wisely observes in no fortune leave the Owner And while the Sciences of Eating Drinking Fooling and the like are held in Estimation I cannot want a Lordship Farewell therefore all Dreames and Meditations of the Other World my Making was for this your Elizium with Sweet Shades and purling Streames does not one whit entice me for when they have said all they can 't is still to be Dead to be there And having happilie broken from the Companie of my Noble Associates I 'le yoak no more with 'em till I see what becomes of their Magnanimities but thus as I am alone with warie steps I 'le march unto the New Court and doe not Despair though the King and State be Chang'd to continue still the same Man Exit Comastes Enter Pallantus Timeus Polyander and Menetius Pall My Lord I beseech you attend here Till I give notice of your Coming Pallantus goes out and returnes presently again and holds up the Hanging for Eudora who with transportation meets her Brother after whose first Encounter Pallantus withdrawes Eud. Oh! Is it Reall that my Armes imbrace Or do they Idlie thus infould a Shaddow Liv'st thou Timeus Or are we Dead together And on the Elizeum Banks enjoy this Meeting Say and confirm me For so lost In Miserie so weaken'd and perturbed With Grief are my best Faculties that what I doe and what I see I Know not Time Dearest Eudora I excuse thy Weaknesse Nor is 't a Wonder if thy Softer Nature Feel these Impressions of a Potent Sorrow When the like Passion disorders even The Strongest of my Powers and leaves me broken With as great Distemper O my Eudora Well may we rave of Shades below and An Hereafter-Being when we have latelie Suffer'd such a Change as to a Death May well be Equall'd Turn and cast thy Eye Upon these Miserable Reliques of our Former Fortunes Eud. Yet we doe Live my Lords She turnes to these that came with Timeus If they doe Live that have a Doubtfull Death Still hanging o're 'em But my Timeus I am o'rewhelm'd with Griefes th' are parted to me By an Unequall Hand my Share of Common Losses Is the same with Yours and then my Private Troubles Are no lesse than they No sooner were the Transports o're I ow'd your Safetie but Like The Pangs of Death these seized on my Soul Time What can thy Goodnesse suffer that 's set beyond The reach of all I can Imagine End Which way shall I begin I dare not speak My Troubles the beholding of thy present Evils Forbids the Office of my Tongue O my Timeus thy Misfortunes are so great That they render thee something Sacred To my Thoughts And as with Religion We Impale that Oak which by Joves Thunder Has been struck to keep 't hereafter from a Prophaner Wrong So Thou by thy Misfortunes Struck from Heaven seem'st Consecrated and Exempted From all Violation of a Mortall Tongue Yet look on This and read thy Self those Thoughts I dare not utter And though it shew but One Small Line of that Vast Sceme of Crueltie Design'd or Acted by thee it may serve To bring the Rest into thy Mind This Paper Was found in the Villaines Bosome that should Have done the horrid Act by Him that should Have suffer'd it Time Eudora though on a Mind of Bloud and Guilt this Paper and thy Words Attending it might rush with no lesse Horror Than that Thunder thou now spok'st of Yet on me These Bolts and Flashes are like those Brute And Idle Ones which dash 'gainst Rocks and Mountains Without harm Know that before these Wakenings Came from Thee all Heavens Artillerie has been Empti'd on my Soul and those Celestiall Fires Have wholly purg'd nay calcin'd and burnt up The Old Timeus And what is seen remaining Of his Substance is of a Holier And Diviner Nature such as admits No Commerce with a Sin unlesse it be Like the Religious Magistrate to Hate And Punish it Such as dares look on all His Vices past nay bear 'em purtrai'd and Blazen'd in his Banner as the Enemies And Monsters 'gainst which he is to wage A Trucelesse-Warre for ever Eud. And when Timeus Shall begin his Race of Vertue who is there To be found that can Out-strip him or bear up A Pace that 's Equall O let me imbrace You again my Brother Twice Saved twice Restor'd Unto me and much Dearer in the Last Than First Gift of you Before my Armes Infolded but my Comfort but now they Contain and hold their Wonder And know Timeus These Vertues Heaven has sent thee are in no Idle Uselesse Season given thee but bestow'd With as much Providence as Bountie when An Occasion Great and High Calls on 'em Say then my Brave and Vertuous Brother Say From thy New and Changed Soul within thee That Radiant and yet Sparkling Vertue From Heaven so Late descended What Course Does Honour point forth unto our present Fortunes What does its Sacred Lawes exact And Command from us Take thus from me the State Ofour Condition On the One Side Our Lives Are granted by our Enemies and not Onely so but we are Highly Courted To accept 'em have all the Flatteries And Temptations can make us Love them Even Obtruded on us On the Other We have lost a Father nay more a Crown They say Usurpt This Mysterie you better know Than I. Yet still Consider for 't will no lesse Concern our Honoure to weigh this thing Whether a False and Usurpt Power being still The Soveraign and Highest doe not Create Something of a True and Reall Greatnesse In the Persons that have borne it which forbids'em To Act a Second and a Lower Part on this Worlds Stage And if in this Scrutinie the Verdict Be cast against our Lives Know 't is not In Our Enemies powers to give us that Which Dutie our Higher Master Commands us To throw from us but either thou art Oblig'd To shew me the Way to Death or 't is expected That thou Learn it from me Time O Eudora Thou Wonder of Vertue thou Miracle Of Honour How sordid Low how despicablie Poor is all the World beside thee What Noble Heights thy Soul does mount to no lesse above The Following than President of others And shall I presume to Judge those Daz'ling-Flights Which no Eye lesse Heavenlie than thine Own Can reach to Shall Timeus A Trewant A Novice in the School of Vertue A Proficient but of Yesterday No Eudora pronounce boldlie what thy Soul Shall dictate as to an Oracle I will submit But never teach thy Vertue If the Question Thou hast put be Hard I dare not speak in 't 'T is Eudoras Life if it be Easie 'T was yet her finding and poorlie I will not Rob her of the Glory Eud. Alas alas How farre I am mistaken Thou giv'st me Glory And I need thy Pittie Thus Children have a Sword Put in their Hand when both their Hand and Sword Need holding by another If I had Vanitie to take unto my Self the Powers Thou
can we justifie this Creed if in our actions we daily do transgress what we so daily do profess as if our present moments did afford us more concern to pamper fading Flesh for being Worms meat in the Grave above the nourishing of our Souls with heavenly Manna to endure unto eternity If this be Gospel-Truth as I think it is I cannot chuse but wish and pray that my Retirement may produce the like Effects in others by reading what I write to obtain the high Felicity I privately enjoy transcending all the glistring Vanities that I have seen and too largely sharedin but now know no Felicity in this World to be compar'd unto the Joy of living ever ready to go out of it which is not so easily done as said though we endeavour all we can Now Reader I have nothing else to say But wish thee Grace to meditate and pray Which will high joys create and teach thee why True Piety will never fear to dye When arm'd with such Divine Philosophy FINIS ADDENDA On our cold desire to go to Heaven WE seem to prize the other World 'bove this But fear to go to that undoubted Bliss We find few Men who would with Enoch fly From hence to Heaven that dare soar so high Or with Elijah would take like delight To mount his Fiery Chariot in his flight Our Faith for such Celestial Joy comes short Of our Fruitions here where our Support Is what we see and what we understand Which we preferr before God's best command Tho' Reason and Religion both agree To bring us to a Bless'd Eternity In the same moment we are rais'd from hence Through Faith by God's Divinest Influence Which only can Immortal Life Create By Death destroying this our Mortal Fate So that till we with God's Decree comply We do not truly Live until we Dye To a Friend in a fit of the Gout WElcome thy pain my Friend this Gout is sent In Mercy to fore-warn and to prevent Thy Gluttonies and Epicurean Crimes Which were unpractis'd in our Fathers times This is the effect of strong Falernian Wine And pride to wash thy Feet in Muscadine By eating Mushrooms stew'd with Ambergreece And the fat Livers of the Jews fed Geese With Peacocks Eggs in gravy to support Thy Luxuries and now thou 'rt punish'd for 't On the Fear of Death 'T IS strange that all Mankind should be afraid To Die nor any arguments perswade Wise Men from the terror of a Name Death is God's Messenger and we to blame To antedate his Arrant with such fear As doubts to go with Him we know not where Tho' Death's power only can our Souls convey To Heaven if we God's Holy Laws Obey But we still struggle with undaunted strife To keep our dying Bodies from true Life For want of Faith lest Death should by mistake Lead our sad Souls to the Infernal Lake When such gross misdoubting Grace only can Force Death to fright a misbelieving Man Which shews the Glory of our future State Is left to our own Option not to Fate On true Devotion WHen true Devotion is our chief delight We may presume 't is pleasing in God's sight And to our Souls will sacred Bliss reveal To fix and to eternalize our Zeal And while we live our blessed thoughts direct To the Seraphick Joys of God's Elect. And will by our Adoption when we dye Declare the glory of that dignity On God's wondrous Works WHen we consider God's Word and Deed And see the products of the smallest Seed It doth our wonder greatly antedate With joy and in our hearts fixt Faith create It doth all doubtful thoughts with truth confute When fancy guides our Fingers on the Lute But yet these petty arguments of sence Must all submit to God's Omnipotence In wonders of a higher nature shown Which all the Christian World admires and own But know not how the boystrous Sea or Land Do steady stand by God's Supreme Command Who has the Sun and Moon so firmly set With Stars in their fixt Spheres that no Man yet Can by his Industry or Art declare How high or what circumference they are And yet the Seat of God's Celestial Bliss Is still to be admir'd above all this Where God himself Inthron'd is pleas'd to dwell Which must in Glory all the rest excell Tho' these be wonders of a large extent There be some of much more wonderment That God should all Offences here forgive And grant us daily comforts while we live By our Souls washing in the Crimson Flood Of our Bless'd Saviours Sacramental Blood By which he does our Claim to Heaven advance When we approach in a Seraphick Trance And own his Mercies with intire delight To glory in his bright Beatick sight The more we think the more we wonder and The less of Miracles we understand Why the same Earth should ev'ry year produce Such various Fruits and Herbs for humane use If Faith and Gratitude did not combine To think such Meditations are Divine When God with secret Bliss such joys imparts As does create true Zeal in pious hearts And doth their Souls with flaming Love invite To Paradise ineffable to write Unless his Holy Spirit should indite To my Old Sick Friend MY good Old Friend why so sad does thy Age decline so fast that the Idea of thy Grave frights thee with fear to die Are we not all dying and none knows who shall go next nor how soon be gone if this occasion thy dismay I will teach thee an Antidote that will dispell the Poyson of that Serpent's bite and turn that universal curse of Death into a State of Bliss if thou can'st raise thy dejected Spirit to a quick sense of snaring the Eternal Joys of Heaven with those departed Saints who by Faith Prayer and Penitence are now exalted thither Let thy melancholy Meditations and Preparations for the Grave be changed from a Gaol delivery into a constant chearful zealous Conversation in thy Divine Retirements with God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost by a total Resignation of thy Soul and all thy concerns unto them and think with pleasure how near thou art arrived to thy Journeys end to be with them in Paradise Then such Celestial Thoughts will be thy most pleasant entertainment and surely meet with surprising joy from Faith in Christ's plenteous Redemption which will beget a hearty speedy welcome unto Death's arrival who comes to conduct thee to Eternal Bliss and thou wilt also find that every devout step towards this felicity of thy approaching Salvation will make thy heart dance with a Saint-like delight to baffle the terrors of the Grave with a serene prospect of thy Eternal Happiness at hand and so make thy last hours full of Angelical transporting joy to be with God the moment thy Soul expires fix thy heart thus and all sad Thoughts will vanish when a sincere Faith becomes predominant Thy Heart by practice will delight in this Divine Elixir of Eternal Bliss On
