many Religions with us that we scarce have any These sinnes which gliblie we as water drink Have fil'd the cup of vengeance to the brink Which God kept still and would not give command It should be powred upon Sea and Land By his revenging Ministers but would So order Iustice that Egyptians should Punish Egyptians heare the Prophets tale How the deluding ruine did prevaile In wicked Iorams raine and be bold To say Names changed of Vs the story told Heavens Gates were opend and a Parliament Proclaimd concerning England thither went The Cherubin and Seraphin the Peeres VVhose constant care it is to volve the spheeres Angels Archangels Principalities The Thrones Powers Vertues Dominations these Make the grand Senate and the VVrit Records There 's no Lower House but all of them are Lords The Pursuivants Informers Goalers waite And are attendants when the Kingdomes State At VVestminster Assembles to peach those They vote the Common-weales and Peaces foes To take 'em to their stricter Custodie VVhen 't is thought fit by the grave Committee So the black fiends to their Creators Grace Ingratefull though they forfeited their place In Heaven yet when like consultations are Approach the sacred Court but stand off far From glories throne and answer questions made Touching the lives of men with whom they trade For did not Satan fully speak his sence When God demanded of Iobs innocence The Synod sat and the Assembly fild Though Heaven is alwayes full Iehovah wild One of the Cherubs to relate the Cause Of their Convokement After some short pause A volume is produced which begins And ends with the relation of our sins And every page was blotted every line With faults of Peter Paul Iohn Iames thine mine And all were true should they have been deni'd The Devills would them all have justifi'd There was alledg'd we drink the Dutch downe whore More then the Spaniard not releive the poore All our dissemblings and hypocrisies Thefts cheating swearing cursing blasphemies How we Religion out the Kingdome fright When for opinions and our sects we fight Corruptions in the practise of our lawes How many injust Verdicts and the Cause By bribes or favour thrives A letter can Corrupt a Iudge undoe an honest man The Tribe of Levi stand before the Bar But as their Acts i' th high Commission are Examin'd some good Angels undertake Next Parliament should with them order take Th' inditement being at last fully read out The Court was silent and all lookd about No Advocate stood up and if there had Been some defendant our Cause was so bad No Rhetorick could availe God does demand How he shall chastise this transgressing Land The Angels being all mercy would not speak When a rude multitude of Devills break Into the Conclave and their ready aide Offering advise some forraign foe invade The Land as had the Danes and Saxons done And Bastard William the whole Kingdome wonne But others judge too slow this punishment Therefore think best a pestilence should be sent And in a moment many thousands kill And hell with soules the grave with bodies fill A meaguer Elve whose thin jawes downwards fall His teeth appeare his cheeks no flesh at all But skin and bones like some anatomie You see in Chirurgeons Hall requests that he May be chiefe actour in this businesse and He would bring Egypts famine on the Land And this might seem their fitter punishment Whom wealth and plenty had made insolent 'Midst these debates from the Abisse of hell VVhere constant horrour and confusion dwell A furie came who flying through the ayre VVith smoake and flashes and with thunder tare Huge Rocks asunder blasted the green corn Gave death to blossomes kild the fruit new born The ruddie tincture from the Roses fled The purple violet hung downe his head The Heliotrope enamor'd of the Sun Fearing his love was lost the world undone Dreading now only an eternall shade Pluckt in his glorious colours and decay'd Natures vast frame forgets the pristine state And all her creatures turn retrogradate So have I seen the boisterous blasts conspire VVith angry heaven and the Aetherean fire By furious whirlwinds and tempestuous weather To dammage the whole Vniverse together And as the Monster mounted on his way Towards Heaven the Sun forgetting it was day Vnable or afraid t' endure the fight Puts out his glorious Taper and made night The Fiend arriv'd at the Olympian Gates Crav'd audience and admittance of the States Our sins gave easie entrance only sinne Can make the Devill ground on mortals winne Admitted backward from his threatning front He twirld the Serpent that hung dangling on 't And with a hideous Roare uttered these words You Citizens of Sion and blest Lords Constant possessours of that Grace and roome VVhich we have lost by Heavens severest doome You much deliberate and of your Consults VVhat other benefit but delay results Have you resolved that the British Land Merits chastisement Does your pleasure stand It shall be punisht Leave the manner how And meanes to me only doe you allow Nor sword nor plague nor famine but all these By my invention shall bring miseries More then enough upon