will not faile For as a Lyon then he will prevaile And then at fifty hee 's a crafty Fox And Lawyer-like gets money in his Box. And so till sev'nty by Industrious paines Woolfe-like hee 's greedy to increase his gaines But after that he feeles his bones to tire Therefore much like the Dog he loves the fire And keeps at home like to the wyly Cat Where he delights to sit to prate and chat Thus doth the Carnall man waste his lifes weeke And seldome doth after true Riches seeke I meane the wealth which beyond Age will last And still endure after this life is past Therefore the Sages That did first ordaine And gave unto each day It 's severall name Did well at first the nimblest Planet place And last of all that of the slowest race To shew that man in youthfull blithfull plight In Grace and vertue should take most delight For painfull age cannot so well hold out As lusty youth yet still should goe about In vertues race and not out of it start Till death doth strike him with his deadly dart Therefore I 'll pray that with the glorious sun I may rejoyce in vertues Race to run And with old Saturne therein persevere So should I well conclude the weeke and yeare Sunday or Dies Dominicus IN the Beginning and the Birth of time God made his glory and his power to shine In framing of the earth and heavens bright And the first day God did create the light ' Before which time there was a confus'd heape 'A formelesse Chaos did together keepe 'A gulfe of gulfes a body ill compaâ—t ' An ugly medley where all difference lackt ' Where th' elements lay jumbled altogether ' Where hot and cold were jarring each with either ' The blunt with sharpe the danke against the dry ' The hard with soft the base against the high ' All all was voyd of beuty rule and light ' All without fashion soule and motion quite ' Fire was no fire the water was no water ' Ayre was no ayre the earth no earthly matter ' This was not then the world 't was but the matter ' The Nurcery whence it should issue after Yet Gods great power did keep this darksome masse And on the waters did his spirit passe ' And he no sooner said Be light but loe ' The formlesse lump to perfect forme 'gan grow ' And all illustred with lights radiant shine ' Doft mourning weeds and deckt it passing fine ' All haile pure lamp bright sacred and excelling ' Sorrow and care darknesse and dread repelling ' Thou worlds great Taper wicked mens just terror ' Mother of Truth true beauties onely mirror ' Gods eldest daughter Oh! how thou art full ' Of grace and goodnesse Oh! how beautifull ' Sith thy great Parent 's all-discerning eye ' Doth judge thee so and sith his Majesty ' The glorious maker in his sacred layes ' Can doe no lâ—sse than sound thy modest praise ' But yet because all pleasures wax unpleasant ' If without pause we still possesse them present ' And none can right discerne the sweets of peace ' That have not felt wâ—rs irksome bitternesse ' And Swans seeme whiter if swart Crowes be by ' For contraries each other best descry ' Th'Alls Architect alternately decreed ' That Night the Day the Day should Night succeed ' So morne and evening the first day conclude ' And God perceiv'd that all his works were good Therefore the learned that each day did name In the whole weekes as I conceive did aime At the great works of God in the creation And so according set the Planets station For first they set the Sunne bright Phoebus hight Who is the fountaine and the spring of light Also the Pots call him by the name Of bright Apollo whose illustrious fame Was very great he was the sonne of Iove He and Diana his deare sister strove Within the Matrix of Latona faire And these two dayes and nights directors are Apollo for his skill in Poetry Physicke and Musique and Divinity Was honour'd as a god by heathen men Such was the ignorance of those times then But why that others call Sol burning hot Flaming bright Tytan my weake judgement 's not Able to shew but sure his mighty power His names doe shew ev'n every day and houre He governes Princes and great men of state And is the Plannet that 's most fortunate He is the dayes bright eye and heart of heav'n For God plac'd him in midst of Planet sev'n And in three hundred threescore daies and five Doth to the period of hâ—s race arrive By him we measure out to us and ours Yeeres ages seasons moneths dayes minutes houres And therefore well plac'd in the front of time But I have him eclips'd in this â—ude rime Therefore I 'll now conclude lest Phaëton like For taking such a taske great Iove may strike Me in his wrath therefore I 'll hast away And speake a little of the Lords blest Day Me thinkes none should make it a scruple why We disagree from Jewes solemnity In keeping of the sacred Sabbath Day They 're in the old and we in a new way They have the old Law and we have the new For state of Christians differs from the Jew Old things are past and new are come in place Then why should we follow the Jewish race Besides our Saviour is the Lord of dayes And therefore for his meritorious praise It s very fit he should a day ordaine His worship and his statutes to maintaine For in this world each Prince his subjects drawes After his lore for still New Lords new Lawes So now new Sacraments new Heav'n new Earth New Testament and Sabbath Day sets forth How we do differ from the Levites law But of the morall we still stand in aw We know that shadowes now are past away Because from death their substance rose this day For now the ceremonies of the Jewes Doe cease yet on this day we alwayes use To rest from labour and vaine idle sport And to the Lords House we should oft resort There both to heare Gods Word divinely taught By learned men and also as we ought There we should pray and sing with hearty cheare And not as some doe sleepe when they should heare Then after Sermon we should call to minde What good instruction we therein did finde Into what parts what doctrines and what uses Was made thereof to checke the grosse abuses Of mans fraile nature and the consolation Weake man doth need to stablish his salvation If I could thus the Lords Day sanctifie Delighting thus to heare sing pray purely And on the Lord set my whole minde and heart That all this day he might not from me part If I could as the Sunne begin to shine From youth to old age in all works divine If I could so distinguish and divide Blind errors wayes from truths bright paths well try'd And well approv'd of God and all good men For graces splendor I
