Or shall we saue thee No for thou dost fly The face of God and so deseru'st to dye Thou Prophet speake what shal we doe to thee That angry seas may calme and quiet be Meditatio quarta GIue leaue a little to adiourne your story Run backe a step or twaine and looke afore ye Can he be said to feare the Lord that flies him Can Word confesse him when as Deed denies him My sacred Muse hath rounded in mine eare And read the myst'ry of a twofold feare The first a seruile feare for Iudgements sake And thus the damned Diuels feare and quake Thus Adam fear'd and fled behind a tree And thus did bloody Kain feare and flee Vnlike to this there is a second kind Of feare extracted from a zealous mind Full fraught with loue and with a conscience cleare From base respects It is a filiall feare A feare whose ground would iust remaine and leuell Were neither Heauen nor Hell nor God nor Diuell Such was the feare that Princely Dauid had And thus our wretched Ionah fear'd and fled He fled asham'd because his sinnes were such He fled asham'd because his feare was much He fear'd Iehouah other fear'd he none Him he acknowledg'd Him he fear'd alone Vnlike to those men that befoold with errour Frame many gods and multiply their terrour Th' Egyptians God Apis did implore God Assas the Chaldaeans did adore Babel to the Deuouring Dragon seekes Th' Arabians Astaroth Iuno the Greekes The name of Belus the Assyrians hallow The Troians Vesta Corinth wise Apollo Th' Arginians sacrifice vnto the Sunne To Light-foot Mercury bowes Macedon To god Volunus louers bend their knee To Pauor those that faint and fearfull bee Who pray for health and strength to Murcia those And to Victoria they that feare to lose To Muta they that feare a womans tongue To great Lucina women great with young To Esculapius they that liue opprest And they to Quies that desire rest O blinded Ignorance of antique times How blent with errour and how stuft with crimes Your Temples were And how adulterate How clog'd with needlesse gods How obstinate How void of order and how inconfuse How full of dangerous and foule abuse How sandy were thy grounds and how vnstable How many Deities yet how vnable Implore these gods that list to howle and barke They bow to Dagon Dagon to the Arke But he to whom the seale of mercy 's giuen Adores Iehouah mighty God of Heauen Vpon the mention of whose sacred Name Meeke Lambs grow fierce and the fierce Lyons tame Bright Sol shall stop and heauen shall turne his course Mountaines shall dance and Neptune slake his force The Seas shall part the fire want his flame Vpon the mention of Iehouah's Name A Name that makes the roofe of Heauen to shake The frame of Earth to quiuer Hell to quake A Name to which all Angels blow their trumps A Name puts frolicke man into his dumps Though ne're so blythe A Name of high renowne It mounts the meeke and beates the lofty downe A Name deuides the marrow in the bone A Name which out of hard and flinty stone Extracteth hearts of flesh and makes relent Those hearts that neuer knew what mercy ment O Lord how great 's thy Name in all the Land How mighty are the wonders of thy hand How is thy Glory plac't aboue the heau'n To tender mouthes of Sucklings thou hast giu'n Coerciue pow'r and boldnes to reprooue When elder men doe what them no'te behooue O Lord How great 's the power of thy hand O God! How great 's thy Name in all the Land THE ARGVMENT The Prophet doth his fault discouer Perswades the men to cast him ouer They rowe and toyle but doe no good They pray to be excus'd from blood Sect. 5. SO Ionah fram'd the speech to their demand Not that I seeke to trauerse the command Of my deare Lord and out of minde peruerse T' auoyd the Niniuites doe I amerce My selfe Nor that I euer heard you threat Vnlesse I went to Niniueh the great And doe the message sent her from the Lord That you would kill or cast me ouer boord Doe I doe this 'T is my deserued fine You all are guiltlesse and the fault is mine 'T is I 't is I alone 't is I am he The tempest comes from heau'n the cause from me You shall not lose a haire for this my sin Nor perish for the fault that mine hath bin Lo I the man am here Lo I am He The roote of all End your reuenge on me I fled from God of Heau'n O let me then