it Eyes â—ands and armes tongues eares and hearts of men Sing praise and let the people say Amen ¶ Tune you your Instruments and let them vary Praise him upon them in his Sanctuary Praise him within the highest Firmament Which shewes his Power and his Government Praise him for all his mighty Acts are knowne And suit thy praises to his high Renowne Praise him with Trump victorious shrill sharpe With Psaltry lowd and many-stringed Harpe With sounding Timbrell and the warbling Flute With Musicks full Interpreter the Lute Praise him upon the Maiden Virginalls Vpon the Clerick Organs and Cymballs Vpon the sweet Majestick Vyalls touch Double your joyes and let your prayse be such Let all in whom is life and breath give praise To heav'ns eternall God in endlesse dayes Let every Soule to whom a voyce is given Sing Holy Holy Holy Lord of Heaven For loe a Lambe is found that undertooke To break the seven-fold-Seale ope the BOOK◠¶ O let my life adde number to my dayes To shew thy glory and to sing thy praise Let every minute in thy praise be spent Let every head be bare and knee be bent To thee deare Lambe Who ere thy praises hide Clos'd be his Lippes and tongue for ever ty'de Hallelujah Gloria DEO in excelsis ELEVEN PIOVS Meditations 1. ¶ WIthin the holy Legend I discover Three speciall Attributes of God his Power His Iustice and his Mercy All uncreated Eternall all and all unseparated From Gods pure Essence and from thence proceeding All very God All perfect All exceeding And from that selfe-same text three names I gather Of great lehova Lord and God and Father The first denotes him mounted on his Throne In Power Majesty Dominion The second shewes him on his kingly Bench Rewarding Evill with equall punishments The third describes him on his Mercy-seat Full great in Grace and in his Mercy great ¶ All three I worship and before all three My heart shall humbly prostrate with my knee But in my private choice I fancy rather Then call him Lord or God to call him Father 2. ¶ IN hell no Life in heaven no Death there is In earth both Life and Death both Bale and Blis In Heaven 's all Life no end nor new supplying In hell 's all Death and yet there is no dying Earth like a partiall Ambidexter doth Prepare for Death or Life prepares for both Who lives to sinne in Hell his portion 's given Who dyes to sinne shall after live in Heaven ¶ Though Earth my Nurse be Heaven bee thou my Father Ten thousand deaths let me endure rather Within my Nurses armes then One to Thee Earths honour with thy frownes is death to mee I live on Earth as on a Stage of sorrow Lord if thou pleasest end the Play to morrow I live on Earth as in a Dreame of pleasure Awake me when thou wilt I wait thy leisure I live on Earth but as of life bereaven My life 's with thee for Lord thou art in Heaven 3. NOthing that e'r was made was made for nothing Beasts for thy food their skins were for thy clothing Flowers for thy smell and â—earbs for Cure good Trees for thy shade Their Fruit for pleasing Food The showers fall upon the fruitfull ground Whose kindly Dew makes tender Grasse abound The Grasse springs forth for beasts to feed upon And Beasts are food for Man but Man alone Is made to serve his Lord in all his wayes And be the Trumpet of his Makers praise ¶ Let Heav'n be then to me obdure as brasse The Earth as iron unapt for graine or grasse Then let my Flocks consume and never steed mee Let pinching Famine want wherewith to feed mee When I forget to honour thee my Lord Thy glorious Attributes thy Workes thy Word O let the Trump of thine eternall Fame Teach us to answer Hallow'd be thy Name 4. ¶ GOd built the World and all that therein is He framed yet how poore a part is his Quarter the Earth and see how small a rome Is stiled with the name of Christeâ— dome The rest through blinded ignorance rebels O're-runne with Pagans Turkes and Infidels Nor yet is all this little quarter his For though all know him halfe know him amisse Professing Chrâ—â—â— for lucre as they lâ—st And serve the triple Crowne of Anâ—â—â—hrist Yet is this little handfull much made lesser There 's many Lâ—â—ertines for one Prâ—fessour Nor doe Professours all professe aright ' Mong ' whom there often lurks