to flye sin run into sin And thinke to end when they do new begin God made the earth the earth denies their sute Nor can they harbor in the centres womb God knowes their thoughts although their tongs be mute And heares the sounds from forth their bodies tomb Sounds ah no sounds but man himselfe hee heares Too true a voice of mans most falsest feares verse 10 Oh see destruction houering ore thy head Mantling her selfe in wickednes array Hoping to make thy body as her bed Thy vice her nutriment thy soule her pray Thou hast forsaken him that was thy guide And see what followes to asswage thy pride Thy roaring vices noyse hath cloyd his eares Like foaming waues they haue orewhelmde thy ioy Thy murmurings which thy whole body beares Hath bred thy waile thy waile thy lifes annoy Vnhappy thoughts to make a soules decay Vnhappie soule in suffering thoughts to sway verse 11 Then sith the height of mans felicitie Is plung'd within the pudle of misdeedes And wades amongst discredits infamie Blasting the merit of his vertues seedes Beware of murmuring the chiefest ill From whence all sin all vice all paines distill O heauie doome proceeding from a tong Heauie light tong tong to thy owne decay In vertue weake in wickednesse too strong To mischiefe prone from goodnesse gone astray Hammer to forge misdeedes to temper lies Selling thy life to death thy soule to cries verse 12 Must death needs pay the ransome of thy sin With the dead carcasse of descending spirit Wilt thou of force be snared in his gin And place thy errour in destructions merit Life seeke not for thy death death comes vnsought Buying the life which not long since was bought Death and destruction neuer needs a call They are attendants on liues pilgrimage And life to them is as their playing ball Grounded vppon destructions anchorage Seeke not for that which vnsought will betide Nere wants destruction a prouoking guide verse 13 Will you needs act your owne destruction Will you needs harbour your owne ouerthrowe Or will you cause your owne euersion Beginning with dispaire ending with woe Then die your hartes in tyrannies arraie To make acquittance of destructions pay What do you meditate but on your death What doe you practise but your liuing fall Who of you all haue any vertues breath But ready armed at a mischiefes call God is not pleased at your vices sauour But you best pleased when you lose his fauour verse 14 He made not death to be your conqueror But you to conquer ouer death and hell Nor you to bee destructions seruitor Enhoused there where Maiestie should dwell God made man to obay at his beheast And man to be obayde of euery beast He made not death to be our labours hire But we our selues made death through our desart Here neuer was the kingdome of hell fire Before the brand was kindled in mans hart Now man defieth God all creatures man Vice flourisheth and vertue lieth wan verse 15 O fruitefull tree whose roote is alwaies greene Whose blossomes euer bud whose fruites encrease Whose toppe celestiall vertues seat hath been Defended by the soueraintie of peace This tree is righteousnes ô happy tree Immortalized by thine owne decree O hatefull plant whose roote is alwaies drie Whose blossomes neuer bud whose fruites decrease On whom sits the infernall deitie To take possession of so foule a lease This plant is vice O too vnhappy plant Euer to die and neuer fill deaths want verse 16 Accursed in thy growth dead in thy roote Cancred with sin shaken with euery winde Whose top dooth nothing differ from the foote Mischiefe the sappe and wickednesse the rhinde So the vngodly like this withered tree Is slacke in doing good in ill too free Like this their wicked growth too fast too slowe Too fast in slouth too slow in vertues hast They thinke their vice a friend when t is a foe In good in wickednes too slow too fast And as this tree decayes so do they all Each one copartner of the others fall Chapter II. verse 1 INdeede they doe presage what wil betide With the misgiuing verdict of misdeeds They knowe a fall will follow after pride And in so foule a hart growes manie weeds Our life is short quoth they no t is too long Lengthned with euill thoughts and euill tong A life must needs be short to them that dies For life once dead in sin doth weakely liue These die in sin and maske in deaths disguise And neuer thinke that death new life can giue They say life dead can neuer liue againe O thoughts ô wordes ô deeds fond foolish vaine verse 2 Vilde life to harbor where such death abodes Abodes worse then are thoughts thoughts worse then words Wordes halfe as ill as deeds deeds sorrowes odes Odes ill inchaunters of too ill records Thoghts words and deeds conoyined in one song May cause an Eccho from destructions tong Quoth they t is chaunce whether we liue or die Borne or abortiue be or neuer bee Wee worship fortune shee 's our deitie If she denies no vitall breath haue wee Here are wee placed in this orbe of death This breath once gone we neuer looke for breath verse 3 Betweene both life and death both hope and