of spirit Shadow of Ioues hate Disdaines obloquie Helles ongate an Owlish conuersation All Ioyes deprife and sorrowes invndation Looke not so downe agast at what I say But with a generous erected front Number these willing woundes my bartes defray To Glory sole land-ladie of this account They are the Tythes I pay to eternall Fame There is not any one of them prophane Be not injayld to base Aduersitie Rather slip out thy life at gloryes windoe One stab will send thee to eternity And rid thee quite and cleane of all thy woe Then there lies life-lesse all Calamity Thy name and Spirit fayre amountes to glory It is not as vulgaritie esteemes Sincere worth to be beblest of Fortune A fickle Dame that commonlie misdeemes Those that her fauours most of all importune Blesse thou thy selfe and if that Fortune curse thee Die in despight of her and her discourt'sie Oh what a base ingenerous sight it is To see men crooch and pewle at her vaine Altars Offring their presents to her peeuishnesse And therewithall their necks vnto her haltars Be thou subsistant of thy selfe alonely And if thou canst not liue yet die with glorie Fie on those lowtish growt-head lobbernowlles That slander Nature with their Modicums I tell thee Natur 's like to Marygowldes Largely display'd to twentie thousand Sunnes Which if they cease to shine in Majestie It shuttes it selfe and is content to die Thy Spirit is a particle of Ioue It scornes indignitie and meane suffize Like as a flame or oyle it mounts aboue And take but Glory from it and it dies Yet dies it not but to indignitie Mounting by Death to Fames eternitie There is no hell like to declined glorie Nor is Prometheus Vulture halfe so fell As the sad memorie of a happie storie To him that in aduersitie doeth dwell Ah let him die that is not as he was With ending blesse breake he the houre-glasse What booteh it to liue in base contempt In euer melancholie-adumbred mood A fable to the vulgar babblement A muddie ebbe after a Chrystall flood Out with thy candle let it burne no more When once thou art become the worlds eye-sore And tell not me of dutie vnto life Nature is as indifferent to death Life led in joyes abandon and deprife Is Natures deeper graue then earth beneath It is not death that which the world calles dying But that is death which is all joyes denying Nature disdaines all grosse encountring meat Fore-fed with Nectar and Ambrosian sweetes And Night that is the merrie dayes defeat We see how Nature giues it drowsie greetes Now Sleep by night is but a silent signe How sweet it is to die in Ioyes decline And then as is the morrowe-dawning day A fresh re-blesse to Natures next awake So to the wretch that dies disgrace away Elizium is his second lifes partake Where he shall triumph in eternity And Fame the Chanteclere of such his glory Loe I a president before thine eyes This gore imports the glorie of my Ghost Who but fore-weening Caesars tyrannies Fore-doom'd my self in care-preuenting post Then thou that art a verie wretch indeed Oh why deferrest thou so long to bleed Out with that Iayle-bird of aduersitie Disdaine to liue at Natures joylesse leasure Bale drown'd in gore and magnanimitie Is an vpdiue to all eternall pleasure Thinke what a Fame-renowned thing it is In crimson floods to warfare base de-blisse Deferre no longer then thy doome of death But Champion-like confound Calamitie Prosperities Satrap feares not to vnsheath His kil-care blade gainst fleshes fearful frailtie Flesh of it selfe will one day turne to dust Then doome it thou thy selfe since so it must Thou would'st not gladly eate an Abricocke Or Peache vnpar'd because their rinde is bitter And fear'st thou then to giue thy selfe the stocke That so vnkindely bittereth all thy better Oh off with it and yeeld thy sweetes to Ioue And he will counter-sweete thee with his loue He will imbosome thee in his embrace And Ioye-embalme thee in his Heauen-delights Thy skarres and gashes he will faire deface And sanctifie thee with alhallowed rytes Thou shalt be as a Meteor ouershining All mortall glory in her dust declining There will we meet thee in Vermilion vest I Otho Anniball and all the rest Fames choisest Martyrs who in Fates detest Doom'd all our selues to euerlasting rest There will we magnifie thy happie woundes And high applaud thē with Crownets Crownes With that I drew out my emboldened blade Resolu'd to massacre my loathed life When loe the Ghost from out my sight did vade As though to tell his Ioue of my arife But such a Sulphur stench hee left behind him That I in dreade thereof shooke euerie lim And therwithall my sword fell to the ground And I misdoubted some illusion Such was the safetie that then I found In drowsie dread and deaths confusion Prophanely spoken t' was no frailties deed But God alonlie stood thee then in steed So then remounted on my Sable jade I rang'd ore craggy cliffes and desart dales In way-lesse wander and in Horrors shade One while conceipting Catoes death-auailes And then anon reflecting on his stinke Thus strayd I most in dread deaths instinct Thrise drew I out my dagger for to stab me And then so