Not for th' effect it had but should haue kept If Man from duty never had mis-stept For as the ayr of those fresh dales and hills Preserved him from Epidemik ills This fruit had ever-calm'd all insurrections All civill quarrels of the cross complexions Had barr'd the passage of twice childish age And ever-more excluded all the rage Of painfull griefs whose swift-slowe posting-pase At first or last our dying life doth chase Strong counter-bane O sacred Plant divine The excellencie of that Tree What metall stone stalk fruit flowr root or ryne Shall I presume in these rude rymes to sute I Vnto thy wondrous World-adorning Fruit The rarest Simples that our fields present-vs Heal but one hurt and healing too torments vs And with the torment lingring our relief Our bags of gold void yer our bulks of grief But thy rare fruits hid powr admired most Salveth all sores sans pain delay or cost Or rather man from yawning Death to stay Thou didst not cure but keep all ills away O holy peer-less rich preseruatiue We cannot say what Tree it was Whether wert thou the strange restoratiue That suddainly did age with youth repair And made old Aeson yonger then his heir Or holy Nectar that in heav'nly bowrs Eternally self-pouring Hebé pours Or blest Ambrosia Gods immortall fare Or els the rich fruit of the Garden rare Where for three Ladies as assured guard A fire-arm'd Dragon day and night did ward Or pretious Moly which Ioues Pursuiuan Wing-footed Hermes brought to th' Ithacan Or else Nepenthé enemy to sadnes Repelling sorrows and repealing gladnes Or Mummie or Elixir that excels Save men and Angels every creature els No none of these these are but forgeries But toyes but tales but dreams deceipts and lies But thou art true although our shallow sense May honour more then sound thine Excellence The Tree of Knowledge th' other Tree behight Of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Euill Not that itselfly had such speciall might As mens dull wits could whet and sharpen so That in a moment they might all things knowe 'T was a sure pledge a sacred sâ—gne and seal Which being ta'n should to light man reveal What ods there is between still peace and strife Gods wrath and loue drad death and deerest life Solace and sorrow guile and innocence Rebellious pride and humble obedience For God had not depriv'd that primer season Of the excellence of mans knowledge before Sin The sacred lamp and light of learned Reason Mankinde was then a thousand fold more wise Then now blinde Error â—ad not bleard his eys With mists which make th' Athenian Sage suppose That nought hee knowes saue this that nought hee knowes That euen light Pirâ—â—oâ—s wavering fantasies Reave him the skill his vn skill to agnize And th' Abderite within a Well obscure As deep as dark the Truth of things immure Hee happy knew the Good by th' vse of it How he knew good and euill before Sinne. He knew the Bad but not by proof as yet But as they say of great Hyppocrates Who though his limbs were numm'd with no excess Nor stop this throat nor vext his fantasie Knew the cold Cramp th' Angine and Lunacy And hundred els-pains whence in lusty flowr He liv'd exempt a hundred yeers and foure Or like the pure Heav'n-prompted Prophets rather Whose sight so cleerly future things did gather Because the World's Soule in their soule enseal'd The holy stamp of secrets most conceal'd But our now knowledge hath for tedious train Oâ— mans knowledge sincâ— his Fall A drooping life and over-racked brain A face forlorn a sad and sullen fashion A rest-less toyl and Cares self-pining passion Knowledge was then even the soules soule for light The spirits calme Port and Lanthorn shining bright To straight steptfeet cleer knowledge not confus'd Not sowr but sweet not gotten but infus'd Now Heav'ns eternall all-fore-seeing King Why the Lord put man in the Garden of Eden Who never rashly ordereth anything Thought good that man having yet spirits sound-stated Should dwell els-where then where he was created That he might knowe he did not hold this place By Natures right but by meer gift and Grace That he should never taste fruits vn-permitted But keep the sacred Pledge to him committed And dress that Park which God without all tearm On these conditions gaue him as in farm God would that void of painfull labour he Of his exercise there Should liue in Eden but not idlely For Idlenes pure Innocence subuerts Defiles our body and our soule peruerts Yea soberest men it makes delicious To vertue dull to vice in genious But that first travell had no sympathy With our since-travails wretched cruelty Distilling sweat and panting wanting winde Which was a scourge for Adams sin assign'd For Edens earth was then so fertile fat 4. Comparisons That he made onely sweet Essayes in that Of skilfull industry and naked wrought More for delight then for the gain he sought In brief it was a pleasant exercise A labour lik't a pain much like the guise Of cunning dauncers who although they skip â— Run caper vault traverse and turn and trip From Morn till Even at night again full merry Renue their daunce of dauncing never weary Or else of Hunters that with happy luck 2. Rousing betimes som often breathed Buck Or goodly Stagge their yelping Hounds vncouple Winde lowd their horns their whoops hallows double Spur-on and spare not following their desire Themselues vn-weary though their Hackneis tyre But for in th' end of all their iolity Ther 's found much stifness sweat and vanity I rather match it to the pleasing pain Of Angels pure who ever sloath disdain 3. Or to the Suns calm course who pain-less ay 4. About the welkin posteth night and day Doubtless when Adam saw our common ayr Adam admireth the beauties of the World in generall He did admire the mansion rich and fair Of his Successors For frosts keenly cold The shady locks of Forrests had not powl'd Heav'n had not thundred on our heads as yet Nor given the earth her sad Diuorces Writ But when he once had entred Paradise But most especially of the Garden of Eden The remnant world he iustly did despise Much like a Boor far in the Country born Who never having seen but Kine and Corn Oxen and Sheep and homely Hamlets thatcht Which fond he counts as Kingdoms hardly matcht When afterward he happens to behold Our welthy London's wonders manifold In this comparison my Author setteth down the famous City of Paris but I haue presumed to apply it to our own City of London that it might be more familiar to my meere English and vn-trauaild Readers The silly peasant thinks himself to bâ— In a new World and gazing greedily One while he Art-less all the Arts admires Then the faire Temples and their top-less spires Their firm foundations and the massie pride Of all
the Goats he shall his Sheep disseuer These Blest in Heav'n those Curst in Hell for euer O thou that once scornd as the vilest drudge Didst fear the doom of an Italian Iudge Daign deerest Lord when the last Trump shall summon To this Grand Sessions all the World in common Daign in That Day to vndertake my matter And as my Iudge so be my Mediator Th' eternall Spring of Power and Prouidence Hauing spoken of the creation of the Matter he sheweth how what Forme God gaue vnto it creating in six Dayes his admirable workes In Forming of this All-circumference Did not vnlike the Bear which bringeth forth In th' end of thirty dayes a shapeless birth But after licking it in shape she drawes And by degrees she fashions out the pawes The head and neck and finally doth bring To a perfect beast that first deformed thing For when his Word in the vast Voyd had brought A confus'd heap of Wet-dry-cold-and-hot In time the high World from the lowe he parted And by itself hot vnto hot he sorted Hard vnto hard cold vnto cold he sent Moist vnto moist as was expedient And so in Six Dayes form'd ingeniously All things contain'd in th' VNIVERSITIE Not but he could haue in a moment made Wherefore God imployed six Dayes in creating the World This flowry Mansion where mankind doth trade Spred Heav'ns blew Curtains those Lamps haue burnisht Earth aire sea with beasts birds fish haue furnisht But working with such Art so many dayes A sumptuous Palace for Mankinde to raise Yer Man was made yet he declares to vs How kinde how carefull and how gracious He would be to vs being made to whom By thousand promises of things to-come Vnder the Broad-Seal of his deer Sons blood He hath assur'd all Riches Grace and Good By his Example he doth also shewe-vs How men should imitate God in his workes We should not heedles-hastily bestowe-vs In any Work but patiently proceed With oft re-vises Making sober speed In dearest business and obserue by proof That What is well don is don soon enough O Father of the Light of Wisedom Fountain The 1. â—reature extracted from the Chaos was Light Out of the Bulk of that confused Mountain What should what could issue before the Light Without which Beauty were no beauty hight In vain Timanthes had his Cyclope drawn In vain Parrhasius counterfeited Lawn In vain Apelles Uenus had begun Zeuxis Penelope if that the Sun To make them seen had neuer showen his splendor In vain in vain had been those Works of Wonder Th' Ephesian Temple the high Pharian-Tower And Carian Toomb Tropheis of Wealth and Power In vain they had been builded euery one By Scopas Sostrates and Câ—esiphon Had All been wrapt-vp from all humane sight In th' obscure Mantle of eternall Night What one thing more doth the good Architect In Princely Works more specially respect Then lightsomness to th' end the Worlds bright Eye Careeâ—ing dayly once about the Sky May shine therein and that in euery part It may seem pompous both for Cost and Art Whether Gods Spirit mouing vpon the Ball Of bubbling Waters which yet couered All Sundry opinions concerning the matter and creation of Light Thence forç't the Fire as when amid the Sky Auster and Boreas iusting furiously Vnder hot Cancer make two Clouds to clash Whence th' aire at mid-night flames with lightning flash Whether when God the mingled Lump dispackt From Fiery Element did Light extract Whether about the vast confused Crowd For twice-six howrs he spread a shining Cloud Which after he re-darkned that in time The Night as long might wrap-vp either Clime Whether that God made then those goodly beams Which gild the World but not as now it seems Or whether else som other Lamp he kindled Vpon the Heap yet all with Waters blindled Which flying round about gaue light in order To th' vn-plaç't Climates of that deep disorder As now the Sun circling about the Ball As Light 's bright Chariot doth enlighten All. No sooner said he Be there Light but lo Gen. 1. 3. The form-less Lump to perfect Form gan growe And all illustred with Lights radiant shine Of the excellent vse and commoditie of Light Doft mourning weeds and deckt it passing fine All-hail pure Lamp bright sacred and excelling Sorrow and Care Darknes and Dread repelling Thou World's great Taper Wicked mens iust Terror Mother of Truth true Beauties onely Mirror God's eldest Daughter O! how thou art full Of grace and goodnes O! how beautifull Sith thy great Parent 's all-discerning Eye Doth iudge thee so and sith his Maiesty Thy glorious Maker in his sacred layes Can doo no less then sing thy modest prayse But yet because all Pleasures wax vnpleasant Why God ordained the Night and Day alternately to succeed each other If without pawse we still possesse them present And none can right discern the sweets of Peace That haue not felt Warrs irkesom bitterness And Swans seem whiter if swart Crowes be by For contraries each other best descry Th' All 's Architect alternately decreed That Night the Day the Day should Night succeed The Night to temper Dayes exceeding drought The commodities that the Night bringeth vs. Moistens our Aire and makes our Earth to sprout The Night is she that all our trauails eases Buries our cares and all our griefs appeases The Night is she that with her sable wing In gloomy Darknes hushing euery thing Through all the World dumb silence doth distill And wearied bones with quiet sleep doth fill Sweet Night without Thee without Thee alas Our life were loathsom euen a Hell to pass For outward pains and inward passions still With thousand Deaths would soule and body thrill O Night thou pullest the proud Mask away Where-with vain Actors in this Worlds great Play By day disguise-them For no difference Night makes between the Peasant and the Prince The poor and rich the Prisoner and the Iudge The foul and fair the Maister and the Drudge The fool and wise Barbarian and the Greek For Night's black Mantle couers all alike He that condemn'd for som notorious vice Seeks in the Mines the baits of Auarice Or swelting at the Furnace fineth bright Our soules diresulphur resteth yet at Night He that still stooping toghes against the tide His laden Barge alongst a Riuers side And filling shoars with shouts doth melt him quite Vpon his pallet resteth yet at Night He that in Sommer in extreamest heat Scorched all day in his own scalding sweat Shaues with keen Sythe the glory and delight Of motly Medowes resteth yet at Night And in the arms of his deer Pheer for goes All former troubles and all former woes Onely the learned Sisters sacred Minions While silent Night vnder her sable pinions Foldes all the World with pain-less pain they tread A sacred path that to the Heav'ns doth lead And higher then the Heav'ns their Readers raise Vpon the wings of their