feare Betweene our ioy and griefe blisse and dispaire We here possesse the fruite of what is here Borne euer for to die and die deaths heire Our heritage is death annexde to life Our portion death our death an endlesse strife What is our life but our liues tragedy Extinguishde in a momentary time And life to murder life is cruelty Vnripely withering in a flowrie prime And vrne of ashes pleasing but the showes Once dry the toiling spirit wandring goes verse 4 Like as the traces of appearing clouds Giues way when Tytan resalutes the sea With new-changd flames guilding the Oceans flouds Kissing the cabinet where I hetis lay So fares our life when death doth giue the wound Our life is led by death a captiue bound When Sol bestrides his golden mountaines toppe Lightning heauens tapors with his liuing fire All gloomye powers haue their diurnall stoppe And neuer gaines the darknes they desire So perisheth our name when wee are dead Our selues nere cald to mind our deeds nere read verse 5 What is the time wee haue what be our daies No time but shadowe of what time should be Daies in the place of houres which neuer staies Beguiling sight of that which sight should see As soone as the begin they haue their fine Nere waxe still waine nere stay but still decline Life may be cald the shadowe of effect Because the cloude of death doth shadow it Nor can our life approaching death reiect They both in one for our election sit Death followes life in euery degree But life to followe death you neuer see verse 6 Come we whose olde decrepit age doth hault Like limping winter in our winter sin Faultie wee know we are tush what 's a fault A
may come to highest honours pitch And haue heauens crowne for mortall lifes respect Gods hands shall couer them from al their foes Gods arme defend them from misfortunes blowes verse 17 18 19 20 His hand eterniti 〈◊〉 his arme his force His armour zelousie his breast-plate heauen His helmet iudgement iustice and remorce His shield is victories immortall steauen The world his challenge and his wrath his sword Mischiefe his foe his ayde his gospels word His arme doth ouerthrowe his enimie His breast-plate sinne his helmet death and hell His shield preparde against mortallitie His sword gainst them which in the world do dwell So shall vice sinne and death world and the deuill Be slaine by him which slayeth euery euill verse 21 All heauen shall be in armes against earths world The sunne shall dart foorth fire commixt with bloud The blazing starres from heauen shall be hurlde The pale-facde moone against the Ocean floud Then shall the thundring chambers of the skie Be lightned with the blaze of Titans eie The cloudes shall then be bent like bended bowes To shoote the thundring arrowes of the ayre Thicke haile and stones shall fall on heauens foes And Tethis ouerflowe in her despayre The moone shall ouer-fill her horny hood With Neptunes Oceans ouer-flowing flood verse 22 The winde shall be no longer kept in caues But burst the iron cages of the clouds And Aeole shall resigne his office staues Suffering the windes to combate with the flouds So shall the earth with seas be paled in As erst it hath beene ouerflowde with sin Thus shall the earth weepe for her wicked sonnes And curse the concaue of her tyred wombe Into whose hollowe mouth the water runnes Making wet wildernes her driest tombe Thus thus iniquitie hath raignd so long That earth on earth is punisht for her wrong Chapter VI. verse 1 2 AFter this conflict betweene God and man Remorce tooke harbour in Gods angry breast Astraea to be pitifull began All heauenly powers to lie in mercies rest Forthwith the voice of God did redescend And his Astraea warnde all to amend To you I speake quoth shee heare learne and marke You that be Kings Iudges and Potentates Giue ere I say wisedome your strongest arke Sends me as messenger to end debates Giue care I say you Iudges of the earth Wisedome is borne seeke out for wisedomes birth verse 3 This heauenly ambassage from wisedomes tong Worthy the volume of all heauens skie I bring as messenger to right your wrong If so her sacred name might neuer die I bring you happy tidings she is borne Like golden sunne-beames from a siluer morne The Lord hath seated you in iudgements seat Let wisedome place you in discretions places Two vertues one will make one vertue great And drawe more vertues with attractiue faces Be iust and wise for God is iust and wise He thoughts he words he words and actions tries verse 4 5 If you neglect your offices decrees Heape new lament on long-tosst miseries Doe and vndoe by reason of degrees And drowne your sentences in briberies Fauour and punish spare and keepe in awe Set and vnset plant and supplant the lawe Oh bee assur'd there is a Iudge aboue Which will not let iniustice flourish long If tempt him you your owne temptation moue Proceeding from the iudgement of hid tong Hard iudgement shal he haue which iudgeth hard And he that barreth others shall be bar'd verse 6 For God hath no respect of rich from poore For he hath made