Because I fled from God so flie from men O take me for I am resolu'd to die As you did cast your Wares so cast in Me I am the man for whom these billowes dance My death shall purchase your deliuerance Feare not to cease your feares but throw me in Alas my soule is burthen'd with my sin And God is iust and bent to his Decree Which certaine is and cannot altred bee I am proclaim'd a Traytor to the King Of heau'n and earth The windes with speedy wing Acquaint the Seas The Seas mount vp on hie And cannot rest vntill the Traytor die Oh cast me in and let my life be ended Let Death make Iustice mends which Life offended Oh let the swelling waters me embalme So shall the Waues be still and Sea be calme So said the Mariners grew inly sad Though rude and barbarous and much ydrad As moou'd to see a Stranger for their good Lay downe his life which offer they withstood Till they had sought with all their pow'r and skill To saue the man and not the Ship to spill They digg'd and deepely delu'd the surrow'd Seas With brawny armes they plough'd the watry Leas Hoping in vaine by toyle to win the shore And wrought more hard thē erst they wrought before Alas their strength now failes and weares away For bodies wanting rest doe soone decay The Seas are angry and the waues arise Appeas'd with nothing but a Sacrifice Gods vengeance stormeth like the raging Seas Which nought but Ionah dying can appease Bootlesse it is to thinke by any deed To alter that which God of heau'n decreed Ionah must die 't is folly to say No Ionah must die or else we all die too Ionah must die that from his Lord did flie The lot determines Ionah then must die His guilty word confirmes the sacred lot Ionah must die then if we perish not If Iustice then it be that he must die And we sad Actors of his Tragedie We begge not Lord a warrant to offend O pardon bloud-shed that we must intend Though not our hands yet shall our hearts be cleare Then let not stainelesse Consciences beare The pond'rous burthen of a Murthers guilt Or voyce of harmelesse bloud that must be spilt For lo deare Lord it is thine owne Decree And we sad ministers of Iustice bee Meditatio quinta BVt
Sackcloth and his Prayre Not faintly sent to heauen nor sparingly But piercing feruent and mightie cry ¶ Here maist thou see how Pray'r and true Repentance Doe striue with God preuaile and turne his sentence From strokes to stroking and from plagues infernall To boundlesse Mercies and to life Eternall ¶ Till Zepher lend my Bark a second Gale I flip mine Anchor and I strike my saile FINIS O Dulcis saluator Mundi vltima verba quae tu dixisti in Cruce sint vltima mea verba in Luce quando amplius affare non possum exaudi tu cordis mei desiderium A Hymne to God WHo giues me then an Adamantine Quill A Marble tablet And a Dauids skill To blazon foorth the praise of my dear Lord In deep grau'n letters aye vpon Record To last for times eternall processe suer So long as Sunne and Moone and Stars enduer Had I as many mouthes as Sands there are Had I a nimble tongue for euery Starre And euery word I speake a Caractere And euery minutes time ten ages were To chaunt foorth all thy praise it nought auaile For tongues and words and time and all would faile Much lesse can I poore Weakling tune my tongue To take a taske befits an Angels song Sing what thou canst when thou canst sing no more Weep then as fast that thou canst sing no more Be blurre thy booke with teares and goe thy wayes For euery blurre will proue a booke of praise Thine Eye that viewes the mouing Spheares aboue Let it giue praise to him that makes them moue Thou riches hast Thy Hands that hold and haue them Let them giue praise to him that freely gaue them Thine Armes defend thee then for recompence Let them praise him that gaue thee such defence Thy Tongue was giuen to praise thy Lord the giuer Then let thy Tongue praise highest God for euer Faith comes by hearing and thy faith will saue thee Then let thine Eares praise him that hearing gaue thee Thy heart is begg'd by him that first did make it My sonne giue me thy heart Lord freely take it Eyes hands 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 vpon them in his Sanctuary Praise him within the highest Firmament Which shewes his power