plants the tree deserues the fruit 't is fit That he that bought the purchase hansell it Hang Haman there It is his proper good So let the Horseleach burst himselfe with blood They straight obey'd Lo here the end of Pride Now rests the King appeas'd and satisfi'de Meditatio decimaquarta CHeere vp and caroll forth your siluer ditty Heau'ns winged Quiristers and fill your Citty The new Ierusalem with iolly mirth The Church hath peace in heauen hath peace on earth Spread forth your golden pinions and cleaue The flitting skies dismount and quite bereaue Our stupid senses with your heauenly mirth For lo there 's peace in heauen there 's peace on earth Let Haleluiah fill your warbling tongues And let the ayre compos'd of Saintly songs Breathe such Celestiall Sonnets in our eares That whosoe'r this heauenly musicke heares May stand amaz'd and rauish't at the mirth Chaunt forth There 's peace in heauen there 's peace on earth Let Mountaines clap their ioyfull ioyfull hands And let the lesser Hills trace o'r the lands In equall measure and resounding Woods Bow downe your heads and kisse your neighb'ring floods Let peace and loue exalt your key of mirth For loe there 's peace in heauen there 's peace on earth You holy temples of the highest King Triumph with ioy Your sacred Anthemes sing Chaunt forth your Hymnes and heauenly Roundelayes And touch your Organs on their deeper keyes For Haman's dead that daunted all your mirth And now there 's peace in heau'n there 's peace on earth Proud Haman's dead who liuing thee opprest Seeking to cut and seare thy Lilly brest The rau'ning Fox that did annoyance bring Vnto thy Vineyard 's taken in a Spring ¶ Seem'd not thy Spouse vnkind to heare thee weepe And not redresse thee Seem'd he not asleepe No Sion no he heard thy bitter pray'r But let thee weepe for weeping makes thee faire The morning Sunne reflects and shines most bright When Pilgrims grope in darknesse all the night The Church must conquer e'r she gets the prize But there 's no conquest where 's no enemies The Day is thine In triumph make thy mirth For now there 's peace in heauen there 's peace on earth What man 's so dull or in his braines vndone To say because he sees not There 's no Sunne Weake is the faith vpon a sudden griefe That sayes because not now There 's no reliefe God's* bound to helpe but loues to see men sue Though datelesse yet the bond 's not present due ¶ Like to the sorrowes of our Child-bed wines Is the sad pilgrimage of humane liues But when by throes God sends a ioyfull birth Then find we Peace in heauen and Peace on earth Meditatio decimaquinta TO breathe 's a necessary gift of nature Whereby she may discerne a liuing Creature From plants or stones 'T is but a meere degree From Vegitation and this hath she Like equally shar'd out to brutish beasts With man who lesse obserues her due behests Sometimes than they and oft by accident Doe lesse improue the gift in the euent But man whose organs are more fairly drest To entertaine a farre more noble Ghest Hath through the excellence of his Creation A Soule Diuine Diuine by inspiration Diuine through likenesse to that pow'r Diuine That made and plac'd her in her mortall shrine From hence we challenge lifes prerogatiue Beasts onely breathe 'T is man alone doth liue The end of mans Creation was Society Mutuall Communion and friendly Piety The man that liues vnto himselfe alone Subsists and breathes but liues not Neuer one Deseru'd the moity of himselfe for he That 's borne may challenge but one part of three Triparted thus his Country claimes the best The next his Parents and Himselfe the least He husbands best his life that freely giues It for the publike good He rightly liues That nobly dies 't is greatest mastery Not to be fond to liue nor feare to dye On iust occasion He that in case despises Life earnes it best but he that ouer-prizes His dearest blood when Honour bids him dye Steales but a life and liues by Robbery ¶ O sweet Redeemer of the world whose death Deseru'd a world of liues Had Thy deare breath Been deare to Thee Oh had'st Thou but deny'd Thy precious Blood the world for e'r had dy'd O spoyle my life when I desire to saue it By keeping it from Thee that freely gaue it THE ARGVMENT Letters are sent by Mordecai That all the Iewes vpon the day Appointed for their death withstand The fury of their foe-mens hand Sect. 16. FOrthwith the Scribes were summon'd to appeare To eu'ry Prouince and to eu'ry Shiere Letters they wrote as Mordecai directed To all the Iewes the Iewes so much deiected To all Lieu-tenants Captaines of the Band To all the States and Princes of the Land According to the phrase and diuers fashion Of Dialect and speech of eu'ry Nation All which was stiled in the name of King And canonized with his Royall Ring Loe here the tenor of the Kings Commission Whereas of late through Hamans foule sedition Decrees were sent and spred throughout the Land To spoyle the Iewes and with impartiall hand Vpon a day prefixt to kill and slay We likewise grant vpon that