vain Projectors NO mortal Man can limit or restrain The boundless fansies of another's brain But may such Fetters on his own Thoughts lay As will keep them from wandring much astray But naturally Men add wings to try How high their vain ambitious Hearts can fly Until like Icarus their waxen wings Do melt and all their hopes to ruin brings But when our Souls do with Angellick Love Soar high they will Celest'al joys improve To flaming Zeal and raise our hearts so high As will discern our Immortality To my Rich Friend become Poor TEll me Old Friend and speak the truth If twenty Dishes in thy Youth Did then more please and gratifie Thy Stomach with that Gluttony Which did Diseases daily breed Till now thou dost on one Dish feed Tell me if now thy constant health Gives not more joys than thy lost Wealth Afforded by thy vast excess In frequent Treats and Wantonness Which made a noise more than content For all thy charge and time mispent When to the Poor half that expence Would have procur'd God's Providence And sav'd the loss of thy Estate Which thou hast thought upon too late Tho' now thou dost aloud profess Thy Poverty proves Blessedness On Injustice IF Charity to Men be God's Command Justice must in much higher favor stand If neither can in wicked Men find place They slight God's Anger and despise his Grace But these are petty Crimes when Avarice Doth harden hearts for gold and Souls intice To sell Salvation at so cheap a Rate Such villanous intentions aggravate When a design'd premeditated cheat With a bold-fac'd fraud shall just Right defeat And a false Cause by power shall justifie Hell only can reward such Infamy For God with indignation does declare He will Poor Men's Oppressors never spare Against Momentary Joys NOW let my Friend from sighs and sorrow cease For Crimes repented let thy joy increase For thy serene assurance lately gain'd Of pardon by thy Saviour's Blood obtain'd Let thoughts of thy Eternal Glory rise And scorn all Earthly Bawbles that surprise Unsteady Souls with present fading Toyes That cloud the brighter Beams of Heav'nly joys And boldly do those glist'ring bubbles try In hope they 'll last unto Eternity Who raise their idle fancies by their wit To practise Atheism rather than submit To part with present Moments of delight To purchase Heav'n with God's Beatick sight Who with his known Decrees will not comply But think to live till they are pleas'd to dye Tho of such Men it may be truly said They are that moment both alive and dead The Terror of Death by Death is cured IF Death were not for Sin from Heaven sent It could not be esteem'd a punishment To be deliver'd from our daily woe While'twixt our Roses Thorns and Thistles grow So that our care should be to weed our hearts From foul excrescents by such holy Arts As will that fatal sting of Sin destroy And so convert our sorrows into joy When we the Pangs of such a Death endure As doth produce both Punishment and Cure To my Old Friend on his Birth-day MY Friend thou dost well to celebrate thy Birth-day as a vow'd Sacrifice to God because he did reserve the first born to himself of Living Creatures and thou art one But let not thy Altar be adorn'd with a superfluous Treat with too many flagons of rich Wine and Tables throng'd with Wealthy Guests as if it were a Bacchanalian Feast But such a moderate Meal for thy own Servants with some Poor Neighbours that may soberly rejoyce to see a New Year begin with a propitious prospect of thy insuing happiness and pray thy Piety and charity may Shine round about thy Habitation here on Earth until thou art advanc'd to Heaven Death is the Beggars highest Holiday T IS but a faint Felicity that any Man can have in all the Honours Treasures and Pleasures of this World without a joyful inward assurance of his Salvation when the next moment an angry Neighbour or a Tyrant Prince can end his days Or Sickness by tormenting pains turn all his joy into sorrow while he lives with despairing terrors worse than all at the approach of Death when a poor pious Beggar will die transported full of Celestial Joys for his highest Holiday and be as welcome into Heaven as the greatest Monarch And therefore may be well and truly said Both Souls are of the same fine Substance made To my merry Friend WHY now so joyful my good Friend has thy Princes smiles this Morning added new feathers to thy Heart that makes it fly so high His frowns to morrow may turn those gay feathers into Lead tho' thou deserve not such a change Consider now such frequent sad Fates as do befal the craftiest Men that only trust in mortal accidents for their support in Princes favours and raise thy Souls delight in Service of the King of Kings whose favours will endure unto Eternity above the reach of Earthly Storms and then thy Prince's favours will have a sure foundation to subsist on with higher joys than any Sycophants black Arts by Malice or by Envy can disturb thy Peace or Pleasures when a good Conscience is so center'd and so fix'd on God For no Man can imagine the constant felicity of a strict pious Life in all conditions but he that is so reconciled with a lively Faith to God as chearfully to part with all the glist'ring Bubbles of this World to enjoy everlasting Bliss in Heaven which ought to be the supreme hope of our best endeavours On the fear of Death THO Men by nature Born to fear to Die May still account it a great misery When Piety and Prayer can't prevail To change the pow'r of that severe Intail Tho' all our Hearts and Souls do still agree To frame our Minds to God's most bless'd Decree Because no other means like that the best To bring Mankind to his Eternal Rest. Yet our weak Faith cannot the credit gain By Heavenly joys and glory to obtain Such Courage and a Valour so Divine Rather to Die with joy than to repine To part with fading pleasures that no Age Can for one moments certain time engage They shall abide nor can find any cure That Men on Earth for ever shall endure How great a shame and folly then that we Should fear to go where we desire to be And so preferr our miseries on Earth Before a bless'd and glorious chearful Death That will in gratitude the surest way Our Souls to God in Paradise convey When Faith with such a Zeal shall so comply 'T will shew a Godly Gallantry to Die On the Art of Meditation WHO will the Art of meditation learn Must make each Paragraph his chief concern For some few moments to consider on Lest reading more create confusion And unavoidably disturb the Brain With more at once than what it can retain When Piety by Art is thus refin'd It will rejoyce the heart inrich the mind With sacred Thoughts beyond all Earthly care Till flesh be turn'd into Angelick Air All Men should live as ever in God's sight And make Devotion their supreme delight And then observe how God does Grace return To make Seraphick Joy the brighter burn FINIS * He shewes a great Goblet * He points to the Cup that had the poyson
Ruine of Greatness in this The Ruine of my Name A Rape were a Glory To thy Affection and though it had Lost It would have Got me Fame the Honour of A Ravish'd Virgin Did'st thou Woe me with the Highest Services as thou com'st in my Fathers Blood I could Reward thee but could Never yeeld thee Love I was too long A Princess and lost the name too Late To entertain so low a thought Pall The World Of Causes that part me and Happyness Eud. Love is soft and full of Curtesie A greater Opposite to Lust than Hate The Flames thou feel'st are more preposterous Than those which burn the Brests of Satyrs or Of Beasts which kill the Young and in that blood Enjoy the Dam. Think'st thou that any is So bold in Lust to imbrance the Fears thy Love Brings with it Pall My Youth and Comliness how Are you obscur'd Eudo. My Miseries have put A new Nature in me chang'd that Calmness I had wont enjoy into the Looks and Language of a Fury How ill does Rage Become a Virgins brest I will suppress it And if it must break forth dissolve it into Tears An Age worn out in thought cannot present One Comfort to me I am so Wretched Oh! My soul 's more Earthy than my body This War that is within me I hope will Gain a Victory o'er my Life at last Pall Accursed that I was to be the Authour Of so much Miserie Is there no way to restore That Peace which you have lost If there be any Despair not of it though it be held within The jawes of Death I 'll snatch it for you Though it were lost in the Darkest Mass of things My Love would distinguish 't in a Chaos If it have no Being but what your Thought Gives Life to I 'll Wish it for you so strong My Phansie is to serve you Let it be Any thing to be done I 'll do it Can I The wretched Cause removed bring ease unto You Sufferings Here on my Knee I yeeld my Life Unto your taking or if you had rather I 'll offer 't up my self Eudo. No and yet There is a way and thou may'st do it Pall Is there a way O my joyes The Gods are Merciful Name it name it to me Eudo. If thou wilt vow to do it presently Pall Need I an Oath to confirm I would be Happy 'T is my own Happyness I thus Eagerly pursue in yours Ev'ry sigh You give doth make me breathless and ev'ry Tear which you let fall doth bow me nearer To the Earth than all the years and Wounds that I have suffer'd Yet I will swear By all things Holy all that I fear and reverence To refuse no Labours Death to gain your Ease And restore joy unto your Life again Eudo. Now thou can'st not thy last words have render'd Thee Unable The Ease was Death which yet I beg from thee Pall From what a Heaven of happyness Am I fallen Eud. Assist me all my strength Ye Gods this way ye have ordained I should Come to you pardon that Fate then which your selves Did give me She makes an offer to stab her self Rod O my Lady Pall Stay O stay that hand Let that Goodness in you which would spare Things Fair and Holy preserve the Fairest and The Holiest The Angells would be proud to take Such Shape upon them when they Visit Earth 'T is such as Your self ought to look with Reverence on Eudor Ther 's a Weapon hid within my Heart which None can take away it wounds deeply now Death thou art a Lover and dost Court me mildly Ladies O my Lady help help O my Lady She faints Rod Give her more air Pall She 's gone my time 's no longer Our Lives were woven on the same Web the Destinies condemn ' me to see her Death And then to follow He prepares to fall upon his Sword Rod She breaths stand off Eud. My Brother O my Father Rod How doe you Madam Eud. Too well my strength returnes to fast unto me Pall Were my Soul fled that Voyce would call it back Again it self would return and choose this Paradise on Earth I 'le not disturbe her With my Longer stay Fair One if your Lady Shall need any thing you may have it with A thought No lesse respect shall wait on her Than if her Father still Rul'd all The Guard Shall be at your Command and attend onely For your Quiet and your Safety Rod Souldier Th' art Noble The Gods reward thy goodnesse Exit Pallantus at one door and Eudora led off by the Ladies at the other CHORUS HE who Unjustly sway'd the State Lives no where now but in their Hate There 's Nothing left of him but Shame Which both Preserves and Clouds his Name When Civill-Beasts