the poore and made the rich Their bodies be alike though their mindes soare Their difference nought but in presumptions pitch The carcasse of a King is kept from soule The Begger yet may haue the cleaner soule The highest men do beare the highest mindes The cedars skorne to bowe the mushromes bend The hiest often superstition blindes But yet their fall is greatest in the end The windes haue not such power of the grasse Because it lowly stoopeth when as they passe verse 7 8 The olde should teach the yong obseruance way But now the yong doth teach the elder grace The shrubs doe teach the Cedars to obay These yeelde to winds but these the winds out-face Yet he that made the windes to cease and blowe Can make the highest fall the lowest growe He made the great to stoop as well as small The lions to obay as other beasts He cares for all alike yet cares for all And lookes that all should answere his beheasts But yet the greater hath the sorer triall If once he findes them with his lawes deniall verse 9 Be warnde you tyrants at the fall of pride You see how surges chaunge to quiet calme You see both flowe and ebbe in follies tide How fingers are infected by their palme This may your caueat be you being kinges Infect your subiects which are lesser things Ill sents of vice once crept into the head Doth pearce into the chamber of the braine Making the outward skin diseases bed The inward powers as nourishers of paine So if that mischeife raignes in wisedomes place The inward thought lies figured in the face verse 10 Wisdome should clothe her selfe in Kings attire Being the portrature of heauens Queene But tyrantes are no Kings but mischiefes mire Not sage but shewes of what they should haue beene They seeke for vice and how to go amis But doe not once regard what wisdome is They which are Kings by name are Kings by deed Both rulers of them selues and of their land They know that heau'n is vertues duest meed And holines is knit in holy band These may be rightly called by their name whose words and works are blaz'd in wisedomes flame To nurse vp crueltie with milde aspect verse 11 Were to begin but neuer for to end Kindenes with tygers neuer takes effect Nor proffered frendship with a foe-like friend Tyrants and tygers haue all natural mothers Tyrants her sonnes tygers the tyrants brothers No words delight can moue delight in them But rather plow the traces of their ire Like swine that take the durt defore the gem And skorns that pearle which they should most desire But Kings whose names proceed frō kindnes sound Do plant their harts thoghts on wisdōs ground verse 12 13 A grounding euer moist and neuer dry An euer fruitfull earth not fruitlesse way In whose deare wombe the tender springs do lye which euer flowes and neuer ebbes away The sunne but shines by day she day and night Doth keepe one stayed essence of her light Her beams are conducts to her substance view Here eye is adamants attractiue force A shadowe hath shee none but substance true Substance out liuing life of mortall corse Her sight is easie vnto them which loue her Her finding easie vnto them which proue her verse 14 The far fet chastitie of female sex Is nothing but allurement into lust Which will forsweare and take scorne and annex Denie and practise it mistrust and trust Wisedome is chast and of another kinde
forst to lie One here one there in prison yet vnbound Heart-striuing life and death to liue and die Nor were they ignorant of fates decree In being tolde before what they should bee verse 20 There falsest visions shewde the truest cause False because fantasies true because haps For dreames though kindled by sleep-idle pause Sometime true indices of dangers claps As well doth proue in these sin-sleeping lines That dreames are falsest shewes and truest signes By this time death had longer pilgrimage And was encaged in more liuing breasts Now euery ship had fleeting anchorage Both good and bad were punisht with vnrests But yet Gods heauie plague indur'd not long For anger quencht her selfe with her selfe wrong verse 21 Not so for heat can neuer coole with heat Nor colde can warme a colde nor ice thaw ice Anger is fire and fire is angers meat Then how can anger coole her hot deuice The sunne doth thaw the ice with melting harme Ice cannot coole the sunne which makes it warme It was celestiall fire terrestriall cold It was celestiall colde terrestriall fire A true and holy praier which is bolde To coole the heat of angers hot desire Pronounced by a seruant of thy word To ease the miseries which wraths afford verse 22 Weapons and wit are double linkes of force If one vnknit they both haue weaker strength The longer be the chaine the longer corse If measurde by duplicitie of length If weapons faile wit is the better part Wit failing weapons haue the weaker hart Praier is weake in strength yet strong in wit And can do more then strength in being wise Thy word ô Lord is wisdome and in it Doth lie more force then forces can surprize Man did not ouercome his foes with armes But with thy word which