very day Full power to the Iewes to make defence And quit their liues and for a Recompence To take the spoyles of those they shall suppresse Shewing like mercy to the mercilesse On posts as swift as Time was this Decree Commanded forth As fast as Day they flee Spurr'd on and hast'ned with the Kings Command Which straight was noys'd publisht through y e Land As warning to the Iewes to make prouision To entertaine so great an opposition So Mordecai disburthen'd of his griefe Which now found hopefull tokens of reliefe Departs the presence of the King addrest In Royall Robes and on his lofty Crest He bore a Crowne of gold his body spred With Lawne and Purple deeply coloured Fill'd are the Iewes with triumphs and with noyse The common Heralds to proclaime true ioyes Like as a prisner muffl'd at the tree Whose life 's remou'd from death scarce one degree His last pray'r said and hearts confession made His eyes possessing deaths eternall shade At last vnlook'd for comes a slow Reprieue And makes him euen as dead once more aliue Amaz'd he rends deaths Muffler from his eyes And ouer-ioy'd knowes not he liues or dyes So ioy'd the Iewes whose liues this new Decree Had quit from death and danger and set free Their gasping soules and like a blazing light Disperst the darknesse of th'approching night So ioy'd the Iewes and with their solemne Feasts They chas'd dull sorrow from their pensiue brests Meane while the people startl'd at the newes Some grieu'd some enui'd some for feare turn'd Iewes Meditatio decimasexta AMong the Noble Greekes it was no shame To lose a Sword It but deseru'd the name Of Warres disastrous fortune but to yeeld
And curs'd be all things that proud Tomyris hath O worst that Death can doe to take a life Which lost leaues kingdom's to a Tyrants knife For now alas degenerate Cambyses vices Whose hand was fill'd with blood whose heart with Sits crowned King to vexe the Persian state With heauy burthens and with sore regrate O Cyrus more vnhappy in thy Son Then in that stroke wherewith thy life was don Cambyses now sits King now Tyrant rather Vnlucky Sonne of a renowmed Father Blood cries for Blood Himselfe reuenged hath His bloody Tyranny with his owne death That cruell sword on his owne flesh doth feed Which made so many loyall Persians bleed Whose wofull choyce made an indiff'rent thing To leaue their liues or lose their Tyran ' King Cambyses dead with him the latest drop Of Cyrus blood was spilt his death did stop The infant source of his braue Syers worth Ere after-times could spend his riuers forth Tyrant Cambyses being dead and gone On the reuersion of his empty Throne Mounts vp a Magus which dissembled right Forging the name of him whose greedy night Too early did perpetuate her owne And silent Death did snatch away vnknowne But when the tidings of this Royall cheat Tymes loyall Trumpe had fam'd th' vsurped seat Grew too too hot and longer could not beare So proud a burthen on so proud a Chayre The Nobles sought their freedome to regaine Not resting till the Magi all-vvere slaine And so renovvned vvas that happy slaughter That it solemniz'd was for euer after So that what pen shall write the Persian story Shall treat that Triumph and write that dayes glory For to this time the Persians as they say Obserue a Feast and keepe it holy-day Now Persia lacks a King and now the State Labours as much in want as it of late Did in abundance Too great calms doe harme Sometimes as much the Sea-man as a storme One while they thinke t' erect a Monarchy But that corrupted breeds a Tyranny And dead Cambyses fresh before their eyes Afrights them with their new-scap'd miseries Some to the Nobles would commit the State In change of Rule expecting change of fate Others cri'd no more Kings then one incumber Better admit one Tyrant than a number The rule of many doth disquiet bring One Monarch is enough one Lord one King One saies Let 's rule our selues let 's all be kings No saies another that confusion brings Thus moderne danger bred a carefull trouble Double their care is as their feare is double And doubtfull to resolue of what conclusion To barre confusion thus they bred confusion At last and well aduis'd they put their choyce Vpon the verdit of a Iuries voyce Seuen is a perfect number then by seuen Be Persia's royall Crowne and Scepter giuen Now Persia doe thy plagues or ioyes commence God giue thy Iury sacred euidence Fearefull to chuse and faithlesse in their choyce Since weale or woe depended on their voyce A few from many they extracted forth Whose euen poys'd valour and like equall worth Had set a Non plus on their doubtfull tongues Vnweeting where the most reward belongs They this agreed and thus aduis'd bespake Since bleare-eyd mortals of themselues can make No difference 'twixt good and euill nor know A good from what is only good in show But with vnconstant frailty doth vary From what is good to what is cleane contrary And since it lies not in the braine of man To make his drooping state more happy than His vnprospitious stars