fall let it be Call'd Slaughter and not Victory When that He dyes that lived a Shade His Sleep's Continu'd then not Made Arise thou Starre of Honour here And in his Stead shine round our Sphear Grace thou the Throne and let us see Thy Father once more Raign in thee We 'l now in nought but Love Conspire And no brest burn but with True Fire While that such manners rule the Throne Live all by his he by his Own ACTUS 5. SCENA 1. Enter Eudora and Rodia Eud. THis Quiet we enjoy does strike Amazement In me Sure they have Slain the Body with The Head which makes this Generall Calm Rod Madam 'T is much more Innocent And though that part Of it we find by particular Command Be Order'd so yet 't is but an Image Of the Universall Peace that Blesses All the Isle No Noise of Armes Rapine of Souldiers Tumults Slaughters are seen in any Place but Securitie and Joy doe reign As in a long and Setl'd Peace The Conspirators Having brought about their Great Design Desire to have it seen to all the World They Sought a Change but not a Desolation Eud. Their Moderation is too Late nor will It satisfie the Gods when they have spilt So much Bloud that they will Spill no more Rod O Madam how farre you wander and are lost In Error and to all your other Miseries Is added this your Mistaking of the Ground On which you Suffer and whether with my Duty It will stand to inform you of the Right I know not Yet while there is a Charitie In the Rudenesse I shall be bold to tell you This Last Alteration the State has suffer d This wresting of the Scepter from your Name Together with your Fathers Life has not Befallen through the Impious and black Contrivance of a few bloudie and ambitious Lords greedie to assume the Royall Ensignes To themselves but in the Name of Justice And the Owner they have made this Seizure And there stands up a King to Countenance And Justifie the Fact a King not known Unto the Latter Age a Son of Him From whom with the like violence but more Injustice pardon what I say your Father Formerlie did tear the Diadem O Madam Your
speak'st of yet at this time Like a Phisitian that 's himself Distemper'd My Learning and Experience serve me Nothing No Timeus my Reason's darken'd The Clouds of Discontent obscure my soul And in the Mazes of a troubled Mind I wander without a Cleu to guide me Death with his Horrors and Dismay laid-by Drest in a Form bewitching and Uncommon And waited on by Crowds of Sweets and Pleasures As if with Love again he had chang'd his Arrows Most powerfully Charmes and calls me to Him One while presents before me the Famed Examples Of the Romane Fortitude th' exalted Glories of those Ancient Worthies that preferr'd A Noble Death before a Life of Pleasure And of Shame And then pursues this Theam Of Shame though all those steps of low Contempt And Scorn I open'd to you at the first Or the Worlds Censure can be thought to blast The Gallant by Life on the Other side With a Deportment Sad and Face Austere Without all dress or shew of Blandishment But with a kind of Aweful and Divine Authority forbids me hear th' Allurements Sung by Death tells me though the Notes be Sweet Th' are most Pernicious and that a Syrene Sings 'em that the VVorlds Opinions as her Pleasures are False and Impious and by The Vertuous both should be contemn'd Opinions In Truth and not in Number take their VVeight Now well I understand when Both have Pleaded thus 'T is neither Life nor Death the Noble should Desire but Duty The One and Other Ought to be held Indifferent and this Third Alone with Passion be pursu'd But now In which of these two Our Present Duty lies There stands the Scruple I am troubled with There stands the Doubt I would have Solv'd For when I dare meet Death in any Form I would not Have it said Eudora forfeited the Belief Of having a Diviner soul while through Fear Like a Plant or Vegetable she clove To a Being on this Earth Nor yet when I have Greatnesse enough to look on Life In the most Frowning and Unpleasing Aspect That unequall to my Miseries Out-fac'd With Troubles I poorly fled my Station In this World and Crept into the Calm of Death To seek my Peace Like Boasters thus playing The Coward under a Masque of Vallour Time Eudora this part of your Philosophy That Life and Death ought neither to be Consider'd But as they may Conduce unto our Vertue None more firmly does imbrace than I. Nor in the Dayes my Soul was tainted with The Blackest Crimes was an Unmanly Fear Ere part of that my Guilt And yet Eudora I must say I see no reason more than The Scruple the Ruputation of thy Question Put into me why the Prolonging of Our Lives should be Dishonourable to Either of Us And if it be Duty that calls us To our Death it will not be hard to shew Where that Duty is set down If the Worlds Opinion onely what that Opinion is Thou hast already spoken Thy words import Beside that the Discontented Passionate Vain-glorious obtain not by their Contempt Of Life the Honours of a Noble Death But Those alone who have no Other Way To save their Vertue So that 't was not Rome'â— Cato or her Portia which deserv'd this Crown But her Curtius her Regulus her Decius And if any do Object that the first Of these were also Highly Vertuous I readily confess it but all that The Vertuous do is not alwaies Vertuous This is an Immunity of the Gods And not of Good-Men And though One Comm on Glory belong'd unto the Lives of Both Of these the Glory of their Deaths was farre Unequal The One sought Themselves the Other Sought their Duty To bring all this home to Thee Eudora Remember that thy Vertue 's Courted thy Honour 's safe no way Assaulted But ador'd And then for Thee to think of Death Is Idle Vain or Scrupulous Error And not Vertue Superstition and not Enter Pallantus Duty nay worse 't is Dire and Impious Something that might Sute perhaps with the Foul Deeds Of Timeus former Life but not with The Fairer Actions of Eudora Pall How like a Skie troubled with Clouds and Meteors That Heavenly face appears The most Propicious Aspects from on High shine on their present Councels I fear some Deadly Maxime governs And guides their Consultation Eud. Timeus This is the Time allow'd us to work out To Our selves an Everlasting Honour If we let-slip the Opportunity W' are lost unto a Noble Name for ever Time Eudora there 's little danger of an Error Or Omission there where neither Will Nor want of Care betray'd the Business held In Consultation Eud. For should we think To Reassume again hereafter our Councell's now laid-by Our Neglect at present Would not be look'd on as an Error but A most Wretched Poorness and our best Pretences Be judg'd a pittiful afflicted Folly Time There is but one Particular I know Can hinder in Eudora the Choyce of Life From being just and truly Honourable Eud. There spoke my Noble Brother That that particular Timeus That Particular is Undoubtedly The thing we have so long been searching for And never found till now Time 'T is this Eudorn That thou be well perswaded and assur'd Of what thou put'st in Act for the most Just And Lawful Action perform'd with Doubting Becomes Unlawful Eud. Timeus I thank you For your Reproof I shall believe it seasonably Given me It has awak'd me and no longer Will I hover in a Doubtful Mind 'T is true This sence you have delivered coming to me From another Hand I held suspected Thought it not safe too hastily to Credit it From you But seeing you do not onely Affirm But Abide and stand in this your Sentence I likewise as an Undoubted Truth will Accept and rest upon it Say now Timeus Do you know yond Person that did Conduct you To this place Time Know him Eudora Yes When he wander'd in Remotest Nations My Fears held Intelligence on his Motions When first he set his Foot within this Land My Spirit by a kind of Antipathy Did feel it In his Disguise I knew him There is no Place or Shape he can be Hid in But my Soul would find him He was the Meteor first That hung with Direful Threats ore my Impiety But since the Auspicious Star that lead me Both to Honour and to Life 'T is the Valiant Vertuous and Heroick Prince Pallantus Eud. My Obligations are no less to him Than yours Too long we do neglect him And having once resolv'd to accept of Life We ought to acknowledge it to Him that Gave it us Let us joyn our Thanks together Here they both go to Pallantus who sees them not till Eudora begins to speak but then as one surprized he turns to them Eud. My Lord we come to acknowledge our Lives To have been your Gift and in no Common way Bestow'd upon us Mercy must be allow'd A share i' th' Act but had not your Honour And Prudence wrought more Effectually The
and Rain soon tumbled down And if we mind those mighty Miracles of the first Ages they all relate unto Faith Our blessed Saviour also used to say Whosoever believeth in me shall never die Do you believe that I can do this and then Be it done according to your Faith Thy Faith has made thee whole The Woman with the bloody Issue had no other application for her Cure but Faith Without Faith what signifies our Creed And to what purpose did our Saviour bleed If we all Doubting could from Faith divide Pure Faith would then in greatest triumph ride God grant all those the Power of Faith that die In joyful Hopes of bless'd eternity When their departing Souls will gladly own By faith they rise from Dunghills to a Throne How to delight in GOD THe Text says Delight in the Lord and he will give thee thy hearts desire And no doubt but if we delight in him with the highest faculty of our Souls above all carnal appetites with contemplation of his glorious Essence and Attributes in frequent fervent Prayers with continual Gratitude for his daily Mercies To adore him as we might we should find such a rejoycing in God to be the most voluptuous felicity that the heart of Man is capable of But we mock our selves too often with a belief of this Felicity by a careless searching short in our own Hearts for a clear proof of the divine Perfection of this delighting in God which every Man must find in himself for no Man can correct the unseen Errours of his Neighbour's heart So that it must be every Man's concern to examine his own Conscience how much he rejoyces in God more than in all worldly Fruitions and according to his proportion in excelling therein his peace of Conscience will prove the more exalted joyful Feast and will create in him the greatest hope of his heart 's promised desire and is the surest way to remove our natural Fear of Death who only can lead us to glory which all Men ought to think on more than all other affairs in this World For if we delight in God as we ought We should the clear intrinsick value find When Grace enriches a delighted Mind That trusts in God and by such bless'd converse Excells all pleasures of the Universe Which no Man's Faith nor Fancy can conceive Till that delightful practice gives him leave Then Souls enlightned by that holy fire Will pass to Paradise when they expire An higher Bliss can no Man's heart desire Though worldly joys may all our Senses please The Soul's joy makes them all but a disease But when God's glory in our Souls doth shine It shews those holy Raptures are divine Yet we ought not to think that every petty pleasing Object that assaults our Senses doth deserve the Name of a Delight more than little Children have for every new Baby they do see But when the Soul's supreme delight is so fixed on God that every address brings men as near to him as Souls can come while they are involved in Clay yet by a flaming Zeal and such high mounting Faith as doth believe that God is every-where and Heaven with him and them are altogether at that time there Where such joys may grow up to such a divine Delight in God as will come nearest unto his beatick sight tho' few Men seek it by such practice as we might and therefore cannot fansie such transcending Bliss on Earth as those her metick Livers have who daily do converse in Heaven with great delight in expectation of a quick Summons thither and such Piety may be truly called Delighting in God 'T is said my Book does need apology To beg a Pardon for tautology Which is a Crime I never understood If the repeated matter be all good