this Isle I aske Commission grant it then be it my taske To act the Minister of Vengeance VVayes I have innumerable since Adams dayes I have couversed with his Of-spring can Tell Arts how to inveigle foolish Man Make him trrnsgresse the precepts of his God Violate all Lawes then whip him with a Rod Sharper then Scorpions bound up by himselfe The Court amaz'd at what the Stygian Elâ—e Had boasted bid him tell the manner how Hee 'd act it they would his designes allow Nor should he doubt of their most firm assent It should be voted in the Parliament Hell and the Devils capred at these words And with a hushing murmure thankt the Lords The Fiend erected with such ample Ieave Vnfolds how he would his inventions weave I 'le strait about the Isle my progresse make And with me for my fit associates take Suspition Anger Hatred Discontent Murmure dislike at present Government Envy and Rancour Feares and Iealousies Open detractions more close calumnies Conspiracie Rebellion alwayes quaking For feare to be surpriz'd Treason still waking To doe a mischiefe Griping penury Dogging at the heeles of prodigality Ambitious hopes to raise what is decaid And what Peace cannot purchase by the blade These I 'le disperse through the whole Kingdome and Make Sons against their Fathers Brothers band Against their Brothers when good Abell slain Fell down I at the elbow stood of Cain Such industries I have I can set strife 'Twixt freind and dearest freind man and his wife The Nobles Commons Gentrie I l'e inflame With such dire furies that the very name Of Peace shall be detested Death and blood To Nobles Gentry and the multitude Shall be most deare with violence they shall break Ope Ianus Temple and the Drum shall speak In every Village warre the
THE SAD CONDITION OF A Distracted Kingdome Expressed IN A FABLE OF PHILO THE JEW Exempla credntur Quae socci superant risum luctumque Cothurni Claudian LONDON Printed by B. A. 1645. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE ALGERNON Earle of Northumberland PHILIP Earle of Pembroke and Montgomerie Right Honourable THE Authour of this Fable in his own Age and in succeeding times was ever by the ripest wits esteemed learned eloquent and ingenious I am confident your Honours impartiall Iudgements will censure my expressions upon Philoes invention ingenuous and harmlesse these are the issue of some spare houres in these miserable times exposed to the world under your Honours protection unto whom the Author professeth himself a Most humble servant A. RIVERS To the right Honourable Algernon Percie Earle of Northumberland c. MY LORD SO many glorious titles crowne Your Noble Stemme as easily they put down Great Romes Aemilians Scipio's Fabio's whose One single Tribe adventured to oppose Themselves their Cities Wall and with their bloud Preserve Rome from the innumerous Multitude Of Veiaâ—s How oft have our Ancestours Seen and extold like Piety of Yours How many Victories have the PERCIES got What Trophies reard of the subdued SCOT How many of your Martiall Linage are In FAMES BOOK written Thunderbolts of VVAR Who with HEROICK Actions adde new Grace To Charlemain's MARTELLVS PEPINS race From whom you are discendants and we know How much GRADIVUS and the MVSES owe To your Progenitours and dare rehearse Our better VOVVES and SERVICES in verse Be Greatest FABIVS be great ALGERNON And emulate your PERCIES CRESCENT MOON Shewre down your influence make our clouded night By your wise Counsailes then the day more bright Your Honours humble Servant A RIVERS The Fable of PHILO the JEW Amplified TAE ARGUMENT PHILO the most learned and eloquent amongst the Jewes recites a very pleasant and witty Storie Namely that God after he had with singular art and wisedome created the Vniverse commanded the Angels to tell him what they thought of the Work and workmanship And that one of those blessed Spirits with much freedome answered that in his judgement there wanted as a complement to so exquisite an opifice a strong Voice very audible and penetrating which without intermission passing from one corner of the Earth to the other should be the continuall Trumpet of Gods praise and preach even to the most ignorant his supream wisedome and ineffable skill in the production of the very least and most contemptible Creatures This ingenious Fable of Philo is the Argument and gave occasion to the following Treatise And though there are those and not unlearned who judge it too much to savour of the Pedagogue when Authors are quoted yet we think we shall give authority to our lines if we expresse the grounds of our invention and from whence we fetch and to what direct our Allusions WHo gave himself existence gave us all The being that we have ordered this Ball We trample with a word and without sweat Gave essence and existence to the great And lesser Creatures and requir'd no more Materials pre-existent then a poore Nothing and thence with an all potent hand First made then perfected Fire Ayre Sea Land Nor is the worke by patterne but he takes Himselfe and of his worke th' Idea makes VVhen did God make those intellective Peeres