allot much lesse To lend another or a state successe In vaine you therefore shall expect this thing That we should giue you fortune with a King Since you haue made vs meanes to propagate The ioyfull welfare of our headlesse State Bound by the tender seruice that we beare Our natiue soyle far then our liues more deare We sifted haue and boulted from the Rest Whose worst admits no badnes and whose best Cannot be bettered When Chaunticleere the Belman of the morne Shall summon twilight with his bugle horne Let these braue Hero's drest in warlike wise And richly mounted on their Palferies Attend our rising Sun-gods ruddy face Within the limits of our Royall place And he whose lusty Stallion first shall neigh To him be giuen the doubtfull Monarchy The choyce of Kings lies not in mortals brest This we the Gods and fortune doe the rest So said the people tickl'd with the motion Some tost their caps some fell to their deuotion Some clapt their ioyfull hands some shout some sing And all at once cri'd out A King A King When Phoebus Harbinger had chac'd the night And tedious Phospher brought the breaking light Complete in armes and glorious in their trayne Came these braue Heroes prauncing o're the playne With mighty streamers came these blazing starres Portending Warres and nothing else but Warres Into the royall Palace now they come There sounds the martiall Trump here beats the Drum There stands a Steede and champes his frothy steele This stroaks the ground that skorn's it with his heele One snorts another pufs out angry wind This mounts before and that curuets behind By this the fomy Steeds of Phaëton Puffe too and spurne the Easterne Horizon Whereat the Nobles prostrate to the ground Ador'd their God Their God was early found Forthwith from out the thickest of the crowd In depth of silence there was heard the loud And lustfull language of Darius Horse Who in the dialect of his discourse Proclaim'd his rider King whereat the rest Patient to beare what cannot be redrest Dismount their lofty Steeds and prostrate bring Their humbled bodies to their happy King God saue the King they ioyntly say God blesse Thy prosprous actions with a due successe The people clap their sweatty palmes and shout The bonfires smoke the bels ring round about The minstrels play the Parrats learne to sing Perchaunce as well as they God saue the King Assuerus now 's inuested in the throne And Persia's rul'd by him and him alone Prooue happy Persia's Great Assuerus prooue As equall happy in thy peoples loue Enough And let this broken breuiate Suffice to shadow forth the downefall state Of mighty Babel and the conquest made By the fierce Medes and Persians conqu'ring blade Whose iust succession we haue traced downe Till great Assuerus weare the Persian Crowne Him haue we sought and hauing found him rest To morrow goe we to his royall Feast FINIS THE ARGVMENT OF THE HISTORY KIng Assuerus makes two feasts to that he inuites his Courtly ghests to this the Citizens of Susa wherevnto he sends for Queene Vashti who denyes to come whereupon the King is angry and referres the censure of her offence to his Councell who giue sentence that shee should be degraded from her Princely estate Forthwith the King commands the fairest Virgins in the Land to bee brought before him for him to take his choyce
Shee made a Feast and put on iolly mirth To bid sweet welcome with her Princely cheere To all her Ghests Her Ghests all women were By this the Royall bounty of the King Hath well-nigh spent the seuen dayes banqueting Six Iouiall dayes haue run their howers out And now the seuenth doth wheele the weeke about Vpon which day the Queenes vnlucky Day The King with iollity intic'd away And gently hauing slipt the stricter reynes Of Temperance that ouer-mirth restraines Rose vp commanded that without delay How-e're the Persian custome doe gain-say How hast thou thus defil'd thy Yu'ry feet Thy sweetnesse that was once how farre from sweet Where are thy maiden smiles thy blushing cheeke Thy Lamb-like countenance so faire so meeke Where is that spotlesse flower that while-ere Within thy lilly-bosome thou did'st weare Ha's wanton Cupid snatcht it Hath his Dart Sent courtly tokens to thy simple heart Where dost thou bide The Countrey halfe disclaimes thee The City wonders when a body names thee Or haue the sounding Woods ingrost thee there And thus fore-stal'd our empty Markets here Sure th' art not or hid where no man shewes thee Or chang'd so much scarce man or woman knowes thee ¶ Our Grandame Eue before it was forbid Desired not that Fruit she after did Had not the Custome of those times ordain'd That women from mens Feasts should be restrain'd Perhaps Assuerus Vasti might haue stayd Vnsent for and thy selfe been vndenayd Such are the fruits of myrths and Wines abuse Customes must crack and Loue must break his Truce Anger contentious Wrath and wrathfull Hate Attend the Feast where Wine 's immoderate ¶ More difficult it is and greater skill To beare a mischiefe than preuent an ill Passion is