David's Example as my Pattern may Excuse that Errour and for pardon pray On the Power of Divine Meditation DAvid says God requires no Sacrifice But Penitence and Faith he does despise The Blood of Beasts We are to thank and praise His holy Name and honour him always And if we trust him as we ought Mankind Will be by frequent Comforts so refin'd That we on Earth shall have a daily taste Of his eternal Peace and joys at last If David's Rules authentick be That God Had rather use his Mercy than his Rod And proffers Heaven at so cheap a rate T' invite us to become regenerate What labour less can mortal Men invent To gain God's favour and 'scape his punishment If thus our Duty may his Favour claim All Men will trust and honour his great Name Such Ecstasies in Meditation will Men's heads with glorious heavenly Visions fill And by degrees our Souls with joys advance To think that we are there in such a trance And find that such enlightning Zeal as this Is emanation for our future Bliss A Dream of Heaven THough Sleep Death's Image be I have been now I know not where convey'd I know not how Where something did appear so dazling bright I could not see its Glory for the Light My Soul supriz'd with Wonder and amaze Methought I pray'd and did forbear to gaze Frighted and pleased at what I lik'd and fear'd I found it was a Dream of Heaven appear'd Which waking fled but did my Fancy fill With blessed Ideas which abide there still With such transporting joy that I can weep To think of what I had and could not keep On a Dream of Hell STart not my Soul 't is but a Dream to show The dismal Terrors of eternal Woe Which unrepenting Sinners feel below Where Satan with his cursed Crue do dwell For their Ambition tumbled down to Hell While we rejoice on the Divine Presence Of our exalted Bliss by Penitence Those fiery Streams we seem to see May give us joy to find that we are free From that sad Doom where Torments never cease But rather to Eternity increase While our Conversion doth aloud proclaim What mighty Honour due to God's great Name Who will in Mercy save a Reprobate If his Repentance do not come too late On Death 'T Is very strange the World should still comply To think that Death is sent to make us dye By leading us to Immortality And the same moment does our sonls convoy From worldly slavery to eternal joy So that we ought to find some other Name For God's great Messenger that bears our blame Alone tho' Life and Death are both the same Moment our eternal Lot to end this strife We may treat Death as our first step to Life No terror find by our remove from hence When all our Happiness proceeds from thence The POSTSCRIPT IF Heaven be what we read or hear and see or do believe to be the glorious Habitation of the more glorious Trinity that we pretend to love to obey to trust worship and adore as one united God who has created Heaven and Earth the Sea and all therein and from whom we do expect eternal happiness when our Souls expire How
Greatness is the Centre Of all happiness and felicity Like our Lands at first is ty'd to the Crown Kings comes near unto the Gods and are like them Both in power and pleasure do command all Enjoy all are miserable onely in having Of too much and wanting what to wish for Theirs is the dazling happyness 'T is idle Therefore to prefer Private joyes before The Crown-pleasures The King may throw by his Greatness when he please and be poorly happy But the Begger will nere sigh unto a Scepter King Why I Polyander ther 's some life in this A little heaven even in the apprehension Aratus art not thou of this opinion Ara. Not I Sir nor of my Lord the Fools there Kings are more miserable than they seem Happy flatter'd by themselves and others Into a joy that is not and what they feel They rather do imagine than find so Yet I grant too a King may be happy But not then as a King Felicity Is a Purchase and no Inheritance Nor has the Prerogative more than one life In 't ever it dyes still with the Buyer Troubles are the good Kings profession In the Wars the first Dart is thrown at him Where oft times his happyness is in a Glorious death or perhaps his God-like Raies Are pluck'd from him by some accursed hand And so falls less happy being after Vainly wish'd so by a poor revenge he Knows not Com. Very Grave and unseasonable Thus your Lord-ship gets the reputation Of Singularity which the Vulgar Suspect to be Wisdom Ara. Sir you see How this place and my freenes are injur'd King Mirth onely mirth Aratus He means Thy speech would better have become a Councel Than a Banquet Timeus welcome Nay Keep your seats Would thou had'st been partaker Enter Timeus Of our Mirth Time Sir when my actions or my age Shall make me worthy of your ease and pleasures I shall be a thankfull sharer but till then Your Troubles will become me better than Your Sports and Cares will sit more lovely on My Brow than Roses Sir those that are about you Seek to drown your Vertues Ara. Your Highnesse meanes None here Time I name none here my Lord King Nay Timeus Thou nere look'st friendly on our pleasures Time I must confesse Sir I had rather see you Bloudy than thus Wet nor are my Wishes Impious Polyander Poly. My Lord Time How basely that Smile became thee I had Rather thou had'st answer'd me with a Blow Than such a Look I thought to have ask't thee Something but I see thou art unworthy Of a brave Demand Thy Skill lies onely In the Curiosity of a Meal To say at the first touch o' th' tongue this is A Chian this a Falernian Wine Streight by the colour of the flesh to know Whether the foul were cram'd or whether fed Prethee Polyander how sat the Wind When this Bore was slain Were not these Apples Pull'd the Moon Encreasing Degenerate I have seen thee put thy face into a Frown And were 't so constant in that look as if Thou had'st no other Poly Sir when you shall find Or make a cause I 'le put them on again Here they 'l but sour the Entertainment Com. You see my Lord they are not drownd they live Still under water Time Like thine Beast King Prethee Timeus let us enjoy our Mirth While the Gods give it the time will come That we shall wish for it and not have it On my Conscience thou could'st be content To have Enemies onely that thou might'st cut 'em off Time I am sorry Sir if I have offended Against your Mirth it was not my intent I came to bring you News King News What is 't Good Time 'T is as you shall esteem of 't Sir There 's A Stranger Prince ariv'd King Hither Time Yes Sir His Visit 's forc't by a Storm as he pretends King What ere the Occasion is he shall be Welcome The time 's far spent Aratus it Shall be thy Employment From us fairly Salute the Prince and tell him though the Seas Have been Unfriendly the Land shall Court him Ara. Great Sir you highly Honour me Phro So now we have time to speak What think'st thou Exeunt all but Aratus Phronimus and Eurylochus Aratus of these passages Arat. Well bravely well Eury. Your speech strook desperately at the King He will not swallow it without some touch of jealousie Ara. 'T is no matter He cannot crosse us now We have not tan'e so many yeares to build A Work up and then to have it ruin'd With a push No he that will shake 't must first Overthrow a Kingdome a Prince a Law so large The Extents are Nere did Plot thrive like it It has infected with the Holy Sore The greatest part o' th' Realm and catches daily Like some Unheard of New Opinions Streightned at first and prison'd in the brests Of two or three gain strength by Time and Eares And daily fed by curiosity Thrust out at last the Old and most Receiv'd And grow the whole Religion of the Place When we have call'd our Party forth the Work Will seem done the thin Numbers that are left Not deserving the Name of Enemies The Tyrant then will see himself no more A King but onely the Wretched Cause of Warre His Power being ravisht from him Phr. While the fruit 's thus ripe why doe we let it grow Eury. And spoil perhaps Arat. We will no longer onely A little Ceremony detaines us To Crown our King that past our actions With our thoughts shall then contend in swiftnesse Phro How sped your visit to the young Prince Arat. Most happily O had you seen with me The Dear Cause of this our Danger how Cheap Would you have thought the Greatest for his Sake And stood contemning Life thinking your bloud Ill-stored within your veines when that his service Call'd it sure 't was some such Shape and Sweetness Which first slav'd men and gain'd a Rule before there was A Kingdome Eury. You forget your Message to the Prince Arat. 'T is true pray bear me Company we may get thankes For our Complement another day Exeunt Omnes Enter Harpastes Harp Devill whether wilt thou hurle me The Ship Sunk under so much Ill nor can the Earth Bear us both together the greatest Hills Presse not her face with half that Load one thought Of Goodnesse made me lighter than the Waves And in an instant taught me how to swim Enter Melampus to him Melampus Melam Harpastes Harp Are we onely scap't Melam I hope so Harp Then the Storm has plaid the Hangman And sav'd us Innocent Melam Innocent What 's that It has sav'd us so much labour and a broken head perhaps Harp The Wrack was great and full of horror Melam How the rogues pray'd and roar'd above the Waves Vow'd whole heards of Off rings for their safety But Neptune sav'd 'em Charges and took the Verier Beasts Harp We scapt miraculously Melam I hope you 'l burn no Bullocks to the
the Cup Are you so much Below him Time There are greater thoughts in hand Than Curious Points of Gallantry If he send Any Present to you you must return it Back with Scorn Eud. Pride is ill becomming And hateful even to the next Proud man does Practise it Time Then take 'em and laugh at him Eud. No where my thankes are too much I 'll rather Return Gifts for Gifts I should shame to be A gainer on such a Score which the Meanest Honest Purchaser would blush at Time He 'l take Those Gifts for Favours Eud. They will not prove so Yet He will deserve some as he is a Stranger Time Not from You. Presents the State will send him You hear my Fathers Will You must not see him While he stayes Eud. I doe and shall eas'ly keep That I doe not care to break Time Farewell Eud. Must you be gone Time There 's a little business Calls me Eud. If it be but a little stay Time Onely the Welcome of the Stranger Eud. 'T is too much to hinder I see a Causelesse and a Needlesse Rage Hid in your breast The Prince may be Noble Valiant if you receive him then with Scorn Hee 'l prove a stronger Enemy than those Unworthy Ones you fear at home whose own Actions daily ruine and whose ill-made Knots will loosen faster than they tie 'em You have prevail'd with me I 'll not be wonn To see him now but let it not Appear By your Default and that my Retirement Is onely in scorn to him which will be Made plain if that you change not this Face you Have put on It becomes you at no time A Prince should alwaies Smile or look indifferent He has no need of Frowns as other men Life and Death are in his breath and if any do Offend his Revenge is known and need not Be declar'd by Face-expressions Where there 's Power to Punish 't is Tyranny to Rage Anger is no Attribute of Justice 'T is true she is painted with a Sword but looks As if she held it not Though Warbe in Her Hand yet Peace dwels in her Face Learn once Of me and when you have no Cause of A Distemper express none Now you have made All sure doubt not but receive the stranger With fearless and confident Imbraces Time I will or at lest I 'll tell thee so when Thou perswad'st me thus Farewel Eudora Exit Timues Eud. Thy subtile Plots will ruine thee at last Valour and Policy do seldom meet Yet here they are in their Extreams in One But do most strangely Divide the Owner Make him Dread none and yet confirm him not Within a Guard Exit Eudora CHORUS What can our Wishes deprecate When Vice is seen both Law and Fate When for the good o' th' Commonweal The Councel 's cal'd to Plot a Meal And Beasts brought in with solemn Cry As Spoyles got from the Enemy Whose life 's the Table and the Stage He doth not Spend but Lose his Age The Kings eyes like his Jewels be Set to Adorn not to Fore-see And as his