an Hypocrite ¶ O where and what 's thy Kingdome blessed God Where is thy Scepter where 's thine iron Rod Reduce thy reck'nings to their totall summe O let thy Power and thy kingdome come 5. ¶ MAN in himselfe 's a little World Alone His Soul 's the Court or high Imperiall throne Wherein as Empresse sits the Vnderstanâ—ing Gently directing yet with awe Commanding Her Handmaid's will Affections Maids of Honour All following close and duely waiting on her But Sin that alwayes envi'd mans Condition Within this Kingdome raised up Division Withdrawne the Will and brib'd the false Affection That This no order hath nor That Election The Will proves Traitor to the Vnderstanding Reason hath lost her power and left commanding She 's quite depos'd and put to foule disgrace And Tyrant Passion now usurps her place ¶ Vouchsafe Lord in this little World of mine To raigne that I may raigne with Thee in thine And since my Will is quite of good bereaven Thy will be done in earth as 't is in Heaven 6 ¶ WHo live to sin are all but theeves to hearÌ„ And Earth They steale froÌ„ God take ungiveÌ„ Good men they rob such as live upright And being bastards share the freemans Right They 're all as owners in the owners stead And like to Dogs devoure the childrens bread They have and lacke and want that they possesse Vnhappy most in their most happinesse They are not goods but riches that they wast And not beâ—ng goods to ev'ls they turne at last ¶ Lord what I have let me enjoy in thee And thee in it or else take it from mee My store or want make thou or fade or flourish So shall my comforts neither change nor perish That little I enjoy Lord make it mine In making mee that am a Sinner thine 'T is thou or none that shall supply my need Great God Give us this day our daily bread 7. ¶ THe quick conceited Schoole-men doe approve A difference 'twixt Charity and Love Love is a vertue whereby we explaine Our selves to God and God to us againe But Charitie 's imparted to our Brother Whereby we trafficke one man with another The first extends to God The last belongs To Man in giving right and bearing wrongs In number they are twaine In vertue one For one not truely being t' other's none ¶ In loving God if I neglect my Neighbour My love hath lost his proofe and I my labour My Zeale my Faith my Hope that never failes me If
and the painfull prize Of their sweet labour in the hollow Chest Of the dead Lyon whose unbowell'd brest Became their plenteous storehouse where they laid The blest encrease of their laborious Trade The fleshly Hive was fill'd with curious Combes Within whose dainty waxe-divided roomes Were shops of honey whose delicious taste Did sweetly recompence th'adjourned haste Of lingring Samson who does now repay The time he borrow'd from his better way And with renewed speed and pleasure flies Where all his soule-delighting treasure lies He goes to Timnah where his heart doth finde A greater sweetnesse than he left behinde His hasty hands invites her gladder eyes To see and lips to taste that obvious prize His interrupted stay had lately tooke And as shee tasted his fixt eyes would looke Vpon her varnisht lips and there discover A sweeter sweetnesse to content a Lover And now the busie Virgins are preparing Their costly Iewels for the next dayes wearing Each lappe is sill'd with Flowers to compose The nuptiall Girland for the Brides faire browes The costâ—neglecting Cookes have now encreast Their pastry dainties to adorne the feast Each willing hand is labring to provide The needfull ornaments to deck the Bride But now the crafty Philistins for feare Lest Samsons strength which startled every eare With dread and wâ—nder under that pretence Should gaine the meanes to offer violence And through the shew of nuptiall devotion Should take advantages to breed commotion Or lest his popular power by coaction Or faire entreats may gather to his faction Some loose and discontented men of theirs And so betray them to supected feares They therefore to prevent ensuing harmes Gave strict command that thirty men of armes Vnder the maâ—ke of Bridemen should attend Vntill the nuptiall ceremonies end Meditat. 