naturall but to bridle Passion Is more Diuine and vertues operation To doe amisse is Natures Act to erre Is but a wretched mortalls Character But to preuent the danger of the Ill Is more than Man surpassing humane skill Who playes a happy game with crafty sleyte Confirmes himselfe but Fortunes Fauourite But he that husbands well an ill-dealt Game Deserues the credit of a Gamesters name ¶ Lord if my Cards be bad yet lend me skill To play them wisely ' and make the best of ill THE ARGVMENT The learned Councell plead the case The Queene degraded from her place Decrees are sent throughout the Land That wiues obey and men command Sect. 3. THe righteous Councell hauing heard the Cause Aduiz'd awhile with respit of a pause Till Memucan the first that silence brake Vnseal'd his serious lips and thus bespake The Great Assuerus sou'raigne Lord and King To grace the period of his Banqueting Hath sent for Vashti Vashti would not come And now it rests in vs to giue the doome But lest that too much rashnesse violate The sacred Iustice of our happy state We first propound the height of her offence Next the succeeding Inconuenience Thus broke in two he did anew ordaine That these same two should be made One againe Till singling Death this sacred knot vndoe And part this new-made One once more in two ¶ Since of a Rib first framed was a Wife Let Ribs be Hi'rogliphicks of their life Ribs coast the heart and guard it round about And like a trusty Watch keepe danger out So tender Wiues should loyally impart Their watchfull care to fence their Spouses heart All members else from out their places roue But Ribs are firmely fixt and seldome moue Women like Ribs must keepe their wonted home And not like Dinah that was rauish't rome If Ribs be ouer-bent or handled rough They breake If let alone they bend enough Women must vnconstrain'd be plyent still And gently bending to their Husbands will The sacred Academy of mans life Is holy wedlocke in a happy Wife It was a wise mans speech Could neuer they now to command that knew not first t' obey Wher 's then that high Command that ample Glory Which for a patterne left in endlesse story Your noble Sexe in former dayes atchiu'd Whose sounding Fame no after-Times outliu'd What braue Command How well-succeeding broyles What stately Triumphs What victorious spoyles Their hands achiu'd They sway'd their Scepters thē As well in Kingdomes as in hearts of men And sweet obedience was the lowly stayre Mounted their steps to that Commanding chaire A womans Rule should be in such a fashion Onely to guide her houshold and her Passion And her obedience neuer's out of season So long as either Husband lasts or Reason Ill thriues the haplesse Family that showes A Cocke that 's silent and a Hen that crowes I know not which liue more vngodly liues ¶ Obeying Husbands or commanding Wiues THE ARGVMENT Assuerus pleas'd His seruants motion Propounded gaine his approbation Esters descent her Iewish race Her beautyes and her perfit Grace Sect. 4. VVHen Time that endeth all things did asswage The burning Feuer of Assüerus rage And quiet satisfaction had assign'd Delightfull Iu'lyps to his troubled mind He cal'd his old remembrance to account Of Vashti and her Crimes that did amount To th'summe of their diuorcement In his thought He weigh'd the censure of her heedlesse fault His fawning seruants willing to preuent him If too much thought should make his loue repent him Said thus If it shall please our gracious Lord To crowne with Audience his seruants word Let strict Inquest and carefull Inquisition In all the Realme be made and quicke prouision Throughout the Medes and Persians all among For comely Virgins beautifull and yong Which curiously selected let them bring Into the Royall Palace of the King And let the Eunuchs of the King take care For Princely Robes and Vestures and prepare Sweet Odours choyse Perfumes and all things meet To adde a greater sweetnesse to their sweet And she whose perfect beames shall best delight And seeme most gracious in his Kingly sight To her be giuen the Conquest of her face And be inthron'd in scornfull Vashties place The proiect pleas'd the King who made an Act To second what was said with soone effect Within the walls of Shusa dwelt there one By breeding and by birth a Iew and knowne By th' name of Mordecai of mighty kin Descended from the Tribe of Beniamin Whose necke was subiect to the slauish yoke When Ieconiah was surpris'd and tooke And carried captiue into Babels Land With strength of mighty Neb'chadnezzars hand Within his house abode a Virgin bright Whose name was Ester or Hadassa hight His brothers Daughter whom her parents dead This Iew did foster in her fathers stead She wanted none though father she had none Her vncles loue assum'd her for his owne Bright beames of beauty streamed from her eye And in her cheekes sate maiden modesty Which peerelesse beauty lent so kinde a rellish To modest vertue that they did imbellish Each others ex'lence with a full assent In her to boast their perfect complement Meditatio quarta
