the hearts of Men that all the land Shall cry a Solomon and sweetly stand Rapt with sweet Peace and sacred admiration How happy is that land how blest the Nation CAP. II. 1 Directions for Charity 7 Death in life 9 and the day of judgement in the days of youth are to be thought on Vers. 1. VPon the waters let thy bread be cast And thou shalt find it when some dayes are past 2. Give lib'rall Almes for it 's unknown to thee How full of wants thy after days shall be 3. If clouds be full will they deny to powr Their fruitfull blessings in a lib'rall show'r Or North or South or wheresoere the Tree Shall fall no question it shall fall to thee 4. He that observes the winde shall never sow Who marks the clouds shall never reap nor mow 5. Like as the Embryo's growth within their wombs Is strange to thee and how the soul becomes The bodies inmate ev'n so all the rest Of Heav'ns high works are strangers to thy brest 6. Cast thou thy morning seed upon the land And at the evening hold not back thy hand For who is he can tell thee which of these Shall prosper best or bring the best encrease 7. 'T is true the light is sweet and every one Takes pleasure in the world-rejoycing Sunne 8. But who lives many joyfull years if he But count how long his after shades shall be In earths dark bosome how can he refrain To think these short-liv'd flattering pleasures vain 9. Rejoyce ô young man in thy youthfull ways Let thy heart cheer thee in thy youthfull days Delight thine eyes thy heart and take thy way But know that heavens accompt will find a day 10. Then banish fals-ey'd mirth Be dispossest Of those lewd fires that so inflame thy brest For childhood youth and all their joyes remain But for a season and they all are vain SOLILOQUIE XI SO now my soul thy wisdome-season'd brest May eat and drink and labour and digest Thy carefull morsels and with holy mirth Disperse the clouds of melancholy earth Now maist thou sit beneath thy clustred Vine And presse thy Grapes and drinke thy frolick wine In soft and plenteous Peace and leave tomorrow To bear the burden of her selfe-borne sorrow Now maist thou walk secure from all those threats Of peevish Fortune and the sly deceits Of flattering pleasure Plenty cannot drown Thine eyes in mirth nor misery cast thee down If the blew Rafters of the falling skies Should leave their spangled Mansion and surprise Thy feeble strength well may their ruines smite thee And grinde thy clod to dust but not affright thee What want'st thou then my soul that may augment The reall happinesse of a true content What vertue 's wanting now whose absence may Encourage bold-fac'd vanity to betray Thy even-spunne dayes to sorrow or occasion Thy fair-contriv'd designes to tast vexation Wouldst thou have Honor thou enjoy'st it Treasure Thou hast it wouldst thou gain the greater pleasure Of a true noble Spouse whose life may show Vertues rare quintessence Thou hast that too Wouldst thou have hopefull Sonnes to crown thy Last With Peace and Honour Such rare Sonnes thou hast Thy Princes favour Or thy peoples love All this thou hast Wisdome in things above Thou hast it Knowledge in these Toyes beneath Thou hast it Skill in th' Arts or curious breath Of whispering State All this thou hast Where then Shall thy new wishes â—ix Rare Man of men I but my soul one good is wanting still To summe a full perfection and to fill Thy Cruise with happinesse which if possest Thou hast a Diademe crownes all the rest Hadst thou the tongues of men and couldst thou break Thy lips in Oracles Or couldst thou speak The dialects of Angels when they sing Their sacred Canzons to their Soveraign King A tinkling Cymball or the hideous sounds Of discomposed discords or the Rounds Of frolick midnight madnesse would requite Thy wild attention with as much delight And breathe as sweetly in the Almighties eare If heart-rejoycing Charity be not there Hadst thou what strength the Parnassean Muse Can blesse thy fancy with or heaven infuse Hadst thou a Faith to make the mountaines fly In the vast Orbe like Atomes in thine eye Lesse then those Atomes would thy faith appear If faith-confirming Charity be not there Shouldst thou to purchase heaven renounce thy Right Of all thy goods and turne an Anchorite Or should thy courage to deserve the name Of Martyr give thy body to the flame When that blood pleads heaven will not lend an eare If heav'n-engaging