rare gloryl reach thy happy hand Reach reach I say why doost thou stop or stand Begin thy Bliss and doo not fear the threat His audacioâ—s impudence Of an vncertain God-head onely great Through self-aw'd zeal put on the glistring Pall Of immortality doe not fore-stall As enuious stepdame thy posteritie The souerain honour of Diuinitie This parley ended our ambitious Grandam The Apostasâ—e of Eue. Who only yet did heart and ey abandon Against the Lord now farther doth proceed And hand and mouth makes guilty of the deed A nouice Theef that in a Closet spies A Comparison A heap of Gold that on the Table lies Pale fearfull shiuering twice or thrice extends And twice or thrice retires his fingers ends And yet again returns the booty takes And faintly-bold vp in his cloak it makes Scarce findes the doore with faultring foot hee flies And still looks back for fear of Hu-on cries Euen so doth Eue shew by like fear-full fashions The doubtfull combat of contending Passions She would she would not glad sad coms and goes And long she marts about a Match of Woes But out alasâ— at last she toucheth it And hauing toucht tastes the forbidden bit Another comparison liuely expressing the Fall of Man by the prouocation of his wife Then as a man that from a lofty Clift Or steepy Mountain doth descend too swift Stumbling at somwhat quickly clips som lim Of som deer kinsman walking next to him And by his headlong fall so brings his friend To an vntimely sad and suddain end Our Mother falling hales her Spouse anon Down to the gulf of pitchie Acheron For to the wisht Fruits beautifull aspect Sweet Nectar-taste and wonderfull effect Cunningly adding her quaint smiling glances Her witty speech and pretty countenances She so preuails that her blind Lord at last A morsell of the sharp-sweet fruit doth taste Now suddainly wide-open feel they might Siel'd for their good both soules and bodies sight But the sad Soule hath lost the Character The effects of their disobedience And sacred Image that did honour Her The wretched Body full of shame and sorrow To see it naked is inforçt to borrow The Trees broad leaues wher of they aprons frame From Heav'ns faire ey to hide their filthy shame Alas fond death-lings O! behold how cleer The knowledge is that you haue bought so deer In heav'nly things yee are more blinde then Moals In earthly Owls O! think ye silly soules The sight that swiftly through the earth 's solid centres As globes of pure transparent crystall enters Cannot transpearce your leaves or do ye ween Couering your shame so to conceal your sin Or that a part thus clouded all doth lie Safe from the search of Heav'ns all-seeing ey Thus yet mans troubled dull Intelligence Had of his fault but a confused sense As in a dream after much drink it chances Disturbed spirits are vext with rauing fancies Therefore the Lord within the Garden fair The extraordinary presence of God awakes their drousie soules swallowed vp of Sinne and begins to arraign them Mouing bâ—times I wot not I what ayr But super naturall whose breath diuine Brings of his presence a most certain signe Awakes their Lethargie and to the quick Their self-doom'd soules doth sharply press and prick Now more and more making their pride to fear The frowning visage of their Iudge seuere To seck new-refuge in more secret harbors Among the dark shade of those tusting arbors Adam quoth God with thundring maiesty Where art thou wretch what doost thou answer me Thy God and Father from whose hand thy health Thou hold'st thine honour and all sorts of wealth At this sad summon's wofull man resembles Description of the horrible effects of a guilty Conscience summoned to the presence of God A bearded rush that in a riuer trembles His rosie checks are chang'd to earthen hew His dying body drops an yeie deaw His tear-drown'd eys a night of clouds bedims About his eares a buzzing horror swims His fainted knees with feeblenes are humble His faultring feet doe slide away and stumble He hath not now his free bold stately port But down-cast looks in fearfull slauish sort Now nought of Adam doth in Adam rest He feel's his senses pain'd his soule opprest A confus'd hoast of violent passions iarr His flesh and spirit are in continuall warre And now no more through conscience of his error He hears or feesth ' Almighty but with terror And loth he answers as with tongue distraught Confessing thus his fear but not his fault O Lord thy voice thy dreadfull voice hath made Adams answerâ— Me fearfull hide me in this couert shade For naked as I am O most of might I dare not come before thine awfull sight Naked quoth God why faith-less renegate God vrgeth the cause of his deiection and feare Apostate Pagan who hath told thee that Whence springs thy shame what makes thee thus to run From shade to shade my presence still to shun Hast thou not tasted of the learned Tree Whereof on pain of death I warned thee O righteous God quoth Adam I am free Adams reply excusing himself and couertly imputing his Guilt to God Examination of Eue who excuseth her self likewise on another From this offence the wife thou gauest me For my companion and my comforter She made me eat that deadly meat with her And thou quoth God O! thou frail treacherous Bride Why with thy self hast thouseduâ—'t thy Guide Lord answers Eue the Serpent did intice My simple frailty to this sinfull vice Mark heer how He who fears not who reform An example for Indges Magistrates His high Decrees not subiect vnto form Or stile of Court who all-wise hath no need T' examine proof or witnes of the deed Who for sustaining of vnequall Scale Dreads not the Doom of a Mercuriall Yer Sentence pass doth publikely conuent Confront and hear with ear indifferent Th' Offenders sad then with iust indignation Pronounceth thus their dreadfull Condemnation The Sentence of the supreame Iudge against the guilty Prisoners and first of all against the Serpent Ah cursed Serpent which my fingers made To serue mankinde th' hast made thy self a blade Wherewith vain Man and his inueigled wife Self-parricids haue reft their proper life For this thy fault true Fountain of all ill Thou shalt be hatefull'mong all creatures still Groueling in dust of dust thou ay shalt feed I 'le kindle war between the Womans seed And thy fell race hers on the head shall ding Thine thine again hers in the heel shall sting Rebel to me vnto thy kindred curst Against the Woman False to thy husband to thy self the worst Hope not thy fruit so easly to bring-forth As now thou slay'st it hence forth euery Birth Shall torture thee with thousand sorts of pain Each artire sinew muscle ioynt and vain Shall feel his part besides foul vomitings Prodigious longings thought-full languishings With change of colour
Kings-euils Dropsie Gout and Stone Blood-boyling Leprie and Consumption The swelling Throat-ache th' Epilepsie sad And cruell Rupture payning too-too bad For their hid poysons after-comming harm Is fast combin'd vnto the Parents sperm But O! what arms what shield shall wee oppose Some not known by their Cause but by their Effects onely What stratagems against those trecherous foes Those teacherous griefs that our frail Art detects Not by their cause but by their sole effects Such are the fruitfull Matrix-suffocation The Falling-sicknes and pale Swouning-passion The which I wote not what strange windes long pause I wot not where I wote not how doth cause Or who alas can scape the cruell wile Some by sundry Causes encreasing and waxing worse Of those fell Pangs that Physicks pains beguile Which being banisht from a body yet Vnder new names return again to it Or rather taught the strange Metempsychosis Of the wise Samian one it self transposes Into som worse Grief either through the kindred Of th' humour vicious or the member hindred Or through their ignorance or auarice That doe profess Apollos exercise So Melancholy turned into Madnes Into the Palsie deep-affrighted Sadnes Th' Il-habitude into the Dropsie chill And Megrim growes to the Comitial-Ill In brief poor Adam in this pitious case Comparison Is like a Stag that long pursu'd in chase Flying for succour to som neighbour wood Sinks on the suddain in the yeelding mud And sticking fast amid the rotten grounds Is over-taken by the eger Hounds One bites his back his neck another nips One puls his brest at 's throat another skips One tugs his flank his haunch another tears Another lugs him by the bleeding ears And last of all the Wood-man with his knife Cuts off his head and so concludes his life Or like a lusty Bull whose horned Crest Another comparison Awakes fell Hornets from their drowsie nest Who buzzing forth assail him on each side And pitch their valiant bands about his hide With fisking train with forked head and foot Himself th' ayr th' earth he beateth to no boot Flying through woods hills dales and roaring rivers His place of grief but not his painfull grievers And in the end stitcht full of stings he dies Or on the ground as dead at least he lies For man is loaden with ten thousand languors An amplification of Mans miseries compared with other Cretures seldomer sick and sooner healed and that by naturall Remedies of their owne hauing also taught Men many practices of Physike All other Creatures onely feel the angors Of few Diseases as the gleaning Quail Onely the Falling-sicknes doth assail The Turn-about and Murram trouble Cattel Madnes and Quincie bid the Masty battel Yet each of them can naturally finde What Simples cure the sickness of their kinde Feeling no sooner their disease begin But they as soon haue ready medicine The Ram for Physik takes strong-senting Rue The Tortois slowe cold Hemlok doth renue The Partridge Black-bird and rich painted Iay Haue th' oyly liquor of the sacred Bay The sickly Bear the Mandrak cures again And Mountain-Siler helpeth Goats to yean But we knowe nothing till by poaring still On Books we get vs a Sophistik skil A doubtfull Art a Knowledge still vnknowen Which enters but the hoary heads alone Of those that broken with vnthankfull toyl Seeks others Health and lose their own the-while Or rather those such are the greatest part That waxing rich at others cost and smart Growe famous Doctors purchasing promotions While the Church-yards swel with their hurtfull potions Who hang-man like fear-less and shame-less too Are prayd and payd for murders that they doo I speak not of the good the wise and learned Within whose hearts Gods fear is wel discerned Who to our bodies can again vnite Our parting soules ready to take their flight For these I honour as Heav'ns gifts excelling Pillars of Health Death and Disease repelling Th' Almighties Agents Natures Counsellers And flowring Youths wise faithfull Governours Yet if their Art can ease som kinde of dolors They learn'd it first of Natures silent Schollers For from the Sea-Horse came Phlehotomies From the wilde Goat the healing of the eys From Stork and Hearn our Glysters laxatiue From Bears and Lions Diets we deriue 'Gainst th' onely Body all these Champions stout Striuesom within and other som without Or if that any th' all-fair Soule haue striken 'T is not directly but in that they weaken Her Officers and spoyl the Instruments Wherwith she works such wonderous presidents But lo foure Captains far more fierce and eger Of foure Diseases of the Soule vnder them cōprehending all the rest That on all sides the Spirit it self beleaguer Whose Constancy they shake and soon by treason Draw the blind Iudgement from the rule of Reason Opinions issue which though self vnseen Make through the Body their fell motions seen Sorrow's first Leader of this furious Crowd Muffled all-over in a sable clowd 