the Throne As needy beggers Heau'n Spectator is And markes who acteth well and who amisse ¶ What part befits me best I cannot tell It matters not how meane so acted well THE ARGVMENT Vnto the King Queene Ester goes He vnexpected fauour showes Demands her suit shee doth request The King and Haman to a Feast Sect. 11. WHen as Queene Esters solemne three dayes Fast Had feasted heauen with a sweet repast Her lowly bended body she vnbow'd And like faire Titan breaking from a cloud She rose and with her Royall Robes she clad Her liuelesse limmes and with a face as sad As griefe could paint wanting no Art to borrow A needlesse helpe to counterfeit a sorrow Softly she did direct her feeble pace Vnto the inner Court where for a space She boldly stood before the Royall Throne Like one that would but durst not make her mone Which when her gracious Lord did well behold His heart relented Fortune helpes the bold And to expresse a welcome vnexpected Forth to the Queene his Scepter he directed Whom now imboldn'd to approch secur'd In gracious tearmes he gently thus coniur'd What is 't Queene Ester would What sad request Hangs on her lips dwells in her doubtfull brest Say say my lifes preseruer what 's the thing That lyes in the performance of a King Shall be deny'd Faire Queene what e'r is mine Vnto the moyty of my Kingdom 's thine So Ester thus If in thy Princely eyes Thy loyall seruant hath obtain'd the prize Of vndeserued fauour let the King And Haman grace my this-dayes-banqueting To crowne the dainties of his handmaids Feast Humbly deuoted to so great a Ghest The motion pleas'd and fairly well succeeded To willing minds no twice intreaty needed They came but in Queene Esters troubled face Rob'd of the sweetnesse of her wonted Grace The King read discontent her face diuinde The greatnesse of some further suit behinde Say say thou bounteous haruest of my ioyes Said then the King what dumpish griefe annoyes Thy troubled soule Speake Lady what 's the thing Thy heart desires By th' onour of a King My Kingdomes halfe requested I 'le diuide To faire Queene Ester to my fairest Bride Lo then the tenor of my deare Request Replide the Queene Vnto a second Feast Thy humble suitor doth presume to bid The King and Haman as before she did Now therefore if it please my Gracious Lord To daine his Royall presence and afford The peerlesse treasure of his Princely Grace To dry the sorrowes of his Handmaids face Then to my Kingly and thrice-welcome Ghest His seruant shall vnbosome her Request Meditatio vndecima HE that inuites his Maker to a Feast Aduising well the greatnesse of his Chest Must clense his dining roome from foule infections And sweepe the Cobwebs of his lewd Affections And then prouide such Cates as most delight His Palate and best please his Appetite And such are holy workes and pious deeds These are the dainties whereon heau'n feeds Faith playes the Cooke seasons directs and guides So man findes meate so God the Cooke prouides His drinke are teares sprung from a midnight cry Heau'n sips out Nectar from a sinners eye The dining Chamber is the soule opprest God keepes his Reuels in a Sinners brest The musick that attends the Feast are grones Deepe-sounding sighes and lowd-lamenting mones Heau'n heares no sweeter musick than complaints The Fasts of sinners are the Feasts of Saints To which heau'n daynes to stoop heau'ns hie King Transcends whil'st all the Quire of Angels sing And with such sense-bereauing Sonnets fill The hearts of wretched men that my rude Quill Dazeld with too much light it selfe addressing To blaze them forth obscures them in th' expressing Thrice happy man and thrice thrice happy Feast Grac'd with the presence of so great a Ghest To him are freely giuen the priuie keyes Of heauen and earth to open when he please And locke when-e'r he list In him it lies To ope the showring floud-gates of the skyes Or shut them at his pleasure In his hand The Host of heauen is put If he command The Sunne not daring to withstand obeyes Out runnes his equall howres flyes backe or stayes To him there 's nought vneasie to atchieue Hee 'le rouze the graues and make the dead aliue ¶ Lord I 'me vnfit t' inuite thee to my Home My Cates are all too course too meane my Roome Yet come and welcome By thy pow'r Diuine Thy Grace may turne my water into Wine THE ARGVMENT Good Mordecai's vnreuerence Great Hamans haughty pride offends H'acquaints his wife with the offence The counsell of his wife and friends Sect. 12. THat day went Haman forth his swolne brest Was fill'd with ioyes and heart was full possest Of all the height Ambition could require To satisfie her prodigall Desire But when he passed through the Palace Gate His eye-sore aged Mardocheus sate With dauntlesse head vnbar'd and knee vnbent Vnapt to fawne with slauish blandishment Which when Great Haman saw his boyling brest So foule disdaine vnable to digest Ran o're his blood grew hot and new desires Incenst and kindled his auenging fires Surcharg'd with griefe and sicke with