passed on me His Iustice hath no limits is extended Beyond conceit by man vnapprehended Let Heaven be Vmpire and make Arbitration Betwixt my guiltlesse heart and your taxaâ—ion My Embrion thoughts and words are all inroll'd Pure will he find them as refined Gold His steps I followed and uprightly stood His Lawes have been my guide his words my food Hath he but once decreed alas there 's none Can barre for what he wills must needs be done His Will 's a Law If he have doom'd that I Shall still be plagu'd 't is bootlesse to reply Hence comes it that my sore afflicted spright Trembles and stands confounded at his sight His hand hath strucke my spirits in a maze For I can neither end my Griefes nor dayes Why should not times in all things be forbid When to the just their time of sorrow 's hid Some move their Land marks rob their neighbour flocks Others in gage receive the widowes oxe Some grind the poore while others seeke the prey They reape their Harvest beare their graine away Men presse their Oyle they distraine their store And rend the Gleanings from the hungry poore The City roares the blood which they have spent Cryes unreveng'd for equall punishment Early they murther and rob late at night They trade in Darknesse for they hate the Light They sin unpunisht thriving uncontrold And what by force they got by force they hold O friends repeale your words your speeches bring No lawfull issue prove not any thing Your deeper wisedomes argue in effect That God doth or not know or else neglect Conclude with me or prove my words untrue I must be found the lyar or else you Meditat. 13. THe wisest men that Nature ere could boast For secret knowledge of her power were loâ—t Confounded and in deepe amazement stood In the discovery of the Chiefest Good Keenly they hunted beat in every bracke Forwards they went on either hand and backe Return'd they counter but their deep-mouth'd art Thogh often challeng'd sent yet ne're could start In all th' Enclosures of Philosophy That Game from squat they terme Felicity They jangle and their Maximes disagree As many men so many mindes there be One digs to Pluto's Throne thinks there to finde Her Grace rak't up in Gold anothers mind Mounts to the Courts of Kings with plumes of honor And feather'd hopes hopes there to seize upon her A third unlocks the painted Gate of Pleasure And ransacks there to finde this peerlesse Treasure A fourth more sage more wisely melancholy Perswades himselfe her Deity 's too holy For common hands to touch he rather chuses To make a long dayes journey to the Muses To Athens gown'd he goes and from that Schoole Returnes unsped a more instructed foole Where lyes she then Or lyes she any where Honours are bought and sold she rests not there Much lesse in Pleasures hath she her abiding For they are shar'd to Beasts and ever sliding Nor yet in Vertue Vertue 's often poore And crusht with fortune begs from doore to door Nor is she sainted in the Shrine of wealth That makes men slaves is unsecur'd from stealth Conclude we then Felicity confists Not in exteriour Fortunes but her lists Are boundlesse and her large extension Out-runnes the pace of humane apprehension Fortunes are seldome measur'd by desert The fairer face hath oft the fouler heart Sacred Felicity doth ne're extend Beyond it selfe In it all wishes end The swelling of an outward Fortune can Create a prosp'rous not a happy man A peacefull Conscience is the true Content And Wealth is but her golden Ornament I care not so my Kernell relish well How slender be the substance of my shell My heart bâ—ing vertuous let my face be wan I am to God I onely seeme to man THE ARGVMENT Bildad showes mans impurity Iob seâ—teth forth th' Almighties power Pleads still his owne integrity Gods Wisedome no man can discover Sect. 14. SAid Bildad then With whom dost thou contest But with thy Maker that lives ever blest His pow'r is infinite mans light is dimme And knowledge darknesse not deriv'd from him Say then who can be just before him No man Can challenge Purity that 's borne of Woman The greater Torch of heaven in his sight Shall be asham'd and lose his purer light Much lesse can man that is but living Dust And but a â—airer Worme be pure and just Whereat Iob thus Doth heav'ns high judgement stand To be supported by thy weaker hand Wants he thy helpe To whom dost thou extend These these thy lavish lips and to what end No Hee 's Almighty and his Power doth give Each thing his Being and by him they live To him is nothing darke his soveraigne hands Whirle round the restless Orbs his pow'r coÌ„mands The evenâ—pois'd Earth The water-pots of heaven He empties at his pleasure and hath given Appointed lists to keepe the Waters under The trembling skies he strikes amaz'd with thuÌ„der These these the Trophies of his Power be Where is there e're a such a God as He My friends these eares have heard your censures on me And heaveÌ„s sharp haÌ„d doth waigh so hard upon me So languishing in griefe that no defence Seemes to remaine to shield my Innocence Yet while my soule a gaspe of breath affords I 'le not distrust my Maker nor your words Deserve which heaven foâ—fend that ever I Prove true but I 'le plead guiltlesse till I dye While I have breath my pangs shal ne're perswade me To wander and revolt from Him that made me E're such thoughts spring from this confused breâ—t Let death and tortures doe their worst their best What gaines the Hypocrite although the whole Worlds wealth he purchase with the prize on 's soule Will heaven heare the voice of his disease Can he repent and turne when e're he please True God doth sometime plague with open shame The wicked often blurres he forth his Name From out the earth his children shall be slaine And who survive shall beg their bread in vaine What if his gold be heapt the good man shall Possesse it as true Master of it all Like Moths their houses shall they build in doubt And danger every houre to be cast out Besieg'd wiâ—h want their lips make fruitlesse mone Yet wanting succour be reliev'd by none The worme of Conscience shall torment his brest And he shall rore when others be at rest Gods hand shall scourge him that he cannot flie And men shall laugh and hisse to heare him cry The purest metal 's hid within the mould Without is gravell but within is Gold Man digs and in his toile he takes a pleasure He seekes and findes within the turfe the treasure He never rests unsped but underneath He mines and progs though in the fangs of death No secret how obscure soever can Earths bosome smother that 's unfuond by man But the Divine and high Decrees of Heaven What minde can search into No power 's given To mortall man whereby he may