conquers greater harms verse 23 That word it was with which the world was framde The heauens made mortalitie ordain'd That word it was with which all men were namde In which one word there are all words containde The breath of God the life of mortall state The enimie to vice the foe to hate When death prest downe the sin-dead-liuing soules And draw'd the curtaine of their seeing day This word was vertues shield and deaths controules Which shielded those which neuer went astray For when the dead did die and end in sin The liuing had assurance to begin verse 24 Are all these deeds accomplisht in one word O soueraigne word cheefe of all words and deeds O salue of safrie wisdomes strongest sword Both food and hunger which both starues and feeds Food vnto life because of liuing power Hunger to those whome death and sins deuoure For they which liu'd were those which vertue lou'd And those which vertue lou'd did loue to liue Thrice happy these whom no destruction mou'd Shee present there which loue and life did giue They bore the mottoes of eternall fame On diapasans of their fathers name verse 25 Here death did change his pale to purple hue Blushing against the nature of his face To see such bright aspects such splendent view Such heau'nly paradice of earthly grace And hid with lifes quick force his ebon dart Within the crannies of his meagre hart Descending to the place from whence he came With rich-stor'd chariot of fresh bleeding wounds Sore-greeued bodies from a soules-sick name Sore-greeued soules in bodies-sin-sick sounds Death was afraide to stay where life should be For they are foes and cannot well agree Chapter XIX verse 1 2 AVant destroier with thy hungry iawes Thy thirsty heart thy longing ashie bones The righteous liue they be not in thy lawes Nor subiects to thy deepe oppressing mones Let it suffice that we haue seene thy show And tasted but the shadow of thy woe Yet stay and bring thy empty car againe More ashie vessells do attend thy pace More passengers expect thy comming waine More groaning pilgrimes long to see thy face Wrath now attends the passage of misdeeds And thou shalt still be stor'd with soules that bleeds verse 3 Some lie halfe dead while others dig their graues With weake-forst teares to moyst a long-drie ground But teares on teares in time will make whole waues To bury sin with ouerwhelming sound Their eies for mattocks serue their teares for spades And they them selues are sextons by their trades What is their fee lament their paiment woe Their labour waile their practise miserie And can their conscience serue to labour so Yes yes because it helpeth villanie Though eies did stand in teares and teares in eyes They did another folishnes deuise verse 4 5 So that what praier did sin did vndoe And what the eies did win the heart did loose Whom vertue reconcilde vice did forgoe Whom vertue did forgoe that vice did choose Oh had their hearts beene iust eyes had bin winners Their eyes were iust but hearts new sins beginners They digd true graues with eyes but not with hearts Repentance in their face vice in their thought Their deluing eies did take the Sextons partes The heart vndid the labour which eies wrought A new strange death was portion for their toyle While vertue sate as iudge to end the broyle verse 6 Had tongue bin ioynde with eies tong had not strai'd Had eyes bin ioyn'd to heart heart then had seene But oh in wanting eye-sight it betrai'd The dungeon of misdeeds where it had beene So many liuing in this orbe of woe Haue heau'd-vp eyes but yet their hearts are low This chaunge of sin did make a chaunge of feature A new strange death a misery vntoulde A new reforme of every olde-new creature New seruing offices which time made olde New liuing vertue from an olde dead sin Which ends in ill what doth in good begin verse 7 When death did reape the haruest of despight The wicked eares of sin and mischiefes seed Filling the mansion of eternall night With heauy-leaden clods of sinfull breed Life sowde the plants of immortalitie To welcome olde-made new felicity The clouds the gloomy curtaines of the aire Drawne and redrawne with the foure-winged winds Made all of borrowed vapours darkesome faire Did ouershade their tents which vertue findes The red seas deepe was made a drie trod way Without impediment or stop or stay verse 8 9 The thirsty windes with ouertoyling puffes Did drinke the ruddy-oceans water drie Tearing the Zones hot-cold whole-ragged ruffes With ruffling conflicts in the field of skie So that drie earth did take wet waters place With sandy mantle and hard grounded face That way which neuer was a way before Is now a troden path which was vntrod Through which the people went as on a shoare Defended by the stretcht-out arme of God Praising his wondrous workes his mighty hand Making the land of sea the sea of land verse 10 That breast where anger slept is mercies bed That breast where mercy wakes is angers caue When mercie liues then Nemesis is dead And one for eithers coarse makes others graue Hate furrowes vp a graue to bury loue