oft I mus'd why Cato stunke so Me thought there should no such disglory be In sacred Ghosts freed from the filth of woe So was my moody mindes perplexed wander Partial on lifes behalfe gainst deadly danger Then on I rode and riding through a dale Hell-like adumbred with a duskie gloome A suddaine fatall blast did me assaile And droue me to a second damned doome Where I might see a more then hell-black finger That pointed me and said Loe yonder yonder With that my Melancholy star'd round about And like a whirle-wind posted to the place Where I might heare a voyce that roared out Reuenge reuenge thy dollorous disgrace And then eftsoons all in a Sulphur-flame Appear'd vnto my sight a shape of shame Her face was Skowl-regarding on the ground Her eyes like Heclas euer-sparkling fires Her finger on her mouth was a dumb bound Of her Cyclopian frets and fell desires In th' other hand she bare a fierie sheafe And all her body was as pale as death Her haire was Snake-incurl'd Medusa-like Hauing the power t'instone me where I stood So was I sencelesse all but in dislike And deadly horror of so dread a Bug At last she fretted out an angry noise And thus inspeeched it into a voice Feare not my wan and moody misproportion For I confesse I am no fondlings joy Nor am I of a wanton disposition As is the God of Loue that idle boy Yet am I a joy in another kind To such as in vn-ioy most ioy doe find I am Reuenge the doome of iniuries The Misers refuge and reuiue to blesse Occasions Argus pith of Tragedies The summe of pollicie in all distresse Wrathes thunder-bolt and triumph ouer those That in their jollitie work
land-man of this soyle and happy aire From hence I will reuine to pristin blesse Or els die heer with Iesu in distresse No sooner said I so and gaue consent To Graces in-come and our Lords attaint But loe eftsoons from heauens high regiment Musicke resounded and appeas'd my plaint It was so sweet aboue my feeble frayltie That downe I fell as one content to die Dying in so sweet sollace and in-heauen I was no more the man of earthly nature Gods Graces holie rellish and sweet leauen Had altered my flesh to a new transfigure Figure of zeale to be in Iesus armes Condition to endure ten thousand harmes But God who saw wrought this alteration Faire interdicted Death his date-most deed And sent an Angell from his holie region To cheere my frailty vp to future speed Whome when I saw and smelt his heauenly hue It did eftsoons my death to life renue He then out-stepping from his siluer-cloud Made toward me with a reuerend peacefull pace And as he march'd euer and anon he bow'd Vnto the Crucifixe was there in place Whereto at last downe humbled he kist it And gaue it me in hand and thus inspeecht it Hold heer Elizian-man thy Sauiours image The typick Trophee of thy soules redeeme Be it thy lifes eternall Appennage Thy hearts deere daintie and thy choice-esteeme Inconscience it within thy in-most hest For In hoc signe vinces is exprest Be it thy Standard against all affrount Vnder her shade tire out Mis-fortunes weather Be true to it and make a sure account Heauen is thine owne as sure as God liues euer God liues for euer to protect and pay His Champion with a ioy-eternall day And hether I come sent from his Tabernacle To certifie so much to thy poor frailtie And heer haue brought thee heauen-inchanted tackle To warfare flesh and bloods calamitie Loe I thy Angell of protection Against whatsoere foule and fell affection With that he arm'd my Head with Reasons Helme The Crest was Vigilance the Plumes were twaine Temprance against faire Fortunes ouerwhelme And Patience against her angrie vaine The Gorget was Content and either Pouldron Was humble Prayer and Meditation The Corslet it was Zeale of Gods true honour The Back peece Hope to after-retribution The Gauntlets tackles to Charities endeuour The Vant-braces Faiths decke and decoration The Martch he did injoyne was Penitence The Combate Courage against all sinnes offence Then gaue he me in hand a Shield of Golde All ouer-grauen with Christes Passion And round about in-amill'd I might behold Death-heads and latter Resurrection To heauen or hell The Crosse in th' other hand Was all my Spear against whatsoere withstand Thus arm'd the Angell bright againe in-clouded Vpbounded from mine eye toward heauen away Leauing the place with spiced sweetes suffused And all bestrew'd with Crownes and wreathes of Bay Spelles and demonstrances of future glorie To well atchiued warre and victorie I then there all alone vn-Angelled Began to view and glee me in mine Armes Woondring to see me so be-Championed Against th' assaults of sin Fortunes harmes And thus I said Oh shone Hierusalem What woonders are in thee to well-fare men I blesse the God and Spirit of thy bounds I blesse thy Concord and thy Monarchie I blesse the streams that tril from Iesus wounds Into thy seuen-fold Cesternes and from thee Are vitally imparted vnto all That liue within thy Rampier and thy wall Loe I with Graces furniture faire arm'd Within thy confines humbly beseech thee Admit my Souldiour-ship as yet vnharm'd With any aduerse warres