Prayers and complaints are rise Each one 's become an Orator for life The Windes above the waters underneath Ioyne in rebellion and conspire death The Seamens courage now begins to quaile Some ply the plump whilst others strike the â—aile Their hands are busie while their hearts despaire Their feares and dangers move their lips to praier They praid but winds did snatch their words away And lets their pray'rs not go to whom they pray But still they pray but still the wind and weather Do turn both ship prai'rs they know not whether Their gods were deafe their danger waxed greater They cast their wares out and yet ne're the better But all this while was Ionah drown'd in sleepe And in the lower decke was buried deepe Medita 2. BVt stay this was a strange and uncouth word Did Ionah flye the presence of the Lord What mister word is that He that repleats The mighty Vniverse whose lofty seat's Th' imperiall Heaven whose footstoole is the face Of massie Earth Can he from any place Be barr'd or yet by any meanes excluded That is in all things and yet not included Could Ionah finde a resting any where So void or secret that God was not there I stand amaz'd and frighted at this word Did Ionah flye the presence of the Lord Mount up to Heaven and there thou shalt discover The exc'lent glory of his kingly power Bestride the earth beneath with weary pace And there he beares the Olive branch of Grace Dive downe into th' extreme Abisse of Hell And there in Iustice doth th' Almighty dwell What secret Cloister could there then afford A screene'twixt faithlesse Ionah and his Lord ¶ â—onah was charg'd to take a charge in hand But Ionah turn'd his backe on Gods command Shooke off his yoke and wilfully neglected And what was strictly charg'd he quite rejected And so he fled the power of his Word And so he fled the presence of his Lord. ¶ Good God! how poore a thing is wretched man So fraile that let him strive the best he can With every little blast hee 's overdon If mighty Cedars of great Lebanâ—n Cannot the danger of the Axe withstand Lord how shall we that are but bushes stand How fond corrupt how senselesse is mankinde How faining deafe is he How wilfull blinde He stops his eares and sinnes he shuts his eyes And blindfold in the lap of danger flyes He sinnes despaires and then to stint his griefe He chuses death to baulke the God of life ¶ Poore wretched sinner travell where thou wilt Thy travell shall be burthen'd with thy guilt Climb tops of hils that prospects may delight thee There wil thy sins like wolves bears afright thee Fly to the vallies that those frights may shun thee And there like Mountains they will fall upon thee Or to the raging Seas with Ionah goe There will thy sinnes like stormy Neptune flow Poore shiftlesse Man what shall become of thee Wher'ere thou fly'st thy griping sinne will flee ¶ But all this while the ship where Ionah sleepes Is tost and torne and batter'd on the Deeps And well-nigh split upon the threatning Rocke With many a boistrous brush and churly knocke God helpe all desp'rate voyagers and keepe All such as feele thy wonders on the deepe THE ARGVMENT The Pilot thumps on Ionah's brest And rowzeth Ionah from his rest They all cast Lotts being sore afrighted The sacred Lott on Ionah lighted Sect. 3. THe amazed Pilot finding no successe But that the storme grew rather more than lesse For all their toilsome paines and needlesse praiers Despairing both of life and goods repaires To Ionahs drowsie Cabbin mainly cals Cals Ionah Ionah and yet lowder yawles Yet Ionah sleepes and gives a shrug or two And snores as greedy sleepers use to doe The wofull Pylot jogs him but in vaine Perchance he dreames an idle word or twaine At length he tugs and puls his heavy coarse And thunders on his brest with all his force But after many yawnes he did awake him And being both affrighted thus bespake him Arise O Sleeper O arise and 〈◊〉 There 's not a twiny thred'twixt death and thee This darkesome place thou measur'st is thy grave And sudden Death rides proud on yoâ—der wave Arise O sleeper O arise and pray Perhaps thy God will heare and not say Nay Repaire the losse of these our ill spent houres Perchance thy God's more powerfull than ours Heavens hand may cease and have compassion on us And turne away this mischiefe it hath done us The sturdy Saylors weary of their paine Finding their bootlesse labour lost and vaine Forbare their toilesome task and wrought no more Expecting Death for which they lookt before They call a parley and consult together They count their sinnes accusing one another That for his sinne or his this ill was wrought In fine they all proove guilty of the fault But yet the question was not ended so One sayes 'T was thine offence but he sayes No But 't was for thy sake that accuses me Râ—sht forth a third the worser of the three And swore it was anothers which he hearing Deny'd it 〈◊〉 and said 'T was thine for swearing In came a fift accusing all replying But little else they all chid him for lying One said it was another said 't was not So all agreed to stint the strife by Lott Then all was whist and all to prayer went For such a bus'nesse a fit complement The Lott was cast t'pleas'd God by Lots to tell The Lott was cast the Lott on Ionah fell Medita 3. O Sacred subjâ—ct of a Meditation Thy Workes O Lord are full of Admiration Thy judgements all are just severe and sure They quite cut off or else by lancing cure The festring sore of a rebellious heart Lest-foule infection taint th' immortall part How deepe a Lethargy doth this disease Bring to the slumbring soule through carelesse ease Which once being wak't as from a golden dreame Lookes up and sees her griefâ—s the more extreme How seeming sweet's the quiet sleepe of sin Which when a wretched man 's once nuzzled in How soundly sleepes he without feare or wit No sooner doe his armes infolded knit A drowzy knot upon his carelesse brest But there he snorts and snores in endlesse rest His eyes are closed fast and deafe his eares And like Endymion sleepes himselfe in yeares His sense-bound heart relents not at the voice Of gentle warning neither does the noise Of strong reproofe awake his sleeping eare Nor louder threatnings thunder makes him heare So deafe's the sinners eare so numb'd his sense That sinne 's no corrosive breeds no offence For custome brings delight deludes the heart Beguiles the sense and takes away the smart ¶ But stay Did one of Gods elected number Whose eies should never sleep nor eie lids â—luÌ„ber So much forget himselfe Did Ionah fleepe That should be watchfull and the Tower keepe Did Ionah the selected mouth of God In stead of roaring judgements does he nod Did