9. HOw high unutterable how profound Whose depth the line of knowledge cannot sound Are the deerces of the Eternall God! How secret are his wayes and how untrod By mans conceipt so deeply charg'd with doubt How are his Counsels past our finding out O how unscrutable are his designes How deepe and how unsearchable are the Mines Of his abundant Wisdome how obscure And his eternall Iudgements and how sure Lists he to strike the very Stones shall flie From their unmov'd Foundations and destroy Lists he to punish Things that have no sense Shall vindicate his Quarrell on th' Offence Lists he to send a plague The winters heate And summers damp shall make his will compleate Lists he to send the Sword Occasion brings New Iealousies betwixt the hearts of Kings Wills he a famine Heaven shall turne to brasse And earth to Iron till it come to passe Both stocks and stones and plants and beasts fulfil The secret Counsell of his sacred will Man onely wretched Man is disagreeing To doe that thing for which he had his being Samson must downe to Timnah in the way Must meet a Lyon whom his hands must slay The Lyons putrid Carkas must enclose A swarme of Bees and from the Bees arose A Riddle and that Riddle must be read And by the reading Choller must be bred And that must bring to passe Gods just designes Vpon the death of the false Philistines Behold the progresse and the royall Gests Of Heavens high vengeance how it never rests Till by appointed courses it fulfill The secret pleasure of his sacred will Great Savior of the world Thou Lambe of Sion That hides our sinnes That art the wounded Lyon O in thy dying body we have found A world of hony whence we may propound Such sacred Riddles as shall underneath Our feet subdue the power of Hell and Death Such Mysteries as none but he that plough'd With thy sweet Hayfer's able to uncloud Such sacred Mysteries whose eternall praise Shall make both Angels and Archangels raise Their louder voyces and in triumph sing All Glory and Honour to our highest King And to the Lambe that sits upon the throne Worthy of power and praise is he alone Whose glory hath advanc'd our key of mirth Glory to God on high and peace on Earth THE ARGVMENT The Bridegroome at his nuptiall Feast to the Philistians doth propound A Riddle which they all addrest themselves in counsell to expound Sect. 10. NOw when the glory of the next dayes light Had chas'd the shadowes of the tedious night 〈◊〉 coupling Hymen with his nuptiall bands 〈◊〉 gâ—lden Fetters had conjoyn'd their hands 〈◊〉 jolly welcome had to every Guest â—â—pos'd the bounty of the mariage Feast 〈◊〉 now appeased stomacks did enlarge 〈◊〉 captive tongues with power to discharge 〈◊〉 quit their Table-duty and disburse 〈◊〉 store of enterchangeable discourse 〈◊〉 â—â—genious Bridegroome turn'd his rolling eyes 〈◊〉 his guard of Bridemen and applies â—â—â—peech to them And whil'st that every man 〈◊〉 his attentive eare he thus began My tâ—ngue's in labour and my thoughts abound 〈◊〉 a doubtfull Riddle to propound 〈◊〉 if your joyned wisdomes can discover 〈◊〉 our seven dayes feasting be past over 〈◊〉 thirty Sheets and thirty new supplies â—â—â—â—â—â—ment shall be your deserved prize 〈◊〉 be seven dayes feast shall be dissolv'd 〈◊〉 darkned Riddle be resolv'd Ye shall be all engaged to resigne The like to me the vict'rie being mine So said the Bridemen whose exchanged eyes Found secret hopes of conquest thus replies Propound thy Riddle Let thy tongue dispatch Her cloudy errand We accept the match With that the hopefull Challenger convai'd His Riddle to their hearkning eares and said The Riddle Our food in plenty doth proceed from him that us'd to eate And he whose custome was to feed does now afford as meate A thing that I did lately meet as I did passe along Afforded me a dainty sweet yet was both sharpe and strong The doubtful Riddle being thus propounded They muse the more they mus'd the more coÌ„founded One rounds his whispring neighbour in the eare Whose lab'ring lips deny him leave to heare Another trusting rather to his owne Conceit sits musing by himselfe alone Here two are closely whispring till a third Comes in nor to the purpose speakes a word There sits two more and they cannot agree How rich the clothes how fine the Sheets