Crown he thinks each thing Runs round in a continued Ring But Sacrifices Crowned be And Garlands fit for destinie Fates thus we fear have writ this Latt That Wint shall lose what Blood hath Gott ACTUS 2. SCENA 1. Enter Clearchus IS this your Royal Entertainment A common Host would have given one as Civil Have shewn his Guests their Quarter and then left'em To stumble out again My Receivers are Are all vanish'd An undeserved Affront Will trouble me Neither of the Princesses Were in the Train they might have trusted 'em I could have gag'd a Kingdom for their security One passes by him reeling and by and by after another Last of all Melissa they all make reverence to Clearchus as they pass Enter Comastes Was not that fellow drunk Now they begin To Muster up again Here I stand like one That learns to make his first Honour in a Dauncing School Sir by your favour If your Business calls you not pray let me intreat Your Company a while Com. Troth and 't like your Highness I am in hast in very great hast The King has sent for me and I know he 's thirsty till I come I would your Highness were as resolute and as well Arm'd this way as I * you 'd be the welcom'st man He loves a Royal-Drunkard to admiration he never saw one yet but in a Glass Sir have you any business with him You need no other Orator than such as this such a Mouth without a Tongue will perswade any thing Yet this is o' th least fit onely for Physick-dayes when he would not surfeit a meer Toy that troubles the Wayters with often filling But I have One as high Here 's nothing to measure't by but 't was that made me so Inward with him I alwayes use to Petition him with it 't is bigger than any of his own and pleas'd him above Measure The first time he saw it he commended the Gallantry of my Mind and said it was a Noble Emulation in me He has a Daughter Sir a beautiful Lady my Hopes unless some Neighbour-Prince do Reel betwixt us Your Highness comes the right way he hates a dry In-land Traveller but that you Kiss the Cup when you should Drink and have too much Bounce and Down-with-him in you which are things he surfeited of some sixteen years since and still the very Names turn his stomack Besides your Navy and Attendants are too great he 'd have esteemed more of you had they been fewer enough onely to lean on when you were Overtaken or if you had wanted those and borrowed his unto your Chamber it had been better Where he finds Worth the Pomp delights him not Your pardon Sir Exit Comastes Clear Why here 's a fellow now With what Licence He belies his Master or speaks Truths Altogether as Unpardonable Sure He has his Patent for 't I find at my Return from Travel I shall want Names For all the Monsters I have seen Enter Aratus to him Ara. Though your Highness be here a stranger I may demand of you where the King is Clear If none know more than I my Lord y 'ave lost Your King Arat. Sure he is not well I hope he is not with a safe Loyalty I may wish he hath a Dangerous Cause Rather than none to take him from a Prince The first Night of his Arival in his Court Clea. My Lord I have found much Honour in you One that knowes to shew more Civility To a Stranger than he can deserve And y' are unhappy onely at this time In an Unworthy Choyce but if still you Can continue this Noblenesse though the King frown I shall gladly make some stay at least Till I have satisfied a Strangers Curiosity And may seem rather to have left the Place Than to have been thrust from it Ara. Believe me Sir Both your Reception and this Necessity That you are drove to seek so mean
It were a justice to leave you to the Worrying Enter Coracinus and Argestes they assauit Pak but he worsts 'em till Time assists 'em and makes him retire they all pursue him off of the Stage Within Treason treason save the Prince treason Timeus Coracinus Argestes return bloody Time He was a Devil The Power of Hell was in His Arme Night threw her shades about him To defend him He could not thus have scap'd Unless he had vanishâ—d Is he o'er-taken yet Enter a Servant Serv. No my Lord But 't is impossible he should Pass the Court Sure he has taken Covert In some Lodgings there-abouts Time Let search be made And give Command That when he appears again He that first meets him without more Circumstance Do ki'l him Promise a Reward to him That brings his Head Exit Servant Enter Clearchus and Aratus to the rest with their Swords drawn Clear How do you my Lord Time Well Ara. Is your Higness hurt Time And may be again if I look not warily Would your Lordships Sword were sheath'd Ara. Sir 't was drawn In your Defence and if y' are Jealons of it You wrong a Ready-hand to doe you Service Clear Sir is not the Traitor known that did it Time No doubt he is Clear My Lord you speak Very doubtfully I hope you doe not think But I am sorry for the Accident Time I know not what to think Your Disposition 's As great a Stranger to me as your Person Clear I see my Lord you know to throw Injuries Though to conferre no Civilities on A Stranger Time Injuries are deserv'dly plac't On an Intruding Guest Clear Y' are Unworthy They both draw and are held as under And though I am incompast with all the Dangers I may Justly fear from so Barbarous A Place which dares doe any thing it Lusts unto Without regard of Lawes or Hospitalitie I 'd tell you so And were you from this Dunghill That you stalk on 't is no better I 'd pull down That Unmanner'd Pride within you Time Let me goe Nothing shall priviledge him to talk thus Clear They hold you in your safety Nor is the Distance 'Twixt your Life and Death longer than this Space ' That parts us If you dare follow me I 'le stay you out a Dayes Sail at Sea I Challenge you to a Princely Combate Where come with all your power that I may Destroy so many Brute-Beasts from off the Earth Exit Clearchus Time Shall I be tyed while I am bated I 'le send those tha shall o'retake you and cut You off before your Shipping yet Argestes Haste unto the Port presentlie and in My Fathers Name Command all speedy Power Be rais'd to stop the Prince Bid 'em fire his Ships i'th'Haven Ara. O my Lord consider A little more before you lay a Blot Upon the Nation which Future Ages Cannot wipe off No Story can parallel Such a Fact Your Highnesse mov'd him much And gave him Cause of choller Time Does he help Your Lordship with Ships that thus you plead his Cause Shall I be Tutor'd by a Traitor Ara. Sir y' are happy if you can find a Tutor When you thus much need one And for your other Language when I understand it I 'le return you An Answer in the mean time you must take it Home to you as you gave it Time 'T is well Sir I shall find other wayes than Words to Answer you Enter the King Polyander Menetius Comastes and a Guard King How now Timeus What bloudy Time No more Than you see Sir The Sword rather left it On me than drew it out King Who is the Traitor That durst commit such Outrage Time He 's 'scapt unknown King Unknown that cannot be when he has past Thus far i' th' Court some must take notice of him Can you describe him Time He was habited Like a Souldier but his Lookes had more of Devill than of Man King Upon my Life I saw him but 't is two dayes since He must Be known in all this time Enquire who brought in Any such Man or was seen with him Com. This can be No body but my Hob-goblin And 't please Your Highnesse was he not in a Buffe-Coat And had his Face all bedabl'd with Patches Time Yes he had so Com. Then doe I know him He belongs to my Lord Aratus there No body durst speak to him but he He shew'd his teeth at every body else He had like to have bit me once King Aratus Doe you hear They say he that committed Aratus stands in a study after his heat with Timeus and minds not what 's said This Villanie belongs to you Ara. To me Sir He wrongs me that thinks so I maintain none That dare attempt such Insolence Poly. My Lord I saw him with you Ara. Who pray make me know The Man Poly. A black stern Souldier that follow'd you Ara. I fear I understand you now aside There is such a One that followes me but I never discovered any Disloyall Spirit in him His Out-Side 't is true was As you describe not moulded after the Common Frame of Men but threaten'd more than Any I have seen Yet 't was but his Out-Side That threaten'd so Within he was Gentle All a Courtier to be wound and turn'd by The least Civilitie I must confesse When he was Injur'd then he was High and Lordly Stormes rose in 's lookes and Thunder Was in his Voyce King And you knowing this How durst you turn such a Wild Beast loose into The Court Whom had I met and chanc't to have Anger'd my fortune had been the same Lay hands on him You shall find that such a Spirit The Guard lay hold of Aratus Dwells in my Brest too and when 't is stirr'd Will raise tempests as great We shall find Other particulars beside to examine you of Ara. Then the Gods send their aid or all is lost aside Yet Sir hear me speak The Jealousies you Have of me I shall not perhaps be able At this present to Clear and indeed I Know not so much as what they are But Sir To shew you in this last Accident how much I am Innocent I will relate unto you How first I met the Actor of it 'T was on that Day I was imploy'd on an Honourable Message from your Majestie to the Stranger Prince On the Shore I found him having lately 'Scapt a Ship-wrack and as great a Danger On the Land for he had been assaulted By two Villaines that were in the same Voyage With him the cause of whose hate he could not tell Having no acquaintance with them but in The Ship but as he had before the Waves So in this Tempest too as I may call it He bore himself above In the instant While he was yet hot in his Anger And their Bloud we came upon him Time Pray Sir let me speak to you There 's a Wonder Discovered to me by this Relation And under this Monster he hath Spoke of A greater doth lie hid One that
to the Prince and there unburden Our hearts of this our grief and if he have A Service that commands our Lives all hazards Now will be welcome to us 1. Guard The Villain That committed this Sacrilegious Act 's escap't 2. Guard We were too soft to obey Dying-Speech Cap. His Entrance and Escape were ordained Both by Fate 't was not in Our Power to hinder Either Exeunt Omnes Enter Timeus Give me a Power Mightie as my Rage That my Revenge may reach unto the Clouds And unthrone those Gods that joyn'd hands with Men To commit so Black a Deed It were but Justice they should loose their Deitie that So would throw it off Oh my Father did I Unload thy Shoulders of the Kingdome That thou might'st fall under a lesse Weight And bereft thee of thy Jealousies to Ruine thee with more Assurance onely Where are all those Flatt'ring Tongues that when There was no Need would in a Complement Hourlie Suffer for Thee Not One to die In thy Defence Or by his fall to make Thine more Decent What ho Charisius Erastus Acmanthes not one Voyce How Dismall is this Place The Graves where Death Inhabits are not so dreadfull l I 'le flie thee Though I run among the thickest of my Foes They can present no Horrors like this Lownesse The Cries the Sword the Trumpet in the Battell Strike not so deep Amazement I walk like He goes out as in search of some of those that had wont to attend and returnes again Aeneas among the Shades all is Hell About me I see nothing but what my Phansie frames in Horrid Shapes O yee vain fears Of Guiltie Men All are Unreasonable But yours Ridiculous When you have contemn'd The greatest and most reall Dangers You tremble at a Ghost a Thing lesse than a Man And when the Substance could not the Shadow Frights you There is no way but this to set me Above my Feares when I am Lesse I shall Be Equall to 'em Cap. O hold my Lord He prepares to fall on his Sword and the Guard return and save him Offer not up your Self a Sacrifice When there are so many that gladly would Redeem you with their Lives Let that thought Prevail with you That you ought to Live for them That so willinglie would Die for you Y' are the Prop of thousands and if you sink You pull a Kingdome with you Take your Sword By the Other End and so holding it Seek to appease this Royal Ghost If you Cannot regain a Crown yet win a Memorie By the losse of it This Object makes your Grief A burden to your Honour Lean on us My Lord and we 'l conduct you to the Camp Exeunt Omnes Enter Polyander Comastes Menetius and a Captain at their entrance a Shout is heard Poly. What Shout is this among the Enemies Cap. 