Ionah sleepe so sound Could he sleepe then When with the sudden sight of Death the men So many men with yelling shrikes and cryes Made very heaven report Were Ionah's eyes Still clos'd and he not of his life bereaven Hard must he wink that shuts his eies from heaveÌ„ O righteous Isr'el where O where art thou Where is thy Lampe thy zealous Shepheard now Alas the rav'nous Wolves will worr ' thy Sheepe Thy Shepheard's carelesse and is falne asleepe Thy wandring flockes are frighted from their fold Their Shepherd's gone and Foxes are too bold They they whose smooth-fac'd words become the altar Their works dissent first begin to faulter And they that should be watchlights in the Temple Are snuffes and want the oyle of good example The chosen Watch-men that the tow'r should keep Ate waxen heavy-ey'd and falne asleepe ¶ Lord if thy watchmen wink too much awake theÌ„ Although they slumber do not quite forsake them The flesh is weake say not if dulnesse seize Their heavy eyes sleep henceforth take your â—ase And we poore weaklings when we sleepe in sin Knocke at our drowzy hearts and never lin Till thou awake our sin-congealed eyes Lest drown'd in sleepe we sinke and never rise THE ARGVMENT They question Ionah whence he came His Country and his peoples Name He makes reply They mone their woe And aske his counsell what to doe Sect 4. AS when a Thiefe's appr'hended on suspect And charg'd for some supposed malefact A rude concourse of people straight accrewes Whose itching eares even smart to know the newes The guilty pris'ner to himselfe betraid He stands dejected trembling and afraid So Ionah stood the Sailers all among Inclosed round amid the ruder throng As in a Summers evening you shall heare In Hives of Bees if you lay close your eare Confused buzzing and seditious noise Such was the murmure of the Saylers voice What was thy sinfull act that causes this Sayes one wherein hast thou so done amisse Tell us What is thine Art another sayes That thou professest Speake man Whences awayes From what Confines caâ—â—'st thou A third replyes What is thy Country And of what allies What art thou borne a Iew or Gentile whether 〈◊〉 he could lend an answer unto either A fourth dâ—â—ands Where hath thy breeding beene All what they askt they all askt o're agen In fine their eares impatient of delay Becalm'd their tongues to hear what he could say So 〈◊〉 humbly rearing up his eyes Breaking his long-kept silence thus replyes I am an Hebrew sonne of Abraham From whom my Land did first derive her name Within the Land of Iury was I borne My name is Ionah â—etchelesse and forlorne I am a Prophet ah but woe is me For from before the face of God I flee From whence through disobedience I am driven I seare Iehovah the great God of Heaven I feare the Lord of Hosts whose glorious hand Did make this stormy Sea and massie Land So said their eares with double ravishment Still hung upon his melting lips attent Whose dreadful words their harts so neer impiercâ—t That from themselves themselves were quite diversâ— As in a sowltry Summers evening tide When lustfull Phoebus re-salutes his Bride And Philomela 'gins her caroling A Herd of Deere are browzing in a Spring With eger appetite misdeeming nought Nor in so deepe a silence fearing ought A sudden cracke or some unthought-of sound Or bounce of Fowlers Peece or yelpe of Hound Disturbs their quiet peace w th strange amaze Where senslesse halfe through feare they stand aâ— gaze So stand the Sea-men as with Ghosts affrighted Entraunc'd with what this man of God recited Their tyred limbes doe now waxe faint and lither Their harts did yern their knees did smite together Congealed blood usurpt their trembling hearts And left a faintnesse in their feeble parts Who trembling out distracting language thus Why hast thou brought this mischiefe upon us What humour led thee to a place unknowne To seeke forraigne Land and leave thine owne What faith hadst thou by leaving thine abode To thinke to flye the presence of thy God Why hast thou not obey'd but thus transgrest The voyce of God whom thou acknowledgest Art thou a Prophet and dost thou amisse What is the cause and why hast thou done this What shall we do The tempest lends no eare To fruitlesse that nor dot the bâ—llowes heare Or marke our language Waves are not aâ—tent Our goods they flâ—at our needlesse paines are spent Our Barke's not weather proofe no Fort 's so stout To keepe continuall siege and battry out The Lot accuses thee thy words condemne thee The â—â—ves thy deaths men strive to overwhelme thee What she we doe Thou Prophet speake we pray thee Thou fear'dst the Lord Alas we may not stay thee Or shall we save thee No for thou dost flye The face of God and so deserv'sâ— to dye Thou Prophet speake what shall be done to thee That angry Sea may calme and quiet be Medita 4. GIve leave a little to adjoyne your text And ease my soule my soule with doubts perplexâ— Can he be said to feare the Lord that flyes him Can word confesse him when as deed denies him My sacred Muse hath rounded in mine eare And read the mystery of a twofold feare The first a servile feare for judgements sake And thus hells Fire-brands doe feare and quake Thus Adam fear'd and fled behinde a tree And thus did bloody Cain feare and flee Vnlike to this there is a second kinde Of feare extracted from a zealous minde Full fraught with love and with a conscience clear From base respects It is a filiall feare A feare whose ground would just remaine level Were neither Heaven nor Hel nor God nor devil Such was the feare that Princely David had And thus our wretched Ionah fear'd and fled He fled asham'd because his sinnes were such He fled asham'd because his feare was much He fear'd Iehovah other fear'd he none Him he acknowledg'd him hee fear'd alone Vnlike to those who being blinde with errour Frame many gods and multiply their terrour Th' Egyptians god Apis did implore God Assas the Chaldeans did adore Babel to the Devouring Dragon seekes Th' Arabians Astaroth Iuno the Greekes The name of Belus the Assyrians hallow The Troianâ— Vesta Corinth wise Apollo Th' Arginians sacrifice unto the Sunne To light-foot Mercury bowes Macedon To god Volunus Lovers bend their knee To Pavor they that faint and fearefull bee Who pray for health and strength to Murcia those And to Victoria those that feare to lose To Muta they that feare a womans tongue To great Lucinâ— women great with young To Esculapius they that live opprest And such to Quies that deâ—ier rest O blinded ignorance of antique times How blent with errour and how stuft with crimes Your Temples were And how adulterate How clogg'd with needlesse gods How obstinate How void of reason order how confuse How full of dangerous and foule abuse How sandy were