must be Yonder stands one that musing smiles no doubt But he is neere it if not found it out To whom another rudely rushes in And puts him quite beside his thought agin 〈◊〉 three are Whispring and a fourths intrusion Spoiles all and puts them all into confusion â—â—re sits another in a Chaire so deepe 〈◊〉 thought that he is nodding fast asleepe The more their busie fancie doe endever The more they erre Now farther off than ever 〈◊〉 when their wits spur'd on with sharpe desire Had lost their breath and now began to tire They ceas'd to tempt conceit beyond her strength And weary of their thoughts their thoughts at length Present a new exploit Craft must supply Defects of wit Their hopes must now rely Vpon the frailty of the tender Bride She must be mov'd Perswasions may attaine If not
And froÌ„ their ragged wounds they suck forth blood The father dies and leaves his pined Coarse T' inrich his Heire with meat The hungry Nurse Broyles her starv'd suckling on the hastie coales Devoures one halfe and hides the rest in holes O Tyrant Famine that compell'st the Mother To kill one hungry Childe to feed another ELEG 11. LAment O sad Ierusalem lament O weepe if all thy teares be yet unspent Weepe wasted Iudâ—h let no drop be kept Vnshed let not one teare be left unwept For angry heaven hath nothing left undone To bring thy ruines to perfection No curse no plague the fierce Almighty hath Kept backe to summe the totall of his wrath Thy Citie burnes thy Sion is dispoyld Thy Wives are ravisht and thy Maides defil'd Famine at home the Sword abroad destroyes thee Thou cry'st to heav'n heav'n his â—are denies thee ELEG 12. MAy thy dull senses O unhappy Nation Possest with nothing now but desolation Collect their scatter'd forces and behold Thy novell fortunes ballanc'd with the old Couldst thou ô could thy prosp'rous heart coÌ„ceive That mortall powre or art of State could reive Thy ' illustrious Empire of her sacred glory And make her ruines the Threnâ—dian story Of these sad times and ages yet to be Envie could pine but never hope to see Thy buildings crusht and all that glory ended Which Man so fortifyde and Heav'n defended ELEG 13. NE're had the splendor of thy bright renowne Beene thus extinguisht ludah Thy fast Crowne Had ne're beene spurn'd from thy Imperiall brow Plenty had nurs'd thy soule thy peacefull plough Had fill'd thy fruitfull Quarters with encrease Hadst thou but knowne thy selfe and loved peace But thou hast broke that sacred truce concluded Betwixt thy God and thee vainly deluded Thy selfe with thine own strength with deadly feud Thy furious Priests and Prophets have pursude The mourning Saints of Sion and did sâ—ay All such as were more just more pure then they ELEG 14. O How the Priests of Sion whose pure light Should shine to such as grope in Errors night And blaze like Lampâ— before the darkned eye Of Ignorance to raise up those that lie In dull despaire and guide those feet that strey Ay me How blinde how darke how dull are they Fierce rage fury drives them through the street And like to mad men stabbe at all they meet They weare the purple Livery of Death And live themselves by drawing others breath Say wasted Sion could Revenge behold So foule an acted Scene as this and hold ELEG 15. PRophets and sacred Priests whose tongues whilere Did often whisper in th'Eternalls eare Disclos'd his Oracles found ready passage Twixt God and Man to carry heavens Embassage Are now the subjects of deserved scorne Of God forsaken and of man forlorne Accursed Gentiles are asham'd to know What Sions Priests are not asham'd to doe They see and blush and blushing flee away Fearing to touch things so defil'd as they They hate the filth of their abomination And chace them forth from their new conquer'd nation ELEG 16. QVite banisht from the joyes of earth and smiles Of heaven and deeply buried in her spoiles Poore Iudah lies unpitied disrespected Exil'd the World of God of Man rejected Like blasted eares among the fruitfull wheat She roames disperst and hath no certaine seat Her servile neck 's subjected to the yoake Of bondage open to th' impartiall stroake Of conquering Gentiles whose afflicting hand Smites every nooke of her disguised