were good they had it that know how to vse it For such are lightly weake in resolution And men but of a simple constitution Or are by some seducing Villan taught That their goods rather then their good haue sought Now I suppose the man that well obtaines His wealth and in an honest calling gaines More wisedome shewes in vsing it aright Then such a Cynnick as contemnes in quite Men will be in extreames but sure the lesse Is to neglect wealth for much greedines Makes not the body onely leane and foule But also spreads infection to his soule And clogges her so with things of no account That she is ouer-poyz'd to much to mount But those that for to goe astray are loth Vse their endeuours to auoide them both OF AMBITION SATYR 9. HEre 's yet another cal'd Ambition Little with men of low condition But 't is a humor which doth euer search The stout-high-minded and doth alway perch In men of spirit This doth farre surmount The force of Loue It maketh no account Of Nature nor Religion 't is not Law Nor Conscience that can keep such men in awe Ther 's no estate contents them peace and strife Are both alike to them yea death and life Wiues children friends nor none but such as may Be vnto their Ambitious plots a stay Shall be respected and so they may reape What they desire the 'il not stick to heape Murther on Murthers yea and think 't no sinne Be it of strangers or their nearest kin They haue such flinty breasts they can out-beard Danger it selfe and be no whit afeard Proud daring Spirits yet we see confusion Of such high minds doth prooue the sad couclusion And he that first was ruin'd by this euill Was our grand foe which wee doe call the Diuell For he aspir'd so high that higher powers Wrought his iust fall and now he seeketh ours He first infus'd this ill into our brest For to disquiet and disturbe our rest This most vnreasonable strong desire This too excessiue longing to aspire To honour and promotion which indeed Doth from a sottish ignorance proceed It is the wild'st and most disorderd'st passion And a great enemy to contentation For whatsoeuer state man hath attain'd T is e ' ne as if that he had nothing gain'd For he hath hereby still a farther I cope And neuer reaches to the end of 's hope That which he doth possesse he neere respecteth But altogether things vnknowne affecteth And counts them best which whatsoe're they Being once gotten too are not esteem'd But what 's the reason that they doe abhor sseem'd The things possest that they haue labor'd for What is the cause I say they doe contemne Or cannot vse things hauing gained them Sure hence it doth proceed they doe not know VVhat the things are that they doe long for so And they obtaine them oft e're they haue might And Reason fit to gouerne them aright Had many of our reaching Yeomanry That haue growne wealthy through good husbandry And some of our proud Gentry that haue sought Titles and vndeserued Honors bought Had they I say before-hand knowne the shame And beggery that followed on the same For want to knowing where to they aspir'd They would not haue those Dignities desir'd And so indeed they might haue walk't the street And not haue feard the Counters nor the Fleet Yea and with Good-man haue contented bin Where now there 's scarce a good man of the kin Ambitious men wil euer enuious be Regarding neither loue nor amity And though that they may make a goodly shew With reason it can neuer stand I know They should be faithfull or with Iustice deale Either for Princes or for Common-weale For why this humor makes them to attend And all their labours and best counsels spend In their owne plots And so they haue no losse They care not whose proceedings they do crosse Vertuous endeauors this doth also let Yea makes men many a good thing to forget And though I 'me loath to speake it I protest I thinke it raignes not in the Clergy least For they at first shew great humility While that they are of meane ability Thei 'l be industrious and take paine to teach For twise a week shal be the least thei 'le preach Or in their pouerty they wil not stick For Catechizing viziting the sick And such like dutious workes of Piety As do belong to their society But if that they can reach a Vicarage Or be inducted to some Parsouage Men must content the mselues and thinke it well If once a yeare they heare the Sermon bell Now if it be a Deanery or so If not in twelue months it is oft enough And why Alas consider that Deuotion Is but a busie thing that lets Promotion And if that they should giue their minds too 't all Who should haue their great places when they fall No no t were fitter they their ease did take And se what friendes and Patrons they can make For the next Hierarchy or learne how To humor and to please the Great-ones now But if that they in that aduenture speed Thei 'le be more paineful yes t is like indeed If they get into their formalibus And Reuerent Pontificalibus 'T is very like I say that we