and his gouernment Praise him for all his mighty Acts are knowne Praise him according to his high Renowne Praise him with Trump victorious shrill and sharp With Psaltry lowd and many-stringed Harp With sounding Tymbrell and delightfull Flute With Musicks full Interpreter the Lute Praise him vpon the Mayden Virginalls Vpon the clerick Organs and Cymballs Vpon the sweet maiestick Vyalls touch Double your ioyes and let your praise be such Let all in whom is life and breath giue praise To mighty God of Hosts in endlesse dayes Let euery Soule to whom a voyce is giuen Sing Holy Holy Holy Lord of heauen For loe a Lambe is found that vndertooke To breake the seuen-fold-seale and ope the Booke ¶ O let my life add number to my dayes To shew thy Glory and to sing thy praise Let euery minute in thy praise be spent Let euery head be bare and knee be bent To thee deare Lambe Who ere thy praises hide O let his lips be clos'd and tongue for euer ty'de Halelujah Gloria Deo in excelsis Eleuen Pious Meditations 1 ¶ WIthin the holy Writ I well discouer Three speciall Attributes of God His Power His Iustice and his Mercy All vncreated Eternall all and all Vnseparated From Gods pure Essence yet from thence proceeding All very God All perfect All exceeding And from that selfe-same Text three names I gather Of Great Iehoua Lord and God and Father The first denotes him mounted on his Throne In Power Maiesty Dominion The next descries him on his Kingly Bench Rewarding Euill with dreadfull punishments The third describes him on his Mercy-seate 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 priuate choice I fancie rather Then call him Lord or God to call him Father 2 ¶ IN Hell no Life in Heauen no Death there is In Earth both Life and Death both Bale and Blis In Heauen '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 liues to sinne in Hell his portion 's giuen Who dyes to sinne shall after liue in Heauen ¶ Though Earth my Nurse be Heauen be thou my Father Ten thousand deaths let me enduer rather Within my Nurses armes then One to Thee Earths honor with thy frownes is death to mee I liue-on Earth as on a Stage of sorrow Lord if thou pleasest end the Play to morrow I liue on Earth as in a Dreame of pleasure Awake me when thou wilt I wait thy leisure I liue on Earth but as of life bereauen My life 's with thee for Lord thou art in Heauen 3 ¶ NOthing that e'r was made was made for nothing Beasts for thy food their skins were for thy clothing Flow'rs for thy smell and Herbs for Cuer good Trees for thy shade Their Fruit for pleasing Food The showers fall vpon the fruitfull ground Whose kindly Dew makes tender Grasse abound The Grasse is made for beasts to feed vpon And beasts are food for Man But Man alone Is made to serue his Lord in all his waies And be the Trumpet of his Makers praise ¶ Let Heau'n be then to me obdure as brasse The Earth as yron vnapt for graine or grasse Then let my Flocks consume and neuer steed me Let pinching Famine want wherewith to feed me When I forget to honour thee my Lord Thy glorious Attributes thy Works thy Word O let the Trump of thine eternall Fame Sound euer Euer hallow'd be thy Name 4 ¶ GOd made the World and all that therein is Yet what a little part of it is his Quarter the Earth and see how small a roome Is stiled with the name of Christendome The rest through blinded ignorance rebels O're-run with Pagans Turks and Infidels Nor yet is all this little Quarter his For though all know him halfe know him amisse Professing Christ for lucre as they list And serue the triple Crowne of Antichrist Yet is this little handfull much made lesser Ther 's many Libertines for one Professor Nor doe Professors all professe aright 'Mong whom there often lurks an Hypocrite ¶ O where and what 's thy Kingdome blessed God Where is thy Scepter wher 's thine yron 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 Vnderstanding Gently directing yet with awe Commanding Her Handmaid's WILL Affections