Land Of Youth respectlesse nor regarding Yeeres Nor Sex nor Tribe like scourging Prince Peers ELEG 17. REnt and deposed from Imperiall state â—y heavens high hand on heaven we must await To him that struck our sorrowes must appeale Where heaven hath smitâ— no hand of man can heale In vaine our wounds expected mans reliefe For disappointed hopes renew a griefe Aegypt opprest us in our fathers loynes What hope 's in Aegypt Nay if Aegypt joynes Her force with Iudah our united powres Could nere prevaile 'gainst such a foe as our's Aegypt that once did feele heavens scourge for grieving His flock would now refinde it for reliving ELEG 18. SO the quick-sented Beagles in a view O're hill and dale the fleeing Chase pursue As swift-foot Death and Ruine follow me That flees afraid yet knowes not where to flee Flee to the fields There with the sword I meet And like a Watch Death stands in every street No covert hides from death no Shade no Cells So darke wherein not Death and Horror dwells Our dayes are numbred and our number 's done The empty Houre-glasse of our glorie 's run Our sins are summ'd and so extreame 's the score That heauen could not doe lesse nor hell do more ELEG 19. TO what a downfall are our fortunes come Subjected to the suffrance of a doome Whose lingring torments Hell could not conspire More sharp than which hell needs no other fire How nimble are our Foemen to betray Our soules Eagles are not so swift as they Where shall we flee Or where shall sorrow finde A place for harbour Ah what prosp'rous winde Will lend a gale whose bounty ne're shall cease Till we be landed on the I le of peace My foes more fierce than empty Lions are For hungry Lions woo'd with teares will spare ELEG 20. VSurping Gentiles rudely have engrost Into their hands those fortunes we have lost Devoure the fruits that purer hands did plant Are plump and pampred with that bread we want And what is worse than death a Tyrant treads Vpon our Throne Pagans adorne their heads With our lost crowns their powers have dis-jointed The Members of our State and Heavens Anointed Their hands have crusht ravisht from his throne And made a Slave for Slaves to tread upon Needs must that flock be scattred and accurst where wolves have dar'd to seize the Shepherd first ELEG 21. WAxe fat with laughing Edom with glad eies Behold the fulnesse of our miseries Triumph thou Type of Antichrist and feed Thy soule with joy to see thy brothers â—eed Ruin'd and rent and rooted from the earth Make haste and solace thee with early mirth But there 's a time shall teachâ—thee how to weepe As many teares as I thy lips as deepe Shall drinke in sorrowes Cup as mine have done Till then cheere up thy spirits and laugh on Offended Iustice often strikes by turnes Edom â—eware for thy next neighbour burnes ELEG 22. YE drooping sonnes of Sion O arise And shut the flood-gates of your flowing eyes Surcease your sorrowes and your joyes attend For heaven hath spoke it and your griefes â—â—al end Beleeve it Sion seeke no curious signe And wait heav'ns pleasure as heav'n waited thine And thou triumphing Edâ—m that dost lye In beds of Roses thou whose prosp'rous eye Did smile to see the Gates of Sion fall Shalt be subjected to the selfe-fame thrall Sion that weepes shall smile and Edoms eye That smiles so fast as fast shall shortly cry The Prophet Ieremie his
heaven at last will grant thee thy desire THE ARGVMENT The second time was Ionah sent To Niniveh now Ionah went Against her crying 〈…〉 cry'd And her destruction propâ—â—â—y'd Sect. 8. ONce more the voyce of heavens high-CoÌ„mander Like horrid claps of heav'ns-dividing thunder Or like the fall of waters breach the noise Bâ—ing heard farre distant off such was the voyce Came downe from heav'n to Ionah new-borne-MaÌ„ To re-baptized Ionah and thus began Am I a God Or art thou ought but Dust More than a man Or are my Lawes unjust Am I a God and shall I not command Art thou a man and dâ—r'st my Lawes withstand Shall I the motion of whose breath shall make Both earth and Sea and Hell and Heaven quake By thee fond man shall I be thus neglected And thy presumption scape uncorrected Thy faith hath sav'd thee Ionah Sin no more Lest worse things