might shun the den Of utter darknesse then I should be blest And keepe a Sabbath in eternall rest Munday or dies Lunae THe next day after God had made the light He spread heav'ns curtaines glorios in our sight ' That Huge broad length that long broad height profound ' Th'infinite finite that great moundlesse Mound ' I meane that Chaos that selfe-jarring Masse ' Which in a moment made of nothing was ' Was the rich matter and the matrix whence ' The heav'ns should issue and the elements ' Now th' elements two twins two sons two daughters 'To wit the fire the ayre the earth and waters ' Are not compounded but of them is all ' Compounded first that in our sense can fall There 's no materiall substance but doth beare Within it selfe fire water earth and ayre And God to each his place hath well assign'd According to its nature breed and kind ' Earth as the lees and heaviest drosse of all ' After his kind did to the bottome fall ' Contrarywise the light and nimble fire ' Did through the crannies of th' old heap aspire ' Unto the top and by his nature light ' No lesse than hot mounted in sparks upright ' But lest the fire which all the rest imbraces ' Being too neer should burne the earth to ashes ' As chosen Umpires the great All-creator ' Betweene these foes placed the ayre and water ' For one suffic'd not their sterne strife to end ' Water as cousin did the earth befriend ' Ayre for his kinsman fire as firmly deales ' But both uniting their divided zeales ' Tooke up the matter and appeas'd the brall ' Which doubtlesse else had discreated all The ayre as moderne and the elder Sages Have fitly parted it into three stages The upper's seated next the fiery vault And by the learned very hot is thought That which we touch with times doth variate Now hot now cold and sometimes temperate But middle Region's far from fire set And therefore very cold and little heat In ayrie clouds God bottles up the raine Which gratifies the Ploughmans toyle and paine The ayre ingenders milke white snow and haile Mist dew and yce in season will not faile In divers vapours their effects are strange But in the ayre they keepe a constant range For in the Summer of a sev'rall kinde They doe produce Frogs Toads and the swift wind Whose whisking beesome doth brush cleane and sweepe The cloudy curtaines of heav'ns stages steepe And sometimes they doe make the earth to rocke To shake and tremble like a weather-cocke And when I doe consider lightnings flash It s rare effects my sense in pieces dash A man was once going out of his dore He saw a fire passing him before Which he did follow to see where 't would goe But he will ne'r trust Ignis fatuus so For he had like so far to lose his way That he could hardly finde it the next day When I doe sometimes looke into the skies Me thinkes I see a hundred prodigies Compos'd of exhalations in the ayre But the true cause thereof none can declare Though by nice will and deepe conceited straines They give a ghesse but 't is not worth their paines For the great God of heav'n sometimes delights From top to toe to alter natures rites That his strange workes to nature contrary May be fore-runners of some misery Such are the blazing Comets fiery star That threaten earth with famine plague and war Three Suns three Moones at once green blew gilt bow Gods judgements and his mercies forth to show But I almost forget the firmament Although it was the chiefe of my intent Their number and their nature here to show And how their whirling Orbs about doe goe Yet of their number many a writer varies Yet most agree that there a ten round stories In severall Orbs they place the Planets sev'n After the fixed Stars and Christ â—â—n heav'n Lastly the highest Orbe of all the â—out Is the first mover which whirles all about But there is none that can relate the solace Or boundlesse vastnesse of th' Imperiall Palace ' Where life still lives where God his Sises holds ' Inviron'd round with Seraphins and Soules ' Bought with Christs pretious blood whose glorious flight ' Yet mounted earth above the heav'ns bright Neither doe I know rightly how to write What waâ—ers are above the heav'ns bright For I too bold will not aske how or why God placed water so exceeding high I must believe it for Gods Word doth show Above the heavens God made waters flow ' I 'll rather give a thousand times the ly 'To my owne reason than but once defy ' The sacred voyce of th'everlasting Spirit ' Which doth so often and so loud aver it Besides when sinfull men did God provoke In Noabs dayes these windowes he set ope And by these Seas drown'd cattell men and beast In this example I 'll sit downe and rest So morne and even the second day conclude And God perceiv'd that all his works were good Now why the Sages when they nam'd this day Call'd it Lucina's day I cannot sae Except it be because her wax and waine Doe cause the waters ebbe and flow againe Faire Phoebe she of all the Planets bright Is most infirme because she borrowes light By Poets she is call'd Diana chast Yet shâ— her love on faire Endymion cast Constant in love she her swift course doth run Throughout the Zode twelve times for once the sun Diana was goddesse of chastity And therefore I doe see small reason why The vulgar should affirme a man on 's backe Within the Moone should beare a Pedlers packe Besides I thinke no woman could be chast If that a man within her were well plac'd Luna doth governe Seamen Fishers Hunters Chast maidens and wise Matrons whose encounters Or unchaste meetings with uncivill men Are never us'd but my unlearned pen Hath so outrun my judgement and my wit The uses of this day I quite forget Besides amazement and astonishment At Gods great workes I am by this day bent Advis'd to learne my waters to divide Of charity free from vaine glorious pride And to distinguish my repentant teares From those for losse of worldly things in feares And as the Moone I borrow all my light From God whose glory in me shineth bright And as the Moone so I in vertues race Should still goe forward though darke be my pace And though by frailty I may sometimes faile Yet godly constancy should e'r prevaile Tuesday or dies Martis ' THis day th' Almighties bounteous Majesty ' willing t'enfeoffe man this worlds Empiry ' Commanded Neptune straight to marshall forth ' His floods apart and to unfold the earth ' And presently the Sea to 't selfe betooke ' Mount after mount field after field forsooke ' And suddenly in smaller caske did tun ' Her waters that from every side did tun ' And hath imprison'd them in bounds of brasse ' Which to this day the