1. Sorrow described with her company Old before Age afflicted night and day Her face with wrinkles warped every-way Creeping in corners where she sits and vies Sighes from her hart tears from her blubbered eys Accompani'd with self-consuming Care With weeping Pitty Thought and mad Despair That bears about her burning Coles and Cords Asps Poysons Pistols Halters Kniues and Swords Fouls quinting Enuy that self-eating Elf Through others leanness fatting vp herself Ioying in mischief feeding but with languor And bitter tears her Toad-like-swelling anger And Ielousie that never sleeps for fear Suspitions Flea still nibbling in her ear That leaues repast and rest neer pin'd and blinde With seeking what she would be loath to finde The second Captain is excessiue Ioy 2. Ioy with her Traine VVho leaps and tickles finding th' Apian-way Too-streight for her whose senses all possess All wished pleasures in all plentiousnes She hath in conduct false vain-glorious Vaunting Bold soothing shame-less lowd iniurious taunting The winged Giant lofty-staring Pride That in the clouds her braving Crest doth hide And many other like the empty bubbles That rise when rain the liquid Crystall troubles The Third is blood-less hart-less wit-less Fear 3. Feare her Followers That like an Asp-tree trembles every where She leads bleak Terror and base clownish Shame And drowsie Sloath that counter faiteth lame With Snail-like motion measuring the ground Having her arms in willing fetters bound Foul sluggish Drone barren but sin to breed Diseased begger starv'd with wilfull need And thou Desire whom nor the firmament 4. Desire a most violent Passion accōpanied with others like as Ambition Auarice Anger and Foolish Loue. Nor ayr nor earth nor Ocean can content Whose-looks are hooks whose belly 's bottom-less Whose hands are Gripes to scrape with greediness Thou art the Fourth and vnder thy Command Thou bringst to field a rough vnruly Band First secret-burning mighty-swoln Ambition Pent in no limits pleas'd with no Condition Whom Epicurus many Worlds suffice not Whose
manly breast a womans heart possesses And who remorse-less lets at any season The stormy tyde of ragetransport his reason And thunders threats of horror and mishap Hides a Bears heart vnder a humane shape Yet of your God you one-while thus pretend He melts in tears if that your fingers end But akea-while anon he frets he frowns He burns he brains he kils he dams he drowns The wildest Boar doth but one Wood destroy A cruell Tyrant but one Landannoy And yet this Gods outrageous tyranny Spoyls all the World his onely Empery O goodly Iustice One or two of vs Have sinn'd perhaps and mov'd his anger thus All bear the pain yea even the innocent Poor Birds and Beasts incurr the punishment No Father no 't is folly to infer it God is no varying light inconstant spirit Full of revenge and wrath and moody hate Nor savage-fell nor suddain passionate Nor such as will for som small fault vndoo This goodly World and his owne nature too All wandring clouds all humid exhalations All Seas which Heav'n through many generations Hath hoorded-vp with selfs-weight enter-crusht Now all at once vpon the earth have rusht And th' endless thin ayr which by secret quils Had lost it self within the windes-but hils Dark hollow Caves and in that gloomy hold To ycy crystall turned by the cold Now swiftly surging towards Heav'n again Hath not alone drown'd all the lowly Plain But in fewe dayes with raging Flouds o're-flowen The top-less Cedars of mount Libanon Then with iust grief the godly Father gall'd Answers of Noah to all the blasphemies of ChaÌ„ and his fellow-Atheists A deep sad sigh from his harts centre hal'd And thus repli'd O false rebellious Cham Mine ages sorrow and my houses shame Through self-conceipt contemning th' holy-Ghost Thy sense is baend thine vnderstanding lost And O I fear Lord falsifie my fear The heavy hand of the high Thunderer Shall light on thee and thou I doubt shaltbe His Furies obiect and shalt testifie By thine infamous lifes accursed state What now thy shame-less lips sophisticate I God be prays'd knowe that the perfect CIRCLE 1. Answer God is infinit immutable Almighty and incomprehensible Whose Center 's every-where of all his circle Exceeds the circuit I conceiue aright Th' Al-mighty-most to be most infinit That th' onely ESSENCE feels not in his minde The furious tempests of fell passions winde That mooveless all he moves that with one thought He can build Heav'n and builded bring to nought That his high Throne 's inclos'd in glorious Fier Past our approach that our faint soule doth tier Our spirit growes spright-less when it seeks by sense To sound his infinit Omni-potence I surely knowe the Cherubins do hover With flaming wings his starry face to cover Nonesees the Great th' Almighty Holy-ONE But passing by and by the back alone To vs his Essence is in-explicable Wondrous his wayes his name vn-vtterable So that concerning his high Maiesty So that men caÌ„not speak of Him but improperly Our feeble tongues speak but improperly For if we call him strong the prayse is small If blessed spirit so are his Angels all If Great of greats he 's voide of quantity If good fayr holy he wants quality Sith in his Essence fully excellent All is pure substance free from accident Why we cannot speak of God but after the manner of men Therefore our voice too-faint in such a subiect T' ensue our soule and our weak soule her obiect Doth alwayes stammer so that ever when 'T would make Gods nameredoubted among men In humane phraze it calls him pittifull Repentant iealous fierce and anger-full Yet is not God by this repentance thus 2. Answere The Repentance and the change which the Scripture attributeth to God is far from Error and defect Of ignorance and error taxt likevs His iealous hatred doth not make him curious His pitty wretched nor his anger furious Th' immortall Spirit is ever calmly-cleer And all the best that feeble man doth heer With vehemence of som hot passion driv'n That withripeiudgement doth the King of Heav'n Two comparisons explaning the same Shall a Physician comfortably-bold Fear-less and tear-less constantly behold His sickly friend vext with exceeding pain And feel his pulse and give him health again And shall not th' euer-self-resembling God Look down from Heav'n vpon a wretched clod Without he weep and melt for grief and anguish Nor cure his creature but himself must languish And shall a Iudge self-angerless prefer To shamefull death the strange adulterer As onely looking fixly all the time Not on the sinner but the sinfull crime And shall not then th' Eternall Iusticer 3. Answer Iustice being a ver tue in Man cannot be a vice in God Condemn the Atheist and the Murderer Without selfs-fury O! shall Iustice then Be blam'd in God and magnifi'd in men Or shall his sacred Will and soverain Might Be chayn'd so fast to mans frail appetite That filthy sin he cannot freely hate But wrathfull Rage him self ly-cruciate Gods sacred vengeance serues not for defence 4. Answer God doth not punish Offenders for defence of his owne Estate but to maintain vertue coÌ„found vice Of his own Essence from our violence For in the Heav'ns above all reach of ours He dwels immur'd in diamantine Towers But to direct our lives and laws maintain Guard Innocence and Iniury restrain Th' Almighty past not mean when he subuerted Neer all the World from holy paths departed 5. The iniquitie of the world deserued exereame punishment For Adams Trunk of both our Worlds the Tree In two fair Branches forking fruitfully Of Cain and Seth the first brought forth a sute Of bitter wilde and most detested fruit Th' other first rich in goodnes afterward With those base Scyons being graft was marr'd And so produced execrable clusters Worthy so wicked and incestuous lusters And then alas what was ther to be found Pure iust or good in all this Earthly Round Cain's Line possest sinne as an heritage 6. When all are generally depraved all merite to be destroyed Seth's as a dowry got by mariage So that alas among all humane-kinde Those mongrell kisses marr'd the purest minde And we even we that have escaped here 7. The least imperfect passe condemnation euen then when they are most liuely chasticed This cruell wrack within our conscience bear A thousand Records of a thousand things Convincing vs before the King of kings Whereof not one for all our self-affection We can defend with any iust obiection God playd no Tyrant choaking with the floods 8. God destroying the workmaÌ„ doth no wrong to the Tools if he break and batter them wâ—th their Maister The earthly Bands and all the ayrie broods For sith they liv'd but for mans seruice sole Man raz'd for sin out of the Liuing Roule Those wondrous tools and organs excellent Their Work-man reft remain'd impertinent Man's only head of all that draweth breath
Som through the Plain but neither in the chace Dares once look back no not with half a face Their fear had no restraint and much less Art This throwes away his shield and that his dart Swords Morrions Pouldrons Vaunt-brace Pikes Launces Are no defence but rather hinderances They with their hearts haue also lost their sight And recking less a glorious end in Fight Than thousand base deaths desperatly they ran Into the flood that fats rich Canaan Then Iordan arms him 'gainst these infidels With rapid course and like a sea he swels Lakes vnder ground into his channel range And shallowest Foords to ground-less gulfs do change He fumes he foams and swiftly whirling ground Seems in his rage these bitter words to sound Die Villains die O more than in famous Foul Monsters drench your damned soules in vs. Sa sa my Floods with your cold moisture quench The lust-full flame of their self-burning stench Drown drown the Hel-hounds and revenge the wrong Which they haue done our Mother Nature long The River swiftly whirling-in the slaues Aboue with Bowes beneath with Bodies paues The gaudy Plume yet floting light and soft Keeps for awhile the hollow helm aloft But yet at length even those that smim the best Down to the bottom sink among the rest Striving and struggling topsi-turuy tost While fain they would but cannot yield the ghost Because the flood vnwilling to defile His purest waues with spirits so foul and vile Re-spews them still into themselues and there Smoothers and choaks and rams them as it were Then both at once Bodies and Soules at last To the main Sea or his own shoar doth cast The Kings of Sodom and Gomorrha then Their own Ambush serues against themselues Hoping to train the King of Elams men Among the Clay-pits which themselues before T' intrap the Foe with boughs had covered or'e Ran thither-ward but their confused flight In their owne ambush made their owne to light Wherin they lost the flowr of all their rest Sooner of death then of deaths fear possest One as he flies with trembling steps the dart Which from behinde nigh pearst him to the heart Tangling his foot with twyning tendrels tho Of a wilde Vine that neer a pit did growe Stumbles and tumbles in hung by the heels Vp to the waste in water where he feels A three-fold Fate for there O strange he found Three deaths in one at once slain hangd and drownd Another weening ore a Well to skip From the wet brim his hap-less foot doth slip And he in falls but instantly past hope He catcheth holde vpon a dangling rope And so at length with shifting hands gets-vp By little and little to the fountains top Which Thadael spying to him straight he hies And thus alowd vnto the wretch he cries Varlet is this is this the means you make Your wonted yoak of Elam off to shake Is this your Skirmish and are these your blowes Wher-with t' incounter so courageous Foes Sir leaue your ladder this shall serue as well This sword shall be your ladder down to Hell Go pay to Pluto Prince of Acheron The Tribute heer deni'd vnto your owne Heer-with he drawes his Fauchin bright and keen And at a blowe heaws both his arms off clean His trickling hands held fast down fell his Trunk His blood did swim his body quickly sunk Another roughly pushed by the Foe Falls headlong down into a Bog belowe Where on his head deep planted in the mud With his heels vp-ward like a tree he stood Still to and fro wauing his legs and arms Simile As Trees are wont to waue in windie storms Another heer on hors-back posting ouer A broad deep clay-pit that green boughs do couer Sinks instantly and in his suddain Fate Seems the braue Horse doubly vnfortunate For his own neck he breaks and bruzing in With the keen scales of