shall heare They vse the Pulpit once in twise a yeare Nay and t is wel if it be done so oft For this Ambition beares men so aloft They soone forget their duties and this pride I in the Clergy worst of all abide In them I hold it the most odious And no Ambition so pernitious Eeither for prince or Church or common good VVitnesse the beast of Rome and his fou'e brooâ— Of clyming Cardinals who from base states Are gotten to be Kings and Princes mates Yea their superiors This the diuel makes His cheefest engine where withall he shakes Religions soundnesse And rends in it chinks Which he dawbes vp againe with what he thinkâ— Shall ruin't all in time was it not hence He had his meanes to mar the innocence Of Romes first Bishops yes the Church grew strong And flourish't while it was supprest with wrong But when the worthy Emperors embrac't The Sacred Truth and with their fauors grac't Their good proceedings They then gan to leaue Their humble Nature off and closely weaue Vnder a Religious shew not a bare Miter It fits not the successors of Saint Peter A triple Diadem and such a state That neuer any earthly Potentate Enioy'd the like yet all with humble preaching A long degree I tak 't beyond the reaching Of temporall Ambition But I pray Er'e the first Beast his time be done away There rise not vp another monster heere 'Mongst our Ambitious Churchmen I should feare A second Antichrist but that I hope They either shall be kept within their scope Or the last iudgement whose nigh times vnknowne Shall cut him off e're he be wholly growne But more of these I here omit to speake Because I thinke there 's no
Of all presumptions the most accurst And fulst of Danger Silly man take heed Do not before thy selfe an euill deed For when God wil forgiue and man forget Thy owne ill Conscience will oppose and set Her selfe against thee tell thee thine offending And keep thee back from euer apprehending Grace of forgiuenesse neither wil affoord The smallest comfort of the sacred word But rather to thy sad remembrance call Each saying that may serue to prooue thy fall And though that fire wondrous torture brings Vnto the body yet when conscience stings Nor fire nor sword nor hell it selfe can yeeld Aworser to ment God defend and shield Me from the like and giue me grace to feare So that I may preserue my Conscience cleare In all my actions And then I shall be In better case a thousand fold then he That vnto wealth and honour hath obtaind With a craz'd Conscience that is blurd and stain'd Alas how easie wert to climbe or mount To worldly Reputation and Account How soone could I if I had an intention For to contriue or plot a damn'd inuention Get golden heapes yea and so priuily That though t were done by craft and villany I by the blinded World would yet be deem'd Perhaps more honest but much more esteem'd Then now I am But God forbid that I Such base vaine trash and dunghil stuffe should buy At such a rate for there 's no Iewell dearer Nor any losse a man can haue goe nearer Then peace of Conscience which for to be true The ancient Poets very wisely knew And therefore fain'd their Fâ—ries with intent For to declare the inward punishment Of guilty mindes which sure they might do well For there is in them Diuels yea and hell With all her torture what else was the cause Nero who knew no God nor feared lawes When he had kil'd his mother tooke no rest But thought he saw her comming to molest And plague him for 't What made him to surmise He was still tortur'd in such hellish wise That furies did to his appearance scorch His liuing body with a burning torch Wast not his Conscience that had priuy beene Vnto the fact was not the cause within His owne bad selfe If t were let 's to amending Of our presumptuous sinnes aud bold offending If neither in regard of God nor men Oh le ts for feare of our owne Conscience then Yet there 's another thing which wert wel weighd Our rash presumption would be som-what staid The End of life with the ne're-ending paine God for presumptuous sinners doth ordaine Could we note that with deaths vncertaine times And how it takes men acting of the crimes Euen in the very nick of their offence And beares them ere they can repent them hence To such a place where nothing shall appeare But all the Gastly obiects of grimme feare Whereas each sense shall seuerally sustaine The miserable smart of endlesse paine The tender feeling shall in euery part Be subiect to th' intollerable smart Of hellish flames commixt with chilling cold Tortures beyond conceit not to be told The dainty mouth that had the Curioust tast And of the choysest cates still made repast Shall be fild vp yea belly throat and all With filth more loath-some then the bitterest gall The once perfumed Nostrill there shall drinke Foule noysome smels beside the sulpherous stinke Of choaking flames and there the listning eare Fed with the sound of pleasing Musicke heare Shall change it for the wofull