light Because it sheweth sinnes deformed sight But I have here almost forgot to write Of blindfold ignorance that hates the light Yet under two sorts I can briefly show How she likewise in croked wayes doth goe The one constrain'd the other 's wilfull blinde And these I call the errors of the minde Their case is pitifull that never heard True saving knowledge but from it debard Such are unfaithfull Jewes Turks Infidels Blinde Papists and many rude nations else That as yet never saw the glorious sight Of sacred Truth shewd in the Gospell bright But others that doe wilfully refuse Such are the Jesuits and the leained Jewes And Protestants who like the Israelite This holy Manna greatly scorne and slight There is a woe denounced against them As was ' gainst Bethsaida and Corazin As in the day wilde beasts doe keepe in caves Because the light should not descry their wayes But in the Night then doe they hunt and range After their preys most cruell fierce and strange So in the dawning of the Gospels light When that Starre Edward in this Spheaâ—e shin'd bright The murth'rous Papists cruell fierce and fell In caves and holes were then constrain'd to dwell But when the Moone began her head to reare In this blest Islâ—nds glorious Hemispheare This light eclipsed was and there did swarme Papists like Locusts which did doe great harme Unto Gods Church by faggots fiery flame To shew in smoky darknesse they remaine For such apparently walke in the darke Because they greatly doe mistake the marke Of saving Truth whose path-wayes are most bright But here I must remember now to write Of that same darknesse which for ay doth dwell In that most horrid dolefull place call'd hell And 't is no wonder though I feare to show What horror in that darke Abysse doth grow For thought thereof doth make my heart to ake My body tremble and my hand to shake Besides it passeth all that I can thinke How shall I shew it then with Pen and Inke For I am weake in judgement sicke in braine Then why should I adventure so in vaine To describe that no man can well expresse Though ne'r so learned yet neverthelesse By some conjectures learned men can tell What horrid darknesse is in that same Cell And what from Gods Words literate men have showne I will not feare in this place to make knowne First I will write of the great cause of feare Then of the punishments that are used there Besides the Majesty of God offended The mercy we receive and have mispended The long forbearance of his wrathfull stroke Should unto godly feare our hearts provoke Feare to offend him by our grievous crimes Feare to displease him in all place and times The very darknesse which is in that place Would in dread horror ev'n confound our face For if the stoutest man should be alone Naked and bare in a darke place unknowne And there should heare the noyse of ugly sp'rits Hissings of Serpents and the dismall sights Of tortured soules would he not quake and feare Although no stripes he on himselfe did beare And such thicke darknesse was the Egyptians night Who in three dayes could not descry the light But now to be tormented in the darke It 's past expression Pray fit downe and marke Oh! wretched man come sit thee downe by me Thinke with my thoughts and see what I doe see As Balâ—'m shew'd to Balack Isacks race So will I shew thee the most damned trace Of hellish torments from the learned fables Of Poets old yet take them not for bables For I doe hope in thee and me 't will breed Such godly feare that so we may take heed To shun those wayes that lead us to the place Wher 's utter darknesse and no light of Grace Mâ—thinks I see grim Pluto calls his Court With Proserpine he sits in dreadfull sort Upon a chaire of fire in ugly forme As blacke as hell yet was a Starre o' th morne Then I see Cerberus that triple dog Who seemes more terrible than Gogmagog ' Then after him from fiery Phlegeton ' Comes Alecto Meger ' and Tesiphon ' Oh then what heare I wondrous thundring blowes ' Alas what yells what howles what dismall showes ' There Eccho made whole hell to tremble troubled ' The drowsie night her deepe darke horrors doubled ' And suddenly Avernus gulfe did swim ' With Rosin Pitch and Brimstone to the brim ' And ugly Gorgons and the Sphinxes fell ' Hidraes and Harpies 'gan to yawne and yell ' One lifting's lungs hisses and barkes and brayes ' This howles that yels another roares and neighs ' Such a blacke song such a confused sound ' From many-headed bodies doth rebound ' Like Guns astuns with round round-rumbling thunder ' Filling the ayre with noyse the earth with wonder Till at the last pawsing a while they staid And suddenly with great confusion made A flight at man all at intestine strife Who might most torture his detested life Then at command of Pluto's dreadfull call Each one unto his worke did quickly fall And then I saw proud Icarus tumbled downe Under fiends feete that wrought above the crowne And all because he thought to sore on high His waxen wings were cut and he did ly Despis'd contemn'd dishonour'd and disgrac'd Although on earth he was so highly plac'd See drunken Tantalus doth rore for thirst Yet to his chin in water so accurst He lies and howles and cannot get a tast And dying lives yet 's dying life doth last See how the Glutton cryes and longs for meate Yet Sodom's Apples he doth daily eate It seemes they doe not fill his hungry maw But looke I pray see how that beast doth gnaw Upon the envious wretch see how his heart Is eaten by the Viper and each part Of all his body is so thin and bare Nothing but skin and bones upon him are See how that lazie slave doth turne the wheele And yet that ugly fiend doth make him feele The smarting lashes of his knotty whip Which makes his hands to worke his legs to skip But see the lecherous man ev'n shake for cold And yet in flames of fire I him behold Oh horrid torment never yet descryde That one should frieze by such a fire side The covetous wretch I saw cramm'd to the full Of burning brimstone Oh 't is wonderfull To marke how he is paid in the same coyne That did oppresse the weake the poore purloyne But harke what heare I doleful shrikes and cryes Of him that 's alway's kild yet never dies It s strange me thinkes so many dangerous darts Should not destroy their bloody murth'rous hearts But 't is not strange for the great God above to shew his justice and expresse his love To chuse a place as well for to torment The wilfull sinner and impenitent As to prepare a place of heav'nly state For his deare friends that are regenerate If then the Lord himselfe shall goe to reare A place of torments who shall that