When vnexpected things were brought to passe They were amazde and wondred where God was Hee whom they did denie now they extoll Hee Whom they do extoll they did denie Hee whom they did deride they doe enroll In register of heau'nly maiestie Their thirst was euer thirst repentance stopt it Their life was euer dead repentance propt it And had it not their thirst had burnd their harts verse 13 Their harts had cri'd out for their tongues replie Their tongues had raised all their bodies parts Their bodyes once in armes had made all die Their foolish practises had made them wise Wise in their hearts though foolish in their eyes But they alas were dead to worshippe death Sencelesse in worshiping all shadowed showes Breathlesse wasting of so vaine a breath Dumbe in performance of their tongues suppose They in adoring death in deaths behest Were punished with life and liuing beastes verse 14 15 Thus for a shew of beasts they substance haue The thing it selfe against the shadowes will Which makes the shadowes sad woes in lifes graue As nought impossible in heauens skill God sent sad-ohes for shadowes of lament Lions and beares in multitudes he sent Newly created beasts which sight ne'er sawe Vnknowne which neither eye nor eare did know To breathe out blasts of fire against their law And cast out smoake with a tempestuous blow Making their eyes the chambers of their feares Darting forth fire as lightning from the spheares verse 16 Thus marching one by one and side by side By the prophane ill-limnd pale spectacles Making both fire and feare to be their guide Pulld downe their vaine-adoring chronicles Then staring in their faces spit forth fire Which heats and cools their frosty-hot desire Frosty in feare vnfrosty in their shame Coole in lament hot in their powers disgraces Like luke-warme coales halfe kindled with the flame Sate white and red mustring within their faces The beasts thē selues did not so much dismay them As did their vgly eyes aspects decay them verse 17 Yet what are beasts but subiects vnto man By the decree of heau'n degree of earth They haue more strength then he yet more he can Hee hauing reasons store they reasons dearth But these were made to breake subiections rod And show the stubernnesse of man to God Had they not beene ordain'd to such intent Gods word was able to supplant their powers And root out them which were to mischiefe bent With wrath vengeance minutes in deaths houres But God doth keepe a full-direct-true course And measures pitties loue with mercies force verse 18 19 The wicked thinkes God hath no might at all Because he makes no shew of what he is When God is loth to giue their pride a fall Or cloud the day wherein they do amisse But should his strength be showne his anger rise Who could withstand the sunne-caues of his eyes Alas what is the world against his ire As snowie mountaines gainst the golden sunne For'st for to melt and thawe with frosty fire Fire hid in frost though frost of colde begunne As dew-distilling drops fall from the morne So nw-destructions claps fall from his scorne verse 20 But his reuenge lies smother'd in his smiles His wrath lies sleeping in his mercies ioy Which very seldome rise at mischiefes coyles And will not wake for euery sinners toy Boundlesse his mercies are like heauens grounds They haue no limittes they nor heau'n no bounds The promontary top of his true loue Is like the end of neuer-ending streames Like Nilus water-springs which inward moue And haue no outward shew of shadowes beames God sees and will not see the sinnes of men Because they should amend amend oh when verse 21 The mother loues the issues of her wombe As doth the father his begotten sonne Shee makes her lap their quiet sleeping tombe Hee seekes to care for life which new begun What care hath he think then that cares for all For aged and for yong for great and small Is not that father carefull filld with care Louing long suffering mercifull and kinde Which made with loue all things that in loue are Vnmercifull to none to none vnkinde Had man beene hatefull man had neuer beene But perisht in the spring-time of his greene verse 22 23 But how can hate abide where loue remaines Or how can anger follow mercies path How can vnkindenesse hinder kindnesse gaines Or how can murder bathe in pitties bath Loue mercy kindenesse pitty eithers mate Doth scorne vnkindenesse anger murder hate Had it not beene thy will to make the earth It still had beene a Chaos vnto time But t was thy will that man should haue a birth And be preserude by good condemnd by crime Yet pitty raignes within thy mercies store Thou spar'st lou'st vs all what would we more Chapter XII verse 1 2 WHen all the elements of mortall life Were placed in the mansion of their skin Each hauing dayly motion to be rife Closde in that body which doth close thē in God sent his holy spirit vnto man Which did begun when first the world began So that the body which was king of al Is subiect vnto that which now is king Which chastneth those whom mischiefe doth exhale