male-content Of his distemper'd passion home he went Where to asswage the swelling of his sorrow With words the poorest helpes distresse can borrow His wife and friends he summon'd to partake His cause of discontent and thus bespake See see how Fortune with a lib'rall hand Hath with the best and sweetest of the Land Crown'd my desires and hath timely blowne My budded hopes whose ripenesse hath out-growne The limits and the height of expectation Scarce to b'inioyd but in a Contemplation See see how Fortune to inlarge my breath And make me liuing in despight of Death Hath multiplide my loynes that after-Fame May in my stocke preserue my Blood my Name To make my honour with my fortunes euen Behold my gracious Lord the King hath giuen And trusted to my hand the sword of Pow'r Or life or death lies where I laugh or lowre Who stands more gracious in the Princes eye How frownes the King if Haman be not by Ester the Queene hath made the King her Ghest And wisely weighing how to grace the Feast With most aduantage hath in policy Inuited me And no man else but I Onely a fit Companion for a King May taste the secrets of the banqueting Yet what auailes my wealth my place my might How can I rellish them with what delight What pleasure is in dainties if the Tast Be in it selfe distemper'd Better Fast In many sweets one sowre offends the Pallate One loth some weed annoyes the choycest Sallat What are my riches What my honour'd Place What are my children or my Princes Grace So long as cursed Mordecai furuiues Whose very breath infects whose life depriues My life of blisse and visage sternly strikes Worse venime to mine eyes than Basilisks When Haman then had lanc'd
The right and safe possession of the Shield Was foule reproach and man-lesse cowardize Farre worse than death to him that skorn'd to prize His life before his Honour Honour 's wonne Most in a iust defence Defence is gone The Shield once lost The wounded Theban cry'd How fares my Shield which safe he smil'd dy'd True Honour bides at home and takes delight In keeping not in gaining of a Right Scornes vsurpation nor seekes she blood And thirsts to make her name not great as good God giues a Right to man To man defence To guard it giu'n But when a false pretence Shall ground her title on a greater Might What doth he else but warre with Heau'n and fight With Prouidence God sets the Princely Crowne On heads of Kings Who then may take it downe No iuster Quarrell or more noble Fight Than to maintaine where God hath giu'n a Right There 's no despaire of Conquest in that warre Where God's the Leader Policy 's no barre To his Designes no Power can withstand His high exployts within whose mighty Hand Are all the corners of the earth the hills His fensiue Bulwarks are which when he wills His lesser breath can bandy vp and downe And crush the world and with a winke can drowne The spacious Vniuerse in suds of Clay Where Heau'n is Leader Heau'n must win the Day God reapes his honour hence That combat's safe Where hee 's a Combatant and ventures halfe Right 's not impair'd with weaknesse but preuailes In spight of strength when strength and power failes Fraile is the trust repos'd on Troopes of Horse Truth in a handfull findes a greater force ¶ Lord maile my heart with Faith and be my Shield And if a world confront me I 'le not yeeld THE ARGVMENT The bloody Massacre The Iewes Preuaile their fatall Sword subdues A world of men and in that fray Hamans ten cursed sonnes they slay Sect. 17. NOw when as Time had rip'ned the Decree Whose Winter fruit vnshaken from the tree Full ready was to fall and brought that Day Wherein pretended mischiefe was to play Her tragicke Seane vpon the Iewish Stage And spit the venome of her bloody rage Vpon the face of that dispersed Nation And in a minute breathe their desolation Vpon that day as patients in the fight Their scatter'd force the Iewes did reünite And to a head their straggling strength reduc'd And with their fatall hand their hand disus'd To bathe in blood they made so strong recoyle That with a purple streame the thirsty soyle O'rflowd and on the pauement drown'd with blood Where neuer was before they rais'd a flood There lyes a headlesse body here a limme Newly dis-ioynted from the trunke of him Heau'n fought for Isr'el weakned Pharo's heart Who had no Counter-god to take his part What meant that cloudy Piller that by day Did vsher Isr'el in an vnknowne way What meant that fi'ry Piller that by night Appear'd to Isr'el and gaue Isr'el light 'T was not the secret force of Moses Rod That charm'd the Seas in twayne 'T was Moses God That fought for Isr'el and made Pharo fall Well thriues the Fray where God's the Generall 'T is neither strength nor vndermining sleight Preuailes where heauen 's ingaged in the fight ¶ Me list not ramble into antique dayes To manne this Theame lest while Vlysses strayes His heart forget his home Penelope Our iolly Brittaine findes sufficient Plea To proue her blisse and heau'ns protecting power Which had she mist her glory in an hower Had