Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A31168
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The prodigals pilgrimage a poem wherein is contained all the remarkable passages occurring from his birth to his return.
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R. C.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing C112; ESTC R5668
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11,223
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34
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Perfume Up to my Brain and did revive my Sense Of Smelling with an infinite Expence I also did supply my Liquorish taste With so profuse and Prodigal a wast That in one Night two thousand Crowns did fly To please my wanton Sensuality I gave my Mistress Rings and Jewels store And at my Cost and Charge her Body wore Silks of the Richest Die Silver and Gold Or whatsoe're the Mercers Shop did hold Upon her Alablaster Skin was drawn The finest Holland and the purest Lawn And whatsoe're for Money could be bought Or Rich or Rare I to my Mistress brought And when her Fancy drew her out to Range To view the Golden Cheap or glitt'ring Change Or in the Fields to suck the wholesome Air To make her Fairer seem that seem'd most Fair A Rich Caroch drawn with six Prancers still Stood in a readiness to serve her Will And thus in Wanton Riot and Excess I spent my Time ne're dreaming of Distress And though my Crowns did shrink and much abate Yet could not Reason stir me nor awake My Understanding until all was gone And no Friend left me to rely upon For being cloy'd with what I did and saw In this great Town then did my Fancy draw My wand'ring Thoughts to visit Foreign Parts Fashions and Courts of other Potentates To Gravesend then I went and there I found A Vessel under Sayl and ready bound Which landed me upon the Coast of France Where to the Court I did my self advance Then with the Monsieurs I did flaunt it out Pranc d on my Foot-cloth Paris round about And with the greatest Lords and mighty Dukes I did consort in rich and costly Suits There I saluted the Parisian Dames And Courted Ladies of the greatest Names And was accounted a brave Cavalier Of high Esteem and to their Persons dear But when my Crowns were spent and that fair crew Of Angels which so thick about me flew And rais'd my Person to that high Esteem Had took their flight and could no more be seen Then did my Reputation quickly crack My Purse grew Sick the Cloaths upon my Back Grew Poor and Threedbare too my Credit fail'd I had so far beyond my Compass Sail'd And they with whom I had great Empire born Look'd on me then but with Contempt and Scorn And every one did note my Poverty A Lackey scarce would keep me Company Then was I driven to a narrow strait Where I Commanded I was glad to Wait And where I had my Foot the foremost set I shrunk like dainty Lawn in Water wet And when my Money was all spent and gone As Marygolds at Setting of the Sun Shrink in their Heads so did I hide my Face When that bright Sun was Set that did me Grace Then I resolv'd to change that luckless Air And once more to my Native Soil repair To visit England's Court where I in store Had many Friends that would not see me Poor So on I came as fast as well I could Trudging on Foot for now my Horse was Sold And wand'ring like a Pilgrim all alone With many a deep fetch'd Sigh and heavy Groan At last I came unto a Forrest side And in I entred without help or guide Where having pass'd some Miles I saw in view A Troop of Forrest Beasts a Savage Crew Whereat being much Amaz'd and sore Agast I took a Tree and Mark'd them as they past I saw a Lyon march before the rest With stately Motion as became him best And after him a spotted Leopard Came stalking like some proud ambitious Lord I saw th' untamed Panther then to come And after him a Unicorn to run I saw a Boar assault another Beast And with his furious Tusks did gore his Breast I saw a cruel Woolf surprize a Deer And pluck him down and out his Bowels tear I saw a Fox pursue a gentle Lamb That Bleating stood and cry'd unto his Dam I saw a Tyger his fierce Visage hide So cunningly as none his falshood spy'd And only show'd his smooth and dainty Skin Which smelt so Sweet that many Beasts came in To Wonder at him till at last he got His Prey within his reach then out he shot His dreadful Looks and with a nimble speed As swift as Air pursu'd a gallant Steed Lord how this Spectacle did damp my Mind To see these Beasts so Cruel to their Kind Ne're Dreaming the like Cruelty did rest In Manly Shapes and in a Humane Breast These being past I did descend again And forwards took my Journey to the Main Where being Mounted on Proud Neptune's Back I found he Roar'd and made the Vessel Crack As if he had been Angry at the ill I had committed but we Sail'd on still And at the last came to the wish'd for Shore Where when I Landed I had paid my Score My Purse was quite Exhaust and by the way I for my Succour was compell'd to Pray At last my tired