into thy cittie And daigne me there a stand against all euill The flesh the world and fierce insulting deuill In thee I see how much I went amisse Ranging the desart of mundanitie And in thy wisedom now I learne this That not in Fortunes false malignitie But in sinnes guilt and grimme captiuitie Is only wracke and blacke calamitie I see my misse in thy faire Phisnomie My way-lesse errours in thy vnitie I feele the ardure of true Chiualrie Inspir'd in me from thy Nobility Heere liue I then the remnant of my age Vnder thy haughty woorth and Patronage So said a siluer bell from high resounded Sommoning that Region round about to sacring When loe eftsoons Catechrysius vn-swounded His soules returne did giue him new reuiuing Oh sacred sommon sweet enchanting peale That so from heauen to earth couldst soules repeale His face like Phaebus in his Noony-shine Daunted my feeble eye at prime aspect His soules regresse had made it so diuine Bebrightning cleane away all fraile defect As had not zeale in heartened my frayltie I had not had the power t' abide such glorie He then vp-rising toward me aduanced And kist the Crucifix I had in hand So done he said Sweet Iesu be thou thanked That hast vouchsau'd my prayer to vnderstand Confirme him in thy grace for now and euer That from thy loue and laud he varie neuer With that he imbrac'd me with a frount of glee And call'd me brother and Coparcener Of Christes Domaine and therwithall he gaue me A golden ring the poesie was Perseuer So foorth we went vnto the Temple-ward T was sacring time and musick much we heard Along as vp the Rocke we footed it He did congratulate my shone in-armor And did expound vnto me euery whit How I might vse it to Gods greatest honor And then concluded O Elizian See what it is to be a Christian Wouldst thou haue thought in thy mundanitie That euer Fortunes heel had had the might To spurne th' away to such an after-glorie Or that thy sorie iourneyment all night Would euer haue brought thee to sweet repose As now thou feelest farre aboue thy woes The ball out-banded from the court of game Fals not of force into the durtie kennell But marke and often shalt thou see the same Flie in at Pallace-windowes and there reuell Vpon the royall Mattes and rich embroader Such grace of God hath blowne thy frailtie hether Not all the flush of thy fore-frollicke state The worship of thy birth thy rich reuenue Thy countries high applaud and estimate And all that faire Elyzium can yeeld youe Is of the worth to countervayle thys hap Fallen from faire Fortune into Graces lap Say that Eliza is the Lords deere daintie The Phaenix of true Principalitie The feast of peace and sweet saturitie Vnto the people of her Emperie Say that she is both Grace and Natures none-such I bend my knee and say and thinke as much For I haue heard the woonders of her name Our coast is full of great Elizabeth Yea all the world is fertill of the same Sweet Name that all mens tongues and pennes inableth Sweet Sound that all mens sences lullabieth Sweet Marle that all the world imbatteneth But such her glories are but eare-delightes And lip-sweets only to our far awayes For we are no Elizium-bred wightes Nor haue we any such like merrie dayes Wee haue our joyes in another kind Ghostly innated in our soule and mind
A FIG FOR Fortune Recta Securus A. C. LONDON Printed by Richard Iohnes for C. A. 1596. To the Right Honourable Anthonie Browne L. Vicâ—mpt Mont-ague euerlasting glorie to his vertues FLie vale-bred Muse to heauen-high Mont-ague Honoring thy playnesse with so quaint aspire It is a baggard Hawke that neuer knew The Fawlkoners fist It is a drowsic fire That yeelds nor flame nor fume It is an idle voyce That â—ere was hard to tune nor sound nor note nor noise Great Mont-ague thrise great in Vertues glorie And therfore dulie great in my affections Whom not a Pick-thanke spirit of flatterie But well aduised zeale to your perfections Mooues to instile you so Though likewise so you be In the sublimitie of your blood and Vicomptie Daigne in your grace the spirit of a man Disastred for vertue if at least it be Disaster to be winnowed out Fortunes Fan Into the Fan of Grace and Sionrie Wherin repurify'd to Gods eternall glorie The Deuill rues in man old Adams injurie Though meane and merit-lesse the Muse may seeme To your aduice as not from Helicon Yet well I hope the matter will redeeme That fraile default as spirited from Sion If Sions holie name be gracious to your eare Hold it in gree els for the zeale to you I beare At least your happie Names faire liuerie let it weare Your Lordsh humblie at commandement Anthonie Copley The Argument to the Reader AN Elizian out-cast of Fortune ranging on his Iade Melancholie through the Desert of his affliction in hope to find out some where either ease or end of the same hapneth first vpon Catoes ghost a spirit of Dispair self-misdoom which perswades him to kill himselfe But for she ended her Oratory with a Sulphur vanish froÌ„ out his sight he misdoubted both her and her tale Then posting onward through the residue of the night he next chanceth on the spirit of Reuenge