A FEAST FOR WORMES SET FORTH IN A POEME OF THE HISTORY OF IONAH By FRA. QVARLES ad hoc ab hoc per hoc This Naked Pourtraiture before thine Eye Is Wretched helplesse MAN MAN borne to Die On either side an ANGELL doth protect him As well from EVILL as to GOOD direct him Th' one poynts to DEATH the t'other to a CROVVNE Who THIS attaines must tread the OTHER downe All which denotes the Briefe of MANS Estate That HEE 'S to goe from HENCE by THIS to THAT AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Richard Moore and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstans Church-yard in Fleetstreet 1620. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE ROBERT LORD SYDNEY Baron of Penshurst Viscount Lisle Earle of Leicester Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter SIR two things more especiall haue made me industrious to doe your Lordship seruice The one is the loue you did beare to my long since deceased Father whom dead your Lordship did please to honour with your Noble remembrance The other is your vndeserued Fauours and Honourable Countenance towards me in your passage thorow Germany where you haue left in the hearts of men a Pyramis of your Worth As for the first I am heire to that seruice which my Father alwayes obseruant to your Honour was ready to performe As for the second my selfe in more particular stand obliged In respect of both heere I dedicate my selfe and these few leaues to your truly-Noble Selfe hoping your Lordship will vaile my boldnesse in your good acceptance and crowne my labours with your approbation SIR Your Lordships truly obseruant FRA. QVARLES TO THE READER Reader J fairely salute thee I List not to tyre thy patient eares with vnnecessary language the abuse of complement My mouth 's no Dictionary it onely serues as a needfull Commentary vpon the obscure Text of my meaning J haue heere sent thee the first fruits of an obortiue Birth Jt is a dainty subiect not Fabulous but Truth it selfe VVonder not at the Title A FEAST FOR WORMES for it is a Song of Mercy VVhat greater FEAST than Mercy And what are Men but WORMES Moreouer J haue gleaned some few Meditations obuious to the History Let me aduise thee to keepe the Taste of the History whilest thou readest the Meditations and that will make thee Rellish both the better Vnderstanding Reader fauour me Gently expound what it is too late to correct He le va de Golpe Dios sea con ella Farewell THE PROPOSITION OF the whole Worke. 'T Is not the Record of Great HECTORS Glory Whose matchlesse Valour makes the World a Story Nor yet the swelling of that Romans Name That onely Came and Look'd and Ouercame Nor One nor All of those braue Worthies Nine Whose Might was Great and Acts almost Diuine That liu'd like Gods but di ' de like Men and gone Shall giue my Pen a Taske to treat vpon I sing the praises of the KING of Kings Out of whose mouth a two-edg'd Smiter springs Whose Words are Mystery whose Works are Wonder Whose Eyes are Lightning and whose Voyce is Thunder Who like a Curtaine spreads the Heauens out Spangl'd with Starres in Glory round about 'T is HEE that cleft the furious waues in twaine Making a High-way passage through the Maine 'T is He that turn'd the waters into Blood And smote the Rocky stone and caus'd a Flood 'T is HEE that 's iustly Armed in his Ire Behind with Plagues before with flaming Fire More bright then mid-day Phoebus are his Eyes And whosoeuer sees his Visage Dyes I sing the Praises of Great Iudah's Lion The fragrant Flowre of Iesse the Lambe of Sion Whose Head is whiter then the driuen Snow Whose Visage doth like flames of Fire Glow His Loynes begirt with Golden Belt His Eyne Like Titan riding in his Southerne Shine His Feet like burning Brasse and as the noyse Of surgie Neptunes roaring is his Voyce This is that Paschall Lambe whose dearest Blood Is soueraigne Drinke whose Flesh is sauing Food His precious Blood the Worthies of the Earth Did drinke which though but borne of Mortall birth Returnd them Deities For who drinkes THIS Shall be receiu'd into Eternall Blisse Himselfe the GIFT which HE himselfe did giue His Stripes heale vs and by HIS Death we liue HEE acting GOD and MAN in double Nature Did reconcile Mankind and Mans Creator I heer 's a TASKE indeed if Mortals could Not make a Verse yet Rocks and Mountaines would The Hils shall daunce the Sunne shall stop his Course Hearing the subiect of this high Discourse The Horse and Gryphin shall together sleepe The Woolfe shall fawne vpon the silly