screeching cry Of Damned soules that in hels torture lye VVhose hydeous howlings can by no defence Be kept from percing that amazed sence And then while they shal trembling thinke to flye From those amazements that do seeme so nigh To there the feareful'st obiects of the sight Their quite despairing mindes shall more affright For garish formes of foule mishapen fiendes And vgly Bugs for euermore attends To thwhart each looke But if this do not make Thy ouer hardened heart oh man to quake If this relation be too weake to win Or to reclaime thee from thy wonted sinne Reader if this do no impression leaue So that thou canst not any feare conceiue Through this description thinke vpon t at night Soone in thy bed when earth 's depriu'd of light I say at mid-night when thou wak'st from sleepe And lonely darknesse doth in silence keep The Grim-fac't night And but immagine then Thou wert borne all alone to some darke den And there set naked though thou felts no paine Yet seeing no way to get out againe If thou shouldst in that naked loneness heare Some yelling voyce or some strange noyse drawneâ—â— VVith threatning or but calling on thy name Oh with what Patience couldst thou bide the samâ— But if withall thy wandring eyes should marke And now and then see pearing through the darâ— Some monstrous visages or vgly faces VVhich shold make proffer of some rude embrâ—â—â— And smetime seeme as if they would begin VVith griping pawes to ceize thy trembling skiâ— Or but suppose that in thy Chamber there Where cannot be the hundreth part of feare Because to thee the place well knowne will be And thou must haue wherewith to couer thee Yet there I say suppose thou shouldst behold Nor such grim obiects as are heere foretold But Onely heare the dolefull voyce of men Complaining in the darke And now and then Behold the ghastly shape of friends long dead Wrapt in their sheetes as they were buried Or else from out thy Chamber floore to rise A troupe of bony pickt Anatomies Come pointing to thee as if thou wert he That must ere long their bare companion be Then thou wouldst feare I know and think on him Whose might fearful power thou didst contemn Thou wouldst consider better of the feare And hellish horror I haue mention'd heare That Dungeons estate thou would'st conceiue And somewhat thy presumptuous actions leaue Thou wouldst not so cast all thy care behind thee But watch thy self for feare least death shold finde thee Doing some il nor wouldst thou thus delay Times of repentance still from day to day But oh show should I hope that this I plead Will worke in them that shall but barely read What I haue writ Since I my selfe that know And haue some inward seeling of that woe For get my selfe I thought when I shall be From such and such like cares and troubles free Then wil I all my vanities forsake A better course of life I le vndertake And only seeke the glory of his name By whom I liue That day ere long time came Then I had other lets but if that they As I did seeke they might were once away I would indeed my duty better doe Well so it pleas'd God I orepast them too Yet somthing hindred still that I could neuer In my intended Christian course perseuer But euer found vnto my griefe and sorrow That I was bad to day and worse to morrow But oh thou God that knowst my hearts desire Do not oh
fault offend I le shew First when that they new worshippings inuent And cannot hold themselues so well content VVith that which God doth in his word ordaine As with inuentions of their owne weake braine It seemes they think their fancies to fulfill VVould please him better then to haue his will Next I doe reckon them that ouer-bold Gods sacred Legend haue at will contrould And maugre his grand-curse some places chang'd Added to some and some againe estrang'd Then those great masters I presumptuous deeme That of their knowledge doe so well esteeme They will force others as the Papists doe For to alow of their opinions to Yea though it be a meere imagination That neither hath good ground nor iust foundation Some will be prying though they are forbidden Into those secrets God ment should be hidden So doe some students in Astrologie Though they can make a faire Apologie And so doe those that very vainely trie To finde our fortunes by their Palmistrie These doe presume but much more such as say At this or that time comes the iudgement day Or such as aske or dare for to relate What God was doing ere he did create Heauen and Earth or where he did abide How and by whom he then was glorifide But those that into such deep secrets wind A slender profit in their labours find For to make knowne how highly they offend A desperate madnes is ofttimes their end Yet such their nature is thei le not beware But to be prying further still they dare For sure that longing can no way be flaid Which well the Poet seemd to know who said Man what he is forbidden still desires And what he is denide off most