'T is their Acclamations still for the Arivall Of their Fellowes with whom they have now joyn'd Campes Poly. I am glad of 't I hope we shall have Command to trie the Fortune Of the Field to morrow Would the Whole Knot Of them were there that we might make quick Work And like Alexander untie it with a Blow Com. I and a Wall round about 'em to keep Them to the Slaughter that we may not be Troubl'd to kill a Thousand in a Thousand Places I like not this pursuing 't is The greatest Evill next to the being Pursued the Wine nere tasts well when 't is so Jumbl'd Give me a Standing-Camp that Flourishes like a Peacefull City and wants No Necessaries Here stand your Engins There Victuall on this hand a Palesado Defends you on the other a Barecado Of Pork-tubs as impregnable before A Fose is cut of some two hundred paces And the Souldiers tipling in 't behind a Coop Runs out of the same length and the Poultrie Tipling in their Trenches whose bodies are Too delicate and tender to bear travell Here a Man may even among the Tents forget To be a Souldier Poly. Ha ha ha On my Conscience Comastes thou art wearie Of the Camp alreadie Com. Yes faith As your Selves are if you 'd confesse the truth Poly. Why me thinks there 's no Pleasure like the Souldiers Who takes his Swing in all Delights and sates Himself with 'em as if he were near to Tast 'em more and if Fortune be so kind To grant him a second and a third Fruition Like Friends which parted in the Morn two Dangerous And Hopeless wayes of ever seeing they Meet With a Multiply'd and Unexpected Joy His very Wounds are Pleasures and Elizium Comesfaster on him than his Death Com. When Honour is the Prize and wrong'd Justice The Cause that thrust him on he throws off One That he may gain a Better Life a Life Of Fame which is Eternal even in Death That he enjoy'd before was Fading Sustain'd onely by the Infirmities Of One Weak Body now 't is supported By the Memories of All the Charge of it Is committed unto a World of Men Nor is 't Extinguish'd before the Frame o' th' Whole Universe None are so surviving As the Sons of Glorious War Jove gave Life to Hercules and Theseus but Mars Eternity they breath'd from one but gain'd Heaven by the other These were the great Thoughts Which when I was yet Young and not able To effect 'em did dwell in me they did Suggest unto my soul that I ought to raise my hand Against the Gods if they slept at Perjury And favour'd Injustice Poly. Holloe Comastes What Rapture 's this Com. To shew you how easie A thing it is to talk like a Souldier And be as brave a fellow as either of you Omnes Ha ha ha Mene. Thou wouldst make an excellent Run-away-Souldier Such a speech on the High-way Were greater Violence than Bidding-stand A long staff would not get an Almes so soon Poly. What saist thou now Comastes to a jovial Round Or two beyond the Court-Healths Those at the Kings Own Table Com. I believe I shall say more Than you at this as well as at the Other Poly. Captain command 'em to bring some VVine in Exit Captain Come in the mean time le ts sit Enter to 'em one of the Guard that was present at the Kings Death Guard My Lords stand upon your Guard The King 's slain Omnes The King They all start up upon the Newes and draw their Swords Poly. Thou look'st distractedly speak it again Guard He 's slain My self was present at his Death Poly. By what accursed Hand Guard That Devil that Awhile since wounded the Prince has Murder'd him But my Lords I lose the time and Betray you In it The Prince is come into the Camp And commands you strait to repair to him He finds the Army wavering in their Faith The City Bands are already Revolted And others begin to draw off The Kings death And a Declaration from the Enemy Pretending that a Son of the former King 's Preserv'd by Aratus heads their Forces Has almost gain'd them a Victory
Innocence or Pietie Or both though you stood for many Yeares So Great a Person in the State Kept you From looking in this Mysterie And if You doubt the truth of what I have said Or can suspect your Enemies Cause is pleaded By me ask of the most Zealous to your House And Name and you will find I have not onely Declar'd a Veritie but restrain'd by Manners And by Duty conceal'd a Storie of the horrid'st Crueltie that any Age or time can Parallel Eud. If this be true our Sinnes are mightier Than our Suff'rings and had we a greater Debt Than Life we ought to pay it My Miseries Are due to me I was a Partie and Enjoy'd my Fathers Violence and Treason Rod You are as Innocent as at that Time Your Age was and onely doe offend in these Your Teares and too much Sorrow which on this Occasion shew'd excessively is not To Grieve but to Repine The King was Old And taking his Latest Leave and 't is hard To say whether he were First opprest with Yeares Or Vengeance My Lord Time us 't is true Was Young but waigeing so seaslesse and perverse A Warre 'gainst Vertue and 'gainst Justice What wonder if at last he sunk in such A Quarrell Eud. How ill these Words become thee To speak and me to hear 'em Think'st thou the Shame And Vices of our House can bring a Comfort To me Rod I think their Shame and Vices Madam Ought not to oppresse your Innocence Eud. As the Glories so the Dishonours of A Familie reflect upon the Rest Of Kin Rod 'T is the Error of the Blind Mistaking World that placeth either where They are not deserv'd Eud. Can any shift off With Honour from themselves the Sad Calamitie That O're-whelmes their House Rod If that Calamitie Be the punishment of Particular Crimes To dote on the Calamitie is to Allow The Crimes Eud. None can be suspected to allow A Crime that punish even their Innocence For their Alliance to the Vitious Rod Nor none can be admired for Justice more That punish Innocence on any Score Enter Lady to 'em Lady There 's one of the Adverse party that seems Of Note desires admittance to your Highnesse Eud. See Rodia who it is Rodia goes out as to see and returnes again Who is it Rod Madam I Know not nor did I e'er see Any like him His Grace and Forme admit No Paralell He speaks like the Souldier That first broke in upon us but him It cannot be He was the Terror This the Delight And Wonder of those that look upon him Eud. Whether will thy Unseemly Admiration Carry thee In Men Beauty 's the Least Part. Rod Madam it appears so in him Yet where Such Excellence of Form is seen the Beauties Of the Mind are seldome Common He craves Admittance to your Highnesse and will not Take it before that it be granted Eud. Admit him It will not become our State To deny Commands much lesse when they Intreat Rodia goes out and returns again with Pallantus richly habited Pal. The Kingdome owes a Sacrifice for your Life All will joy to hear of it which had it falid Would have pul'd more Guilt upon us then the Sinns Of a whole Age Eud. It is my shame you tell me of And a great Share of my Grief that thus I stay To Grieve Pal. My Offensive Tongue can utter Nothing pleasing to you so great are your Misfortuues and your Honour so tender To you Yet if my Bloud could Cure the Wounds I have given you I would not stick to make A Balsome with it Eud. Thou art not He Which gave'em me Pal. If my Repentance can make Me Clear I am not Otherwise t was I Who blinded with the beauty of a Rash Revenge tore from you all your Joyes and with it Lost my Owne Eud. Th' art strangly Alterd If thou bee'st he Pal. Nothing so strangely As my Hopes are Which first appeared to me In a shape most Heavenly and told me All should be as Blessed as their Form That if I would strike one Noble Blow I should remove the Numerous Wrongs and Evils Of a Nation But treacherously hid it From my sight that with the same stroke I should Produce One Evill out-weighing all the rest That I had Remedied Eud. Why dost thou Colour thus Thy Cruelty with Outward shew of Justice And Compassion Thou hadst no Cause for that Which thou hast done The Wrongs were General Thou Urgest so and of a Publique Nature And came not in the Compasse of thy Private Vengance but that thou hadst a Hand was ever prest And ready to act a Cruelty Pal. Yet I had A Cause pardon me that I say so and being That I saw not You before I did it A Just One I lost a Soveraigne as near To me in Bloud as Love And if this Cause Seeme Remote I had a Father Murdered Whose Death it became me to Right with Vengeance As it becomes you to mourn ore yours with Teares My self the First Prince of all this Isle Was drove a Fugitive to other Countrys My Wrongs and Innocence were my onely Guilt Nor did my Persecutors here give ore They thought too Much was Left me in my Life So Poore at that time so Orewhelmd with Miseries T was hardly from a Death to be distinguish't Their Injuries put a New One in me And blew the Sparke unto a Flame Consumd'em Look on this It may bring you Comfort He gives her the Letter he found at the beginning in the Villaines pocket that should have kil'd him With making you Out-of-love with the Subject Of your Grief Eud. Pallantus are you Pallantus Pal. This is the first Day I have dared to be so Eud. And to all the Treason and Injustice named Here 's signd Timeus Couldst thou be so Cruell So foully Impious Degenerate Brother This hath made a Mercy of all that hath Befallen thee Nay thou dost deserve To have thy Punishments out-Live thee To have this Blasting Character engraved upon Thy Tombe to all Posterity Here lies The Bloudy Treacherous and to make thee Monstrous to have thy Age joynd to it The Young Timeus that was subtle in His Youth What remaines for me That Happinesse The most Wretched do enjoy is taken From me A Worthy Cause of Sorrow Now I can neither Live or Dye without a Staine Pal. Can you find yet a Resemblance but of Justice Inmy Actions Eud. I Know not how to Answer you The Tongue that can defend such Impious Deeds Must be as Wicked as the Will that did Commit'em Had Equity poynted all Your Actions out given you Rules to work by Told you how much how farre you must have gon You could not have done more Justly There wants Not any thing to Crown your Judgment but My Death the onely Surviving Issue Of that Sinful Race I have a long time Loathd my Life and now I loath My Self too I find I know not how a Guiltinesse Possesse me my Fathers Crimes flow like his