happen after than before Arise let all th' assembled pow'rs agree To doe th'Embassage I impose on thee Trifle no more and to avoid my sight Thinke not to baulke me with a second flight Arise and goe to Niniveh the great Where broods of Gentiles have ta'ne up their seat The great Queene regent mother of the Lâ—nd That multiplies in people like the sand Away with wings of time I 'le not essoyne thee Denounce these fiery Iudgements I enjoyne thee Like as a youngling that to schoole is sent Scarce weaned from his mothers blandishment Where he was cockerd with a stroking hand With stubborne heart denyes the just command His Tutor wils But being once corrected His home-bred stomack 's curb'd or quite ejected His crooked nature 's chang'd and mollifi'd And humbly seekes what stoutly he deny'd So Ionah's stout perverse and stubborne heart Was hardned once but when it felt the smart Of heav'ns avenging wrath it straight dissolv'd And what it once avoyded now resolv'd T' effect with speed and with a carefull hand Fully replenish'd with his Lords Command To Ninivâ—h he flyeth like a Roe Each step the other strives to overgoe And as an Arrow to the marke does flie So bent to flight flies he to Niniveh ¶ Now Niniveh a might Citie was Which all the Cities of the world did passe A Citie which o're all the rest aspires Like midnight Phoebe 'mongst the lesser fires A Citie which although to men was given Better beseem'd the Majestie of Heaven A City Great to God whose ample wall Who undertakes to mete with paces shall Bring Phoebus thrice to bed ere it be done Although with dawning Hesperus begun When Ionas hath approacht the City gate He made no stay to rest nor yet to bait No supple oyle his fainting head anoints Stayes not to bathe his weather-beaten joynts Nor smooth'd his countenance nor slick ' his skin Nor craved he the Hostage of an Inne To ease his aking bones with travell sore But went as speedy as he fled before The Cities greatnesse made him not refuse To be the trump of that unwelcome newes His tongue was great with But like thuÌ„ders noise His mouth flew ope and out there rusht a voyce When dewy-cheek't Aurora shall display Her golden locks and summon up the day Twice twenty times and rest her drowzy head Twice twenty nights in aged Tithons bed Then Niniveh this place of high renowne Shall be destroy'd and sackt and batterd downe He sate not downe to take deliberation What maner people were they or what Nation Or Gent ' or Salvage nor did he enquier What place were most convenient for a Cryer Nor like a sweet-lipt Orator did steare Or tune his language to the peoples eare But bold and rough yet full of Majesty Lift up his trumpet and began to cry When forty times Don Phoebus shall fulfill His Iournall course upon th' Olympian Hill Then Niniveh the Worlds great wonder shall Startle the Worlds foundation with her fall The dismall Prophet stands not to admire The Cities pompe or peoples quaint attire Nor yet with fond affection doth pity Th' approaching downfall of so brave a City But dauntlesse he his dreadfull voice extends Respectlesse whom this bolder cry offends When forty daies shall be expir'd and run And that poore Inch of time drawne out and done Then Niniveh the Worlds Imperiall throne Sall not be left a stone upon a stone Meditat. 8. BVt stay Is God like one of us Can he When he hath said it alter his Decree Can he that is the God of Truth dispence With what he vow'd or offer violence Vpon his sacred Iustice Can his minde Revolt at all or vary like the winde How comes this alteration then that He Thus limiting the' effect of his Decree Vpon the expiring date of forty daies He then performes it not But still delaies His plagues denounc't Iudgement stil forbeares And stead of forty dayes gives many yeares Yet forty dayes and Niniveh shall perish Yet forty yeares and Niniveh doth flourish A change in man's infirme in God 't is strange In God to change his Will and will a Change Are divers things When he repents from ill He wils a change he changes not his Will The subject's chang'd which secret was to us But not the mind that did dispose it thus Denounced Iudgement God doth oft prevent But neither changes counsell not