Legs my Body brought Unto that Harbor which my wishes sought And where I hop'd a present Cure to find To ease my sad and discontented Mind And therefore with a Resolute intent To see a dear and special Friend I went A special Friend said I a special Foe For when I had recounted all my Woe When I had told him all my Care and Grief He seem'd to give me Scorn and not Relief When I had open'd and unlock'd my Heart Show'd him how Fortune had discharg'd her Dart And shot me thro' and thro' had pluck'd me bare And left me not a Feather for my share And that I had no Penny to redeem My Body from the Rancor of her Spleen He like a River whose fair Stream grows dry In heat of Summer when necessity Requireth Water most answer'd again His Purse was weak to bear up his own Train Much less could prop up the declining state Of other Men. Then did I see my Fate By my Acquaintance others then I try'd But all I found Infected with like Pride With like Ingratitude there was not one Whose Heart was not Transform'd into a Stone Then was I driven by the hand of Fate And hard Necessity an Alms to take Of those whose Fortunes I had known but Poor And Beg'd my Bread ev'n at a Beggar 's Door And in the Fields I was compell'd to stand And ask a Penny at a Stranger 's hand Where I had many a Hungry Belly fed Had many Cloath'd had many Visited And with my Bounty rais'd their Spirits up Whom Fortune forc'd to drink her Bitter Cup Where I had Money in abundance Spent Where I had Moneys given had Moneys lent I hardly got so much as would suffice One Hungry Meal Then did my Stomach rise And from the deep Abyss my inrag'd heart Call'd up Revenge to Act her Tragick part I did implore the Pow'rs of Heav'n to Crown Their heads with Shame and Rain such Veng'ance down That ev'ry Minute might as tedious be To them as they seem'd tedious to me I did invoke the' Infernal Hags of Hell To sad Despair their Wretched Lives to sell I courted Atropos at my request To draw her Fatal Sisters to detest Their hateful Lives and to combine in one To cut their Threed of Life which they had Spun I charg'd each Planet I adjur'd each Star To threaten and denounce Intestine War I Pray'd and Su'd to ev'ry Element To be Prodig'ious and Malevolent I Woo'd the Earth to swallow them Alive I Woo'd the Air their Mischiefs to contrive I Woo'd the Waters with a Raging Flood To overwhelm and Bury them in Mud I Woo'd the Fire to descend in Flames And utterly Consume their Rotting Names I Woo'd the Thunder-Bolts to strike them Dead And throw the Sulph'rous Lightning on their Head I Woo'd the Moon her Silver Lamp to shrow'd Within the Bosom of a gloomy Cloud I Woo'd the Sun to hide his glori'ous Rayes I Woo'd the silent Night I woo'd the Days To yield them no Relief but let them run From place to place like Men with Furies stung Thus in a Frantick Mad and Bedlam rage The Pow'rs of Heav'n and Earth I did ingage My Quarrel to Revenge to shoot their Darts In my Defence and Wound their Treach'rous Hearts I kick't the Earth I tore my careless Hair And in a Melancholy sad Despair I drew my Sword his wretched Life to end That had nor Penny left nor yet a Friend But by the Mercy of the Pow'r Divine My furious Hand was staid and I resign'd My Heart to Patience and began to call To strict Account my Life and Actions all I did consider my Offence was great And oftentimes I did the same repeat I did consider that I had done ill And oftentimes that Thought my hopes did kill And yet I thought there could be no Offence So great but that a Father might dispence I thought what ill soever could be done A Father might forgive a Pen'itent Son I will Resolve I will quoth I go home Pour out my Plaints to him to him make Moan I 'll Beg Intreat and Supplication make And ask forgiveness for my Sav'iour's sake So homeward to my Fathers House I went And e're I came a Messenger I sent I sent him word a Prodigal was come A Prodigal that once was call'd his Son But now that Interest I did forgo For why my Sins deserv'd it should be so I should be happy if I might retain A Hireling's Room and in his House remain To be admitted to a Servants place I hold exceeding Love exceeding Grace When of my Coming he did understand My Father ran to me and shook my Hand Fell on my Neck and kiss'd me brought me home Strip'd off those Rags which were so loathsome grown And Cloath'd me well my hungry Belly fill'd Ev'n with the Fatling that for me was kill'd Upon my Finger put a Ring of Gold And gave me Blessings great and manifold And told me he would all forget forgive And that I should with him for ever live Then fell I prostrate on my bended Knee Before the high Eternal Deity Presenting at his Altar as a true Idea of a Soul refined New My Penitent Tears which in abundance I Shed for my Time consum'd in Vanity I did Abjure Renounce and cast off clear Those Vanities which I had held so Dear In Contemplation I resolv'd to spend The Remnant of my Days until my End So in a private solitary Cell I with Old Timon bad the World farewell FINIS