Guardians of Mankind Guiders of the Spheres Le ts reckon every imaginarie Age Before they undertook the Pupillage Of Adams Orphans or shall we agree As parcels of large Natures Machin he Gave them Coevall being How e're wee 'l joyne In this the workmanship was most divine Did he suite Heaven with a more glorious Robe Then is the garment of our Earthly Globe Is the stuffe other then of things below Or an extracted Quintessence be 't so Or what it will we are sure with singular Art God finished and polisht every part And viewing all as in a maze he stood And with much Complacence pronounc't all 's Good VVhen Babels frantick Architects intend Their Tower should as Heavens Pallaces ascend God goes i' th sacred Triads Companie To view what this presumptuous work should bee And disallowing their transcendent Pride He stayes the work and workmen doth divide So many Ages past attended by His glorious Courtiers he Commands them eye And curiously observe the worlds vast frame Then tell him what was wanting in the same For he had heard although he let it passe How Momus had desir'd a looking glasse Should in the brest of man be plac't to show VVhat were his inward thoughts that all might know VVhose ends were crooked whose pretensions right Discern the just man from the Hypocrite A fond request and contrary to that VVhich when man formed was God leveld at For he created Men with libertie In will and action and if all should see VVhat are the deep designes at which they aime Both action and invention would be lame As Moyses from Mount Nebo viewd the soile Of Fertile Chanaan which by warlike toile The Tribes must gaine and with their weapons meet Those Regions which must make their warfare sweet So in a Moment helpt with glories light These Angels have presented to their sight The Universe the Heavens the Earth the Seas And whatsoever is containd in these In Heaven they see an immense Amplitude And spatious Tabernacles for the Good VVho imitating Angels and by Grace Vanquish the ill with good shall have a place The many Orbes are objects of their sight The fixt and wandring Tapers of the Night VVee 'l not believe but they both see and know VVhat distance is 'twixt Heaven and us below Should I tell you that some huge Milstone hurld From th' highest Heaven to th' Center of the world VVould aske twice threescore yeares 'fore it descend To the said Centre and his journie end And wee 'l allow for every hower the while It is in motion at least forty mile Then guesse what distance is 'twixt Heaven and us By the swift motion of this ponderous Descendant Spake I so you 'le laugh and say How know you this or who hath rid the way How many are the stages with the Sun VVho took post horse and through the Zodiack run The Angels know this truth yet in lesse time Then one short hour a soul that 's pure can climbe To th' top of the Empyrean Heavens such force And expedition hath a vertuous course Of life Our Angels with amazement viewd The flaming Sun still burning nere renewed Who by the lending of his glorious light Or the with-holding measures day and night 'T is strange so vast a Body every day And every night should travail so much way As from the East to West and then return To make another journey the next morn We daily see 't and therefore make it light Because it is so daily in our sight Whose hand but the Almighties can sustain Those Magazines of Snow of Hail of Rain i th'
Rurall swaine Shall leave his tillage Shepheards leave the plaine The Prentice shall forget what doe you lack And joy to March with iron on his back The Murrion on his head And to advance The common cause with Gun with sword with launce The Citizen weary of rest lay down The Robe of Peace his gracefull livery gown Exchange security for doubtfull warres And deem it honour to return with scarres From the unnaturall conflict women shall Animate their husbands by the sword to fall Wives VViddowes Virgins freely give their gold And with their Iewels bloody strifes uphold Though by the warre no other good they reap Then to make VViddowes VVives and Virgins cheap Men easily numbred VViddowes shall be rife And no great businesse then to get a wife Midst these combustions turmoiles the Glebe Land Shall unmanured and untilled stand The plough shall be neglected and the corn By th' horse hoofe trampled fade before full born 'T is fit for sickle Graziers sell away Their beasts lest kept they prove the souldiers pray Then want and griping penury shall kill The wretches that survive and Church-yards fill VVith starved corps what warre and famine leave Contagious pestilence shall of life bereave So warre plague famine in a league shall joyne To serve you and performe what I designe The glorious Senate of the starry Hall Voted allowance and confirmed all The Fiend demanded So the sacred Court Dissolves and every Burges does resort To his happy mansion all the furies play And hell triumphing keeps a holy day For when their Rivall man suffers annoy They have some slight but momentary joy The Parliament thus ended now begins Our misery and we may thank our sins Or rather curse 'em that