Vnto misdeeds from whence destructions spring Yet mercifull it is though it be chiefe Conuerting vice to good sin to beliefe verse 3 Old time is often lost in being balld Balld because old old because liuing long It is reiected oft when it is calld And weares out age with age still being yong Twice children we twice feeble and once strong But being old we sin and do youth wrong The more we grow in age the more in vice A house-roome long vnswept wil gather dust Our long vnthawed soules wil freeze to ice And weare the badge of long imprisoned rust So those inhabitants in youth twice borne Were old in sin more olde in heauens scorne verse 4 5 Committing workes as inckie spots of fame Commencing wordes like foaming vices waues Committing and commencing mischiefes name With workes and words sworne to be vices slaues As sorcery witchcraft mischieuous deeds And sacrifice which wicked fancies feeds Well may I call that wicked which is more I rather would be lowe than be too hie Oh wondrous practisers clothde all in gore To end that life which their owne liues did buy More than swine-like eating mans bowelles vp Their banquets dish their blood their banquets cup. verse 6 7 Butchers vnnaturall worse by their trade Whose house the bloody shambles of decay More than a slaughter-house which butchers made More than an Eschip seely bodies pray Thorow whose hearts a bloody shambles runnes They do not butcher beasts but their owne sonnes Chief murdrers of their soules which their souls boght Extinguishers of light which their liues gaue More than kniue-butchers they butchers in thought Sextons to digge their owne begotten graue Making their habitations old in sinne Which God doth reconcile and new beginne verse 8 9 That murdring place was turnd into
duskie vapours hemde in blacke Behold thy downfall ready at thy hand Behold thy hopes wherein thy hazards stand Oh spurne away that blocke out of thy way With vertues appetite and wisedomes force That stumbling blocke of follie and decay That snare which doth ensnare thy treading corse Beholde thy body falls let vertue beare it Beholde thy soule doth fall let wisedome reare it verse 11 Say art thou yong or olde tree or a bud Thy face is so disfigured with sin Yong I doe thinke thou art in what in good But olde I am assur'd by wrinckled skin Thy lips thy tongue thy heart is yong in praying But lips and tongue and heart is olde in straying Olde in adoring idolls but too yong In the obseruance of diuinest lawe Yong in adoring God though olde in tong Olde and too olde yong and too yong in awe Beginning that which doth begin misdeeds Inuenting vice which all thy body feeds verse 12 13 But this corrupting and infecting foode This caterpiller of eternitie The foe to blisse the canker vnto good The new accustom'd way of vanitie It hath not euer beene nor shall it be But perish in the branch of follies tree As her descent was vanities aline So her descending like to her descent Here shall shee haue an end in hell no fine Vaine glory brought her vainely to be spent You know all vanity drawes to an end Then needs must shee decay because her frend verse 14 Is there more follie then to weepe at ioy To make eyes watrie when they should be drie To greeue at that which murders griefes annoy To keepe a shower where the sunne should lie But yet this folly-cloude doth oft appeare When face should smile and watry eie bee cleere The father mournes to see his sonne life-dead But seldome mournes to see his sonne dead-liu'd Hee cares for earthly lodge not heau'ns bed For death in life not life in death suruiu'd Keeping the outward shadow of his face To worke the inward substance of disgrace verse 15 Keeping a shew to counterpoize the deed Keeping a shadow to be substance heire To raise the thing it selfe from shadowes seed And make an element of liuelesse aire Adoring that which his owne hands did frame Whose hart inuention gaue whose tong the name But could infection keepe one setled place The poyson would not lodge in euery brest Nor feede the hart the minde the soule the face Lodging but in the carcasse of her rest But this Idolatry once in mans vse Was made a custome then without excuse verse 16 Nay more it was at tyrannies commaund And tyrants cannot speake without a doome Whose iudgement doth proceed from heart and hand From heart in rage from hand in bloudy tombe That if through absence any did neglect it Presence should pay the ransome which reiect it Then to auoide the doome of present hate Their absence did performe their presence want Making the image of a kingly state As if they had new seed from sins olde plant Flattring the absence of olde mischiefes mother With the like forme and presence of another verse 17 Making an absence with a present sight Or rather presence with an absent view Deceiuing vulgars with a day of night Which know not good from bad nor false from true A crafts-man cunning in his crafty trade Beguiling them with that which he had made Like as a vane is turn'd with euery blast Vntill it point vnto the windie clime