She perswades him blood and treacherie against all his enemies as th'onlie means to remount to pristin blesse in despight of Fortune But she likewise manifesting in the end the treason of her tale by a sudden whip-away from his eye at the sight of break of day in the East left him also conceipted of her daunger Thirdly rapt from off his Melancholie which now began to faint vnder him at the light of a new day of Grace he was suddenlie mounted vpon the Steed of Good Desire and by him brought to Mount Sion the Temple of Peace where by Catechtysius an Hermit who greatlie woondred to see a distressed Elizian in those partes vnder so happie daies of Eliza he was by him in the house of Deuotion catechized and there also celestially arm'd by an Angell and within a while after in-denized by the high Sacrificator a Champion of that Temple against the insults of Fortune whom I haue titled by the name of Doblessa in respect of the double danger both of her luring and lowring inconstancie She whiles the Sionttes were all in peacefull adoration of Almightie God in the Temple came with her Babellonian-rout to assault the place but was eftsoons by the valure of those Templers shamefullie repulsed Feast and thankes was made to God therfore throughout all the Region in which solemnitie the Grace of God houering ouer the multitude in the Procession time like a virgin attended vpon with all the Court of heauen showr'd downe Roses amongst them leauing them there a scambling for the same The Elizian was one that scambled his lap-full among the rest and for he thought it was his soueraigne Ladie Eliza and those Roses hers he was suddenly in ioy therof rapt home againe to Elizium Faultes escaped in printing Pag 5. Lin 18 It shuts it selfe and as read Doe shut themselues and are P. 8 l 3. to giue thy selfe read to giue thy flesh P. 16. l. to awâ—like read aulike P 64. l. 1. Peacefullie aduance read pace-fully aduance A Fig for Fortune VEsted in sable vale exild from Ioy I rang'd to seeke out a propitious place Where I might sit and descant of annoy And of faire Fortune astered to disgrace At last euen in the confines of the night I did discerne aloofe a sparkling light Then set I spurres vnto my Melancholie A Iade wheron I had ridden many a mile Which lesse then in the twinkling of an eye Brought me vnto that fatall lights beguile Where I might see an agonizing beast Bleeding his venym blood out at his brest His vpper shape was faire-Angelicall The rest belowe all whollie Serpentine Cole blacke incroching vpon his pectorall And rudely inrowlled in a Gorgon-twine His eyes like Goblins stared heer and there In fell disdayne of such disfigured geare At last he spi'd me and staring on my face He rear'd his mongrel-lumpe vp towards me Fainting and falling in his Deaths-disgrace And yet enforcing still more stabbes to die Then thus he vauntingly began to tell me Of such his fortitude in aduersitie Welcome deer guest quoth he to Catoes Ghost Welcome true witnesse of my fortitude Seest thou not how this hell-blacke shape almost Hath quite subdu'd my vpper-albitude It is aduersitie vpon my state Which see how I reuenge it desperate With that as with a new supplyed flood The angrie streame beares quite adowne the riuer All obstacle with vnappeased mood So his enraged hand did fierce deliuer Fresh death-stabbes to his loath'd mortalitie Euen at the naming of aduersitie And then in four-fold misconsorted voice Of Life and Death Rage and Disdaine he added Whilom I was a man of Romes rejoyce Whiles happy Fortune my estate vppropped But once when Caesar ouer-topped all Then loe this mid-night shape did me befall Then gan I to conceipt my Censure-ship My Senatorie-pomp and libertie All base-subjected to his Tyrant-whip My mind was mightie against such miserie And rather would I die magnanimous Then liue to see a Caesar ouer vs. It was ynough that the Thessalian fieldes Suckt vp the mutuall bloud-shed of our men That Pompey dies and all the Empire yeeldes To Caesars dauncing Fortune and Omen Cato must die as free from seruitude As he disdaineth Caesars altitude Yet for my Countrey is a part of me And it is all subjected to disgrace Loe that 's my serpentine obscuritie For which I spight and spit on Caesars face And stab me with a quaint disdaine and angeâ— Because I will not liue in Caesars danger Thou therefore that doest seem a dolefull wight View me the president of Cares redresse And if that Fortune be aboue thy might Yet death is in thy power and readinesse Disdaine Misfortune then t'insult vpon thee Seeing that to die is all so faire and easie Death is misfortunes monarchizing foe Prime Nature of Almightie fortitud Eternall Sanctuarie from vnrest and woe Fames Arke and all our frailties Period Our lyâ—es true tuchstone natures offertory And bridge to sweet Eliziums eternitie And as for base Aduersitie what is it But Gloryes graue a coward mindes ingalley The carrion of our lyfe suppresse