Strangers Fate Should be neglective of his owne estate Where is this love become in later age Alas 't is gone in endlesse pilgrimage From hence and never to returne I doubt 'Till revolution wheele those times about Chill brests have starv'd her here and she is driven Away and with Astraea fled to heaven Poore Charity that naked Babe is gone Her honey's spent and all her store is done Her winglesse Bees can finde out ne're a bloome And crooked Aâ—â— doth usurpe her roome Nepenthe's dry and Love can get no drinke And curs'd Arâ—enâ—e flowes above the brinke Brave Mariners the world your names shal hallow Admiring that in you that none dare follow Your friendship 's rare and your conversion straÌ„ge From Paganisme to zeale A sudden change Those men doe now the God of heaven implore That bow'd to Puppets but an houre before Their zeale is fervent though but new begun Before their egge-shels were done off they runne And when bright Phoebus in a Summer tide New risâ—n from the bosome of his Bride Enveloped with misty fogges at length Breakes forth displaies the mist with Southerne strength Even so these Mariners of peerlesse mirrour Their faith b'ing veil'd within the mist of errour At length their zeale chac'd ignorance away They left their Puppets and began to pray ¶ Lord how unlimited are thy confines That still pursu'st man in his good designes Thy mercy 's like the dew of Hermon hill Or like the Oyntment dropping downward still From Aarons head to beard from beard to foote So doe thy mercies drench us round about Thy love is boundlesse Thou art apt and free To turne to Man when Man returnes to thee THE ARGVMENT They cast the Prophet over boord The storme alay'd They feare the Lord A mighty Fish him quick devoures Where he remained many houres Sect. 6. EVen as a member whose corrupted sore Infests and rankles eating more and more Threatning the bodies losse if not prevented The wise chirurgion all faire meanes attented Cuts off and with advised skil doth choose To lose a part then all the body lose Even so the feeble Sailors that addresse Their idle armes where heaven denyes successe Forbeare their thrivelesse labours and devise To roote that Evill from whence their harms arise Treason is in their thoughts and in their eares Danger revives the old and addes new feares Their hearts grow fierce and every soule applies T' abandon mercy from his tender eyes They cease t' attempt what heaven so long withstood And bent to kill their thoughts are all on blood They whisper oft each word is Deaths Alarme They hoyst him up Each lends a busie arme And with united powers they entombe His out-cast body in Thetis angry wombe Whereat grim Neptune wip't his fomy mouth Held his tridented Mace upon the South The windes were whist the billows danc't no more The storme allay'd the heavens left off to rore The waves obedient to their pilgrimage Gave ready passage and surceast their rage The skie grew cleare and now the welcome light Begins to put the gloomy clouds to flight Thus all on sudden was the Sea tranquill The Heav'ns were quiet and the Waves were still As when a friendly Creditor to get A long forborne and much-concerning debt Still plies his willing debter with entreats Importunes daily daily thumps and beates The batter'd Portals of his tyred eares Bedeafing him with what he knowes and heares The weary debter to avoid the sight He loathes shifts here and there and ev'ry night Seekes out Protection of another bed Yet ne'rethelesse pursu'd and followed His eares are still laid at with lowder volley Of harder Dialect He melancholy Sits downe and sighs and after long foreslowing T' avoid his presence payes him what is owing The thankfull Creditor is now appeas'd Takes leave and goes away content and pleas'd Even so these angry waves with restlesse rage Accosted Ionas in his pilgrimage And thundred Iudgement in his fearefull eare Presenting Hubbubs to his guilty feare The waves rose discontent the Surges beat And every moments death the billowes threat The weather-beaten Ship did every minuit Await destruction while hee was in it But when his long expected corps they threw Into the deepe a debt through trespasse due The Seagrew kinde and all her frownes abated Her face was smooth to all that navigated 'T was sinfull Ionah made her storme and rage 'T was sinfull Ionah did her storme asswage With that the Mariners astonisht were And fear'd Iehovah with a mighty feare Offring up Sacrifice with one accord And vowing solemne vowes unto the Lord. But he whose word can make the earth's foundatioÌ„ Tremble and with his Word can make cessation Whose wrath doth mouÌ„t the waves toss the Seas And make theÌ„ calme smooth wheÌ„ e're he please This God whose mercy runs on endlesse wheele And puls like Iacob Iustice by the heele Prepar'd a Fish prepar'd a mighty Whale Whose belly was both prison-house and baile For retchlesse Ionah As the two leaf'd doore Opens to welcome home the fruitfull store Wherewith the harvest quits the Plowmans hope Even so the great Leviathan set ope His beame-like Iawes prepar'd for such a boone And at a morsell swallow'd Ionah downe 'Till dewy-check't Aurora's purple dye Thrice dappell'd had the ruddy morning skie And thrice had spred the Curtaines of the morne To let in Titan when the day was borne Ionah was Tenant to this living Grave Embowel'd deepe in this stupendious Cave Meditat. 6. LO Death is now as alwaies it hath bin The just procured stipend of our sinne Sinne is a golden Causie and a Road Garnisht with joyes whose pathes are even broad But leads at length to death and endlesse griefe To torments and to paines without reliefe Iustice feares none but maketh all afraid And then fals hardest when t is most delaid But thou reply'st thy sinnes are daily great Yet thou sittst uncontrold upon thy seat Thy wheat doth flourish and thy barnes do thrive Thy sheepe encrease thy sonnes are all alive And thou art buxom and hast nothing scant Finding no want of any thing but want Whil'st others whom the â—quint-ey'd world counts holy Sit sadly drooping in a melancholy With brow dejected and downe-hanging head Or take of almes or poorely begge their bread But young man know there is a Day of doome The Feast is good untill the reck'ning come The time runnes fastest where is least regard The stone that 's long in falling falleth hard There is a dying day thou prosp'rous foole When all thy laughter shall be turn'd to Doole Thy roabes to tort'ring plagues fel tormenting Thy whoops of Ioy to howles of sad lamenting Thy tongue shall yell and yawle and never stop And wish a world to give for one poore drop To flatter thine intolerable paine The wealth of Pluto could not then obtaine A minutes freedome from that hellish rout Whose fire burnes and never goeth out Nor house nor land not measur'd heaps of wealth