Charity be not there Since then my soul both Faith and Works lie dead If Charity fail be wise and cast thy bread Upon the Waters As the Waters runne Deal thou thy dole untill thy dole be done Man is Gods Husbandry If then the Plough Of carefull want hath struck the furrow'd Brow And make it fit for seed Hold not thy hand He robs himself that faintly sows the Land Stay not for showres The soile if overflowne Will drown thy seed-corn and return thee none Let not some weeds discourage thee to sow The Plough will root them up or if they grow Too sturdy for the Coulters point to kill Fear not thy harvest A hard Winter will Cast not lank grain upon too lean a ground Fair Crops from off all Corn are rarely found Sow closely what thou sow'st and least in sight The eyes of Doves will make thy harvest light But stay Thou mayst surcharge as well as sterve The soile But wise men know what seed will serve Thy work thus wisely done what then remains Give Heav'n the glory and expect the Gains CAP. XII 1 The Creatour is to be remembred in due time 8 The Preachers care to edifie 13 The fear of God is the chief Antidote of vanity REmember thy Creator in thy prime Of present youth before the black-mouth'd time Of sullen age approach before the day Thy dying pleasures find a dull decay 2. Before the Sun and Moon and Stars appear Dark in thy Microcosmall Hemisphear 3. Before the Clouds of sorrows multitiply And hide the Chrystall of the gloomy sky Before the Keepers of thy crazy Tow'r Be palsie-striken and thy men of pow'r Sink as they march and grinders cease to grind Distastfull bread and windows are grown blind 4. Then shall the Castles two-leafd gates be barr'd When as the Milstones language is not heard The horn-mouth Belman shal affright thy sluÌ„bers Thy untun'd ear shall loath harmonious numbers 5. Each obvious mole-hill shall encrease thy fears And carefull snow shall blanch thy falling hairs A fly shall load thy shoulders Thy desire And all thy bed-rid passions shall expire Pale death 's at hand and mourners come to meet Thy tear-bedabled fun'rals in the street 6. Then shall the sinews silver cord be los'd Thy brains gold bowle be broke The undispos'd And idle liver 's fountain dri'd The blouds Meandring Cisterns unsuppli'd 7. Then shall the
and made authentick by the sword What vent'rous tongue dare question or demand The least account from his illustrious hand 5. Whose loyall brests observe the Laws of Kings Shall never know the grief Rebellion brings The wisemans heart knowes times and judgment too Not only when to speak but what to doe 6. For ther 's to every purpose among men A judgement how to doe a season when Which if mistaken or not understood Brings so much mis'ry upon flesh and blood 7. For man is ignorant of what may fall And who is he can tell him when it shall 8. No man hath power to prolong his breath Or make him shot-free in the day of death There 's no retreat in that sad warre nor can Mans wickednesse preserve the wicked man 9. All this have I observed and have given My heart to note each action under Heaven There was a time when th' oppressors arme Opprest his brother to th' oppressors harme 10. So have I seene grave Judges but unjust That sat in judgement honor'd to the dust Which hid their crimes these seemed to obtain Some happinesse This happinesse is vain 11. Because a present sentence is not past Upon the wicked their dull hearts at last Grow quite obdure resolv'd and fully bent To act what evll's their greedy lusts present 12. Put case the sinner multiply his Crime And his long dayes ev'n rust the Sithe of Time Yet well I know they only shall be blest That sear th' Almighty with a filiall brest 13. I but the wicked shall not scape secure Though he live long he shall not long endure But like a shadow shall his dayes appeare Because he fear'd not whom he ought to feare 14. There is a vanity raigns here below I see the wise man reap what sinners sow And sinners share when just men sow the seed This Grief said I all other Griefs exceed 15. Then prais'd I mirth and held it the best choice Beneath the sun to eat and to rejoyce For this is all the good this all the gains Is like to chear our days and crown our pains 16. But when I set my busie heart to know Wisdome and heav'ns strange working here below For day and night my studyes did deny Sleep to mine eye-lids slumbers to mine eye 17. O then