a president before thine eies Of willing death wee are not borne only Vnto our selfes Suche is vncharitie The feeble Nature euen of Flesh and Blood Hath been so kind to die for Ancestrie Gentility records Eneas good In that he bore his aged fathers frailtie Through Troyes flames much more ought Charitie Beare patiently anothers penaltie But shall I say that haplie in this case Our Lord is pleas'd to trie thy patience Thy valure and obedience in disgrace Oh that were all-too glorious a pretence For well ye wot that Souldiour is a King That choycelie is employ'd in warfaring T' is Scowndrell-glorie still to sit at ease In gawdie satisfaction of thy sence Nay t' is no glorie at all but a disease That Canker-like consumes thine Innocence Now God being pleas'd to cure thee thereof Doth thus confound it all into a scoffe And yet confounds it so as thou maist see His Iustice and his Mercie ioind together Thy yll contrould to future dignitie So dooth the goodnesse of thy cause auerre If God did meane thy eternall infamie Worse passiue cause had foule befall'n thee Thou canst not haue a more assured pavvne Of Gods benignitie then a good cause It being vnto thy soule a sacred dawne Of heauens day and an especiall clause Or Charter-warrant of Saluation By a secure Conscience-attestation Not all the glorie of this world is worth The minnim Emphosis of a good Conscience The verie penall teares it sendeth foorth Are more then pearles of Indie-excellence Much more are they Emperiall dignities Her inward Ioyes and Iocundities Say that the Corpes of such a Conscience Lie all in mange before the Misers dore His name as hell held in the worlds offence Yet is he not vnfortunate therefore For heauen and he being still in good conjunction All that 's but vapor and no sound confusion Nay t' is to thee a haughtie merit-matter If brookt with patient valure to the end Which easely thou maist doe if thou consider That Iesus tempts thy patience as a friend Not in his rage aboue thy power and strength Whom he reprooues at first he saues at length And sooth to say what is Prosperitie That so should make thee abhor Aduersitie Euen Caesars loftie pomp and soucraigntie Is not by ods sincere felicitie Subiect to Care and Alteration Through Enuie Errour and Adulation How much adoe is done ere men attaine To wealth and glorie by Ambition Still carke and care shares halfe the seruile gaine The rest remaines to Deaths confusion T' is well if tart Synderisie and Hell Triumver not to towlle the passing-bell Care in attaining and care in attaine Care is the lower and the vpper staire Such carefull glorie is but glorious paine Yea care or care-lesse either all 's but aire Feast it in care or feast it carelesly Death is the latter Harpie of all glory Besides how many Villaines are aduanc'd To such theatricall and stagie-state Whilst Vertue lies obliuiously entranc'd Neglected and disdain'd as out of date Besides the multiplicitie of abuse That is in such mundanities mis-use Whereas the patient Sâ—rapin distresse Behonesteth his guikie suffrance And if he suffer for Gods righteousnesse Loe there the sumine of all true valliance Heauens Machabe he is that so downe-dies Guiltie of all glorie and Gods deere dainties Who heares his name a thousand yeeres hence Will giue it glorie praise and reuerence As to a Temples ruin-Monuments Rased in Sacrilege and Gods offence He will be-villaine those that did the deed As Scowndrell-Agents of Hells blacke areed We are not borne to Fortunes complements As soueraigne dainties but as Vertues tooles Wherwith to shape vs perfect lineaments Of honorable Manhood And not as Fooles To dote vpon the Pensill in our hand And not depaint vs like to Gods command Vertue 's the Ladie of our Humanitie And Fortune but the hand-maid of our merit Now were it homelied one to magnifie The meane aboue the maine T' were pettie sperit To slip our nettes into the Sea for water And pardon Fish as no part of the matter This life is but a warfare against sinne And either Fortune is but sinnes Coate-armour Be it bright or blacke great danger lies therein If thou resist not with a haughtie valour T' is witlesse yeelding to her gawdements And cowardiâ—e vnto her orearements What skils it whether we fight with blacke or white If blacke and white be both our enemies The one in guile tho'other in flat despight The Goblin-Bugs and Faery Hiedegies Are both the shades of hell and night-affrayes Encounter not assent quelles their dismayes And why are we the image of our God The Monarches ouer all Elementaries But to controwll with Reasons righteous rod All flesh and bloods fraile sensualities T' is sensualitie and pettie power To mal-content thee for a fading flower Stand thou on Reasons haughty Promontorie Superiour and secure ouer all disgrace Rage wind and waue horror round about thee Yet all is glorie and peace in that bright place Nor Death nor Hell can damnifie thy honer So long as Reasons arme beares vp thy banner Oh generous minded men that can esteeme All state inferiour to their mindes degree And not abandon it to base misdeeme Of any Fortunes power aboue her glee But can out-stare it with a quaint regard In reference to merite and Gods grand reward That can conceipt all Fortune as a Fog Bee 't black or bright all but