nere Committed Clean Whither does this Sad beginning tend Pal. To this Sir As we have slain with all Religion A bloudy Tyrant and Usurper one That was Greater in his Sins than in the Kingdome he purchas't by them So too we have Unjustly slain the Father of a Lady That knew not so much Guilt as to satisfie her Why she lost him And for want of his Life She now Contemns her Own a Jewell Of Jnestimable Valew to all the World But to her self Sir you cannot call Her An Enemy though her Goodnesse stood against You So Many Years and preserv'd her Father In despite of all his Sinns It became her To withstand the greatest Piety what ere If it were an Enemy to her Owne Hian. Her Cause of Grief is Mighty and if Care Be not taken as their Faults have done the Rest Her Goodnesse will destroy her We that beheld The past Deformities can bear Witnesse Of her Vertues She was the onely Mine Of Honour and when we had been wearied In seeking one Grain else where in Her We could find a Treasure Nor was this a Beauty In her set off onely with the Blemishes Of Others And Foyl'd by Generall Vices But t was a Reall and a Native Excellence Which as it could not be obscur'd by Thickest Darknesse so neither could it be out-shined By the most Radiant Brightnesse King Her Grief Concerns us all and ought to be provided for Before our Feasts and Triumphs Returne In our Name to Her and tell Her be the Advantages Nere so Eminent we have receiv'd by 'em We truly Mourn for whatever Losses may be Called Hers Say too in Person we had come to Comfort her But that we thought a Visit in the Freshnesse Of her Sufferings too much Violence VVhat ever there remaines that can bring a Joy To Her shall carefully be sought out And offered to her Her Brother with many Of her Friends are fled into the Fort And are there shut up VVould I could give 'em Life VVhat say you my Lord May I do this VVill not Mercy in this place be Madnesse Ara. Sir t' will be so in no place You may do this Or any thing you have a mind too Even in your Suddain'st Uncousidered Thoughts There is a Secret Counsell and Depth of VVisdome And seeing all your Actions Nay all your Pleasures Are in some Exercise of Vertue we VVill not crosse you in 'em but make 't Our greater Care to see you no time Suffer By your Goodnesse or that your Mercy prove A Cruelty to Your self Clean You have given me Resolution Haste then in the first place Unto the Fort 'T was their desire this Morning To have Conference with one of Note And if you finde 'em fit for Mercy Or to be made fit offer 't to 'em Exeunt Omnes Enter at one doore Polyander Menetius Comastes and the Captain of the Guard Timeus to them at the other Time No Answer yet return'd Poly. Not yet Sir Time One look out again Polyander I remember Exit Captain I heard thee once say when I condemnd thee For thy smiles That if there were a Cause thou Couldst Frown VVhy look'st thou Sadly at this Time then Our Fortunes ought rather to stir our Indignation Than our Grief Poly. Sir were they my Own Misfortunes I were under and not yours the Heaviest Pressures should not move a Passion in me Unlesse it were some Glory but when I look On you a Fellow-Sufferer with me Remember the State from which y' are fallen Though in my Own Miseries I had a Heart Of Flint and Rock In yours I could desolv't Into a Stream of Teares Cap. Sir ther 's now one arriv'd Enter Captain Has certainly brought an Answer Time Letus Seat our selves before he Enters that he They all sit down about a Table that has a Cup of poyson on it May see on what strength our Demands are made Every Man put on a Face of Mirth and Resolution and fancie to himself He 's at a Banquet that will refresh him After all his Toyle VVho 's this Do any Enter Paliantus Of you Know him Poly. Not I my Lord Men Nor I Time Sir Y' are VVelcome But we Invite you onely To look on The Liquor this Goblet holds Though it be Brisk and of a Luâ—ty Operation VVe cannot Commend so much for Purity Or help to Good Digestion The Gods Give not Life more Certain than this gives Death Do you think you can behold the Drinking Of it VVould Aratus himself were here That once he might be Glutted with A Spectacle of Death You look Pale on t is Already Fly Sir while you may for certainly Your Enemys have a Plot upon you And sent you hither to take your Death in By your Eyes Had they none to send us To behold our Resolutions but such a Trifle Pal. What Shape can I put on and thou not Injure Me in 't I never yet appeard to thee In any Form but Either I found thy Scorn Or Hatred in it At first I was thy Fear As all that were Innocent did Fright thee And because Thou wert Guilty I was Banisht Not to remove me neither but my Death VVhich standing firme 'gainst any Stroke of Law By Treachery thou would'st have reach't it Am when by Miracle I scapt thy Plotted Mischiefs by Chance thou would'st have slain me A Stranger and Unknown to thee My Disguise VVrongd thee not nor couldest thou pretend a Quarrel To it more than to him that in the remotest India drawes his breath Timeus starts from the Table and draws his Sword the rest doe the like Time I know thee now Thou need'st not further declare thy self And thou art Come past all my Wishes To Satisfie my Regenge Pallantus Knocks and a Guard rushes in Pall Hold I came To bring Peace and not Destruction Doe you Perceive yet how vain is all your Malice Time If thou art that man thou would'st seem to be And Equallie with Me do'st honour a Dead Father yet setting by these Seconds Let us Singlie trie our Hatred The Grant Of This will please me more then a Consession Of all the Articles proposed by me I had rather see thee Dead or by this Meanes Not see thee Live then again be Master Of the Fortunes I have Lost. I am unfit For Life And shall but curse the Givers of it Pall If I thought so I 'd grant to your Request And Kill you I could doe it I have Strength And Justice enough to make me Able But you are not so Bad as you suppose These are Despairing not Malitious Thoughts Yet ere I gooe rest assured one way or other I 'le give you Satisfaction I came For that Intent Shew me your Articles Here one gives him the Articles which he seems to run over with his Eye and reads the last aloud And last That thus attended we may depart The Isle How poor are these Conditions Without more Commission I dare grant you Better Why these are demands within
Perfumes laid there on purpose the which wraps the Pile in smoak and smells ore all the Roome At the End of the Song the Curtain falls and shuts both the Scene and Actors from the Beholders Sight FINIS Mid-night and Daily THOUGHTS To a careless Sinner THou dost not sure believe that thou shalt die Or never think'st upon it seriously Because thou liv'st as if thou didst disdain After this life ever to rise again Else thou wouldst set a higher price upon The Glories of thy Resurrection For 't is not possible a Man of sense Can always hold so ill intelligence With Heaven as not to wish or not to fear He never may or never would come there Some Caveats WHen petty Pleasures are procur'd with Gold When youth is gone and we decrpeid old There 's no more Gusto than a Tale twice told The greatest Monarchs while they flourished Were honour'd and ador'd but being dead Were soon forgot and only pitied So that whatever Marble Tombs pretend All their gay glories never can defend Their pamper'd bodies from the Beggar 's end Caesar and Alexander both became The highest splendor of a glorious Name And yet in some things both deserved blame So that when Men have all the World subdu'd They may themselves and all their Fame delude Unless they do in Piety conclude Those mighty Hero's car'd not to be good But brave because they never understood The sacred Sanction of our Saviour's Blood But those who saw the Miracles he did And heard how boldly he their Crimes forbid Are justly scourg'd instead of being chid What 's our due then who do believe yet run The course which that accursed Crew begun To slight God and re-crucifie his Son Which shews Men want some Caveats to restrain The idle Fancies of a busie Brain That frequent losses bring instead of gain These serious Thoughts are Caveats to despise Such Crimes as from our idle hours may rise And captivate our Senses in disguise Till by a power divine we can obtain Such bright serener joys as will sustain Our Souls and to eternity remain For we are born to learn and to express By daily actions what we do profess To purchase everlasting happiness On Poverty PUre honest Poverty in former times Was no disgrace but now our latter Crimes Have introduc'd new kinds of punishments To expiate our sins for old Contempts In luxury and such profuse expence That we are now chastiz'd for that offence With Penury to make us own our shame And free all present accidents from blame Which from God's mercy now to us is sent To make our most obdurate hearts repent And yet there may such poverty proceed From wicked Men whose malice have decreed Our ruine to get wealth for their support In spight of right or their damnation for 't And such absurd base scandals do invent That no man's innocence can e'er prevent From such Devils good Lord deliver me As hate all those who truly worship thee And with profound repentance do submit To all the judgments that our God thinks fit And make the poverty I now endure For all excesses past a perfect cure On Pride OF all the Vanities I know 't is Pride Which all the World most justly may deride That like an Ass with golden Trappings dress'd Thinks himself 'bove all other Beasts the best And when he brays does all that hear him fright Mistaking their amazement for delight Like gilded Fools that only learn of late To strut and make loud noise when they do prate For Pride did ne'er the greatest man adorn Nor free him from God's hate and wise Men's scorn Satan for Pride and for Ambition fell With his accursed Crew from Heav'n to Hell On Pride's Kindred PRide 's next of kin are such as do despise Their Neighbours for the Motes in their dark Eyes Who first their own Beams should remove then learn That Rule by which they may such Motes discern And by this caution constantly prevent Such rash Censures that do raise discontent Between good Friends who seldom will endure A blind Man's Precepts till himself he cure Septemb. 3. 1693. On this Day's Sacrament received LORD I Did believe but not such joy conceive As since I did thy Sacrament receive To ratifie thy mercy and my zeal By adding of thy Holy Spirit's Seal Upon my heart to manifest thy love And all my doubts and fears by faith remove Which made me shrink from death but now my voice Shall Hallelujah's sing and Soul rejoice To celebrate this Victory obtain'd O'er all my sins by thy bless'd Conduct gain'd How great then is my Obligation grown If thou wilt this day my Election own By adding joys on joys and grace on grace Till I in glory come to see thy face And now adore and worship thy great Name With warm addresses from this sacred flame On Adoption I Have read that he who lives in a constant uniform Obedience to the Gospel and performs the Conditions required in it departs sincerely from iniquity and shuts up the ways that lead him into temptation may give himself as strong and comfortable an assurance that he is an adopted Child of God as if a voice from the Clouds should tell him so and is a good argument for frequent Meditations How to know when our Sins are forgiven IT has been asked How a Soul may know when her Sins are forgiven and answered thus When she finds the same affection to God with his that said I hate iniquity and all false ways I utterly abhorr Yet David who said so did die and so must we Tho' our Souls may by the same grace become of the same temper with his and our sins be forgiven too yet we may consider how few Men do slip out of this World into eternity with a joyful hearty delight to be with God through divine Love which is the highest perfection of an holy life and is our greatest assurance to manifest our sins forgiven when our Souls are by faith so fixed on God as to know no joy so great as such spiritual Comforts do raise when we desire to be in Heaven which taught David to hate iniquity and to abhorr all false ways and so reduced him from all his sins to become a man after God's own Heart On Reconciliation before we die IF we fully consider our manifold sins and the horrid Punishment due unto us for them if not forgiven before we die 't will make us tremble at the approach of Death But if we do believe in Christ's plenteous Redemption with GOD's immense Mercy to deliver us from Hell's eternal Torments and exalt us unto Heaven's eternal Joy and Glory it may be justly said Happy is that Man who can obtain such a Reconciliation with GOD before he die as daily to delight in the Meditation of a sudden Death with inward assurance of his eternal Bliss the moment he expires which is the highest Exaltation of Joy on Earth and will be the greatest Comfort at the