Sheepe The Crafty Serpent and the Fearfull Hart Shall ioyne in Consort and each beare a part And leape for Ioy when my VRANIA sings She sings the praises of the KING of Kings THE INTRODVCTION ¶ THat Ancient Kingdome that old Assur swai'd Shew'd two great Cities Ah! but both decai'd Both mighty Great but of vnequall growth Both Great in People and in Building both But Ah! What hold is there of Earthly Good Now Grasse growes there where these braue Cities stood The name of one Great Babylon was hight Through which the rich Euphrates takes her flight From High Armaenia to the ruddy Seas And stores the Land with rich Commodities ¶ The other Ninus Niniueh the Great So huge a Fabrick and well chosen Seat Dan Phoebus fiery Steeds with Maines becurld That circundates in twice twelue houres the World Ne'r saw the like By Great King Ninus hand 'T was raisd and builded in th' Assyrians Land Which he subdude 'T was plac'd twixt riuers twaine Licus and swift Tygris that runnes amaine Begirt she was with Walls of wondrous might Creeping twice fifty foot in measur'd height Vpon their bredth if ought we may relie On the report of Sage Antiquity Three Chariots fairly might themselues display And ranke together in a Battell-ray The Circuit that her mighty Bulke imbraces Containes the mete of sixty-thousand paces Within her well-fenc't walles you might discouer Fiue hundred stately Towers thrice told ouer Whereof the highest draweth vp the eye As well the low'st an hundred Cubits hie All rich in those things which to state belong For beauty Braue and for munition Strong Duly and daily this Great worke was tended With ten thousand Workmen Begun and ended In eight yeeres space How beautifull How faire Thy Buildings And how foule thy Vices are ¶ Thou Land of Assur double then thy pride And let thy Wells of Ioy be neuer dri'de Thou hast a Palace that 's renown'd so much The like was neuer is nor will be such ¶ Thou Land of Assur trebble then thy Woe And let thy Teares doe as thy Cups o'rflow For this thy Palace of so great renowne Shall be destroy'd and sackt and batterd downe But cheere vp Niniueh thine inbred might Hath meanes enough to quell thy Foemans spite Thy
Maids of Honor All following close and duly wayting on her But Sin that alwaies enui'd mans Condition Within this kingdome raised vp Diuision Withdrawne mans Will and brib'd his false Affection That This no order hath nor That Election The Will proues traitor to the Vnderstanding Reason hath lost her power and left commanding She 's quite depos'd and put to foule disgrace And Tyrant Will vsurps her Empty 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 bereauen Thy will be done in earth as 't is in heauen 6 ¶ WHo liue to sin they all are theeues to Heauen And Earth They steale frō God take vngiuen Good men they rob and such as liue vpright And being bastards share the free-mans Right They 're all as owners in the owners stead And like to Dogs deuoure the childrens bread They haue and lack and want what they possesse They 're most vnhappy in their most happinesse They are not goods but riches that thou hast And not be'ng goods to eu'ls they turne at last ¶ Lord what I haue let me enioy 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 enioy Lord make it mine In making me that am a Sinner thine 'T is thou or none that shall supply my need O Lord Giue vs this day our daily bread 7 ¶ THe quick-conceited Schoole-men well approue A difference 'twixt Charitie and Loue Loue is a vertue whereby we explaine Our selues to God and God to vs againe But Charity 's imparted to our Brother Whereby we traffick one man with another The first extends to God The last belongs To man In giuing right and bearing wrongs In number they are twaine In vertue One For one not truly being t' others none ¶ In louing God if I neglect my Neighbour My loue hath lost his proofe and I my labour My Zeale my Faith my Hope that neuer failes me If Charitie be wanting nought auailes me ¶ Lord in my Soule a spirit of Loue create me And I will loue my Brother if he hate me In nought but loue le ts me enuy my betters And then Forgiue my debts as I may detters 8 ¶ I Finde a true resemblance in the growth Of Sin and Man Alike in breeding both The Soul 's