a matter of aire If bright oh then it doth but flatter and cog If blacke it drowns thee with a flood of care Vnlesse thy mind be as a Sunne aboue it Faire ouer-shining all her mist-demerit Faire Fortune is a Bog a dauncing danger And Temperance must foot it with a modest pace Her frowne a gulfe that drownes the hartlesse stranger That cannot wend with Patience his disgrace Both that and it are mortuarie matter If fed vpon in Indiscretions platter Submit not then thy sacred Substantiue To Fortunes hestes but as thou art of Nature So still continue thy prerogatiue Aboue her blandishing and spightfull power So shone a Patrimonie as thy Mind Let neuer Fortune wast it out of kind Thou art no part of Fortune but thine owne Vertue thy fore-guide Heauen thy attaine Good death not loftie life thy best Renowne Contented mind thy glories after-gaine Without content all glorie is but gall And with content disgrace is festiuall Content's the Spunge of true felicitie The Cordiall against degraded blesse Corriuall to the highest Empirie The badge of Innocence and Righteousnesse Vertues enthrone Rent of a manlie mind To God for whatsoeuer state assign'd It is the Phaenix of fore-glories Embers Patience her wing Heauen is her amount It is the Christopher whose manly members Wasteth the miser-man through all affrount It is the true and perfect Salamander Breathing vitalitie in flames of fire Not so the Skowndrell in his greatest glorie For ther is no Content in guilt of euill A skowll down-looke and swart synderisie Betokening him a member of the Deuill
He cannot with a faire erected front Be Abba God nor yeeld him good accompt His glorie in guilt of yll is as a flower Begnawne with an accursed Caterpiller Or as an Apple perisht in the coure Though faining outwardlie a faithfull faire Oh fatall incense oh accursed fume That so choaks vp the wretch doth it assume Wheras the others conscientiall-content Doth feast his Fates and ciuillize their rage Turning their gall to glee and solagement And faire be-heauening hell with her asswages Hee 's as a Bwoy aboue the bosterous waue Dauncing to scorne the Seas ybillowy-braue So strong in power is his sincere incline To Gods ordaine and holie prouidence Resting therin as in a sacred shrine Or Sanctuarie against all hels offence The Deuils eager-gripe cannot confound Him whom our Lords protection doth bound There is no hell but in our Gods offence Please him and boldlie plunge adowne the deep Of all accurse his holy Prouidence Being the Argus which doth neuer sleep Will on the wings of safe Protection Still beare the just man vp from all perdition What hap can hap amisse to Gods beblest What waue can surge aboue his prouidence The Hagges of hell are chain'd to his behest Hell gates obey his high omnipotence Diue downe to Hell if he beare vp thy chin Wel maist thou sink a while nere drowne therein If once thy hope be anchored in God No waue no bluster can endanger thee Thy foot from falling is securely shod He corresponding thy fidelitie If God thy Center be and thy defence Be Hell be Deuil thy Circumference The Tyrants steele the Hang-mans Axeltree His strangles mangles and his fierie doomes Cannot confound true magnanimitie Founded on Gods true loue hollidoomes His life in gore his Ghost in shades of hell Are more at ease than anie tongue can tell The earthen minded man cannot conceaue So haughtie glorie in disglorie and dole His groueling appetite doth so bereaue His wit impelling it to another gole Hee 's so befotted in his Leprosie That it alonlie he esteems true glorie But time will come when at a iust Tribunall The iust mans miserie and the misers glee Will come in Coram and bee doom'd for all Then mourning good shall mount to Maiestie And sin-polluted glorie downe discend T'irreparable dollour without end Then vae to guiltie glorie glorious guilt Vae to suppresse of vertue aduance of vice The Rascalls towre on Vertues tuines built Must then adowne and he repent the price Oh farre more happie then disgraced good Then Vice aduanc'd to skowndrell altitud But thou wilt say it is Detraction It is thy name defam'd among the just Thy life bely'd through misconstruction That more then all thy glorie in the dust Be-hels and tortureth thy manly mind It being a mischiefe of a woorser kind Bee 't so Elizian-man I doe confesse Detraction is indeed a monstrous euell Foule Harpie of honour Night of righteousnesse And the vnciuill tongues most venym-driuell Much more I doe confesse it is a spight To be of honest men a villaine hight But on the other side when thou consider The sand-blind errors euen of justest men How much from Gods intuitie they differ And oft when most they iudge are most mistaken Dispaire not at their doomes but in thy hart Blesse God who sees thee inly what thou art Oft-times the good man credits with his eares Not with his eyes Therhence if injurie Redownd to thee the fault being whollie theirs Farre be it from thy hearts synderisie Yea rather with a bolt-vp countenance Giue it the Lie and hardie sufferance Much more the Villaines obloquie disdaine it As currish crauin against thy