his bright Brigandin His Masters bowels serues alas for Tomb To him that yerst so many times did comb His crispy Crest and him so frankly fed In 's hollow Shield with oats and beans and bread Simile Even so somtimes the loving Vine and Elm With double domage ioyntly over-whelm Shee wails the wrack of her deer Husbands glade He moans his Spouses feeble arms and shade But most it grieues him with his Trunk to crush The precious Clusters of her pleasing Bush And press to death vnkindly with his waight Her that for loue embraceth him so straight Yet Lot alone with a small troup assisted Lots valour The Martiall brunt with Manly breast resisted And thirsting Fame stands firmly looking for The furious hoste of Chedorlaomor But as a narrow and thin-planted Cops Of tender Saplings with their slender tops Is fell'd almost as soon as vnder-taken By Multitudes of Peasants Winter-shaken Lot's little Number so environ'd round Hemm'd with so many swords is soon hew'n down His vndanted resolution Then left alone yet still all one he fares And the more danger still the more he dares Like a strange Mastif fiercely set vpon Simile By mongrell Currs in number ten to one Who tyr'd with running growen more cunning gets Into som corner where vpright he sets Vpon his stern and sternly to his Foes His rage-full foaming grinning teeth he showes And snarls and snaps and this and that doth bite And stoutly still maintains th' vnequall fight With equall fury till disdaining Death His Enemies be beaten out of breath Arioch admiring and even fearing too What Lot had done and what he yet might doo Him princely meets and mildely greets him thus Cease valiant youth cease cease t' incounter vs. Wilt thou alas wilt thou poor soule expose And hazard thus thy life and Fame to lose In such a Quarrell for the cause of such Alas I pitty thy mis-fortune much For well I see thy habit and thy tongue Thine Arms but most thy courage yet so yong Showe that in SODOM's wanton walls accurst Thou wert not born nor in Gomorrha nurst O chief of Chivalry reserue thy worth For better wars yield thee and think hence-forth I highly prize thy prows and by my sword For thousand kingdoms will not false my word Past hope of Conquest as past fear of death Lot taken prisoner LOT yields him then vpon the Princes Faith And from his Camel quick-dismounting hies His Royall hand to kiss in humble wise And th' Army laden with the richest spoyl Triumphantly to th' Eastward marcht the while No sooner noyse of these sad novels cam Abraham with his family of 300. goes to rescue Lot Vnto the ears of faithfull ABRAHAM But instantly he arms to rescue LOT And that rich prey the heathen Kings had got Three hundred servants of his house he brings But lightly arm'd with staues and darts and slings Aided by MAMRE in whose Plain he wons ASCOL and ANER AMOR's valiant sons So at the heels he hunts the fearless Foe Yet waits aduantage yer he offer blowe Favour'd by streightness of the ways
askt in vain For what is it Elijah cannot do If he be hungry Fouls and Angels too Becom his Stewards Fears he th' armed Bands Of a fel Tyrant from their bloody hands To rescue him Heav'n his confederate Consumes with Fire them and their fierie hate Or would he pass a Brook that brooks no bay Nor Bridge nor Bank The Water giues him way Or irks him Earth To Heav'n alive he hies And sauing Henoch onely He not-dies This Man of God discoursing with his heir Elijah taken vp aliue into Heaven Of th' vpper Kingdom and of Gods Affair A sodain whirl-winde with a whiffing Fire And flaming Chariot rapts him vp intire Burns not but fines and doth in fashion strange By death-les Death mortall immortall change A long-tail'd squib a flaming ridge for rut Seems seen a while where the bright Coach hath cut This sacred Rape nigh rapt Elisha too Who taking vp his Tutors Mantle tho Follows as far as well he could with ey The fire-snort Palfreys through the sparkling Sky Crying My father father mine fare-well The Chariots and the Horse of Izrael The Thisbian Prophet hangs not in the Air Amid the Meteors to be tossed there As Mists and Rains and Hail and hoarie Plumes And other Fierie many-formed Fumes Amid the Air tumultuous Satan roules And not the Saints the happy heav'nly Soules Nor is he nailed to some shining Wheel Ixion-like continually to reel For CHRIST his flesh transfigur'd and divine Mounted aboue the Arches Crystalline And where CHRIST is from pain and passion free There after death shall all his Chosen bee Elijah therfore climbs th' Empyreal Pole Where ever-blest in body and in soule Contemns this World becoms an Angel bright And doth him firm to the TRINE-ONE vnite But how or why should He this vantage haue Yer CHRIST right call'd the first-fruits of the Grave O happy passage O sweet sacred Flight O blessed Rape thou raptest so my spright In this Dispute and mak'st my weaker wit So many wayes to cast-about for it That I confess the more I do contend I more admire and less I comprehend For lack of wings then biding heer belowe With his Successor I proceed to showe How soon as he took-vp his Cloak to bear-it Elizeus or Elisha Within Elisha shin'd Elijah's Spirit By powr whereof immediatly he cleaves An vn-couth way through Iordan's rapid waves Past hope he gives to the Sunamian Wife A Son and soon restores him dead to life With sodain blindness smightes the Syrian Troup The which in Dothan did him round in coup Increaseth bread and of a pound of Oyl Fills all the Vessels in a Town that while His hoary head in Bethel laught to scorn Is veng'd by Bears on forty children torn Naaman's cleans'd and for foul Simonie Gehazi's punisht with his Leprosie Mends bitter Broath he maketh Iron swim As porie Cork vpon the Water's brim Rich Iericho's sometimes sal-peetry soil Through brinie springs that did about it boil Brought forth no fruit and her vn-holsom Brooks Voyded the Town of Folk the Fields of Flocks The Towns-men therefore thus besought the Seer Thou seest our Citie 's situation heer Is passing pleasant but the ground is naught The Water worse we pray thee mend the fault Sweeten our Rivers make them pleasanter Our Hills more green our Plains more fertiler The Prophet calls but for a Cruse of Salt O strangest cure to cure the brynie fault Of all their Floods and casting that in one Foul stinking Spring heals all their streams anon Not for an houre or for a day or twain But to this Day they sweet and sound remain Their Valley walled with bald Hills before But even a horror to behold of-yore Is now an Eden and th' All-circling Sun For fruitfull beauty sees no Paragon There labour-les mounts the victorious Palm There and but there growes the all-healing Balm There ripes the rare cheer-cheek Myrobalan Minde-gladding Fruit that can vn-olde a Man O skilfull Husbands giue your fattest Plains Five or six earths spare neither cost nor pains To water them rid them of weeds and stones With Muck and Marle batten and baste their bones Vnles God bless your Labour and your Land You plough the Sea and sowe vpon the sand This Iurie knowes a Soil somtimes at least Sole Paradise of all the proudest East But now the brutest and most barren place The curse of God and all the Worlds disgrace And also Greece on whom Heav'ns yerst so good Rain nothing now but their drad Furie's Flood The grace of God is a most sure Revenue A Sea of Wealth that ever shall continew A never-failing Field which needs not ay The cool of Night nor comfort of the Day What shall I say This sacred Personage Not only profits to his proper Age But after life life in his bones hee leaves And dead the dead he raiseth from their graves Nor is Elisha famous more for Miracles Than for the Truth of his so often Oracles He showes the Palms and Foils of Israell Benhadad's death the Raign of Hazael Beyond all hope and passing all appearance Deiected Ioram's neer relief he warrants For now the Syrian with insulting Powrs The fiege and Famine of Samaria So streict besiegeth the Samarian Towrs That even al-ready in each nook agrising Fell wall-break all-break Famin ill-advising Howls hideously even the bare bones are seen As sharp as kniues thorough the emptie skin Of the best bred and each-man seems almost No Man indeed but a pale ghastly Ghost Som snatch the bread from their owne Babes that pine Som eat the Draff that was ordain'd for Swine Som doo defile them with forbidden flesh Som bite the grass their hunger to refresh Som gold for Birds-dung waight for waight exchange Som of their Boots make them a Banquet strange Som fry the Hay-dust and it savorie finde Som Almond-shels and Nut-shels gladly grinde Som mince their Fathers Wills in parchment writ And so devoure their Birth-right at a bit The King when wearie he would rest awhile Dreams of the Dainties he hath had yer-while Smacks swallows grindes both with his teeth and iaws But only winde his beguil'd bellie draws And then awaking of his owne spare Diet Robbs his owne brest to keep his Captains quiet He is importun'd heer and there about Aboue the rest a Woman skrieketh out In moornfull manner with disheueled haire Her face despight her fashion showes despaire O! stay my Liege heat hear a grieuous thing Mothers eat their owne Children Iustice great Ioram Iustice gentle King O no not Iustice did I Iustice craue Fondling in Iustice thou canst nothing haue But a iust death nay but a Torture fell Nay but a Torment like the pains of Hell Yet even this Plea is worse then death to me Then grant me Iustice Iustice let it be For O! what horror can restrain desire Of iust Revenge when it is once afire My Lord I bargain'd and to bind the Pact By solemn Oath I sealed the Contract
for their Deities Gods made with hands Gods without life or breath Gods which the Rust Fier Hammer conquereth But thou art Lord th' invincible alone Th' All-seeing GOD the Everlasting ONE And who so dares him gainst thy Powr oppose Seems as a Puff which roaring Boreas blowes Weening to tear the Alps off at the Foot Or Clowds-prop Athos from his massie Root Who but mis-speaks of thee he spets at Heav'n And his owne spettle in his face is driven Lord shew thee such take on thee the Defence Of thine owne glory and our innocence Cleer thine owne name of blame let him not thus Tryumph of Thee in tryumphing of vs But let ther Lord vnto thy Church appear Iust Cause of Ioy and to thy Foes of fear God hears his Cry and from th' Empyreal Round Miraculous slaughter of the Assirians He wrathfull sends a winged Champion down Who richly arm'd in more than humane Arms Mowes in one night of Heathen men at Arms Thrice-three-score thousand and five thousand more Feld round about beside behinde before Heer his two eyes which Sun-like brightly turn Simile Two armed Squadrons in a moment burn Not much vnlike vnto a fier in stubble Which sodain spreading still the flame doth double And with quick succour of som Southren blasts Crick-crackling quickly all the Country wastes Heer the stiff Storm that from his mouth he blowes Thousands of Souldiers each on other throwes Simile Even as a Winde a Rock a sodain Flood Bears down the Trees in a side-hanging Wood Th' Yew overturns the Pine the Pine the Elm The Elm the Oak th' Oak doth the Ash ore-whelm And from the top down to the Vale belowe The Mount's dis-mantled and even shamed so Heer with a Sword such as that sacred blade For the bright Guard of Eden's entry made He hacks he hews and somtimes with one blowe A Regiment hee all at once doth mowe And as a Cannon's thundrie roaring Ball Simile Battering one Turret shakes the next withall And oft in Armies as by proof they finde Kils oldest Souldiers with his very winde The whiffing Flashes of this Sword so quick Strikes dead a many which it did not strike Heer with his hands he strangles all at-once Legions of Foes O Arm that Kings dis-throans O Army-shaving Sword Rock-razing Hands World-tossing Tempest All-consuming Brands O let som other with more sacred fier Than I inflam'd into my Muse inspire The wondrous manner of this Overthrowe The which alas God knowes I little knowe I but admire it in confused sort Conceiue I cannot and much less report Com-on Zenacherib where 's now thine Hoast Where are thy Champions Thou didst lately boast Th' hadst in thy Camp as many Soldiers As Sea hath Fishes or the Heav'ns haue Stars Now th' art alone and yet not all alone Fear and Despair and Fury wait vpon Thy shame-full Flight but bloody Butcher stay Stay noysom Plague fly not so fast away Fear not Heav'ns Fauchin that foul brest of thine Shall not be honor'd with such wounds divine Nor