marke the malice of a wayward Fate He whom successe crown'd alwayes fortunate He that was strong t' atchieve bold to attempt Wise to foresee and wary to prevent Valiant in warre successefull to obtaine Must now be slaine and by a Woman slaine Accursed be thy sacrilegious hand That of her Patron rob'd the holy Land Curs'd be thy dying life thy living death And curs'd be all things that proud â—omyris hath O worst that death can doe to take a life Which lost leaves Kingdomes to a Tyrants knife For now alas degenerate Cambyses Whose hand was fill'd with blood whose hart with vices Sits crowned King to vexe the Persian state With heavy burdens and with sore regrate O Cyrus more unhappy in thy sonne Then in that stroke wherewith thy life was done Cambyses now fits King now Tyrant rather Vnlucky Sonne of a renowned Father Blood cries for Blood Himselfe revenged hath His bloody Tyranny with his owne death That cruell sword on his owne flesh doth feed Which made so many loyall Persians bleed Whose wofull choyce made an indiffâ—rent thing To leave their lives or lose their Tyran King Cambyses dead with him the latest drop Of Cyrus blood was spilt his death did stop The infant source of his brave Syers worth Ere after-times could spend his rivers forth Tyrant Cambyses being dead and gone On the reversion of his empty Throne Mounts up a Magus with dissembled right Forging the name of him whose greedy night Too early did perpetuate her owne And silent death had snatcht away unknowne But when the tydings of his Royall cheat Times loyall Trumpe had fam'd th' usurped seat Grew too-too hot and longer could not beare So proud a burthen on so proud a Chayre The Nobles sought their freedome to regaine Not resting till the Magi all were slaine And so renowned was that happy slaughter That it solemniz'd was for ever after So that what pen shall write the Persian story Shall treat that Triumph write that daies glory For to this time the Persians as they say Observe a Feast and keepe it holy-day Now Persia lacks a king and now the State Labours as much in want as it of late Did in abundance Too great calmes doe harme Sometimes as much the Sea-man as a storme One while they thinke t' erect a Monarchy But that corrupted breeds a Tyranny And dead Cambyses fresh before their eyes Afrights them with their new-scap'd miseries Some to the Nobles would commit the State In change of Rule expecting change of fate Others cry'd no More Kings then one incumber Better admit one Tyrant than a number The rule of many doth disquiet bring One Monarch is enough one Lord one King One sayes Let 's rule our selves let 's all be Kings No sayes another that confusion brings Thus moderne danger bred a carefull trouble Double their care is as their feare is double And doubtfull to resolve of what conclusion To barre confusion thus they bred confusion At last and well advis'd they put their choyce Vpon the verdict of a Iuries voyce Seven is a perfect number then by seven Be Persia's Royall Crowne and Scepter given Now Persia doe thy plagues or joyes commence God give thy Iurie sacred evidence Fearefull to chuse and faithlesse in their choyce Since weale or woe depended on their voyce A few from many they extracted forth Whos 's even poys'd valour and like equall worth Had set a Non plus on their doubtfull tongues Vnweeting where the most reward belongs They this agreed and thus advis'd bespake Since purblinde mortalls of themselves can make No difference 'twixt good and evill nor know A good from what is onely good in show But with unconstant frailty doth vary From what is good to what is cleane contrary And since it lyes not in the braine of man To make his drooping state more happy than His unprospitious stars allot much lesse To lend another oâ— a state successe In vaine you therefore shall expect this thing That we should give you fortune with a King Since you have made us meanes to propagate The joyfull welfare of our headlesse State Bound by the tender service that we beare Ouâ— native soyle farre than our lives more deare We sifted have and boulted from the Rest Whose worst admits no badnesse and whose best Cannot be bettered When Chaunticleere the Belman of the morne Shall summon twilight with his bugle horne Let these brave Hero's drest in warlike wise And richly â—ounted on their Paâ—feries Attend our rising Sun-gods ruddy face Within the limits of our Royall place And he whose lusty Stallion first shall neigh To him be given â—he doubtfull Monarchy The choyce of Kings lies not in mortals bâ—east This we The Gods and Fortune doe the rest So said the people tickl'd with the motion Some tost their caps some fell to their devotion Some clap their joyfull hands some shout some sing And all at one cry'd out A King A King When Phoebus Harbinger had chac'd the night And tedious Phosphe brought the breaking light Compleat in armes and glorious in their traine Came these brave Heroes prancing o're the plaine With mighty streamers came these blazing starres Poâ—tending Warres and nothing else but Warrs Into the royall Palace now they come There sounds the martiall Trump here beats the Drum There stands a Steed and champes his frothy steele This stroaks the grouÌ„d that scorns it with his heel One snorts another puffs out angry wind This mounts before and that curvets behind By this the fomy Steeds of Phaeton Puffe too and spurne the Easterne Horizon Whereat the Nobles prostrate to the ground Ador'd their God their God was early found Forthwith from out the thickest of the crowd In depth of silence there was heard the loud And lustfull language of Darius Horse Who in the dialect of his discourse Proclaim'd his rider King whereat the rest Patient to beare what cannot be redrest Dismount their lofty steeds and prostrate bring Their humbled bodies to their happy King God save the King they joyntly say God blesse Thy prosprous actions with a due successe The people clap their sweaty palmes and shout The bonfires smoake the bels ring round about The minstrels play the Parrats learne to sing Perchance as well as they God save the King Assuerus now 's invested in the throne And Persia's rul'd by him and him alone Prove happy Persia Great Assuerus prove As equall happy in thy peoples love Enough And let this broken breviate Suffice to shadow forth the downfall state Of mighty Babel and the conquest made By the fierce Medes Persians conqu'ring blade Whose just succession we have traced downe Till great Assuerus weare the Persian Crowne Him have we sought and having found him rest To morrow goe we to his royall Feast FINIS TO THE HIGHEST His Humble Servant Implores his gracious ayde THou great Directer of the Hearts of men From whence I propagate what e're is mine Still my disquiet thoughts Direct my Pen