Innocence His Viper-language cannot cracke thy credit A blush-lesse conscience pleading thy defence His tongue against thy Soules secure estate Fares as a reed against a brazen gate But if his obloquie be a true Eccho Of thy mis-gouernance and guilty life Then well I doe aread it is a woe Vnto thy honor and a slaughter-knife Wheras contrarie-wise if thou be sound It 's but an ayrie and an idle sownd Faire then aguize thee with a trim transcent Aboue al flesh and hells indignitie Embost with gentle Patience and Content Lamb-like repinelesse at aduersitie For sooth I say and heauen will witnesse it The just mans miserie is a haughtie merit And first please God in his commandements Next with a true Satrapick-sufferance Grace me that face of thine those lineaments Against Detraction and hells mis-valiance Shew that thou art the image of thy God In patient portage of his penall rod. So nor dispaire nor yet reuenge thy woe But with the prudent Serpent in distresse Safe-garde thy head let die the rest beloe Thy head in heauen thy heele in heauinesse Is merrie matter if thou well consider That death rejoynes them both in blesse togither Hast thou not noted this effect in Nature How chill-cold winter calefies the water Anteperistezing her powers together Wherby it faire resists her yâ—ie ire So in thy winter of Aduersitie Create thy selfe a sommer-Iubilie Giue place to furie as the humble Snaile Retreating in his hornes gainst misaduenture In time all violence will selfelie quaile If vnprouok'd with currish misdemeanure The chillest winter and the darkest night Redound at last to Sommer and broad day-light See how the Marigold against the Son Displayes and shuts it selfe at his dominion Lessening at night her spred proportion But nere disculloring her gold-complexion So to the soueraigntie of God aboue With Fortunes night deminish not thy loue But thinke misfortune is the flayle of grace The clarifying Fornace of thy soule Wherewith God strips away thy chaffe-disgrace And makes thee pure mettle with such controwlle T' is honorable manhood to obey thy God Bee 't in his mercie or his justice-rod Wilt thou submit thy mind to Fortunes Impostes Faithlesse of Gods benignitie and care Ah rather doe disdaine her bales and bostes As Crocadyle-deceipts and crabbed wareâ— And to thy God alonly plie thy hest For such is pure dutie and the pure best So doing better boones then Fortunes baubles Will Spaniell-like attend vpon thy merite Good death and after death th'immoâ—uables Of glorie and fame and an in heauened spirite In euerlasting lubilie and blesse Far more then heart can thinke or tongue expresse So shalt thou swim away in Verâ—â—es flood A happie burthen to a happy Maine Gods flowerie-eterâ—itie garlanding thy good And his embrace lullabying all thy paine Oh happy thou when such adoption Shall faire befall thy tribulation When all thy Crosses shall appeare in heauen As euer-memorable Annalles of thy merit Oras bright Trophees to thy Vertue geuen The Saintes of glorie all applauding it When God with his serenest countenance Shall euer bright be-boone thy sufferance Then wilt thou nere repent the of thy woe But wish it had been twentie folde as much For Iesus sake who euen in earth beloe Can frollick thy incinder with his tutch And faire be-heauen thy bones in drearie graue Aboue the glorie and ease
thinking who he is for whom you fight Redouble your prowesse and your manly might You combate for the high Hierusalem A region of Peace and Immortalitie Fore-spell'd and promist only vnto them That straine in her behalfe their vp-shot constancie Nor feare yee any woundes or any dying So good a death tends to a better reuiuing See how confusedly Doblessa fightes Without all discipline or good array Her Camp abandon'd to intestine spightes And euerie one contending to beare sway Their owne disorder will confound their power The frame of Discord dures not an hower On then like gallants of the holy-Ghost Fighting in Vnity and for a Crowne Against a rascall and tumultuous Host Nere let the strumpet pull the Temple downe No neuer shall the strumpet pull it downe For God is God and it is all his owne Rememorate the glorie of her Age And of her Raigne and of her pristin Warres How often hath she quell'd Doblessas rage Attempting to assayle her holy Rampiars Hath she not been a Nurse vnto yee all A Shelter and a feast most festiuall Besides hath God not promised of yore That hell shall nere preuaile against her gates And hath not he vouchsau'd to die therfore Establishing her glorie against all Fates Yea is not he her fundamentall stone Her daylie Sacrifice and high Oblation What will ye more Oh Sionites no more But to your tacklings stand like men of honor Like men of Sion one to twentie score Such Babell-hildings mortifie their rancor With constant and imperious resistance God and his Angels are in your assistance So said he blest them and dismist them all Who straight in troops vnto the Rampiers ran And happie he could get vpon the wall There then a second skirmish fresh began Doblessa still persisting in th' assault And Sion fierce supplying all