shalt thou yet in timely bed decease No Tyrants vse not to Depart in Peace As bloud they thirsted they are drown'd in blood Their cruell Life a cruell Death makes good For O iust Iudgement lo thy Sons yer-long Zenacherib slain by his owne sonnes At Nisroch's Shrine revenge the Hebrews wrong Yea thine owne Sons foul eggs of fouler Bird Kill their owne Father sheath their either sword In thine owne throat and heirs of all thy vices Mix thine owne bloud among thy Sacrifices This Miracle is shortly seconded By one as famous and as strange indeed It pleas'd the Lord with heavy hand to smight King Ezechiah who in dolefull plight Ezekiah's sicknesse Vpon his bed lies vexed grieuously Sick of an Vlcer past all remedy Art fails the Leach and issue faileth Art Each of the Courtiers sadly wayles a-part His losse and Lord Death in a mourn-ful sort Through every Chamber daunteth all the Court And in the City seems in every Hall T' haue light a Taper for his Funerall Then Amos * The Prophet Isaiah Son his bed approaching pours From plentious lips these sweet and golden showrs But that I knowe you knowe the Lawes Divine But that your Faith so every-where doth shine But that your Courage so confirm'd I see I should my Liege I should not speak so free A comfortable Visitation of the sicke I would not tell you that in continent You must prepare to make your Testament That your Disease shall haue the vpper hand And Death already at your Door doth stand What fears my Lord Knowe you not heer beneath We alwayes say I towards the Port of Death Where who first anch'reth first is glorified That 't is Decreed confirm'd and ratified That of necessity the fatall Cup. Once all of vs must in our turn drink vp That Death 's no pain but of all pains the end The Gate of Heav'n and Ladder to ascend That Death 's the death of all our storms and strife And sweet beginning of immortall Life For by one death a thousands death's we slay Thear-by we rise from Body-Toomb of Clay Thear-by our Soules feast with celestiall food Thear-by we com to th' heav'nly Brother-hood Thear-by w' are chang'd to Angels of the Light And face to face behold Gods beuties bright The Prophet ceast and soon th' Isaacian Prince Deep apprehending Death's drad form and sense Vnto the Wall-ward turns his weeping eyes And sorrow-torn thus to himself he cries Lord I appeal Lord as thine humble childe A Prayer for a sick person mutatis mutandis From thy iust Iustice to thy Mercy milde Why will thy strength destroy a silly-one Weakned and wasted even to skin and bone One that adores thee with sincere affection The wrack of Idols and the Saints protection O! shall the Good thy servant had begun For Sion rest now by his death vndon O! shall a Pagan After-king restore The Groues and Idols I haue raz'd before Shall I dye Childe-les Shall thine Heritage In vain exspect that glorious golden Age Vnder thy CHRIST O! mercy mercy Lord O Father milde to thy dear Childe accord Som space of life O! let not Lord the voice Of Infidels at my poor death reioyce Then said the Seer Be of good cheer my Liege The Kings praier heard and his life prolonged 15 yeares Thy sighes and tears and prayers so be siege The throne of Pitty that as pierçt with-all Thy smyling Health God yieldeth to re-call Wills to his Temple three dayes hence thou mount Retracts his Sentence and corrects his count Makes Death go back for fifteen yeers as lo This Dial's shadow shal heer back-ward go His Word 's confirm'd with wonderfull Effect The Sunne goes backe For lo the Dial which doth houres direct Life's-guider Daye's-divider Sun's-Consorter Shadow's dull shifter and Time's dumb Reporter Puts-vp-again his passed Houres perforce And back-ward goes against his wonted course 'T is Noon at Mid-night and
hand he lets We are halfe putrified through sinnes contagious spot And without speedy helpe the rest must wholly rot Cut-off th' infected part then are we sound and free Els all must perish needs there is no remedie Most happy they from whom in this fraile life the Lord With smart of many paines cuts-off the paines abhord Of th' euer-neuer death wherein they lye and languish That heere haue had their ease and neuer tasted anguish But many which as yet the aduerse part approoue Conceiue â—â—not confesse that it doth more behooue By faintless exercise faire Vertue to maintaine Then ouer-whelm'd with Vice at rest to rust in vaine But yâ—â— th extremitie of sufferings doth dismay-them The force where-of they feare would easily ouer-lay them They loue the exercise the chastenings likewise like them But yet they would haue God but seld softly strike-them Els are they prest to runne to ruine with the Diuels They are so sore afeard of false-supposed euils Most wretched is the man that for the feare of nisâ—â—â— All liuely-breathing hopes of happy goodnes stifles Of nifles sir say they seeme all their bitter crosses As nothing nor their paines nor lamentable losseâ— That daily they indure were not the wretches blest If from their heaule load their shoulders were releast Who is not happy sure in misery and woe No doubt prosperity can neuer make him so No moâ—e then he that 's sick should find more ease vpon A glorious golden bed then on a wooden one Man harbours in himselfe the euill that afflicts him And his owne fault it is if discontentment pricks-him And all these outward ills are wrongfully accused Which flesh and blood doth blame for being rightly â—sed They all turne to our good but whoso takes offence Thereby hath by and by his iust rough recompence For neither in their power nor in their proof the same Are euil lauâ— effect but in conceipt and name Which wheÌ„ we lightly waigh the least of vs surmounts them Nor hurt they any one but him that ouer-counts them Neither ought that indeed for euill to be rated Which may by accident be vnto good translated Foâ—â—ll is euer ill and is contrarie euer Directly vnto good so that their natures neuer Can be constrain'd to brooke each other neither yet Can th' â—â—e â—â— euer turn'd to th' other opposite But plainly we perceiue that there 's no languor such But long continuance and custome lighten much Familiarizing so the Fit that how so fret it Euen in th' extremitie one may almost forget it What better proofe of this then those poore Gally-slaues Which hauing been before such Rogues and idle Knaues As shunning seruices to labour were so loth That they would starue die rather then leaue their sloth But being vs'd a while to tug the painfull Oare Labour that yerst they loath'd they now desire the more Or those that are assail'd with burning Feuer-fit Euen then when least of all they dread or doubt of it Who carefully complaine and crie and raue and rage Frying in inward flames the which they cannot swage Yet if it wax not worse the daintiest body makes it In eight daies as a vse and as a trifle takes it Or those that haue sometimes the painfull rack indured Who without change of paine being a while inured The paine that did constraine them to bewaile and weepe Seems them so easie then they almost fall a-sleepe All are noâ— euills then that are surnamed so Sith euill neuer can his nature mingle no Nor turne it into good whereas we plainly see On th' other side that these are changed sodainly And were they ills indeed sith they so little last Were 't noâ—â—â—eriâ— shaâ—e to be so much agastâ— But here againe say they th' ones nature neuer taketh The others nature on but still the stronger maketh His fellow giue him place and onely beareth sway Till that return'd againe driue it againe away Nay that can neuer be for neuer perfect good Can by his contrarie be banisht though withstood For good is euer good and where so e're it goe Euill doth euer striue but with too strong a foe There is no reason then these good or ill to call That alter in this sort and neuer rest at all Neither to blesse or blame them for the good or ill That euer in her selfe our soule concealeth still For if that from without our bale or else our blisse Arriued euermore withall must follow this That alwaies vnto all selfe ill selfe paine would bring Selfe good one selfe content but t is a certaine thing They are not taken for their qualitie and kind But rather as th' affects of men are most inclin'd One loosing but a crowne hath lost his patience quight Another hauing lost fiue hundred in a night Is neuer moâ—'d aiote though hauing lesse in store Then th' other hath by ods his losse might grieue him more One being banished doth nothing but lament Another as at home is there as well content And one in prison pent is vtterly dismaide Another as at home liues there as well appaid Needs must we then confesse that in our selues doth rest That which vphappieth vs and that which makes vs blest In vs indeed the ill which of our selues doth grow And in vs too the good which from God's grace doth flow To whom it pleaseth him true good that none can owe-yet Saue those on whom the Lord vouch safeth to bestow-it And that the bitter smart of all the paines that wring-vs From nothing but our sinne receiueth strength to sting-vs Yea surely in our selues abides our miserie Our Grand-sire Adam left vs that for Legacie When he enthrall'd himselfe vnto the Law of sin Wherein his guilty heires their griefe-full birth begin The Lord had giuen to him a Nature and a feature Perfect indeed and blest aboue all other creature And of this Earthly world had stablisht him as King Subiecting to his rule the reanes of euery thing His spirit within it selfe noselfe-debates did nurse Hauing no knowledge yet of better nor of worse His body euer blithe and healthfull felt no war Of those foure qualities that now doo euer iarre Nor any poysony plant nor any Serpent fell Nor any noysome beast could hurt in any deale He might without the taste of bitter death attaine Vnto the Hauen of Heauen where all true Ioyss doo raigne And had he not misdone he might haue well bequeath'd The same inheritance to all that euer breath'd How happy had he been if he had neuer eaten Th' vnlawfull fatall fruit that double Death did threaten O that he neuer had preferd the Serpents flatter Before th' eternall Law of all the worlds Creator You shall be said the Fiend like supreame Deities This sweet fruites sugred iuice shall open both your eyes Which now your tyrant God enuying all your blisse Blindes with a filmy vaile of black Obscurities Least that you should become his equals in degree Knowing both good and ill as well as euer he
Poore Eue beleeues him straight Man beleeues his wife And biteth by and by the Apple asking-life Whereof so soone as he had tasted he begins But all too-late alas to see his cursed sinnes His eyes indeed were ope and then he had the skill To know the difference between the good and ill Then did he knowe how good good waâ— when he had lost-it And euill too he knew but ah too deerely cost-it Leauing himselfe besides the sorrow of his losse Nothing but sad despaire of succourin his crosse He found himselfe falne down froÌ„ blisse-full state of peace Into a ciuill warre where discords neuer cease His soule reuolting soone became his bitter foe But as it oft befalls that worst doo strongest growe She is not eas'd at all by th' inly striuing iarres Which doo annoy her more then th' irefull open warres Wrath hatred enuie feare sorrow despaire and such And passions opposite to these afflict as much Distracting to and fro the Princesse of his life In restles mutinies and neuer ceasing strife Then th' humor-brethren all hot cold and wet and dry Falne out among themselues augment his misery So that by their debate within his flesh there seeded A haruest of such weeds as neuer can be weeded All creatures that before as Subiects did attend-him Now 'mong themselues conspire by al means to offend-him In briefe Immortall borne now mortall he became And bound his soule to bide Hells euer-burning flame Leauing his wofull heires euen from their births beginning Heires of his heauy paine as of his hainous sinning So that in him the Lord condemned all mankind To beare the punishment to his foule sinne assign'd And none had euer scap't had not the God of grace Desiring more to saue then to subuert his race Redeem'd vs by the death of his deer onely Son And chosen vs in him before the World begun Forgiuing vs the fault and with the fault the fine All saue this temporall death of Adams sin the signe Now in the horror of those ease-lesse end-lesse paines It may be rightly said that euill euer raignes That 's euill's very selfe and not this seeming-woe Wherof the