intent The voyce of heâ—â—en doth seldome threat perdition But with expresse or an imply'd condition So that if Niniveh returne from ill God turnes his hand he doth not turne his Will ¶ The stint of Niniveh was forty dayes To change the By as of her crooked wayes To some the time is large To others small To some 't is many yeares And not at all To others Some an houre have and some Have scarce a minute of their time to come Thy span of life Malfidâ— is thy space To call for mercy and to cry for grace ¶ Lord what is man but like a worme that crawles Open to danger every foote that fals Death creepes unheard and steals abroad unseen Her darts are sudden and her arrowes keene Vncertaine when but certaine she will strike Respecting King and Begger both alike The stroke is deadly come it soone or late Which once being strucke repenting's out of date Death is a minute full of sudden sorrow Then live to day as thou maist die to morrow THE ARGVMENT The Ninivites beleeve the word Their hearts returne unto the Lord In him they put their onely trust They mourne is Sackcloth and in dust Sect. 9. SO said the Ninivites beleev'd the Word Beleeved Ionas and beleev'd the Lord They made no pause nor jested aâ— the newes Nor slighted it because it was a Iew 's Denouncement No nor did their gazing eyes As taken captive with such novelties Admire the strangers garb so quaint to theirs No idle chat possest their itching eares The whil'st he spake nor were their tongues on fier To raile upon or interrupt the Cryer Nor did they question whether true the message Or false the Prophet were that
heart My glowing heart to these imperious fires No earthly sorrow but at length expires But these my Tyrant-torments doe extend To infinites nor having ease nor end Loe I the Pris'ner of the highest God Inthâ—ailed to the vengeance of his Rod Lie bound in fetters that I cannot flie Nor yet endure his deadly stroakes nor die My joyes are turn'd to sorrows backt with feares And I poore I lie pickled up in teares ELEG 14. O! How unsufferable is the waight Of sinne How miserable is their state The silence of whose secret sinne conceales The smart till Iustice to Revenge appeales How ponderous are my crimes whose ample scroul Weighs downe the pillars of my broken Soule Their sowre masqu'd with sweetnes overswai'd me And with their smiling kisses they betrai'd me Betraid me to my Foes and what is worse Betraid me to my selfe and heavens curse Betraid my soule to an eternall griefe Devoid of hope for e're to finde reliefe ELEG 15. PErplext with change of woes where ere I turne My fainting eyes they finde fresh cause to mourne My griefes move like the Planets which appeare Chang'd from their places coÌ„stant to their sphaere Behold the earth-confounding arme of Heaven Hath cow'd my valiant Captaines and hath driven Their scattered forces up and downe the street Like worried sheepe afraid of all they meet My younger men the seede of propagation Exile hath driven from my divided Nation My tender Virgins have not scap'd their rage Which neither had respect to youth nor age ELEG 16. QVicke change of torments equall to those crimes Which past unthought-of in my prosp'rous times From hence proceed my griefes ah me from hence My Spring-tyde sorrowes have their influence For these my soulâ— dissolves my eyes lament Spending chose teares whose store wil ne're be speÌ„t For these my fainting spirits droepe and melt In anguish such as never Mortall felt Within the selfe-same flames I freeze and frie I roare for helpe and yet no helpe is nigh My sons are lost whose fortunes would relieve me And onely such triumph that hourely grieve me ELEG 17. REnt from the glory of her lost renowne Sion laments Her lips her lips o'reflowne With floods of teares she prompteth how to breake New languages instructs her tongue to speake Elegious Dialects She lowly bends Her dusty knees upon the earth extends Her brawnlesse armes to them whose ruthlesse eyes Are red with laughing at her miseries Naked she lies deform'd and circumvented With troopes of feares unpitied unlamented A loathsome draine for filth despis'd forlorne The scorne of Nations and the childe of scorne ELEG 18. SOwre wages issue