falne to Cinders and had past away Like smoke before the wind Which happy Day Let none but faithlesse Traitors euer faile To consecrate and let this Age entayle Vpon succeeding times Eternity Heau'ns highest loue in that Dayes memory THE ARGVMENT The sonnes of Haman that were slaine Are all hang'd vp The Iewes obtaine Freedome to fight the morrow after They put three hundred more to slaughter Sect. 18. WHen as the fame of that dayes bloody newes Came to the King he said Behold the Iewes Haue wonne the Day and in their iust defence Haue made their wrong a rightfull recompence Fiue hundred men in Susan haue they slaine And that remainder of proud Hamans straine Their hands haue rooted out Queene Ester say What further suit wherein Assuerus may Expresse the bounty of his Royall hand Rests in thy bosome What is thy demand Said then the Queene If in thy Princely sight My boone be pleasing or thou take delight To grant thy seruants suite Let that Commisssion Which gaue the Iewes this happy dayes permission To saue their liues to morrow stand in force For their behalfes that onely make recourse To God and thee and let that cursed brood The sonnes of Haman that in guilty blood Lye all ingoar'd vnfit to taint a Graue Be hang'd on Gibbets and like co-heires haue Like equall shares of that deserued shame Their wretched father purchas'd in his name The King was pleas'd and the Decree was giuen From Susan where 'twixt earth and heauen Most vndeseruing to be own'd by either These cursed ten like twins were borne together When Titan ready for his Iournall chase Had rouz'd his dewy locks and Rosie face Inricht with morning beauty vp arose The Iewes in Susan and their bloody blowes So roughly dealt that in that dismall day A lease of hundreds fell but on the prey No hand was laid so sweet and iolly rest The Iewes enioy'd and with a solemne Feast Like ioyfull Victors dispossest of sorrow They consecrated the ensuing morrow And in the Prouinces throughout the Land Before their mighty and victorious hand Fell more than seuenty thousand but the prey They seaz'd not and in mem'ry of that day They solemnized their victorious Gests With gifts and triumphs and with holy Feasts Meditatio decimaoctaua THe Doctrine of the Schoole of Grace discents From Natures more vncertaine rudiments And are as much contrayr and opposite As Yea and Nay or blacke and purest white For nature teaches first to vnderstand And then beleeue but grace doth first command Man to beleeue and then to comprehend Faith is of things vnknowne and must intend And so are aboue conceit What we conceiue We stand possest of and already haue But faith concernes such things as yet we haue not Which eye sees not eare heares not heart conceiues not Hereon as on her ground-worke our saluation Erects her pillers From this firme foundation Our soules mount vp the new Ierusalem To take possession of her Diademe God loues no sophistry Who argues least In graces Schoole concludes and argues best A womans Logicke passes heere For 't is Good proofe to say 'T is so because it is Had that old Patr'arch cours'd with flesh and blood Bad had his faith been though his reasons good If God bid doe for man to question Why Is but an interrogatiue deny The fleshly ballances of our conceits Haue neither equall poysure nor iust
Hadassa OR THE HISTORY OF QVEENE ESTER With Meditations thereupon Diuine and Morall Horat. Ode 6. Conamur tenues grandia nec pudor Imbellisque Lyrae Musa potens vetat By FRA. QVARLES AT LONDON Imprinted for Richard Moore and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstans Church-yard in Fleetstreet 1621. TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE RENOWNED FOR LEARNING PIETY AND ALL GRACIOVS GOVERNEMENT IAMES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF GREAT BRITTAINE FRANCE AND IRELAND DEFENDER OF THE FAITH FRANCIS QVARLES HIS MOST HVMBLE SERVANT and faithfull Homager dedicates presents and consecrates these his labours to receiue honour from his gracious countenance and to be glorified by his approbation A PREFACE TO THE READER A Sober vaine best suits Theologie If therefore thou expectst such elegancy as takes the times affect some subiect as will beare it Had I laboured with ouer-abundance of * fictions or flourishes perhaps they had exposed me censurable and disprized this sacred subiect Therefore I rest more sparing in that kind Two things I would treat of First the matter secondly the manner of this History As for the matter so farre as I haue dealt it is Canonicall and indighted by the holy Spirit of God not lyable to errour and needs no blanching In it Theologie sits as Queene attended by her handmaid Philosophy both concurring to make the vnderstanding Reader a good Diuine and a wise Moralist As for the Diuinity it discouers the Almighty in his two great Attributes in his Mercy deliuering his Church in his Iustice confounding her enemies As for the Morality it offers to vs the wholy practicke part of Philosophy dealt out into Ethicks Politicks and Oeconomicks The Ethicall part the obiect whereof is the Manners of a priuate man ranges through the whole booke and empties it selfe into the Catalogue of Morall vertues either those that gouerne the body as Fortitude Chap. 9. 