want on world complaineth daily so Liv'd we ten thousand yeeres continually tormented In all fell tortures strange that euer were inuented What 's that compar'd to time that never shall expire Amidth'infernall flames whose least-afflicting fire Exceedeth all the paines all mortall hearts can think Sure all that we endure till Laethe drops we drink Is all but ease to that or if it be a paine 'T is in respect of that a very trifle vaine But were 't a great deale worse why should we euill name That which we rather finde a medicine for the same Health wealth security honour and ease doo make vs Forget our God and God for that doth soone for sake vs Whereas afflictions are the ready meanes to moouevs To seeke our health in him that doth so deerely loue-vs 'T is true indeed say some that benefit they bring-vs But yet the smart thereof doth so extreamely wring-vs That th' euill which they feele that doo endure the same Makes them esteeme it iust to giue it that for name Mans nature certainly it cannot be denied Is thrall to many throes while here on earth we bide In body and in soule the troubled soule sustaines A thousand passions strong the body thousand paines And that 's the wretched State the which yer-while I said Was iustly due to vs when Adam disobay'd But he that 's once new-borne in Iesus Christ by faith Who his assured hope in God sole setled hath Who doth beleeue that God giues essence vnto all And all sustaineth still that nothing doth befall But by his sacred will and that no strength that striueth To stop his iust decrees can stand or euer thriueth Not onely doth accept all paines with patience The which he takes for due vnto his deepe offence Nor onely is content if such be Gods good pleasure To feele a thousand-fold a much more ample measure But euen delights therein and void of any feare Expects th' extremitie of all assaults to beare Whether almighty God abate their woonted vigor Or that his may not feele their crosses cruell rigor Doo wholly arme them with new forces for the nonce To beare the bitter brunt or whether both at-once And to approoue this true how many dayly drink Of torments bitter Cup that neuer seeme to shrink Alas what sharper smart what more afflicting paines What worser grieâ—e then that which ceas-lesly sustaines He that by some mischance or els by martiall thunder Vnhappily hath had some maine bone broke in sunder What torment feeleth not the sore-sicke deepe-diseased One while with cruell fit of burning Feuer seised Another while assail'd with Colick and with Stone Or with the cure-lesse Gout whose rigour yeelds to none Or thousand other griefes whose bitter vexing strife Disturbes continually the quiet of our life Yet notwithstanding this in all this painfull anguish Thogh the most part repyne plain mourn languish Murmuring against the Lord with malcontented voice Some praise his clemencie and in his rods reioyce How many such deere Saints haue fel tormenters seene To die betweene their hands through moody tyrants teen So little daunted at their martyrdome and slaughter That in th' extremity they haue expressed laughter How many at the stake nay in the very flame Haue sung with cheerful voice th' Almighties prais-ful name Yet were they all compact of artirs and of veines Of sinewes bones and flesh and sensible of paines By nature at the least as much as any other For being issued all from one selfe earthly Mother What makes theÌ„ then to find such extreme smart so sweet What makes them patiently those deadly pangs to meet No doubt it is the Lord who first of nothing made-vs Who with his liberall hand of goodnes still doth lade-vs Some more and other lesse and neuer ceaseth space From making vs to feele the fauours of his grace Accurst are they indeed whom he doth all abandon To doo their Lust for Law and runne their life at randon Accurst who neuer taste the sharp-sweet hand of God Accurst ah most accurst who neuer feele his rod. Such men by nature borne the bond-slaues vnto sinne Through selfe-corruption end worse then they did beginne For how they longer liue the more by their amisse They draw them neerer Hell and farther-off from blisse Such men within themselues their euils spring containe There is no outward thing as falsly they complaine Cause of their cureles ill for good is euerything And good can of it selfe to no-man euill bring Now if they could aright these earthly pleasures prize According to their worth they would not in such wise For lack or losse of these so vaine and transitorie Lament so bitterly nor be so sadly-sorrie But ouer-louing still these outward things vnstable To rest in true content an houre they are not able No not a moments time their feare
tools To help our knowledge with as in all other Shools God euer cares for those that fear his name for loue And if that any such such inconvenience proue If any money need or els through ample distance Be destitute of friends he gets them for assistance The fauour of their foes whose harts he handles so How euer they intend his childrens ouerthrowe That his of what they need haue euermore inough According as he knowes to be to their behoof Now say that we consent say som that this is true But what if somwhat worse then all this worst ensue What if he be enforc't his Countrey to forsake What if continuall fits his sickly body shake What if he lose at once his wealth and reputation Repleat on euery side with euery sharp vexation Can he still keep his ioy and can he still retain Such means to profit still for all his grief and pain Concerning his content it 's alwayes all a-like Whether that euery grief particularly strike Or whether all at once he feel their vt most anger And if he be surpris'd with so extream a languor That as I sayd before the spirit it in force Through suffering of the smart that doth afflict the corps To leaue his Offices so that he cannot write Nor read nor meditate nor study nor indight It is so quickly past that in comparison Regarding so great good 't is not to think vpon For by a mighty grief our life is quickly ended Or els by remedy itself is soon amended And if it be but mean then is it born the better And so vnto the soule it is not any letter Besides we must conceiue our spirit as opprest With fainting wearines somtimes desireth rest To gather strength again during which needfull pawse We are not to be blam'd sith need the same doth cause So that the time that 's lost while such sharp pangs do pain May be suppos'd a time of taking breath again In prison to conclude a man at once may tâ—â—e All manner of extreams of earthly misery In which respect perhaps the worsesom deem of it Being as 't were the Butt that all men striue to hit But I esteem the same the perfecter for that For if one crosse alone can make vs eleuate Our groueling earth-desires from cogitations base To haue recourse to God and to implore his grace Seeking in him alone our perfect ioy and blisse Much more shall many griefs at once accomplish this For many can doo more then one without respect And still the greater cause the greater the effect Indeed say other-som these reasons haue som reason But then whence comes it that so many men in Prison With hundred thousand pains pincht and oppressed sore In steed of bettering there wax worser then before In steed of sweet content doo still complain and crie In steed of learning more lose former industry Though in apparance great your sayings seem but iust Yet plain experience sure we think is best to trust That hidden vertue â—are that so great good atchiues Lies in the Prisoners hart not in his heauy Gyues The good growe better there the bad become the wurse For by their sinne they turn Gods blessing into curse And that 's the cause the most are mal-content and sad Sith euer more the good are fewer then the bad But wherefore doth not God to all vouchsafe this grace Proud earth-worms pawse we there let 's fear before his face Admiring humbly all his holy Iudgements high Exceeding all too far our weak capacitie The Potters vessell vile doth vs our lesson showe Which argues not with him why he hath made it so Much less may we contend but rather rest content With that which God hath giuen He is omnipotent All gracious and all good most iust and perfit wise On som he poures a Sea of his benignities On som a shallow Brook on other som a Flood Giuing to som a small to som a greater Good As from eternity hath pleas'd th' eternall Spirit To loue men more or lesse without respect of merit For my part should I liue ten Nestoâ—s yeers to passe Had I a hundred tongues more smooth then Tully's was Had I a voice of steel and had I brazen sides And learning morâ— then all the Helyconian guides Yet were I all too-weak to tell the many graces That in ten thousand sorts and in ten thousand places Ten hundred thousand times he hath vouchsafed me Not for my merits sake but for his mercy free But yet 'mong all the goods that of his liberall bounty I haue receiv'd so oft none to compare accoumpt-I With this close prisonment wherein he doth with-drawe-me Far from the wanton world and to himself doth draw-me I posted on apace to ruin and perdition When by this sharp-sweet Pil my cunning kinde Physition Did purge maugre my will the poysony humor fell Where with my sin-sick hartalâ—oady gan to sivell I lookâ— for nothing lesse then foâ— these miseries And pains that I haue provid the worlds vain vanities Had so seduç'tany soule with baits of sugred bane That it was death to me from pleasure to be tane But crossing my request God for my profit gaue Me quite the contrary to that which I did craue So that my body barring from a freedom small He set my soule at large which vnto sinne was thrall Wounding with musket-shot my feeble arme he cur'd The festring sores of sinne the which my soule endur'd Tripping me from the top of som mean dignity Which drew me vpto climbe the Mount of vanity He rais'd me from the depth of vices darksom Cell The which incessantly did ding me down to Hell Easing me to conclude of all the grief and care Wherewith these false delights forever sauced are He made me finde and feel amid my most annoyes A thousand true contents and thousand perfect ioyes But som perhaps amaz'd wil muse what kinde of pleasure Here I can take and how I passe my time and leasure For in foule idlenes to spend so large a time It cannot be denied to be a grieuous crime First in the morning when the spirit is fresh and fit I suck the honey sweet from foorth the sacred VVrit Wherein by faith we taste that true celestiall bread Whence our immortall soules are euer onely â—ed Then search I out the sawes of other sage Diuines The best here to be had among whose humainlines Supported by the grace of Gods especiall power I leaue the thorn behinde and pluck the healthsom flower Somtimes I doo admire in books of Heathen men Graue-sayings sauoring more a sacred Christian pen Than many of our age whose bold vnlearned pride Thinking to honour God hath err'd on euery side Sometimes when I obserue in euery ancient storie Such vertues presidents trim patterns of true glory I wofully bewaile our wretched wicked dayes Where vertue is despis'd and vice hath all the praise Oft I lament to see so many noble Wits Neglecting Gods high praise that best