declare For if when God made fire for our delight It is so fierce there 's none would if he might Gaine a whole Kingdome hold his hand therein But for one houre Oh then what paine is in The fire of hell To which if I compare The fire we have it seemes but painted ayre Ours is for comfort that is to torment Ours must be fed else of it selfe it 's spent That needs no fuell but doth burne for ay Ours giveth light and shines as bright as day That 's alwayes darke and is in its right place Ours ever shifts and doth ascend apace Ours doth consume and rids quicke out of paine That consumes not once there ne'r out againe Our's soone extinct that never doth abate Hâ—s heat And yet as I did show of late And as Christ saith they shall gnash teeth and shake For very cold will make their bones to quake And as that fire is of such wondrous might So doth that darknesse farre exceed our night Now could I shew the universall paines And all th' eternall torture there remaines How Cerberus doth strongly keepe hels dore That none comes out but may come in the more And how that Charon with dread horror grim Over the Stigian lake his boat makes swim Fild full of soules whom he hath got off shore O'r Sulphry Stix and makes them cry and rore I should but all this while shew paine of sense But there 's great dammage in lost excellence Which is as great as learned men doe show As paine of sense But yet I doe not know How to describe the losse of that bleft sight Of Gods bright glory in celestiall light At thought whereof the damned have a worme Which on their conscience gnawes and makes them mourne And when they thinke of that same heavenly light That they have lost this worme doth give a bite Which causeth them to teare their flesh and haire And if they could themselves in pieces teare Then doe they wish for mountaines hills and rocks To fall upon them with such pondrous knocks That they might kill them which when they deny They doe begin to howle lament and cry And marvell saying what hath our pride got What profit hath glory of riches brought How easily might we have scap'd this place By living well and seeking helpe of grace Oh! if on earth we now could live againe We would feare God alone and count as vaine All other things in the vast worlds round ball And Gods bright glory should be all in all And thus they do repent without amends And still their paine begins and never ends Then cease your talke of Pluto's darksome den That 's but the idle fantasie of men But this is true which in Gods word is showne That hellish paines to mortall man 's not knowne Yet I doe wonder that such learned skill Should so divinely drop from heathens quill For as in Pluto's cave they well have showne Hels torments as in Scripture is made knowne So heavenly blisse in Iupiters high court And in Elizium fields they make report In their prophanest fabled histories By Hercules they shew Christs victories Long before Christ was borne which makes me muse That they should know almost as much as Jewes Who were Gods chosen but where doe I goe This in some other place I meane to show And now that I am thus come out of hell Safe and unhurt from all those furies fell In the last place I did intend to write Of the great benefits we have by night But my dull Muse grew barren thin and bare I therefore borowed his whose fruits are rare ' The night to temper dayes exceeding drought ' Moystens our ayre and makes our earth to sprout ' The night is she that all our travels caseth ' Buries our cares and all our griefes appeaseth ' The night is she that with her sable wing ' In gloomy darknesse hushing every thing ' Through all the world dumb silence doth distill ' And wearyed bones with quiet sleepe doth fill ' Sweet night without thee without thee alas 'Our life were loathsome even a hell to passe ' For outward paines and inward passions still ' With thousand deaths would soule and body kill ' Oh Night thou pullest the proud maske away ' Wherewith vaine actors in this worlds great play ' By day disguise them for no difference ' Night makes betweene the Peasant and the Prince ' The poore the rich the Prisoner and the Judge ' The foule and faire the Master and the drudge ' The foole and wise Barbarian and the Greeke ' For Night 's black Mantle covers all alike ' He that condemn'd for some notorious vice ' Seekes in the Mines the Baites of Avarice ' Or swelting at the furnace fineth bright 'Our Soules dire sulphur â—esteth yet at night ' Hee that still stooping tugges against the Tide ' His laden barge alongst a Rivers side ' And filling shoares with shouts doth melt him quite ' Upon his Pallat resteth yet at night ' He that in Summer in extreamest heat ' Scorched all day in his owne scalding sweat ' Shaves with keene Syth the glory and delight ' Of motly Meddowes resteth yet at night ' And in the Armes of his deare Pheere forgoes ' All former troubles and all former woes ' Onely the learned Sisters sacred Minions ' While silent night under her sable Pinions ' Folds all the world with painlesse paine they tread 'A sacred path that to the heav'ns doth lead ' And higher then the heav'ns their Readers raise ' Upon the wings of their immortall layes And now me thinks I heare the clock doth chime Which doth informe me that it is high time Mee to uncloth and so to goe to bed For this dayes worke hath troubled my weak head Of unclothing HOw vaine a thing it is to vant in Pride Of brave Apparell may be quickly tride For had old Adam never fallen from Blisse Of use of Cloaths wee nere had had much misse And he devis'd but leaves to hide the shame Which on himselfe by his foule folly came And God himselfe when hee did undertake Some brave apparell for poore man to make To hide his shame his liv'ry was but skin Of some poore beast this Adams sin did win Wherefore the man that of brave Cloths is proud Doth as a Begger with a voyce most loud Extoll and magnifie his Rotten Rags Which hide his sores and set them forth as flaggs For all to gaze at and to wonder why Hee should set out his stincking Bravery Wherefore the Godly alwayes did not care What Clothes upon their bodies they did beare So it would keepe them from the heat and cold They were content and I doe read of old The Saints Apparell they arrayed were Was made of Goats skin and of Cammells haire But men are now so curious for their back They 'll Rob and spoyle all creatures ere they 'll lack From one they 'll take his wooll to make them cloth From others skin and