So stand the people at his worde agast Hee making olde new forme in new-olde time Defies and deifies all with one breath Making them liue and die and all in death verse 18 They like to Tantalus are fed with shoes Shewes which exasperat and cannot cure They see the painted shadow of suppose They see her sight yet what doth sight procure Like Tantalus they feed and yet they starue Their foode is caru'd to them yet hard to carue The crafts-man feeds them with a staruing meat Which doth not fill but empty hungers gape Hee makes the idoll comely faire and great With well limnd visage and best fashioned shape Meaning to giue it to some noble view And faine his beautie with that flattring hue verse 19 Enamour'd with the sight the people grew To diuers apparitions of delight Some did admire the portraiture so new Hew'd from the standard of an olde trees hight Some were allur'd through beutie of the face With outward eye to worke the soules disgrace Adored like a God though made by man To make a God of man a man of God T is more then humaine life or could or can Though multitudes applause in error trode I neuer knew since mortall lifes abod That man could make a man much lesse a God verse 20 Yes man can make his shame without a maker Borrowing the essence from restored sin Man can be vertues foe and vices taker Welcome himselfe without a welcome in Can he doe this yea more oh shamlesse ill Shamefull in shame shamelesse in wisedomes will The riuer of his vice can haue no bound But breakes into the ocean of deceit Deceiuing life with measures of dead ground With carued idols disputations baite Making captiuitie cloth'd all in mone Bee subiect to a God made of a stone verse 21 Too stony hearts had they which made this lawe Oh had they beene as stony as the name They neuer had brought vulgars in such awe To be destructions pray and mischiefes game Had they beene stone-dead both in looke fauour They neuer had made life of such a sauour Yet was not this a too sufficient doome Sent from the roote of their sin-oregrowne tong To cloud gods knowledge with hel mischiefs gloome To ouerthrowe truths right with falshoods wrong But dayly practised a perfect way Still to begin and neuer end to stray verse 22 23 For either murders pawe did gripe their harts With whispring horrors drumming in each eare Or other villanies did play their parts Augmenting horror to newe strucken feare Making their hands more then a shambles stall To slay their children ceremoniall No place was free from staine of blood or vice Their life was markt for death their soule for sin Marriage for fornications thawed ice Thought for despaire body for eithers gin Slaughter did either end what life begunne Or lust did end what both had left vndone verse 24 25 The one was sure although the other faile For vice hath more competitors then one A greater troupe doth euermore auaile And villanie is neuer found alone The bloud-hound folows that which slaughter kild And theft doth folow what deceit hath spild Corruption mate to infidelitie For that which is vnfaithfull is corrupt Tumults are schoole fellowes to periury For both are full when either one hath supt Vnthankfullnes defiling and disorders Are fornications and vncleannes borders See what a sort of rebells are in armes verse 26 To root out vertue to supplant her raigne Opposing of them selues against all harmes To the deposing of her empires
helpe helpe and oppresse The sinfull incolants of his made earth He can redresse and paine paine and redresse The mountaine-miseries of mortall birth Now tyrants you are next this but a show And merry index of your after woe verse 5 6 Your hot-colde misery is now at hand Hot because furies heat and mercies colde Cold because limping knit in frosty band And cold and hot in being shamefast-bolde They cruell were take crueltie their part For misery is but too meane a smart But when the Tygers iawes the Serpents stings Did summon them vnto this lifes decay A pardon for their faults thy mercy brings Cooling thy wrath with pitties sunnie day O tyrants tere your sin-bemired weeds Beholde your pardon sealde by mercies deeds verse 7 8 That sting which pained could not ease the paine Those iaws that wounded could not cure the wounds To turne to stings for helpe it were but vaine To iawes for mercie which wants mercies bounds The stings ô Sauiour were puld out by thee Their iawes claspt vp in midst of crueltie O soueraigne salue stop to a bloody streame O heauenly care and cure for dust and earth Celestiall watch to wake terrestriall dreame Dreaming in punishment mourning in mirth Now knowes our enimies that it is thee Which helpes and cures our griefe and misery verse 9 Our punishment doth end theirs new begins Our day appeares their night is not oreblowne Wee pardon haue they punishment for sins Now we are raisde now they are ouerthrowne Wee with huge beasts opprest they with a flie Wee liue in God and they against God die A flie poore flie to follow such a flight Yet art thou fed as thou wast fed before With dust and earth