default It was a heauen to see the good array And vnitie of Sion in this conflict How euerie one was willing to obay His Officers encharge though nere so strict The holy-Ghost was in and ouer all Cheering their combate with his cordiall Meane while the high Sacrificator he Attended to the Temples Sacrifice Offring it vp for peace and victorie He chanted Hymnes and Laudes and Letanies And in Pontificall Procession He and his Clergie made their intercession Some in their studdies commented the Text Conferring place with place and with traditions Ov'ring the fraud wherwith Doblessa vext Their Ghospels peace some others in her stations Boldlie aduentured their liues to tell The Babellonians of all her hell Some they perswaded those were verie few And of those few not one of ten persisted But still as feare and fraud their frailties drew They started backe againe like men agasted Oh what it is to be too secular It was selfe-loue that all their weale did marre And of such braue aduenturous Sionites As Doblessa could by hooke or crooke intrap They di'd the death and suffred all the spights That rage and rascall wit could jointly rap Subject they were to dreadfull persecution By publick edict and false brethrens treason What sacring and what sacramenting was In Sion all this while for Sions safetie Was more then all the strength of stone and brasse In her defence God not in enmitie But for her greater glories sake permitting Doblessa thus to bid it bale and bickring Contrarie-wise Doblessa ru'd the fate Of her attempt her mood began to quaile For God now seeing the prefixed date Of Sions patience in her last auayle Did on the suddaine so enlarge his grace That th'whoore retir'd and gaue backe apace And then to shew her latest trumperie Now that our Lords permission faild her powre She gan with Magicke-spels and sorcerie Faire Virgin-like to falsifie her figure Therby to seeme as gracious as she could To Sions eie such was her guize of ould But when she saw that all her fallaces And fierce assaults to Sion were in vaine And feeling now withall Gods heauie furies Showre down vpon her like a floud of raine Shee could no longer bide the brunt of Sion But backe she reel'd to hell and Babylon And fearing least her daunted enterprize Might haplie alien her peoples hearts From her obeysance She so bewitcht their eies With mystes of falsed glory and high deserts That they besotted in their disaster Betooke them to their heeles and fled with her And as they fled Oh marke their vanitie They did so crauin-cockadoodle it As though they had run away victorie And left faire Sion in her dying fit Such hoopes such clangor and such symphonie And all was but Doblessas pollicie She nusled them in so proud Peacockrie To th' end they might not see their damned state But still perseuer as the Bumble-Bee Repine-lesse in their dung and desperate Oh cursed and vnkind captiuitie To be so willing drudge to Falsitie Yet some whome Sions more especiall beame Had bright appaid to see her dignitie Fled from the witch as wak'd from out a dreame Of Faery and Chimericall Imagerie Such Sion intromitted in her gate Applauding them with deere congratulate Contrarie-wise whatsoeuer Sionite Doblessa could with slight or fight enthrall She led away into eternall night Blind-folding their eyes to make them fall Into a thousand helles and offendickles Thrise fatall lapse from Grace into such pickles Nor was the holie Temple thus acquitted For euer after from her hostill trouble But still as Hydra-like she had renued One head vpon the others stump and stubble She came againe and made a braggard-show But still she bare away the Palsie-blow Such being the ancient league of God to Sion Necessiting her Peace to such temptation And yet withall protesting his protection Therto against all hell and Babylon What greater safetie then so good assurance The word of God is of eternall durance Thus Sion triumpht ouer moode and tumult Cabaging her Peace in perfect vnitie Against whatsoeuer future-Scismes insult And seeing now no more hostilitie But all the Region cleere She fell arifling Doblessas spoyles the Honors of her fighting And in her warlike wardrop there she plast them Amongst a world of former pillages And spoyles of Babell high Hierusalem Sisterlie applauding such her victories And thinking long the day to honor her With her embrace and euerlasting cheere Then to conclude the high Sacrificator Came foorth in place and blest the Combatants Bidding them giue to God th' eternall honor Of so high hap And therupon he descants A large discourse of Gods protection How prompt he alwayes was to succour Sion So done he efts dismist the multitude T' attend vnto the buriall of their brethren Whom Sions honor had that day endu'd With zeale to die for her like valiant men Their graues resented Immortalitie Sweeter then all the sents of Arabiâ— And for it was a speciall victorie Archiu'd euen on the very walles of Sion There was proclaim'd a generall Iubilie To be sollemniz'd throughout all the region The Octaue after in feast-full reference And thanks to God for such his high defence In