behold ' Th' azure Flax the gilden Marigold ' The Violets purple the sweet Roses stammell ' The Lillye's snow and Panseye's various Ammell ' But that in them the Painter I admire ' Who in more colors doth the fields attire ' Then fresh Aurora's rosey Cheekes display ' When in the East she ushers a faire day ' God not content to have made these plants ours ' Pretious perfumes fruits plenty pleasant flowers ' Infused Physick in their leaves and Mores 'To cure our sicknesse and to salve our sores ' Blew succ'ry hanged on the naked Neck ' Dispells the dimnesse that our sight doth check ' About an Infants neck hang Peony ' It cures Alcydes cruell malady ' If fuming bowls of Bacchus in excesse ' Trouble thy brayns with stormes of giddinesse ' Put but a Garland of greene Saffron on ' And that mad humour will be quickly gon ' Th' inchanting charmes of Syrens blandishments ' Contagious Aire-ingendring Pestilence ' Infect not those that in their mouthes have ta'en ' Angelica that happy counter-baen ' Sent downe from heav'n by some Celestiall scout ' As well the name and nature doth avow'c ' So Pimpernell held in the patients hand ' The bloody Flix doth presently withstand ' And to conclude whether I walke the fields ' Rush through the woods or clamber up the hills ' I finde God every-where thence all depend ' He giveth frankly what we thankly spend ' But th' earth not onely on her back doth beare ' Abundant Treasures glistring every where ' But inwardly shee 's no lesse fraught with riches ' Nay rather more which more our Soules bewitches ' Within the dâ—epe folds of her fruitfull lap ' Such boundlesse mines of treasure she doth wrap ' That th'hungry hands of humane Avarice ' Cannot exhaust with labour or device ' For they be more then there be starres in heav'n ' Or stormy billowes in the Ocean driv'n ' Or eares of corne in Autumn on the fields ' Or Savage Beasts upon a thousand Hills ' Or Fishes diving in the silver floods ' Or scattered Leaves in winter in the woods ' Slate Iet and Marble shall escape my Pen ' I overpasse the Salt-mount Oromene ' I blanch the Brine-quar hill in Aragon ' Whence there they powder their provision ' I 'le onely now embosse my Booke with Brasse ' Dy't with Vermilion deck't with Coperasse ' With Gold and Silver Lead and Mercury ' Tin Iron Orpine Stibium Lithargie ' And on my Gold worke I will onely place ' The Chrystall pure which â—oth reflect each face ' The pretious Ruby of a sanguin hew ' The seal-fit Onix and the Saphire blâ—w ' The Cassidonie full of circles round ' The tender Topza and rich Diamond ' The various Opal and greene Emerald ' The Agath by a thousand titles call'd ' The skie-like Turqisez purple Amethists ' And fiery Carbuncle which flames resists ' But shall I baulk th' admired Adamant ' Whose dead-live power my reasons power doth dant ' Renowned Loade-stone which on Iâ—on acts ' And by the touch the same a loft attracts ' Attracts it strangely with unclasping crooks ' With unknowne Cords and unconceived hookes ' With unseene hands with undiscerned Armes ' With hidden force with sacred secret charmes ' Wherewith he woes his Iron Misteresse ' And never leaves her till he get a kisse ' Nay till he fold her in his faithfull bosome ' Never to part except wee love-lesse loos'em ' With so firme zeale and fast affection ' The stone doth love the steel the steele the stone ' And though sometime some make bate come betwixt ' Still burnes their first flame t is so surely fixt ' And while they cannot meet to breake their minds ' With mutuall skips they shew their love by signes ' As bashfull suiters seeing strangers by ' Parley in silence with their hand or ey ' Nor is th' earth onely worthy praise eternall ' For the rare Riches on her back externall ' Or in her bosome but her owne selfes worth ' Solicits me to sound her praises forth ' All-hail faire earth bearer of Townes and Towers ' Of men Gold Graine Physick and fruits and flowers ' Faire firme and fruitfull various patient sweet ' Sumptuously cloathed in mantle meet ' Of mingled-colours lac't about with stoods ' And all imbrod'red with fresh blooming buds ' With rarest Jemmes richly about embost ' Excelling cunning and exceeding cost ' All-haile great heart round base and stedfast Root ' Of all the world the worlds strong fixed foot ' Heav'ns chastest spouse supporter of this All ' This glorious buildings goodly Pedestall ' All-haile deere mother Sister hostesse Nurse ' Of the worlds Soveraigne Of thy liberall purse ' W' are all maintained matchlesse Emperesse 'To doe thee service with all readinesse ' The Sphears before thee bear ten thousand Torches ' The fire to warme thee folds his heatfull arches ' In purest flames about the floating cloud ' Th' aire to refresh thee willingly is bow'd ' About the waves and well content to suffer ' Milde Zephyrs blasts and Boreas bellowing rougher ' Water to quench thy thirst about the mountaines ' Wraps her moist armes Seas Rivers lakes and fountaines ' So Morne and Evening the third day conclude ' And God perceiv'd that all his workes were good But by this writing I declare my Birth How like a Mole I doe delight in earth Therefore I 'll leave this Trash and haste away And shew how furious Marr doth rule this day Yet it is strange for he is God of war Discord dissention and delights to jar Hee governs Knights Captaines and bloody Souldiers Alchymists Surgeons he rules all disorders In Butchers Serjeants Hangmen the stout theefe Who many times heapes the poore true man griefe And all this day I writ no harme to be In fields in woods in hills that I could see But 't is to show how vainely men doe use Gods creatures good and how they doo abuse Iron and steele they make to kill and slay Hearbs metalls earth cast many men away When dull Physicians void of learned Notions For greedy gaine make poysoned salves and potions And for Golds luster many doe not feare To loose their limbs and last the halter were 'To pick a lock to take their neighbours purse 'To breake a house or to doe something worse 'To cut his Parents Throat to kill his Prince 'To spoyle his Country murder innocents ' Even so prophaning of a gift divine The drunkard drownes his Reason in the wine ' So fale-tongu'd Lawyers wresting Eloquence ' Excuse rich wrong and cast poore innocence ' So Antichrists their poyson to infuse ' Mis-cite the Scriptures and Gods name abuse ' For as a Cask for want of use growne fusty ' Makes with his stink the best Greeke Malmesey musty ' So Gods best Gifts usurpt by wicked ones 'To poyson turne through their contagions 'T is not these creatures but 't is mans amisse ' Hath made Sin mount unto the hight it is