the Mother and the Diuell Syer Who lusting long in mutuall hot desier Enioy their wils and ioyne in Copulation The Seed that fils her wombe is foule Tentation The sinnes Conception is the Soules Consent And then it quickens when it giues content The birth of Sin is finisht in the action And Custome brings it to its full perfection ¶ O let my fruitlesse Soule be barren rather Then bring foorth such a Child for such a Father Or if my Soule breed Sin not being wary O let it either dye or else miscarry She is thy Spouse O Lord doe thou aduise her Keepe thou her chaste Let not the Fiend entice her Trie thou my heart Thy Trials bring Saluation But let me not be led into Temptation 9 ¶ FOrtune that blind supposed Goddesse is Still rated at if ought succeed amisse 'T is she the vaine abuse of Prouidence That beares the blame when others make th' offence When this mans barne finds not her wonted store Fortune's condemn'd because she sent no more If this man dye or that man liue too long Fortune's accus'd and she hath done the wrong Ah foolish Dolts and like your Goddesse blind You make the fault and call your Saint vnkind For when the cause of Eu'll begins in Man Th' effect ensues from whence the cause began Then know the reason of thy discontent The eu'll of Sinne makes Eu'll of punishment ¶ Lord hold me vp or spurre me when I fall So shall my Eu'll be iust or not at all Defend me from the World the Flesh the Deuill And so thou shalt deliuer me from Euill 10 ¶ THe Priestly skirts of A'rons holy coate I kisse and to my morning Muse deuote Had neuer King in any age or Nation Such glorious Robes set foorth in such a fashion With Gold and Gemmes and Silks of Princely Dye And Stones befitting more then Maiestie The Persian Sophies and rich Shaeba's Queene Had ne'r the like nor e'r the like had seene Vpon the skirts in order as they fell First a Pomegranat was and then a Bell By each Pomegranat did a Bell appeare Many Pomegranats many Bels there were Pomegranats nourish Bels doe make a sound As blessings fall Thanksgiuings must abound ¶ If thou wilt clothe my heart with A'rons tyer My tongue shall praise as well as heart desier My tongue and pen shall dwell vpon thy Story O Lord for thine is Kingdome Power Glory ¶ THe Ancient Sophists that were so precise And often-times perchance too curious nice Auerre that Nature hath bestow'd on Man Three perfect Soules When this I truly scan Me thinks their Learning swath'd in Errour lyes They were not wise enough and yet too wise Too curious wise because they mention more Then one Not wise enough because not foure Nature not Grace is Mistres of their Schooles Grace counts them wisest that are veriest Fooles Three Soules in man Grace doth a fourth allow The Soule of Faith But this is Greeke to you 'T is Faith that makes man truly wise 'T is Faith Makes him possesse that thing he neuer hath ¶ This Glorious Soule of Faith bestow on mee O Lord or else take thou the other three Faith makes men lesse then Children more then Men It makes the Soule crie Abba and Amen FINIS PENTELOGIA Or THE QVINTESSENCE OF MEDITATION Mors tua Mors Christi Fraus Mundi Gloria Coeli Et Dolor Inferni sunt meditanda tibi Thy Death the Death of Christ the Worlds Tentation Heauens Ioy Hells Torment be thy Meditation AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Richard Moore and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstans Church-yard 1620. Mors tua 1 ¶ ME thinks I see the nimble-aged Syre Passe by amaine with feete vnapt to tyre Vpon his head an Hower-glasse he weares And in his wrinkled hand a Sithe he beares Both Instruments to take the liues from Men Th' one shewes with what the other sheweth when Me thinkes I heare the Dolefull Passing-bell Setting an onset to his lowder knell This moody musick of impartiall Death Who daunces after daunces out of breath Me thinkes I see my dearest friends lament With sighs and teares and wofull dryriment My tender Wife and Children standing by Dewing the Death-bed whereupon I lye Me thinkes I heare a Voyce in secret say Thy Glasse is runne and thou must dye to day Mors Christi 2 ¶ ANd am I here and my Redeemer gone Can He be dead and is not my life done Was he tormented in excesse of measure And doe I