2. and Temperance Chap. 1. 8. or those which direct the soule either in outward things as Liberality Chap. 1. 3. Magnificence Chap. 1. 6. Magnanimity Chap. 2. 20. and Modesty Chap. 6. 12. or in conuersation as Iustice Chap. 7. 9. Mansuetude Chap. 5. 2 c. The Politicall part the obiect whereof is Publike Society instructs first in the behauiour of a Prince to his Subiect in punishing his vice Chap. 7. 10. in rewarding of vertues Chap. 8. 2 15. Secondly in the behauiour of the Subiect to his Prince in obseruing his Lawes and discouering his enemies Chap. 2. 22. Thirdly the behauiour of a Subiect to a Subiect in mutuality of loue Chap. 4. 7. in propagation of peace Chap. 10. 3. The Oeconomicall part the obiect whereof is Priuate Society teacheth first the carriage of the Wife to her Husband in obeying chap. 1. 22. of the Husband to his Wife in ruling chap. 1. 22. Secondly of a Father to his Child in aduising chap. 2. 7 10. of a Child to his Father in obseruing chap. 2. 20. Thirdly of a Master to his Seruant in commanding chap. 4. 5. of a Seruant to his Master in effecting his command chap. 4. 6. Furthermore in this History the two principall faculties of the soule are nor in vaine imployed First the Intellect whose proper obiect is Truth Secondly the Will whose proper obiect is * Good whether Philosophicall which that great Master of Philosophy cals * Wisdome or Theologicall which we poynt at now hoping to enioy hereafter Who the Pen-man of this sacred History was or why the name of God as in few other parts of the Bible is vnmentioned in this it is immateriall and doubtfull For the first it is enough for an vncurious questioner to know it was indited by the Spirit of God for the second let it suffice that that Spirit will'd not here to reueale his name As for the Manner of this History consisting in the Periphrase the adiournment of the Story and interposition of Meditations I hope it hath not iniured the Matter For in this I was not the least carefull to vse the light of the best Expositors Authoritatis quorum sum germanus not daring to goe vn-led for feare of stumbling Some say Diuinity in Verse is incongruous and vnpleasing such I referre to the Psalmes of Dauid or the Song of his sonne Salomon to be corrected But in these lewd times the salt and soule of a Verse is obscene scurrility without which it seemes dull and liuelesse And though the sacred History needs not as humane doe Poetry to perpetuate the remembrance being by Gods owne mouth blest with Eternity yet Verse working so neere vpon the soule and spirit will oft times draw those to haue a History in familiarity who perchance before scarce knew there was such a Booke Reader be more than my hasty pen stiles thee Reade me with aduice and thereafter iudge me and in that iudgement censure me If I iangle thinke my intent thereby is to toll better Ringers in Farewell THE INTRODVCTION WHen Zedechia He whose haplesse hand Once swaid the Scepter of Great Iudah's Land Went vp the Palace of proud Babylon The Prince Seraiah him attending on A dreadfull Prophet from whose blasting breath Came sudden death and nothing else but death Into Seraiah's peacefull hand betooke The sad Contents of a more dismall Booke Breake epe the leaues those leaues so full of dread Reade sonne of thunder said the Prophet reade Say thus say freely thus The Lord hath spoke it 'T is done the world 's vnable to reuoke it Woe woe and heauy woes ten thousand more Betide great Babylon that painted whore Thy buildings and thy fensiue Towers shall Flame on a sudden and to cinders fall None shall be left to waile thy griefe with Howles Thy streets shall peopl'd be with Bats and Owles None shall remaine to call thy places voyd None to possesse nor ought to be enioy'd Nought shall be left for thee to terme thine owne But helplesse ruines of a haplesse towne Said then the Prophet When performance hath Empty'd thy Cheekes of this thy borrow'd Breath Euen so the Persian Host it selfe bestur'd So fell great Babel by the Persian sword Which warme with slaughter and with blood imbru'd Ne'r sheath'd till wounded Babel fell subdu'd But see These braue Ioynt-tenants that suruiu'd To see a little world of men vnliu'd Must now be parted Great Darius dyes And Cyrus shares alone the new-got prize He fights for Heauen Heauens foemen he subdues He builds the Temple he restores the Iewes By him was Zedechias force disioynted Vnknown to God he was yet Gods Anoynted But marke the malice of a wayward Fate He whom successe crown'd alwaies fortunate He that was strong t' atchieue bold to attempt Wise to foresee and wary to preuent Valiant in Warre successefull to obtaine Mustnow be slaine and by a Woman slaine Accursed be thy sacrelegious hand That of her Patrone rob'd the holy Land Curs'd be thy dying life thy liuing death