bands of Chus on Gerar greene Shall I forget him who preparing fight Iosaphat 'Gainst Ammon Seir and Moabs Idoll might Saw ech of their three hoasts on others fall And with them selfs their selfs disconfit all Yet for their sinnes God gaue them in the hands Of Calde Kings who conquered all their Lands And took King Zedekee and made an end Of that Impire till God did Cyrus send Who set them free and gaue them of his grace Two rulers of their owne And now this place Is kept by sacred Ioachim whose powers Consists not onely within Sions towers But Edom Sidon Moab and we all Do knowe his strength and knowes him principall Now Sir you hear the progresse first and last Of Isâ—acs race in order as it past One while the Lord enhaunst them to the skie One while he drew them downe in deepe to lie ' But were he Iudge or Prince or King of might ' Who reul'd the Hebrews policie aright ' While they observ'd th' alliance made before ' By their forefathers who to God them swore ' In happy state all others they surpast ' And vnderfoote their proudest foes were cast ' And all the world that their destruction sought ' Against their state and name preuailed nought ' But contrary as oft as they astraide ' From God their guide he on their shoulders laid ' The Barbare yock of Moâ—b and oft-times ' Of Palestine and Ammon for their crimes ' The heauie hand of God was seen to be ' On their ingratefull infidelity Now if so be that any odious sinne Prouoke their Lord his Iustice to begin Then mine not you their towers and tourets tall Nor bring the wrack som engine to their wall Nor place thy battries braue nor yet aduenter With thy courageous camp the breach to enter For if Libanus mount or Carmell faire Or Niphathaei should parke them from repaire If Ynde and Nilus with the Rhene and Rhone To close them round about should run in one For their defence yet shall they notwithstand With all their force thy flurious fighting â—and But if they haue not broke the â—and indeed That God with Abraham made and with his seede Beware my Lord beware to touch or moue These people that the Lord so much doth loue For though south Aùtan would dispeople his Lands And bring the blackest Moores to swarme in bands If Northren Boreas vnder his banners colde Would bring to field his hideous Souldiers bold If Zephyrus from sweet Hesperia coste Would send his chosen armed men to Hoste If Eurus for to aide thine enterprise Would bring his men from whence the sun doth rise Yet all their numbers hudge and forces strong Can neuer do to Israell any wrong Nor hurt one hair if their great God say nay That God will them defend because he may With one small blast confound all Kings that darre As thou doest now prouoke him vnto warre Then like as ye behold the quiet see Not raging when the windes ingendring be But blauncheth first then growes in little space In wallowing waves to flowe with fomy face And lastly beates the banks and ships vnshrouds With wrackfull waues vphoist to highest clouds So almost all the princes of that hoste With inward anger gan to be emboste As oft as they the prayse of God did heare So to his speech encreast their spitefull chear Which in the end to blasphemy them brought Th' immortall God of Gods to set at nought Kill and cut off quoth they this traytour fine Whose subtill talke with all his whole engine Pretends to saue these Hebrews from our hands And threats vs with vaine Gods of forraine Lands For if it please you noble prince to send But twenty men of value that are â—end Within your camp these recklesse rebels then Shall be a pray to all your warlike men O wicked wight but then the Uizroy stout With power appeasde the murmur of the route And to him said O shameles Prophet thou What Sibyll or what charmer tell me now What Diuell or Daemon so doth thee inspire That Izrell shall of vs haue his desire Such men as with no God can be content But such as pleased Moses to inuent Of his owne head a God that hath no power â—lasphemic For to deliuer them nor thee this hower Haue we an other God or king of kings Then our great Persian Monark now that rigns Whose barded horse ore runns the Nations all Whose armed men out of these mountaines tall Shall rake these Rebels that from Egypt came To this where they vniustly keep the same Dye dye thou shalt O wretch thy toung vntrue And double heart shall haue their wages due But foole what speake I thus no haste a while Thy blood O villaine shall not me defile So iust a paine so soone thou shalt not haue For thy deceipt so soone to go to graue ' For in a wretches sodaine death at ones ' Their long some ill is buried with their bones But to that end I may prolong thy strife In Bethull town I will prolong thy life Where euerie howre thou shalt haue such affraye To dye vndead a thousand times a day Till time with them who thou so strong hast thought To shamefull end with them thou shalt be brought What wherefore temblest thou and art so pale What sorrow makes thy heart so soone to faile If God be God as thou right now hast said Then of thy faith giue witnesse vndismaid A marshall of the campe then being prest Who was not yet so cruell as the rest There tooke this demy Pagan Ammons Lord And sent him bound to Bethull with a cord Then euen as in his clawes the kite doth beare The chirping chicken throu the weather cleare While that the cackling hen belowe on ground Bewayles her bird with vaine lamenting sound So in like woe his worthy men were left For that so worthy a chief was them bereft The Townsmen then beholding neere their wall These Miscreants to armour straight they fall Yâ—lad in plate and mail and runnes in bands And fearcely fronts their foes with steele in hands As fast as done the riuers doun the hils That with their murmur hudge the deepes vpfils The Heathen seeing this retirde away And left the Lord of Ammon for a pray To th' Hebrew soldiers who did him constraine Though he was willing with them to remaine When all the folke with prease about him past His eyes and hands vp to the pole he cast ' And thus he spake O God that great abides ' Vpon th' Immortall seat and iustly guides ' The ruled course of heav'n whose liuing spreete ' Reuiuing spreds and through all things doth fleete ' I render thee O God immortall prayse ' For that before I end my wofull dayes ' Now from th' vnfruitfull stock thou doest me race 'To graft me in thy fruitfull tree of grace ' Where in despite of all contrary strife ' I shall bring forth the fruits of lasting life And ye O Iacobs sonnes
thinke not at all That I of purpose captiue am and thrall So that I meane hereby your wrack to bring For God he knowes I thinke not such a thing But I am captiue thus because I tolde What wondrous workes the Lord hath done of olde To you and your forefathers euer still Deliv'ring them that would obey his will Then doubt not you a thousand â—laâ—â—ing flags Nor horrible cries of â—â—leous heathen hags Coole not your hearts For if the world about Would compasse you with all their warriours stout Prouiding first ye seek your helpe at need At power diuine and not at mortall seede You surely shall see Mocmurs renning flood Made red with Assurs hoste and Ethnique blood Ye surely shall see men not vsde to fight Sub due their foes that seemes of greater might The hand of God assailes you not with hate But for your weale your pride he will abate To let you wit it is within his power To leaue or to relieue you euery houre As on th' vnsauorie stocke the lilly is borne And as the rose growes on the pricking thorne So modest life with sobs of grieuous smart And cryes deuout comes from an humbled hart For euen the faithfull flocke are like the ground That for good fruit with weedes will still abound If that the share and culter idlelye That riues the soyle and roots the brambles bye But in the end God will his yre relent Assoone as sinners truely will repent And saue you from these plagues that present be In shorter time then ye do think to see Take courage friends and vanquish God with teares And after we shall vanquish with our weares These enmies all Now if there rest in me The former force that once was wont to be If elde haue not decaid my courage bolde That I haue had with great experience olde I render me to serue you to my ende For Iacobs weale Gods law for to defend FINIS THE SVMMARIE OF The III. BOOKE IN this third book the Poet setteth forth the seege of Bethulia and the extremity that God permitted them to feele therby to giue an entry to his miraculous deliuerance who is accustomed to leade his people to the gates of death and from thence to retire them aboue all humane expectation to the ende they should confesse that the arme of flesh nor worldly wisedome maintaines not the Church but the only fauour of the Almightie to whome the whole glory of duty should be rendred Father three principall things are to be noted First the preparations of the beseegers and the defences of the beseeged and how after throw the counsell giuen to Holopberne for the restraint of the water from the towne ensâ—wes a furious assault which the Iewes repelled with great paine Secondly the extreame desolation through want of water whereof proceedeth sundry sorts of death with lamentations murmurations and danger of mutiâ—e within the Citie and how the Gouernour endeuours himselfe with wise and godly admonitions to appease the same But the Commons in this hard estate regarding no reason required to render the Citie rather then to perish in such apparant miserie The Gouernour being carried with a humane prudence promiseth to render the Towne within fiue dayes if God send them no succour Yet such is the estate of Gods Church in this world that when all things faileth God manifesteth his power And therefore in the third partis IVDITH introduced who being especially moued by the reading of Holy Scriptures is encouraged to deliuer her Country but when she vnderstood the resolution of the Magistrates Shee being in estimation honourable modestly reproues them After their excuse shee promiseth to attempt something for the publike weale not showing her deuise but onely desired to haue passage by night vnto the enemies campe and this is granted THE THIRD BOOKE of IVDITH THe Snoring snoute of restles Phlegon blewe Hote on the Ynds and did the day renewe With skarlet skie when Heathen men awooke At sound of drumme then pike and dart they tooke In order marching and to combat â—alles Th' vndaunted sonnes within their Cities walles The meeds in Maie with flowers are not so dect Of sundry sauours hews and seere effect As in this campe were people different farre In toungs and maners habits tents and warre Yea Chaos old whereof the world was founded Of members more confuse was not compounded Yet soundly they in vnion did accord To wage the warre against th' Almightie Lord Who shakes the Poles whose onely breath doth beat Libanus mount and makes Caucasus sweat There came the Kettrinks wilde of cold Hircania Ioynd with the men of great and lesse Armania With coppintanks and there the Parthian tall Assaid to shoot his shafts and flee withall The Persians proud th' Empyre was in their hands With plates of gold surbraued all their bands The Medes declar'd through fortunes ouerthwart They lost their Scepter not for lack of hart And that no costly cloath nor rich aray Nor painting fine that on their face they lay Nor borrowd hair of fair and comly length Might ought impair their ancient power and strength There were the happie Arabs those that buields In thatched waggons wandring throu the fields The subtill Tyrians they who first were clarks That staid the wandring words in leaues and barks The men of Moab Edom Ammon and The People sparst on large Elimia land The learned Memphians and the men that dwell Engins of Warre Neere to the Aethiopians black and fell In short the most of Asia as it wair Encamped was within that armie fair So that this Duke mo forraine souldierslad Then all the Hebrewes natiue people had But they who did the Hebrewes greatest wrong Were Apostâ—ts of Ephrem fierce and strong Who fought with hatefull harts them to deface Least they should be esteemd of Izaks race Then as in time of Spring the water is warme And crowping frogs like fishes there doth swarme But with the smallest stone that you can cast To stirre the streame their crouping stayes as fast So while Iudea was in ioyfull dayes The constancie of them was worthy prayes For that in euery purpose ye should heare The praise of God resounding euery wheare So that like burning candles they did shine Among their faithfull flocke like men diuine But looke how soon they heard of Holopherne Their courage quailde and they began to dern Their ardent zeale with closed mouth they choke Their zeale too hote returnd to fuming smoke The fear of losse of life and worldly good Brought Infidels to shed their brothers blood Alas how many Ephramits haue we In our vnhappy time all which we see Within the Church like hypocrits to dwell So long as by the same they prosper well Who feines a zeale th' Euangill to maintaine So long as serues their honour or their gaine But turne the chance with some contrary winde So that their browes but half a blast do finde Then faints their harts and they seek other way Like bankers