' But as the sweet baite of abundant riches ' Bodyes and Soules of greedy men bewitches ' Gold gilds the vertuous and it lends them wings 'To raise their thoughts unto the raiest things ' The wise not onely Iron well apply ' For houshold turnes and tools of husbandry ' But to defend their Country when it calls ' From forraigne dangers and intestine bralls ' Brave-minded Mars yet master of misorder ' Delighting nought but Battells blood and murder ' His furious coursers lasheth night and day ' That he may swiftly passe his course away ' But in the road of his eternall race ' So many rubs hinder his hasty pace ' That thrice the while the lively Lyquor-God ' With dabling heeles hath swelling clusters trod ' And thrice hath Ceres shav'n heâ— amber Treffe ' Ere his steele wheeles have done their businesse Oh Lord I pray grant I may make such use Of all thy creatures without base abuse That I with temperance may take and eat Wheat hearbs and fruit which are delicious meat And that the love of wine may neere intox My head and minde to make mee catch the Fox And though like Mars many doe me oppose For men and devills may become my foes Grant me such courage I may never feare Any but thee and still move in thy Spheare That having liv'd on earth Godly and well I may with thee in heaven for ever dwell Wednesday or Dies Mercurii GOd having now the Worlds wide curtaine spread About the Circuit of the fruitfull Bed ' Where to fill all with her unnumbred kin ' Kind natures selfe each Moment lyeth in 'To make the same for ever admirable ' More stately-pleasant and more profitable ' He th' Azure Tester trimm'd with Golden workes ' And richly spangled with bright glistring Sparks ' He that to number all the Stars would seek ' Had need invent some new Arithmetique ' And who to cast that reck'ning takes in hand ' Had need for counters take the Oceans sand ' Yet have our wise and learned Elders found ' Foure-dozen Figures in the heau'nly Round ' For aid of memory and to our eyes ' In certaine Houses to divide the skies ' Of those are twelve in that rich Girdle grift ' Which God gave Nature for her New-yeares-Gift ' When making all his voyce Almighty most ' Gave so faire Lawes unto heav'ns shining hoast 'To weare it biar buckled over-thwart her ' Not round about her swelling waste to girt her ' This glorious Baldrick of a Golden tindge ' Imbost with Rubyes edged with Silver frindge ' Buckled with Gold with a Bond glistring bright ' Heav'ns biaz-wife environs day and night ' For from the period Where the Ram doth bring ' The day and night to equall ballancing ' Ninety degrees towards the North it wends ' Thence just as much toward Mid-heav'n it bonds ' As many thence toward the South and thence ' Toward th'yeares Portall the like difference ' Nephelian Crook horne with brasse Cornets crown'd ' Thou buttest bravely ' gainst the Newyears bound ' And richly clad in thy faâ—re Golden fleece ' Do'st hold the first house of heavens spacious Meese ' Thou spy'st anon the Bill behinde thy back ' Who least that fodder by the way he lack ' Seeing the world so naked to renew't ' Coats th'infant earth in a greene gallant sute ' And without Plough or Yoak doth freely fling ' Through fragrant pastures of the flowry spring ' The Twins whose heads Armes shoulders knees and feet ' God fill'd with Starres to shine in season sweet ' Contend in course who first the Bull should catch ' That neither will nor may attend their match ' Then Summers guide the Crab comes rowing soft ' With his eight Oares through the heav'ns azure loft 'To bring us yearely in his starry shell ' Many long dayes the shaggy earth to swell Almost with like pace leaps the Lyon out All clad with flames bristled with beames about Who with contagion of his burning breath Both Grasse and grain to cinders withereth The Virgin next sweeping heav'ns ature Globe With stately traine of her bright Golden robe Mild-proudly marching in her left hand brings A sheafe of Corne and in her right hand wings After the Maiden shines the Ballance bright Equall divider of the day and night In whose gold beam with three Gold rings there fastens With six Gold strings a paire of Golden basens The spitefull Scorpion next the Shale addrest With two bright Lamps covers his loathsome breast And fain from both ends with his double sting Would spet his venome over every thing But that the brave Halfe-horse Phylirean scout Galloping swift the heav'nly Belt about Ay fiercely threats with his flame-fethered arrow To shoot the sparkling starry viper thorough And th' hoary Centaure during all his race Is so attentive to this onely chase That dreadlesse of his dart heav'ns shining Kid Comes jumping light just at his heels unspid Mean while the Skinker from his starry spout After the Goate a silver streame pours-out Distilling still out of his radiant fire Rivers of water who but will admire In whose cleere channell mought at pleasure swim Those two bright Fishes that doe follow him But that the Torrent slides so swift away That it out-runs them ever even as they Out-run the Ram who ever them pursues And by returning yearely all renewes Besides these twelve towards the Artick side A flaming Dragon doth two-Beares divide After the Wainman comes the Crowne the Speare The kneeling Youth the Harpe the Hamperer Of th' hatefull Snake whether we call the same By Esculapius or Alcides name Swift Pegasus the Dolphin loving man Ioves stately Eagle and the silver Swan Andromeda with Cassiopea neere-her Her Father Cepheus and her Perseus deerer The shining Triangles Medusas Tresse And the bright Coach-man of Tindarides Toward th' other Pole Orion Eridanus The Whale the whelpe and hot breath'd Sirius The Hare the Hulke the Hydra and the Boule The Centaure Woolfe the Censer and the foule The twice foule Raven the Southern Fish and Crowne Through heav'ns bright Arches brandish up and downe Thus on this day working th' eight azure tent With Artlesse Art Divinely excellent Th' Almighties fingers fixed many a million Of Golden Scutchions in that rich Pavilion But in the rest under that glorious heav'n But one a peece unto the severall sev'n Least of these lamps the number-passing number Should mortall eyes with such confusion cumber That we should never in the cleerest night Stars divers course see or discerne aright And therefore also all the fixed Tapers He made to twinkle with such trembling Capers But the seven lights that wander under them Through various passage never shake a beam Or He perhaps made them not different But th' hoast of Sparks spred in the Firmament Far from our sense through distance infinite Seemes but to twinkle to our twinkling sight Whereas the rest neerer a thousand fold To th' earth and Sea wee doe more brim behold
