls here for who will not confesse Addes to his fault and doth anew transgresse The heauenly Iudge knew all and could enforme The Iurie how my passages were borne Then Satan that had tempted next comes in And though he fashion'd yet reueal'd my sinne So that I conscious all amazed stood Betwixt so much of ill so much of good And as my comforts reached at the Crowne Frozen despaire assayes to plucke me downe At length my sinnes me thoughts like clouds did fly And vanish'd quite and none accuser by To peale against my pardon which seal'd stood Writ in the Lambes deare innocence and blood And all my ruines were restor'd in that He that must iudge me is my Aduocate And thus prepar'd induc'd assur'd I came To my confession here resolu'd to name And to particularize all my oftences My ill got goods and dearer times expences To satisfie sterne Iustice in each point Vnscruing my disguises ioynt by ioynt Not caring though this freenesse might depriue My being here and take me from the liue To mingle with the dead if but from hence My forfeit life might pay for mine offence I did not then vnto the Iudge at home Deny those ills which were perhaps vnknowne To his enquirle nor refuse to tell What euer I had done that was not well And at the barre when death and iustice stood Not greedy for but challenging my blood As debt to them I did not faintly then Before the faces of so many men That witnesse my arraignment or deny My foulest deeds nor could the feare to dye About me houer with a face so grimme As not to ease my conscience of the sinne I had committed that my iudgement might How sad so ere be equall yet and right And that the glorie vnto God might be More then the pitie was bestow'd on me Nor was it hope of mercie that my youth Might purchace fauour only for this truth Or that the Bench in policie might saue Me from the clawes of death in hope to haue Such freenesse from the like offenders still When they should see my plainnesse thriu'd not ill And that the law because I vented all Would but my follies chide not let me fall No it was none of these my wounded minde That could no rest no ease no quiet finde But in confession plainly prou'd that I Was lesse afraid of dying then a lye I knew besides that in concealing so I striu'd to keepe my ills not let them goe And he that in excuses folds his shame Retaines his sinne although he saue his fame Hence then my ill companion I no more Will striue to hide thee but vnlocke the dore Where my offences lye whose vgly shape Shall nor the worlds nor mine owne censure scape Of all the hainous facts man can commit There 's none like this of mine for it is right Rebellion against God and man so foule That it deserues the losse of life and soule ☞ Now you licencious Rebels that doe make Profession of this wicked course and take A pride therein and would be term'd by me Knights of the Rodes or else at leastwise be Stil'd High-way Lawyers No I doe defie You and your actions I will tell you why But first plucke of your visards hoods disguise Masks Muzles Mufflers patches from your eyes Those beards those heads of haire and that great wen Which is not naturall that I may ken Your faces as they are and rightly know If you will blush at what I speake or no As well you may but that you want the grace Forlorned men I pitty though your case Because it hath been mine and gladly I Would suffer death to be a remedy And your example onely that I know It will doe better for to liue and show Vnto the world your basenesse to preuent Others that yet sinne onely in intent Conceiuing that it is a gentile course Not to be discommended whilst non's worse Or
That they shall neither follow you nor reare The Country with a hue and cry so vext Robb'd rifled destitute amaz'd perplext You leaue them and are gone they know not whither Nor scarce the number but you went together And that 's all they can say here is poore light To those that doe pursue yet in your flight You shew your cowardly feare each Crow you see Seemes like a Constable and if so be A Colt or Calfe within the bushes stirre You thinke you are beset in hast conferre One with another how you shall get gone From that so imminent destruction Did not I see of late after a prize A strange confusion on such poore surmize An Owle which into Sanctuarie gat To shunne the ayrie quires wondring at Screend in a hollow Tree so discontent Began with fatall hoopes the ayre to rent At which you switch'd apace fearing that hollow Was of the Country that your flight did follow Thus more a fraid then hurt you often are The more the pitie afterward you share And doe deuide the spoyle here let me show Another piece of Knauery that I know You play the double theeues you cheate forsweare Reseruing the best part from those you dare And curse your selues to Hell 't is all for I Haue found you in your damned periury ☞ But makes no matter vvhither more or lesse 'T is soone consum'd againe in vvickednesse Ill-gotten goods can neuer prosper vvell Nor can they thriue that haue no place to dvvell The rolling stone can hardly gather mosse Those that liue on doe alvvayes liue in losse You haue no trade no