have brought these woes On England made our selves domestick foes Vnto our selves No fights with France and Spaine Though we successive warfare with those twaine Have lately wagde issued so large a flood As these uncivill broyles of English blood One onely Sidney slaine i' th Belgck fights But numbers numberlesse of Lords and Knights Have perisht in these Conflicts Let us look VVith gushing eyes on Linsey Daubeny Brook Northampton Denbigh Greenvill Grandison Should we count all when would the list be done Nor can the Conquerour true Trophees raise As mournfull Cipres not triumphant baies Become the victour whose felicity Is purchast with his Countries misery Great Rome abhor'd any triumphant Car Should grace successes of a Civill VVar VVhere so much blood as might whole Regions get Pollutes the Chariot and the Consuls seat Have we no doubts of Holland France and Spaine Are the Irish quiet No hopes to regain The Electorall rights Or will we not That we So prodigall in mutuall murthers be Our England is a shambles our selves keep The Butchershop and are our selves the sheep And when at last we almost all are slain VVho'l keep us safe from Holland France and Spain But wee 'l leave England weltring in its blood Permit Leviathan in the Ocean flood To range and folowing our main intent Lift up our eyes to'th spangled firmament Where we shall see the Angels who survaid By Gods command the Fabrick which he made Having past Heaven the Ayre the Sea the Land At fight of the Ant in admiration stand Are there not other objects to delight The Angels contemplation Does the sight Of fierce Martichora deterre their view Dare they not eye him as he does pursue Both Man and Beast This horrid Monster made By our Step mother Nature to invade And murther Mortals seems a subject more Worthy their admiration then the poore Emmet VVhat in his little compound can In them breed wonder when 't doth not in Man But whose more curious pen had yet the power Rightly to character the Martichore His formidable shape strength that exceeds The greatest Lyons parched Africk breeds Body proportioned like that royall Beast That awes the Forrest Monarck of the rest The head and face O strange just like the head And face of Man the skin a Tinto red Two slambewes for the eyes the eye lids flush Of brisled haire resembles Moyses bush Still burning not consuming Eares nor long Nor short tide with a crisped thong Are still erect His mouth stands open'd wide Three rowes of Teeth like Combes on either side Insinuate a new Hell that every houre Consume yet alwayes covet to devoure Then in his brushie Taile the wondrous strength In magnitude a Cubit three in length With which as some stor'd Magazine well arm'd He enters battaile and with fury warm'd Assailes the Huntsmen who pursue him and Disdaining to be chased makes a stand And as the Porcupine or Ostrich throwes His piercing darts amongst his thickest foes So Roman Legions the swift Parthians dread VVhen as pursu'd retreating they make head Against their following foes and dare assaile VVith winged shafts flying as stormes of haile 'Midst the condensed Brigades In such guise The inraged Monster with much fury eyes VVhere he shall shoot then with innumerous store Of forked Iavelins his pursuers gore The Taile his Quiver and his Bow which he Can mannage with such rare dexteritie This way that way backwards and forwards bend On every side his dangerous arrowes send That no side is secure more he will take His very nailes and of them weapons make Then the bird swifter he swifter then winde VVho ever chac'd him but was left behind Miles nor demensions cannot hinder him Come to broad Rivers hee 'l leap o're not swim If any Creature would the Angels move To wonder here would be a Theame above The silly Ant. Fond mortall so speak I But they are better furnisht to descry The artifice of the best Makers hand And at his workmanship amazed stand They see the Causes joynd with the effects VVe see the Creatures and make them the Text Of some short wonder but not mount so high As to the Cause one onely Deitie Who only could in his al-knowing mind The true Idea that showes every kind Of Creatures first their Natures represent Vnto himselfe then being omnipotent Existence give store them with qualities VVhich passe the ignorant amaze the wise This this eternall Mover had a will In the small Ant to shew his infinite skill And it shall be our better Muses charge To speake the Angels wonderment at large And thinke the subject well deserves our Rimes When th' Oracles of Learning and their times Bazil and Ierome what a paire of men On the like Theame imploy'd their sacred pen 'T is certain there 's some more extensive Art I' th' Fabrick of the World then of a Part. Yet as much skill to make a Gnat or Flye As to create the ninefold Hierarchy Why so Cannot an Actor merit praise I' th' Idiots part as well as he that playes The haughty Monarch and at every straine Expresses Pompey or great Tamerlane According to the bulke we value not The Artists skill but truly estimate Him perfect in his opifice when he Makes his expressions just