God knew perhaps it were worse had than wanted Can God and Belial both joyne in one will The one to aske the other to fulfill Sooner shall Stygian darknesse blend with light The Frost with Fier sooner day with Night True God and Satan will'd the selfe-same Will But God intended Good and Satan Ill That Will produc'd a severall conclusion He aim'd at Mans and God at his confusion He that drew Light from out the depth of Shade And made of Nothing whatsoe're he made â—an out of seeming Evill bring good Events God worketh Good though by ill Instruments As in a Clocke one motion doth convay And carry divers wheeles a severall way Yet altogether by the great wheeles force Direct the hand unto his proper course Even so that sacred Will although it use Meanes seeming contrary yet all conduce To one effect and in a free consent They bring to passe heavens high decreed intent Takes God delight in humane weaknesse then What glory reapes he from afflicted men The Spirit gone can Flesh and Blood indure God burnes his Gold to make his Gold more pure Even as a Nurse whose childe 's imperfect pace Can hardly leade his foote from place to place Leaves her fond kissing sets him downe to goe Nor does uphold him for a step or two But when she findes that he begins to fall She holds him up and kisses him withall So God from man sometimes withdrawes his hand A while to teach his Infant faith to stand But when he sees his feeble strength begin To faile he gently takes him up againe Lord I 'm a childe so guide my paces than That I may learne to walke an upright man So shield my Faith that I may never doubt thee For I shall fall if e're I walke without thee THE ARGVMENT The frighted Mâ—ssengers tell Iob His foure-fold losse He rends his Roâ—e Submits him to his Makers trust Whom he concludeth to be just Sect. 3. VPon that very day when all the rest Were frollicke at their elder Brothers feaâ—t A breathlesse man prickt on with winged feare With staring eyes distracted here and there Like kindled Exhalations in the Aire At midnight glowing his stiffe-bolting haire Not much unlike the pennes of Porcupines Crossing his armes and making wofull signes Purboyl'd in sweat shaking his fearfull head That often lookt behinde him as he fled He ran to Iob still ne'rethelesse afraid His broken blast breath'd forth these words said Alas deare Lord the whiles thy servants ply'd Thy painfull Plough and whilest on every side Thy Asses fed about us as we wrought There sallyed forth on us suspecting nought Nor ought intending but our cheerfull paine A rout of rude Sabaeans with their Traine Armed with death and deafe to all our Cries Which with strong Hand did in an houre suprize All that thou hadst and whilest we strove in vaine To guard them their impartiall hands have slaine Thy faithfull Servants with their thirâ—ty Sword I onely scap't to bring this wofull word No sooner had he clos'd his lips but see Another comes as much agast as he A â—lash of fire said he new falne from heaven Hath all thy servants of their lives bereaven And burnt thy Sheâ—pe I I alone am he That 's left unslaine to bring the newes to thee This Tale not fully told a third ensues Whose lips in labour with more heavy Newes Brake thus The forces of a triple Band Brought from the fiâ—rce Caldaeans with strong haÌ„d Hath seiz'd thy Camels murther'd with the sword Thy servants all but me that brings thee word Before the aire had cool'd his hasty breath Rusht in a fourth with visage pale as Death The while said he thy children all were sharing Mirth at a feast of thy first Sonnes preparing Arose a Winde whose errand had more hast Than happy speed which with a full-mouth blast Hath smote the house which hath thy children reft Of all their lives and thou art childlesse left Thy children all are slaine all slaine together I onely scap't to bring the tidings hither So said Behold the man whose wealth did flow Like to a Spring-tide one bare houre agoe With the unpattern'd height of fortunes blest Above the greatest Dweller in the East He that was Syre of many sonnes but now Lord of much people and while-e're could show Such Herds of Cattell He whose fleecy stocke Of Sheepe could boast seven thousand in a flocke See how he lies of all his wealth dispoil'd He now hath neither Servant Sheepe nor Childe Like a poore man arose the patient Iob Stun'd with the newes and rent his purple Robe Shaved the haire from off his wofull head And prostrate on the floore he worshipped Naked ah Poore and naked did I come Fâ—rth from the closet of my mothers wombe And shall returne alas the very same To th' earth as poore and naked as I came God gives and takes and why should He not have A priviledge to take those things he gave We men mistake our Tenure oft for He Lends us at will what we miscall as Free He reassumes his owne takes but the same He lent a while Thrice blessed be his Name In all this passage Iob in heart nor Tongue Thought God unjust or charg'd his hand with wrong Medita 3. THe proudest pitch of that victorious spirit Was but to win the World whereby t'inheritâ— The ayrie purchase of a transitory And glozing Title of an ages Glory Would'st thou by conquest win more fame thaÌ„ He Subdue thy selfe thy selfe's a world to thee Earth's but a Ball that Heaven hath quilted o're With wealth and Honour banded on the floore Of fickle Fortunes false and slippery Court Sent for a Toy to make us Children sport Mans satiate spirits with fresh delights supplying To still the Fondlings of the world from crying And he whose merit mounts to such a Ioy Gaines but the Honour of a mighty Toy But would'st thou conquer have thy conquest crown'd By hands of Seraphins trimph'd with the sound Of heavens loud Trumpet warbled by the shrill Celestiall quire recorded with a quill Pluckt from the Pinion of an Angels wing Confirm'd with joy by heavens Eternall King Conquer thy selfe thy rebell thoughts repell And chase those false affections that rebell Hath Heaven dispoil'd what his full hand had giveÌ„ thee Nipt thy succeeding Blossomes or bereaven thee Of thy deare latest hope thy bosome Friend Doth sad Despaire deny these griefes an end Despair's a whispring Rebell that within thee Bribes all thy Field and sets thy selfe agin thee Make keene thy Faith and with thy force let flee If thou not conquer him hee 'll conquer thee Advance thy Shield of Patience to thy head And wheÌ„ griefe strikes t will strike the striker deadâ— The patient man in sorrow spies reliefe And by the taile he couples Ioy with Griefe In adverse fortunes be thou strong and stout And bravely win thy selfe Heaven holds not out His Bow for ever bent The disposition Of noblest spirits doth by