feeding thy wonted bite With selfe-like food from mortall earthly store A mischiefe-stinging food and sting with sting Do ready passage to destruction bring verse 10 Man beeing grasse is hopt and graz'd vpon With sucking grasse-hoppers of weeping dew Man being earth is wormes vermilion Which eats the dust and yet of bloudy hue In being grasse he is her grazing food In being dust he doth the wormes some good These smallest actors were of greatest paine Of follies ouerthrow of mischiefes fall But yet the furious dragons coulde not gaine The life of those whom verities exhale These follie ouercame they foolish were These mercie cur'd and cures these godly are verse 11 When poysoned iawes and veninated stings Were both as opposite against content Because content with that which fortune brings They eased were when thou thy mercies sent The iawes of dragons had not hungers fill Nor stings of serpents a desire to kill Appal'd they were and struck with timerous feares For where is feare but where destruction raignes Agast they were with wet eye-standing teares Outward commencers of their inward paines They soone were hurt but sooner healde and cured Lest black obliuion had their minds inured verse 12 The lion wounded with a fatall blow Is as impatient as a king in rage Seeing himselfe in his owne bloody show Doth rent the harbour of his bodies cage Scorning the base-housde earth mounts to the skie To see if heauen can yeeld him remedy Oh sinfull man let him example be A patterne to thine eye glasse to thy face That Gods diuinest word is cure to thee Not earth but heauen not man but heauenly grace Nor hearb nor plaister could help teeth or sting But t was thy word which healeth euery thing verse 13 We fooles lay salues vpon our bodies skin But neuer drawe corruption from our minde We lay a plaister for to keepe in sin We drawe foorth filth but leaue the cause behinde With hearbs and plaisters we do guard misdeedes And pare away the tops but leaue the seedes Away with salues and take our Sauiours word In this word Sauiour lies immortall ease What can thy cures plaisters and hearbs afford When God hath power to please and to displease God hath the power of life death help and paine He leadeth downe and bringeth vp againe verse 14 15 Trust to thy downefall not vnto thy raise So shalt thou liue in death not die in life Thou dost presume if giue thy selfe the praise For vertues time is scarce but mischiefes rife Thou mayst offend mans nature is so vaine Thou now in ioy beware of after paine First commeth fury after fury thirst After thirst blood and after blood a death Thou mayst in fury kill whome thou louedst first And so in quassing blood stop thine owne breath And murther done can neuer be vndone Nor can that soule once liue whose life is gone verse 16 What is the body but an earthen case That subiect is to death because earth dies But when the liuing soule doth want Gods grace It dies in ioy and liues in miseries This soule is led by God as others were But not brought vp againe as others are This stirs no prouocation to amend For earth hath many partners in one fall Although the Lord doth many tokens send As warnings for to heare when he doth call The earth was burnt drownd with fire raine And one could neuer quench the others paine verse 17 Althogh both foes God made them then both frends And onely foes to them which were their foes That hate begun in earth what in them ends Sins enimies they which made friends of those Both bent both forces vnto single earth From whose descent they had their double birth T is strange that water should not quench a fire For they were heating-cold and cooling hot T is strange that wailes could not allay desire Wailes waters kinde and fire desires knot In such a cause though enimies before They would ioyne friendship to destroy the more The often weeping eies of drie lament verse 18 Doth powre forth burning water of despaire Which warms the caues frō whence the tears are sent And like hot fumes do foule their natures faire This contrary to icie-waters vale Doth scorch the cheekes makes them red pale Here fire and water are conioynde in one Within a red-white glasse of hote and cold Their fire like this double and yet alone Raging and tame and tame and yet was bold Tame when the beasts did kill and felt no fire Raging vpon the causers of their ire verse 19 Two things may well put on two seuerall natures Because they differ in each natures kind They differing colours haue and differing features If so how comes it that they haue one minde God made them friends let this the answer be They get no other argument of me What is impossible to Gods command Nay what is possible to mans vaine eare T is much he thinkes that fire should burne a land When mischiefe is the brand which fiers beare He thinkes it more that water should beare fire Then know it was Gods will now leaue t' enquire verse 20 Yet mightst thou aske because importunate How God preserude the good why because good Ill fortune made not them infortunate They Angells were