them that her vpbrought Like to the gratefull stork that gathereth meat And brings it to her elders for to eate And on a firtree high with Boreas blowne Giues life to those of whom she had her owne But if she might som howre from trauell quite At vacant time it was her chief delyte To read the scriptures where her faithfull minde Might confort of the heav'nly Manna finde Somtime she broyded on the canuas gall Som bird or breast or A egle or Elephant tall While subtely with siluer nedle fine She works on cloth som history diuine Heer Lot escaping the deuouring fire From sinnefull Zodom shortly doth retire To Segor where his wife that was vnwitty Cast back her eye to see the sinnefull Citty And for her mis-beliefe God plagued the falt Transforming her into a Pillar of salt Here she Susannaes story viuely wrought How neer she was to execution brought And yet how God the secret did disclose And made the mischief fall vpon her foes Here Iosephs story stands with wondrous art And how he left his cloke and not his heart To his lasciuious Dame and rather chose The Prison then her armes him to enclose Her cruell Iâ—phte with his murdring knife To keep his vow bereaues his daughters life Her trauell done her lute she then assayes And vnto God she sings immortall prayes Not following those that plyes their thriftles pain In wanton vearse and wastefull ditties vain Thereby t' entrap great men with luring looks But as the greedy fisher layes his hooks Alongst the coste to catch som mighty fish More for his gain then holesom for the dish Of him that byes euen so these sisters braue Haue louers mo then honest may dens haue But none are burnt with their impudent flame Saue fooles and light lunatikes voyd of shame Of vertue only perfect loue doth growe Whos 's first beginning though it be more slowe Then that of lust and quickens not so fast Yet sure it is and longer time doth last The straw en kendles soone and slakes again But yron is slowe and long will hot remain Thus was the holy Iudiths chaste renowne So happily spred through Israell vp and down That many a man disdaind the damsels fine With Iewels rich and haire in golden twine To serue her beuty yet Loues firy dart Could neuer vnfriese the frost of her chaste hart But as the Diamant byds the hammer strong So she resisted all her suters long Vnminded euer for to wed but rather To spend her dayes with her beloued father Till at the last her parents with great care Withstood her will and for her did prepare Manasses one who was of noble race Both rich and faire as well of sprite as face Her mariage then was not a slight contract Mariage Of secret billes but by a willing act Before her friends The chaunce that once befell To wandring Dina may be witnesse well That secret mariage that to fewe is kend Doth neuer lead the louers to good end For of our bodies we no power may clame Except our parents do confirme the same Then see how loue so holily begunne Between these two so holy a race they runne This chaste young-man and his most chastest wife As if their bodies twain had but one life What th' one did will the other will'd no lesse As by one mouth their wils they do expresse And as a stroke giuen on the righter eye Offends the left euen so by Sympathie Her husbands dolours made her hart vnglad And Iudiths sorrowes made her husband sad Manasses then his wife would not controule Tyranniously but look how much the soule Exceeds the corse and not the corse doth grieue But rather to preserue it and relieue So Iudith with Manasses did accorde In tender loue and honourde him as Lord. Their house at home so holy was to tell It seemd a Church and not a priuate Cell No seruant there with villain iestes vncouth Was suffered to corrupt the shamefast youth No ydle drunkard nor no swearing wight Vnpunisht durst blaspheme the Lord of might No pleasant skoffer nor no lying knaue No dayly Dycer nor no Ruffian braue Had there abode but all the seruants weare Taught of their Rulers Gods eternall feare Manasses he who saw that in his time All iustice was corrupt with many-a cryme And that the most peruers and ignorant For money or fauour would none office want Of high estate refusde all publike charge Contenting him with ease to liue at large From Court and Palace free from worldly pelfe But since he thought him borne not for himself But also that som charge he ought to bear For confort of his friends and countrey dear Yet did he more not being magistrate For publike weale then men of more estate So that his house was euen the dwelling due Of Iustice and his mouth a sentence true Th' afflicted poore he dayly did defend And was the widowes ayde and tutor kend To Orphelines and was the whole support And chief conforter of the godly sort The vain desire of Indian treasures great Made neuer his ship to sayl nor oar to beat The greedy hope of gain with ventrous daunger Made neuer his sword be drawen to serue the stranger He neuer sold within the wrangling Barre Deceitfull clatters causing clients Iarre But quietly manurde his little feild And took th' encrease therof that time did yeilde He sowde and planted in his proper grange Vpon som sauage stock som frutry strange The ground our common Dame he vndermines On stake and ryce he knits the crooked vines And snoddes their bowes so neither hote nor cold Might him from labour in the chamber hold But once as he beheld his haruest train With crooked Circle cutting downe the grain The sunne a distillation on him sent Whereof he dyed his soule to heauen it went He that the number of the leaues could cast That in Nouember fals by winter blast He that could tell the drops of rain or slete That Hyad Orion or Pleiades wete Sheds on the ground that man might only tell What tears from Iudiths eyes incessant fell What treasure and golde and what he left her tho VVidowhead In place of pleasure caused all her woe The sight of them made her in heart recorde Their olde possessor and her louing Lord. Though she had had asmuch of gold and good As Lydia Land or Tagus golden flood Yet losing him of treasure she was bare For whom all other treasures causde her care Yet in this state she stoutly did sustain Like patient Iob contempning all her pain Three times the Sunne returned had his prime Since this befell and yet the sliding time That wonted is to wear walloes away Could neuer for his death her dolour stay But alwayes in som black attire she went Right modestly and liv'd on little rent Deuout she was and most times sole and sad With dole in heart and mourning vesture clad Out shedding tears as doth the turtle doue On withred stalke that wails her
absent loue And widowlike all pleasures doth forsake And neuer intends to take a secound make Thus Iudith chaste within her house abode And seldom was she seen to com abroad Vnlesse it were to see som wofull wife Whose childe or husband was bereft of life Or for to visit som in sicknesse rage Their longsom pain and dolours to asswage Or for to go to Church as God allowes To pray and offer and to perform her vowes Thus haue I shortly told you brother dear The state of her on whom our Citie hear Haue fixed all their eyes but I can nought Tell where she goes much less what 's in her thought But if we may of passed things collect The things to come then may we well aspect Great good of her for that euen in her face Is signe of ioy and great presage of grace Or som good hap With this and other talke They cut the night as they together walke This while the worthy widdow with her maid Past towards th' enmies camp not vnafraid For ere she had two hundreth pases past The Syrian Soldiers in her way were cast Who spack her thus O fair excellent wight Whence what art thou what doest thou here this night In Syrian camp I am quoth she again An Israelite whom dolours doth constrain To flee this towne and for my lifes relief Submits me to the mercy of your Chief They took her to the Duke But who hath seen The throngs of folke where proclamations been In som great town or where som monstrous beast Is brought and wondred at by most and least That man might iudge what flockes of soldiers came From euery part to see that Hebrew Dame To see that fair so chaste so amiable The more they gasde she seemd more admirable Her wav'ring hair disparpling flew apart In seemly shed the rest with reckles art With many-a curling ring decor'd her face And gaue her glashie browes a greater grace Two bending bowes of Heben coupled right Two lucent starres that were of heav'nly light Two geaty sparks where Cupid chastly hides His subtill shafts that from his quiuer glydes Tween these two sunnes and front of equall sise A comely figure formally did rise With draught vnleuell to her lip descend Where Momus self could nothing discommend Her pitted cheeks aperde to be depaint With mixed rose and lillies sweet and saint Her dulcet mouth with precious breath repleat Excelde the Saben Queen in sauour sweet Her Corall lips discov'red as it were Two ranks of Orient pearle with smyling chere Her yv'ry neck and brest of Alabastre Made Heathen men of her more Idolastre Vpon her hand no wrinkled knot was seen But as each naile of mothet of pearle had been In short this Iudith was so passing fair That if the learned Zeuxis had been th aire And seene this Dame when he with pensile drew The Croton Dames to forme the picture trew Helen Of her for whom both Greece and Asia sought This onely patron chiefe he would haue sought No sooner Iudith entred his Pauilion But in her face arose the red vermillion With shame fast feare but then with language sweet The courteous Generall mildely gan her greet My loue I am I am not yet so fell As false report doth to you Hebrews tell They are my sonnes and I will be their father That honours me and them I loue the rather That worships for their God th' Assyrian King They shall be well assurde to want nothing And this shall Isaac knowe if they will render Vnto that bountious king as their defender For thy my loue tell me withouten feare The happy motyf of thy comming heare O Prince quoth she with an assured face Most strong and wise and most in heauens grace That drawes the sword with steele vpon his brest With helme on head and launce in yron rest Since that my feeble Sex and tender youth Cannot long time indure the cruell drouth The wakrife trauels frayes and haszards great That day and night our Burgesses doth threat Yet neuerthelesse this is not whole the cause That from my Cities body me withdrawes To this your Camp but that most grudging griefe Which burnes my zealous hart without reliefe Is this my Lord I haue a holy feare To eate those meates that God bids vs forbeare But Sir I see that our besieged towne Is so beset with mischiefevp and downe The people will be forç't to eate in th' end The meats that God expresly doth defend Then will the Lord with iust reuenge him wreak Vpon all those that do his statutes break Withouten fight their Cities he will sack And make one man of thine ten thousand wrack That flyes his fury and thy furious face Now I of Bethul am and in this place Beseech thy noble Grace if so thee please With courteous aide to giue my dolours ease ' Of common sense he is depriued cleene ' That fals with closed eye on daunger seen ' And he that may both paine and hurt eschew ' Is vaine if he his proper death pursew Then in this quiet dale if I may byde In secret for to pray each euening tyde To God I shall as he doth me enspyre Assure you when enkendled is his yre Against our folke Then shall I take on hand To leade thine army through all Iurie Land And streaming standarts set on Syon hill Where none with weapons dare resist thy will No not a very dog in euening dark At noyse of harness shall against thee bark Thy onely name shall fray the Armies bolde R Before thy face the mountaine tops shall folde R The floods shal dry from their running stay R To make thine Hoste a new and vncouth way O Iewell of the world quoth he O Dame For gratious speech and beuty worthy fame Now welcome here would God it might you please Long time with vs to dwell in rest and ease For if your faith and trouth concurrent be To this your talke which greatly pleaseth me I will from this time forth with you accord To serue your onely Hebrews God and Lord And will my seruice whole to you enrowle Not of my Scepter onely but my soule I will your name and honour ay defend From Hebrew bounds vnto the world his end This said with silence as the moone arose This widow her withdrew and forth she goes Vnto avalley close on euery part Where as she washt her corse and clens'd her heart And with her weeping eyes the place beâ—aid And to the God of Isaac thus she praide O Lord withdraw not now thy helping hand From those that at thy mercie onely stand O Lord defend them that desire to spend Their goods and blood thy cause for to defend O Lord graunt that the cries of Children may With plaints of Oldmen weeping night and day And virgins voyces sad in shroude of shame And laudes of Leuits sounding forth thy fame Mount to thy throne and with dissundring break Thy heauy sleep Wherefore doest thou awreake Thy self on