For the heav'ns are not mixtly enterlaced But th'undermost by th'upper be embraced And more or lesse the Rundells wider are As from the Center they be neere or far As in an Egg the shell includes the skin The skin the white the white the Yolke within Now like as in a Clock that is well tended Just counterpoize Justly thereon suspended Makes the great wheele goe round and that anon Turnes with his turning many a meaner one The trembling watch th'Iron Maule that chimes The entire day in twice twelve equall times So the grand heau'n in foure and twenty houres Surveying all this various house of ours With his quick motion all the Spheares doth move Whose radiant glances gild the world above And drives them every day which swiftnesse strange is From Gange to Tagus and from Tag to Ganges But th'under-Oâ—bes as grudging to be still So streightly subject to anothers will Still without change still at anothers pleasure After one Pipe to dance one onely measure They from-ward turne and traversing aside Each by himselfe an oblique course doth slide So that they all although it seeme not so Forward and backward in one instant goe Both up and downe and with contrary paces At once they post to two contrary places But now the neerer any of these eight Approach th' Emperiall Pallace walls in height The more their circuit and more dayes they spend Ere they returne unto their Jorneyes end It 's therefore thought that sumptuous Canopye The which th'unnigard hand of Majesty Powdred so thick with shields so shining cleere Spends in his voyage nigh sev'n thousand yeare Then follow Saturnâ— Iupiter and Mars Divine Apollo Venus's bright Cars So swifâ—ly followes whose doves goe not far From splendant Phebus glory beaming Car Then witty Mercury and Luna last In her Carreer doth make a monethly hast Now should I write how the Latonian twins The yeare the moneth the weeke and day begins First how the sun about the world rides ay How all doe live by vertue of his Ray How even as man the little world of Cares Within the middle of his body beares His heart the spring of life which with proportion Supplyeth spirits to all and every Portion Even so the Sun his Golden Chariot Marches Amid the six lamps of the six low Arches Which seele the world that equally it might Richly impart them beauty force and light Six heav'nly Princes mounted evermore Wait on Sols Coach three behind three before Besides the hoasts of th'upper twincklers bright To whom for pay he giveth onely light And how he cheareth every living thing With light and heat but my muse daies not sing His honour'd prayses for I 'm like the moone In borrowing light from a diviner Sun Therefore I 'll vaile my front under his shine Least I ecclips him by this work of mine So mâ—rn and Evening the fourth day conclude And God perceiv'd that all his workes were good Why this is call'd the day of Mercury Who is of Eloquence and Memory The God by Poete call'd and rules the Muses Marchants and each one that the Pen oft uses Ambassadors the Princes humor pleaser To end his course takes neere a twelve moneths leasure For all the while his nimble winged heeles Dare little bouge from Phoebus golden wheeles Hee 's fained to have wings on Armes and feet To shew his speed for message he is meet I cannot tell except it be to show How swift the motion of the Plannets goe How by the force of the first moving heav'n With speedy hast their flaming Cars are driv'n Now as that grand heav'n by his powerfull force Doth move the under nine in their swift course So of my selfe I know I cannot move To any good It is the Lord above That drives mee forward in the way of Grace That in bright Glory I may have a place There to remaine ev'n as a glorious starre Which happy Blisse doth passe mans reason far Thursday or Dies Iovis IN vaine had God stor'd heav'n with glistring studs The Plain with grain the mountaine tops with woods Sever'd the aire from fire the earth from water Had hee not soone peopled this large Theater With living Creatures therefore he began This Day to quicken in the Ocean In standing Pools and in the straggling Rivers whose folding Channell fertill Champion fevers So many Fishes of so many features That in the waters one may see all creatures And all that in this All is to be found As if the world within the deeps were drown'd Seas have as well as Skies Sun Moone and stars As well as aire Swallowes and Rooks and stares As well as earth Vines Roses Nettles Millions Pinks Gilly-flowers Mushromes many millions Of other Plants more rare and strange then these As very Fishes living in the Seas And also Rams Calfes Horses Hares and Hogs Wolves Lions Urchins Elephants and Dogs Yea men and maides and which I more admire The Mitred Bishop and the cowled Fryer whereof example but a few yeares since Were showne the Norwayes and Polonian Prince As a rare Painter drawes for pleasure here A sweet Adonis a soule Satyre there Here a huge Cyclop there a Pigme Elfe Somtimes no lesse busying his skilfull selfe Upon some ugly Monster seldome seene Then on the Picture of faire beauties Queene Even so the Lord that in his workes variety Wee might the more admire his powerfull deity And that wee might discerne by different features The various kinds of the vast Oceans Creatures Forming this mighty frame he every kind With divers and peculiar Signets sign'd Some have their heads groveling betwixt their feet As th'inky Cuttles and the many-feet Some in their breast as Crabs some headlesse are Foot lesse and Fin-lesse as the banefull Hare And heatfull Oyster in a heape confus'd Their parts unparted in themselves diffus'd Then for their bulk the Orke Whirlepoole and Whale In greatnesse passe the largest ships that saile Me thinkes I see the Dolphin swiftly passe And the rare Tortoise whose shell seemes as brasse Which th' Arabià n makes in sted to stand For hulke at Sea and for a house on Land The dainty Salmons Chevins thunder-scaâ—'d Feast-famous Sturgeons Lampreyes speckle-starr'd Th' adulterous Sarâ—us and the loving Mullet The banefull Crampfish which when in her Gullet ¶ She hath receiv'd the sharp deceitfull hooke ' Suddenly spues into the silver brooke ' Her secret-spreading sudden-speeding bane ' Which up the line and all along the cane ' Creeps to the hand of th' Angler who withall ' Benumm'd and senslesse suddenly lets fall ' His hurtfull pole and his more hatefull price ' In a deep sleep upon the ground he lies 'A firmer league of friendship is not seene ' Than is the Pearle-fish and the Prawn betweene ' Both have but one repast both but one palace ' But one delight death sorrow and one solace ' That lodgeth this and this remunerates ' His Land-lords kindnesse with all needfull cates ' For while the Pearle-fish gaping