from the sweets of sin Heavens hand is just this trecherous heart hath bin The author of my woes 'T is I alone My sorrowes reap what my foule sins have sowne Often they cry'de to heaven e're heaven reply'd And vengeance ne're had come had they ne'r cride All you that passe vouchsafe your gracious eares To heare these cries your eyes to view these tears They are no heat-drops of an angry heart Or childish passions of an idle smart But they are Rivers springing from an eye Whose streams no joy can stop no griefe draw drie ELEG 19. TVrne where I list new cause of woe presents My poore distracted soule with new laments Where shall I turne shall I implore my friends Ah summer friendship with the Summer ends In vaine to them my groanes in vaine my teares For harvest friends can finde no winter eares Or shall I call my sacred Priests for aid Alas my pined Priests are all betraid To Death and Famine in the streets they cryed For bread whilst they sought for bread they died Vengeance could never strike so hard a blow As when she sends an unlamented woe ELEG 20. VOuchsafe great God to turne thy tender eyes On me poore wretch Oh let my midnight cries That never cease if never stopt with teares Procure audience from thy gracious eares Behold thy creature made by change of griefe The barest wretch that ever beg'd reliefe See see my soule is tortur'd on thy rack My bowels tremble and my heart-strings crack Abroad the sword with open ruine frights me At home the secret hand of Famine smites me Strange fires of griefe How is my soule opprest That findes abroad no peace at home no rest ELEG 21. WHere where art thou O sacred Lambe of peace That promis'd to the heavie laden ease Thee thee alone my often bended knee Invokes that haue no other helpe but thee My foes amazed at my hoarse complaining Scoffe at my oft repeated cries disdaining To lend their prosp'rous hand they hisse and smile Taking a pleasure to behold my spoile Their hands delight to bruize my broken reeds And still persist to prick that heart that bleeds But there 's a Day if Prophets can divine Shal scourge their sins as they have scourged mine ELEG 22. YOu noy some weeds that lift your crests so high When better plants for want of moysture die Thinke you to flourish ever and unspide To shoot the flowers of your fruitlesse pride If plants be cropt because their fruits are small Thinke you to thrive that beare no fruit at all Looke downe great God from their places teare These weeds that suck the juice shold make us bear Vndew'd with showers let them see no Sun But feel those frosts that thy poor plaÌ„ts have done O clense thy Garden that the world may know Wee are the seeds that thy right hand did sow Threnodia II. ELEG 1. ALas my torments my distracted feares Have no commerce with reasonable teares How hath Heavens absence darkned the renowne Of Sions glory with one angry frowne How hath th' Almighty clouded those bright beams And chang'd her beauties streamers into streames Sion the glory of whose refulgent Fame Gave earnest of an everlasting name Is now become an indigested Masse And ruine is where that brave glory was How hath heaven strucke her earth-admired name From th' height of honour to the depth of shame ELEG 2. BEautie nor strength of building could entice Or force revenge from her just enterprise Mercy hath stopt her eares and Iustice hath Powr'd out full vialls of her kindled wrath Impatient of delay she hath strucke downe The pride of Sion kickt off Iuda's Crowne Her streets unpeopled and disperst her powres And with the ground hath levell'd her high towres Her priests are slaine her captiv'd Princes are Vnransom'd pris'ners Slaves her men of warre Nothing remaines of all her wonted glory But sad memorialls of her tragicke story ELEG 3. COnfused horror and confounding shame Have blur'd the beauty and renowned name Of righteous Israel Israels fruitfull land Entail'd by Heaven with the usurping hand Of uncontroled Gentiles is laid waste And with the spoile so ruine is defac't The angry mouth of Iustice blowes the fires Of hasty vengeance whose quicke flame aspires With fury to that place which heaven did sever For Iacob and his holy seed for ever No part no