hour of Death and ought to be the chief Business of all Men to live and die so who do march every moment from our Cradles dying towards our Graves On Heavenly Joy WHate'er we do on Earth we all pretend Heaven is our Home Heaven is our Journey's end That 's true Seraphick Joy when we do find Such elevated Bliss as fills the Mind With high transports of God's celestial Throne And all our meaner Objects we disown Yet sometimes spoil our bless'd angelick rest To rowl on Roses when on Thorns is best Vainly thinking some diviner Grace May smooth afflictions with a smiling face When sighs and tears if they come not too late More surely can our heavenly Joys create When God observes our Zeal to do our best To please we shall assuredly be bless'd And may expect to find more Penitents Encircling of God's Throne than Innocents Which shews sincere Repentance surely can With a fix'd Faith restore relapsed Man Thus may our high-rais'd warm addresses prove Bright Ecstasies of the divinest Love Then will our Souls from dross be clean refin'd And by our sacred Chymist be calcin'd Fit for a Choir of Angels to attend Such Saints and sing them to their Journey's end On taking heed of all our Ways WHen God reduces Sinners to take heed Of all their ways in thought in word and deed Repentance then will be of little use When all our actions will need no excuse We shall the World subdue and stoutly stand In full obedience unto God's Command And then will Death in glorious Robes descend To guide not fright us at our Journey's end So that if we take heed in all our ways We shall the Devil defeat and wear the Bays To a Friend My dear Friend I Have read in a divine Author That if God be with us he will make us see that he is with us and will not depart from our sight until he has brought us never to depart out of his Which is a Lesson of high concern to Men in this World for Thus to enjoy God here is to be in Heaven before we die When our Souls are thus transported with a continual divine Conversation with Almighty God we may taste and relish his celestial Joys to some degree so as to envite us to value his spiritual Comforts above all carnal Fruitions So that our great Business is to improve this Blessing to the highest reach of humane Fancy by a daily practice of holy Meditations to contemplate and observe how God doth infuse this joyful enjoying of Him into our Souls by the secret working of the Holy Ghost when we set our selves with zealous integrity to find him there to converse with us on this great lesson of his immense Mercy with our humble prayers to be enlightned from above to participate of such angelical Delights as far as our frail Nature will admit of which by frequent use will bring us to such an habit of holy living that God will manifest his presence ever with us by an inward Felicity of divine Comforts to such an assurance of our Election unto eternal Bliss as is ineffable to be described So that when we raise our Thoughts with a divine Desire to know as much of God as we can know and of his being with us he will add of his Grace to enlarge our Capacities to such heavenly Trances in Devotion that we shall be with him and he with us as we do wish with such a joy as will dread all diverting Occasions that shall obstruct those Emanations of his holy Spirit working in us And thus if we do entertain our selves by such frequent addresses to find God he will daily meet and ever dwell with us if we unfelgnedly desire to dwell with him and will give us such a glimpse of his eternal Bliss as may fix our hearts on Heaven and make us live every moment in a joyful Expectation of Death's quickest Summons thither and by this frequent entertainment of thy Soul with God Thou my Friend wilt find such a communication with God on Earth to be the highest Perfection of Piety and a felicity much more delightful than all other Diversions which can never reach such Seraphick Joys as I wish to thee my Friend On the Fear of Death IF we fully consider our manifold Sins and the horrid Judgment due unto us for them it may well be said Happy is that Man who can obtain such a Reconciliation with God before he die as daily to delight in the meditation of a sudden death with inward assurance of his eternal Bliss the moment that he expires Because all our Ideas of the divine Felicities above do seldom invite Men to welcome Death with cheerful Hearts Our fears are so much stronger than our Faith that too many Men do rather think than find they do believe that Christ's plenteous Redemption will cancel all their Crimes and bring them into Heaven and therefore dare not really rejoyce to look on death but start back from such angelick Happiness as he brings good Men to participate of in God's eternal Glory which natural infirmity of doubting can only by an illustrious Faith be removed and that Faith by frequent Prayers be obtained Then thus to live and so to die will make us live and die in great tranquility though not to reach St. Stephen's Faith who saw Heaven open to him yet to so great a degree of divine Raptures in Devotion as to be filled with elevations of an inward assurance of our Election which must come from God when the Soul is in such a blessed Trance of celestial Delight that is ineffable to be described How near such joy is to the joy we read of in Paradise when fervent Zeal is by a lively Faith so raised and sixed in God by frequent Meditations it is a wonder that such Men can fear to die or doubt togo to God with cheerful Hearts when thus invited and thus led by his holy Spirit with such bright illuminations of surprizing joys while those divine Flames last as cannot be related When Men's hearts are warmed with such Seraphick high Transports of Love and Mercy from Almighty God to give true Penitents some taste of their eternal Glory that being thus enlightned they may not fear to die but rather welcome death who comes to carry them to Heaven which is the highest Exaltation of the Soul's joy so to delight in God that the expectation of Heaven may be more pleasant than all the momentary Fruitions of this World are compared unto a blessed incomprehensible Eternity Which neither Wit nor Fancy can express When multiplying numbers make it less When neither first nor last can e'er be known Points so far distant yet so join'd in one That the eternal Circle shews us none But is a secret known to God alone 'T is such a sacred Riddle soâ— profound That humane Wisdom never can expound But leaves us still to wonder and adore What will be after and what was before On
the Power of Faith THough Men by Nature born to fear and to avoid what may seem hurtful yet that fear by Grace and Faith may be converted into divine Valour of the highest kind as is evident by the Three Children in the fiery Furnace and by Daniel in the Lion's Den which with other the like Examples should invite such Men as trust in God not to fear what he only can prevent if he thinks fit and though a fearful Man cannot remove a Mole-hill for want of Faith much less Mountains how little Faith then have we when the noise only of Ill News does affright our unsetled Souls with dismal apprehensions of what may never happen more than the ill event brings with it if it do unto such pious men as live prepar'd to bear afflictions for few moments here with faithful joyful Thoughts of their eternal Happiness in Heaven So that we see the Power of Faith will remove the greatest terrour and work Miracles when Men dare trust in God Lord give me grace to live as I do write And as thy holy Spirit shall indite To manifest thy mighty Mercy shown To such a Reprobate as must own Christ's Doctrine to suffer CHrist's Doctrine is with patience to inure Our selves to suffer what he did endure On Earth from that malicious cursed Crew Who scorn'd his Miracles and boldly slew Their bless'd Messiah who did then submit To die because his Father did think fit That we redeemed by his precious Blood Might trust in him who dy'd to do us good And now may sighing sing and weeping pray Our death may prove our highest Holy-day When we with Christ in Paradise appear And shine amongst those blessed Angels there On the Power of Love to God TO love and fear God is what every good Christian doth own and what most Men think they do but very few I fear do understand what it is to love and fear Him as we ought with all our Heart Soul and Mind above all other Objects whatever which is a Lesson of great use to bring Men to Heaven who know that we are dying every moment that we live and cannot wish more pleasure here than we shall find by serving God thus For those who can love him with all their Heart and Mind will worship and adore him with the same Zeal and will obey praise thank pray and trust in him with the like fervent affection in all their divine addresses with their utmost endeavours to be with him in Heaven which God never will reject nor can eternal Bliss be purchased at a lower rate of Love Thus God exposes Heaven to entice Good Men to purchase at the Market-price When Love with all its Perquisites comply To six a blessed Immortality On such exalted Souls as take delight To mediate on his beatick sight When their enlightned Faith does bring them there Enrich'd with love they 'll bid adieu to fear And leave no arguments to justifie Such timorous Men as dare not think to die Though their eternal joy will then be such That none will have too little or too much And those who truly love will surely find Their happiness by God is predesign'd Who sees the heart and thoughts of every Man That loves and serves him to the best they can On Faith WHen Faith grows strong our Fancies will soar high To search the secrets of Eternity Which to our Souls are of so near concern That no man can a greater Lesson Learn Nor have a more serene celestial Bliss Than he 'll enjoy by practising of this Great step which by degrees will lead him on To the sacred Seat of his Adoption Where Faith 'bove all the Gifts of Grace will shine With Love in Bliss and Glory most divine On God's Mercy OUr God from us his Glory keeps conceal'd Because it would destroy us if reveal'd His Essence we can never understand 'T is well if we obey his just Command For God to mortal Man will never teach Such great Secrets because what we can reach By Nature cloys as soon as had or known He therefore lets us live by Faith alone Still subject to so many hopes and fears That our prime Joys are damp'd by frequent tears Which daily do our sorrows multiply Until death comes to tell us we must die The only remedy ordain'd to cure All sorts of evils that we here endure Yet God in mercy makes amends at last To free us from all miseries are past By raising them to bliss who do their best To gain a share in his eternal rest Which belt in God's esteem is to do all Was done by bless'd St. Stephen and St. Paul On true Valour HAppy are they who in these latter days Are fill'd with love with gratitude and praise To God whose joyful Souls do ever fly With highest thoughts of their Eternity And by the actions of their lives declare That Faith in Christ has conquer'd their despair For all past Crimes and now with Death has made Strict Friendship never more to be afraid Of his most sick alarms in disguise Nor of his quickest Summons by surprize And thus the greatest Cowards in the Land For Valour may in competition stand With any Hero's of the former age Or those who now in a just cause engage When Courage is a Vertue to be brave And sets a Crown on such a Soldier's grave On Relapsed Man in Paradise WHen Youth with strength wealth and beauty flourish Some short joys our wanton hearts may nourish But when old age is much decrepid grown We ought with sighs and tears great Sorrows own For idle hours that we have vainly spent Without the sense of shame or punishment And if we die in that unhappy state All hopes of mercy then will come too late So that if age revive and propagate Past sins till they do greater Crimes create 'T will turn old Age's Blessings into hate Then let no mortal man presume to think He cannot see when he is pleas'd to wink For no Man yet was ever such a Sot That Age his former Crimes had so forgot That on his Crutches thinks 't is boldly brave Loaden with Crimes to creep into the Grave Much worse than Youth when cross'd in his desire In a mad fit dares leap into the fire Which shows that all our Ages here ne'er can Retrieve the Curses of relapsed Man Till faith in Christ create a brighter flame Impow'ring men to have a surer claim To Heaven at our blessed Saviour's cost Than that which Adam's disobedience lost By which we the intrinsick Treasure find Of future joys in a Seraphick mind On the Power of Faith IF all Men did our Christian Graces understand That like good Heraulds we might rank them according to their antiquity and merit Faith may claim the highest dignity and place as of just right to be the most fixed foundation on the blessed Rock of our Salvation which will unmov'd withstand the greatest Storms when lofty Structures built on Sand are with Wind