wide doth glister ' Much fry allur'd with the bright silver luster ' Of her rich casket flocks into the Nacre ' Then with a pricke the Prawne a signe doth make her ' That instantly her shining shell she 'll close ' Because the prey worthy their paine he knowes ' Which gladly done she ev'nly shareth out ' The prey betwixt her and her faithfull scout ' And so the Sponge-spie warily awakes ' the Sponges dull sense when repast it takes But why doe I thus search in Thetis lap For fishes kinde when I am far unapt To imitate their vertuous quality Therefore into the ayre I meane to fly And there I see the onely Phenyx flie So faire a creature dazel'd hath mine eye ' Such forme such feathers and such fate God gave her ' That fruitfull Nature breedeth nothing braver ' Two sparkling eyes upon her crowne a crest ' Of starry sprigs more splendent than the rest 'A golden downe about her dainty neeke ' Her breast deepe purple and a scarlet backe ' Her wings and traine of feathers mixed fine ' Of orient azure and incarnadine ' He did appoint her fate to be her Phere ' And deaths cold kiffes to restore her here ' Her life againe which never shall expire ' Untill as she the world consume with fire ' For she becomes out of a sacred fire ' Her owne selfe 's heire Nurse Nursling Dam and Sire ' Teaching us all in Adam here to dy ' That we in Christ may live eternally ' Next her the Swallow sweepeth to and fro ' As swift as shafts fly from a Turkish bow ' When use and art and strength confedered ' The skilfull Archer drawes unto the head ' Flying she sings and singing seeketh every where ' She more with cunning then with cost may reere ' Her round-fiont palace in a place secure ' Whose plot may serve in rarest Arch'tecture ' The pretty Larke climbing the welkin cleare ' Chants with a cheere here peer I neer my deare ' Then stouping thence seeming her fall to rew ' Adieu she saith dieu deare deare adieu ' Thâ— Spâ—â—ke the Linot and the Goldfinch fill ' All the fresh ayre with their sweet warbles shrill ' But these are nothing to the Nightingale ' Breathing so sweetly from a breast so small ' So many tunes whose harmony excels 'Our voyce our vials and all musique else ' The Storke still eying her deare Thessaly ' The Pelican consorteth cheerefully ' Praise-worthy paire which pure examples yeeld ' Of faithfull father and officious child ' Th' one quites in time her Parents love exceeding ' From whom she had her birth and tender breeding ' Not onely brooding under her warme breast ' Theire age-chill'd bodies bedrid in the nest ' Nor onely bearing them upon her back ' Through th' empty ayre when their owne wings they lacke ' But also sparing this let children note ' Her daintiest food from her owne hungry throat 'To feed at home her feeble parents held ' From forraging with heavie gives of eld ' The other kindly for her tender brood ' Teares out her bowels trilleth out her blood 'To heale her young and in a wondrous sort ' Unto her children doth her life transport ' For finding them by some fell Serpent slaine ' She rents her breast and doth upon them raine ' Her vitall humour whence recovering heate ' They by her death another life doe get 'A type of Christ who sin-thrall'd man to free ' Became a captive and on shamefull tree ' Selfe-guiltlesse shed his blood by 's wounds to save us ' And salve the wounds th' old Serpent firstly gave us ' And so became of meere immortall mortall ' Thereby to make fraile mortall man immortall ' There 's the fine Pheasant and the Partridge rare ' The lustfull Sparrow and the fruitfull Stare ' The lustfull Sparrow and the fruitfull Stare ' The chattering Py the chastest Turtle-Dove ' The grezell Quoist the Thrush that grapes doth love ' The little Gnatsnap worthy Princes boards ' And the green Parrat fainer of our words ' The ravening Kite whose traine doth well supply 'A rudders place the Falcon mounting high ' The Mar'in Lanar and the gentle Tercell ' Th' Ospray and Saker with a nimble Sarcell ' Follow the Phoenix from the cloudes almost ' At once discovering many an unknowne coast ' In the swift rancke of these fell rovers flies ' The Indian Grissin with the glistering eyes ' Beake Eagle-like backe sable sanguine brest ' White Swan-like wings fierce tallons alwayes prest ' For bloody battles for with these he teares ' Boars Lyons Horses Tigers Buls and Beares The feare of him hath made me quite forget Night Birds and Water Fowles and I as yet Have writ nothing of Peacocks stalking grave Nor mighty Estridge nor the Eagle brave Nor thousands more of famous Birds that be Within the ayre never descry'd by me For hitherto what I have boldly writ Is all but borrowed from more learned wit But this I doe acknowledge is mine owne To fit the Planets and to make it knowne Wherefore they governe every day i' th weeke But on this day I 'm most of all to seeke Why Iupiter should beare such rule and sway To move the Sages place him on this day For he was Saturn's lofty sonne and heire And as a Plannet in his high careere His Tinnen Chariot shod with burning bosses Through twice six signes in twice six twelve moneths crosses He rules o'r Princes Preachers Bishops Priests Judges and those that in deepe Councell sits But as he is a God of th' ayre and sky Therefore I thinke over the birds that fly Our elders plac'd him on this day and so Because his brother Neptune doth not go Among the number of the wandring seav'n Hee hath the power of fishes to him giv'n Now will I praise the Lord for all the good Nourishment we receive from th' ayre and flood From fowles of th' ayre and fishes of the Sea Whose copious choyce and number end leffe be Yet with such food our corps are daily fed And on our tables plentifully spread And I will pray to God that I may learne From fish and fowles that I in them discerne For some are presidents of love and piety Others of prudence and of grave sobriety And lastly I admire Gods wondrous power In peopling this most vast and fearefull bower With such variety of sundry creatures Of admirable kinde and dainty features O Lord I pray grant I may ever sing Thy praise like warbling birds in welcome Spring And that in waters of thy Word I may Delight as fish to swim there night and day And there to learne such knowledge of thy grace That I in glory may finde resting place Where I shall sing a song among the blest And live with God in a perpetuall rest Fryday or dies Veneriâ— ' HAving the last day ventur'd forth so far ' On Neptune's backe through winds and waters war ' I 'll row this stroake the harbour