thy spirit for fleshly lust too cold Makes thee a slave to thine owne base desire Which melts and hardens at the selfe-same Fire Art thou deâ—repit Then thy very breath Iâ— grievous to thee and each griefe 's a death Looke where thou list thy life is but a span Thou art but dust and to conclude A Man Thy life 's a Warfare thou a Souldier art Satan's thy Foe-man and a faithfull Heart Thy two-edg'd Weapon Patience thy Shield Heaven is thy Chiefetain and the world thy Field To be afraid to dye or wish for death Are words and passions of despairing breath Who doth the first the day doth faintly yeeld And who the second basely flies the field Man 's not a lawfull Stearsman of his dayes His bootlesse wish nor hastens nor delayes We are Gods hired Workmen he discharges Some late at night and when he list inlarges Others at noone and in the morning some None may relieve himselfe till he bid Come If we receive for one halfe day as much As they that toyle till evening shall we grutch Our life 's a Road in death our Iourney ends We goe on Gods Embassage some he sends Gall'd with the â—â—otting of hard Misery And others pacing on Prosperity Some lagge whilest others gallop on before All goe an end some faster and some slower Lead me that pase great God that thou think'st best And I will follow with a dauntlesse brest Which ne'rethelesse if I refuse to doe I shall be wicked and yet follow to Assist me in my Combat with the flesh Relieve my fainting powers and refresh My feeble spirit I will not wish to be Cast from the world Lord cast the world from me THE ARGVMENT Bildad mans either state expresses Gods Mercy and Iustice Iob confesses He pleads his cause and begs reliefe Foild with the burthen of his griefe Sect. 9. SO Bildads silence great with tongue did breake And like a heartlesse Comforter did speake How long wilt thou persist to breathe thy minde In words that vanish as a storme of winde Will God forsake the innocâ—nt or will His Iustice smite thee undeserving ill Though righteous death thy sinfull sons hath rent From thy sad bosome yet if thou repent And wash thy wayes with undissembled teares Tuning thy troubles to th' Almighties eares The mercy of his eyes shall shine upon thee And shoure the sweetnesse of his blessings on thee And though a while thou plunge in misery At length hee l crowne thee with prosperity Run backe and â—earne of sage Antiquity What our late births to present times deny See how and what in the worlds downy age Befell our Fathers in their Pilgrimage If Rushes have no mire and Grasse no raine They cease to flourish droop their heads â— waine So fades the man whose heart is not upright So perisheth the double Hypocrite His hopes are like the Spiders web to day That 's flourishing to morrow swept away But he that 's just is like the flowting tree Rooted by Chrystall Springs that cannot be Scorcht by the noone of day nor stird from thence Where firmely fixt it hath a residence Heavenâ—never failes the soule that is upright Nor offers arme to the base Hypoâ—rite The one he blesses with eternall joyes The other his avenging hand destroyes I yeeld it for a truth sad Iob reply'd Compar'd with God can man be justifi'd If man should give account what he hath done Not of a thousand can he answer one His hand 's all-Power and his heart all pure Against this God what man can stand secure He shakes the Mounâ—aines and the Sun he barres From circling his due course shuts up the Starres He spreades the Heavens and rideth on the Flood His workes may be admir'd not understood No eye can see no heart can apprehend him Lists he to spoile what 's he can reprehenâ— hâ—m His Will 's his Law The smoothest pleader hath No power in his lips to slake his Wrath Much lesse can I pleade faire immunity Which could my guiltlesse tongue attaine yet I Would kisse the Footstep of his Iudgement-seat Should he receive my cry my griefe 's so great It would perswade me that he heard it not For he hath torne me with the five-fold knot Of his sharpe Scourge his plagues successive are That I can finde no ground but of Despaire If my â—â—old lips should dare to justifie My selfe my lips would give my lips the lye God owes his mercy nor to good nor bad The wicked oft he spares and oft does adde Griefe to the just mans griefe woes after woes We must not judge man as his Market goes But might my prayers obtaine this boone that God Would cease those sorrowes and remove that Rod Which moves my patience I would take upon me T'implead before him your rash judgement on me Because my tender Conscience doth perswade mee I 'me not so bad as your bad Words have made me My life is tedious my distresse shall breake Into her proper Voyce my griefes shall speake Iust â—udge of Earth condemne me not before Thou please to make me understand wherefore Agrees it with thy Iustice thus to be Kinde to the wicked and so harsh to Me Seest thou with fleshly eyes or doe they glance By favour Are they clos'd with Ignorance Liv'st thou the life of man Dost thou desire A space of time to search or to enquire My sinne No in the twinkling of an eye Thou seest my heart seest my Immunity From those foule crimes wherewith my friends at pleasure Taxe me yet thou afflict'st me in this Measure Thy hands have form'd and fram'd me what I am Whâ—n thou hast made wilt thou destroy the same Remember I am built of Clay and must Returne againe without thy helpe to Dust. Thou didst create preserve me hast indu'd My life with gracious blessings oft renew'd Thy precious favours on me How wert thou Once so benigne and so cruell now Thou hunt'st me like a Prey my plagues encrease Succeed each other and they never cease Why was I borne Or why did not my Tombe Receive me weeping from my mothers wombe I have not long to live Lord grant that I May see some comfort that am soone to dye Meditat. 9. HE that 's the truest Master of his owne Is never â—esse alone than when alone His watchfull eyes are plac't within his heart His skill is how to know himselfe his Art How to command the pride of his Affections With sacred Reason how to give directions Vnto his wandring Will His conscience checks hiâ— More looser thoughts His 〈◊〉 sins she vexes With frights and feares within her owne precincts She rambles with her Whips of wire ne're 〈◊〉 At smallest faults like as a tender Mother How e're she loves her darling will not 〈◊〉 His childish fault but shee her selfe will rather Correct than trust him to his angry Fatâ—â—er Even so the tender Conscience of the wise Cheâ—ks her beloved soule and doth chastise And Iudge the crime it selfe lest it