calling no vocation Whereby to liue and saue you haue relation To nothing that is good vvastfull expence Is of your lavvlesse gaines the recompence Thus to be furnish'd then is iust as tho A man should thatch his dwelling house with snow Which melts drops soulters and consumes avvay Euen the time of one sun-shining day For vvhen to Innes or Tauernes you doe runne That note your vvayes there are you tvvice vndone For vvell they knovv their bils you dare not chide If you presume your actions they must hide And so to make them rich you forfeit all That men may vvise or good or honest call And as you sinn'd in gaining so are faine To be in spending coozen'd not complaine Although you knovv't so thriftlesse is their vvay That doe on ruines of their Countrey prey I had a treble income by the meanes Of such as vvere my men and yet my gaines Scarce counteruail'd my charge yet vvas I vvarie Not vvastfull in expence but alvvayes chairie In that particular to blinde mens eyes For feare that thence suspition might arise Yet notvvithstanding all this thrift I could Neuer grovv rich by sauing nor yet vvould The somme I had vvhen I vvas doom'd to die Pay for my buriall and my Coffin buy Whence I conclude though vve goe late to bed And rise betimes and likevvise eate the bread Of carefulnesse the vantage vvill be small Vnlesse God giues his blessing there vvithall Which he vvill neuer doe to such attempts Your vvicked and vnlavvfull course exempts You from that gracious benefit and tho You doe subsist avvhile God suffers so To try if that you vvill reclaymed bee If not his heauie vengeance shall you see Out poured in abundance then too late You vvill repent you cursing cruell fate When 't is past remedie the Pots you knovv That ouer often to the Riuer goe ☞ At last come broken home O then forsake This life least you your Inne the Prison make And here arriu'd O Heauens Hell not retaynes More fuller tortures torments vvoes and paines Which vvere enough to punish all offence Though vvith the forfeit life the Law dispence For here no sooner entred but you meete A thousand vvretched soules that loosely fleet From place to place where sighing is their ayre Their comforts coldnesse and their food despaire And euer as they see a Keeper come They start as fearing some new martyrdome Whilst the insulting Rascall swels to thinke The crauen soule should from his power shrinke And standing on the tiptoes of poore pride Screwes his ill fauour'd face on tother side As the poore Prisoner with a dolefull looke Seemes to petition some thing as the Booke Of his sad face may tell the Iayler vild His deuillish heart is from remorse exild The minutes of your rest if rest there be Within the wals of so much Iniurie Are frighted with your cares or some rude noyse Of sencelesse creatures from whose drunken voice The night is quartred into Earth-quakes sad That you would thinke eu'n the whole World were mad And you another humorist shall heare Cursing the Stars the Earth and all that 's neere Another vild and franticke in his oaths His blasphemics ' gainst God and Angels throwes Cursing his cruell Creditors and fate That makes him begge his food within a grate Perhaps some pray but if they doe 't is so As if the good they meant they did not know But as their wants or customes doe prouoke They in distraction doe their Gods inuoke Who heares as little for such vowes as those The best effects of true petitions loose Here are you mingled with the various straine Of fainting need and euery humour vaine And must of force endure the idle way Of those that doe blaspheme and such as pray At one selfe instant here what other ill Your owne corruption knew not meete you still And if a little tainted when you came Ere you depart y' are all compos'd of shame And grow as cunning now in all offence As he that tempted Mans first innocence Nor is that humour which some Parents haue Thinking their vilder sonnes they thus may saue From vtter ruine or reclayme from sinne If but a prison once they are put in To be forgiuen for in sauing so They doe precipitate their ouerthrow The cause is easie for examples ill Purge not but doe adulterate the will Too prone to giddie folly and beside They that enioy the ayre and Region wide When from a Kinsman or a friend confin'd They haue a Message or a Letter sign'd As if they had him sacrific'd to Hell Nor know him nor the place where he doth dwell Or if they call his mention from the dead It is as faint as of those buried So that the liuing deaths of prisoners bee The feelingst of Monuments of miserie But these are but the Interludes to those Sad Tragedies writ in your ouerthrowes And as the quickest passage in your Scene To your Catastrophes so slight so meane That he that sees your ends may truly say The Prison was the best of all your play For there your fatall lodging and sad roome Presenting to you your accursed doome May well instruct you that abuse of aire Hath brought you to this chamber of despaire Where when the tell-tale Sunne through crannies spies Your day-bard carkasse lock'd in miseries It snatches his free beames from your dull sight As who should