requires Rather then many will a man gainesay They dare make bold with God they thinke they may Because it seems they deeme him not so strong Or so well able to reuenge a wrong Some such great power to themselues assume And on their owne strength doe so much presume They seldome doe for Gods assistance craue As if it were a needlesse thing to haue Which is the cause that often the conclusion Proues their owne shame their hindrance confusion In Praying men presume Vnlesse they be With eu'ry one in loue and charitie Or if in their Petitions they desire Such things as are vnlawfull to require Death 's their reward we know that break the law But neither that nor yet damnations awe Keeps vs from sinne a thousand God-heads more Then one we make and dare for to adore Our owne hand-works the Sabboth we disdaine And dreadlesse take the name of God in vaine If but by his Lords hand an Irish swere To violate that oath he stands in feare Least him of both his lands and goods he spoile For making him the instrument of guile And yet dare we poore wormes before his face Respecting whom the greatest Lords are base Both sweare forsweare vsing that great Name At pleasure without any feare of blame Why should not we as well suppose that he Who in our hearts would haue no fraud to be Will miserable poore and naked leaue vs Yea of those Blessings and Estates bereaue vs We now hold of him If we thus contemne And still abuse his sacred name and him But men secure in wickednes perâ—ist As if they could please God with what they list If they can Lord haue mercy on them say And mumble some few prayers once a day There needs no more nay surely there be such That thinke it is enough if not too-much But what 's their reason God made all the man Why should he haue but part allow'd him than He in their seruice nothing doth delight Vnlesse it be with all their strength and might With their whole heart soule and that way toe As he appoints them in his word to doe Some men their are who hope by honesty By their Almes-deeds and works of Charity To win Gods fauour and for to obtaine Saluation by it but their hope 's in vaine Also their 's others cause they haue the faith For to beleeue 't is true the Scripture saith Since they haue knowledge in Religion And make thereof a strict profession Or doe obserue the outward worship duly Do think that their in they haue pleas'd God truely Now these are iust as far as th' other wide Or they Gods worship doe by halfes diuide And for his due which is e'ne all the heart Do dare presume to offer him a part But th' one must know he will not pleased be With a Religion that wants honestie And th' other that as little good will doe His honest shew without Religion toe If this be so as so it is indeed How then wil those presumptuous fellowes speed Who thinke forsooth because that once a yeare They can afford the poore some slender cheare Obserue their Country feasts or Common doles And entertaine their Christmas wassaile boles Or else because that for the Churches good They in defence of Hock-tide custome stood A Whitsun-ale or some such goodly motion The better to procure young mens deuotion What will they doe I say that think to please Their mighty God with such vaine things as these Sure very ill for though that they can mone And say that Loue and Charity is gone As old folkes do because their banquetings Their antient-drunken-summer reuelings Are out of date though they can say through teaching And since the Ghospell hath had open preaching Men are growne worse though they can soon espy A little mote in their owne neighbours eye Yea though that they their Pater noster can And call their honest neighbour Puritan How ere they in their owne conceits may smile Yet they are presumptuous weake and vile Also in this abhominable time It is amongst vs now a common crime To flout and scoffe at those which we do spy VVilling to shake off humane Vanity And those that gladly do themselues enforce Vnto a strict and more religious course Then most men doe although they truely know No men are able to pay halfe they owe thought Vnto their God as though their wisedomes He migh be serued better then he ought They count precise and curious more then needs They try their sayings and weigh all their deeds A thousand thinges that they well do shal be Slightly past ouer as if none did see But one thing ill done though the best does ill They shal be certaine for to heare of still Yea not with standing they can daily smother Millions of ten times greater faults in other VVho are so hated or so often blam'd Or so reuil'd or scorn'd or so misnam'd To whom do we now our contentions lay Who are so much term'd Puritans as they That feare God most But t is no maruaile men Presume so much to wrong his children when As if they fear'd not his reuengefull rod They can blaspheme and dare to anger God Now by these wordes to some men it may seeme That I haue Puritans in high esteeme