labourd in thy Vineyard rooted out So many weeds whose lofty crests did sprout Above thy trodden Vines what shall I dye For want of water thou the fountaine by I know that thou wert here for had'st thou not Supplyde my hand with strength I ne're had got So strange a vict'rie Hath thy servant taken Thy worke in hand and is he now forsaken Hast thou not promis'd that my strengthned hand Shall scourge thy Foe-men and sccure thy Land From slavish bondage will that arme of thine Make me their slave whom thou hast promist mine Bow downe thy eare and heare my needfull crye O quench my thirst great God or else I dye With that the jaw wherewith his arme had laid So many sleeping in the dust obeyde The voice of God and cast a tooth from whence A sudden spring arose whose confluence Of chrystall waters plenteously disburst Their precious streames and so allaid his thurst Meditat. 18. THe jaw bone of an Asse how poore a thing God makes his powerfull Instrument to bring Some honour to his name and to advance His greater glory came this bone by chance To Samsons hand Or could the Army goe No further but must needs expect a foe Iust where his weapon of destruction lay Was there no fitter place for them to stay But even just there How small a thing 't had bin If they had beene so provident to winne The day with ease Had they but taken thence That cursed bone what colour of defence Had Samson found Or how could he withstood The necessary danger of his bloud Where Heav'n doth please to ruine humane wit Must faile and deeper policie must submit There wisdome must be fool'd strength of braine Must worke against it selfe or worke in vaine The tracke that seemes most likely often leads To death and where securitie most pleads There dangers in their fairest shapes appeare And give us not so great a helpe as feare The things we least suspect are often they That most affect our ruine and betray Who would have thought the silly Asses bone Not worth the spurning should have overthrowne So stout a band Heav'n oftentimes thinkes best To overcome the greatest with the least He gaines most glory in things that are most slight And winnes in honour what they want in might Who would have thought that Samsons deadly thurst Should have bin quencht with waters that did burst And flow from that dry bone who would not thinke The thirstie Conquerour for want of drinke Should first have died what mad man could presume So dry a tooth should yeeld so great a Rheume God does not worke like man not is he tyed To outward meanes His pleasure is his guide Not Reason He that is the God of nature Can worke against it He that is Creator Of all things can dispose them to attend His will forgetting their created end Hee whose Almighty power did supply This bone with water made the red Sea dry Great God of nature 'T is as great an ease For thee to alter nature if thou please As to create it Let that hand of thine Shew forth thy powre and please to alter mine My sinnes are open but my sorrow 's hid I cannot drench my couch as David did My braines are marble and my heart is stone O strike mine eyes as thou didst strike that bone THE ARGVMENT He lodgeth with a Harlot Wait Is laid and guardes are pitcht aboutâ— He beeres away the City gate Vpon his shoulders and goes out Sect. 19. THus when victorious Samson had unliv'd This hoast of armed men and had reviv'd His fainting spirits and refresht his tongue With those sweet christal streames that lately spruÌ„g From his neglected weapon he arose Secured from the tyrannie of his Foes By his Heaven-borrowed strength boldly came To a Philistian City knowne by th' name Of Azza where as he was passing by The carelesse Champion cast his wandring eye Vpon a face whose beauty did invite His wanton heart to wonder and delight Her curious haire was crisp'd Her naked brest Was white as Ivory and fairely drest With costly Iewells In her glorious face Nature was hidden and dissembled grace Damaskt her rosie cheekes Her eyes did sparke At every glance like Diamonds in the darke Bold was her brow whose frowne was but a foile To glorifie her better-pleasing smile Her pace was carelesse seeming to discover The passions of a discontented Lover Sometime her opned Casement gives her eye A twinckling passage to the passer by And when her fickle fancy had given ore That place she comes and wantons at the doore There Samson view'd her and his steps could finde No further ground but guided by his minde Cast Anchor there Have thy observing eyes Ere mark'd the Spiders garbe How close she lies Within her curious webbe And by and by How quicke she hastes to her intangled Flie And whispring poyson in her murmuring eares At last she tugges her silent guest and beares His Hampred body to the inner roome Of her obscure and solitary Home Even so this snaring beauty entertaines Our eye-led Samson tampred with the chaines Of her imperious eyes and he that no man Could conquer now lies conquered by a woman Faire was his welcome and as fairely exprest By her delicious language which profest No lesse affection than so sweet a friend Could with her best expressions recommend Into her glorious chamber she directs Her welcome guest and with her faire respects She entertaines him with a bountious kisse She gives him earnest of a greater blisse And with a brazen countenance she brake The way to her unchaste desires and spake Mirrour of mankinde thou selected flowre Of loves faire knot welcome to Flora's howre Cheare up my Love and looke â—pon these cyes Wherein my beauty and thy picture lyes Come take me prisner in thy folded armes And boldly strike up sprightly loves alarmes Vpon these rubey lips and let us trie The sweets of love Here 's none but thee and I My beds are softest downe and purest lawne My sheets my Vallents and my curtaines drawne In gold and silkes of curious diâ— Behold My covrings are of Tap'stry ' inricht with gold Come come and let us take our fill of pleasure My husbands absence lends me dainty leasure To give thee welcome Come let 's spend the night In sweet enjoyment of unknowne delight Her words prevail'd And being both undrest Together went to their defiled rest By this the newes of Samsons being there Possest the City and fill'd every eare His death is plotted And advantage lends New hopes of speed An armed guard attends At every gate that when the breaking day Shall send him forth th' expecting forces may Betray him to his sudden death and so Revenge their kingdomes ruines at a blow But lustfull Samson whose distrustfull eares Kept open house was now possest with feares He heares a whisp'ring and the trampling feet Of people passing in the silent street He whom undaunted courage lately made A