I found his works beneath the sun Past finding out my fruitlesse thoughts did run This heav'nly maze till they at length concluded Mans wit stoops here here wisdom stands deluded SOLILOQUIE VIII BUt stay my soul What language does appear Am I deceiv'd Or did I seem to hear Which Tenet shal I baulk And which imbrace Hath Truth like Janus got a double face Did not that voice that voted Wisdome vain But very now now cry it up againe Shall what was late condemn'd as a disease Now prove a Remedy Such slips as these Are brands of humane frailty which belong To us and ours It well be seems our tongue To contradict and jangle Error 's known By many faces Truth admits but one How haps it then that wisdome whose encrease Adds to our Grief yet crowns our dayes with peace Be not deceiv'd my soul Let not one Name Confound two Natures and make two the same Shall Names give Natures Dare thy tongue professe An equall priviledge to Curse and Blesse For one Names sake No my deluded soul Sooner may Light and Darknese Fair and Foul Sooner may Good and Evill nay Heaven and Hell May sooner startle from their Parallel And turn Joynt-tenants in one perfect Line Then these two Wisdomes Humane and Divine That breeds a Tumor in the flatuous brest This lays it That brings trouble and This rest That kindles fires and those fires encrease To self-contention This concludes a Peace That duls the thoughts supprest with low desires This mounts thy soule with more heroick fires That cannot brook the transitory frown Of Fortunes brow This makes a Crosse a Crown That fils thy hopes with froth and blurs thy youth With black-mouth'd Error This directs to Truth That scorns advice and like an own-selfe Lover Befools thee But this honors the Reprover That fears and flees or fals at every breath Of discontent This triumphs even in death That breaks Relations and for private ends Dissolves Allegeance and disbands true friends This loves society cals not Mine but Ours Yeilds due obedience to superior Pow'rs That prickt by Passion rushes into crimes This backt with Reason councels with the Times That gives the name of Power This the thing That makes a Tyrant This creates a King That lights thy Honor fading like a blaze This crowns thy Name with everlasting dayes That breeds a Serpent This brings forth a Dove That works a servil fear This filiall love That deads thy spirit This makes thee wisely bold That scowres thy Brass But this refines thy Gold That fills thy Feast with Cares with fears thy Breast This makes thy morsell a perpetuall Feast That cools thy Palate but inflames thy fire This slakes thy Thirst and satiates thy desire O then my soul correct that flesh and blood That blinds thee so and like a gloomy Cloud Thus interposes and obscurely flyes Betwixt the sacred object and thine eyes Clear up my soul and like the eye of day Chastise that peccant darknesse and display Those mists of earth which like false Glasses shew Fanatick figures and present thy view With specious objects precious in esteem Alas but nothing lesse then what they seem Then shall the wisdome of that scarlet Whore And all her bald-pate Panders painted o're With counterfaited Holinesse appear In her true colours so that every ear That hears her base Impostures and the fame Of her lewd Piety shall abhorre the Name Of bloudy Rome Then shall the spotted Beast Put off her golden Trappings and undrest Of all her glory be turn'd out to graze In uncouth deserts and consume her dayes With Dragons Tigers and those salvage things Now pamper'd with the bloud of Saints and Kings O then the crooked Paths of Error fraud And Candle-light devotion trim'd and straw'd With sweet-lipt Roses shall appear as plain As tide-forsaken Rocks along the Main Then shall true wisdome like fair Sheba's Queen Begin her royall Progresse and now seen In perfect Beauty shall erect her Throne In every breast and every Solomon Shall court her Glory and intranc'd in pleasure Shall smell her spices and divide her treasure CAP. IX 1 Like things happen to good and bad 4. There is a necessity of death unto men 7 Comfort is all their portion in this Iife 11 Gods providence ruleth over all 13 Wisdome is better then strength Vers. 1. ALL this I ponder'd and at length I found All actions whether just or wise are crown'd By secret providence And no man knows Gods love or hate by blessings or by blows 2. All haps alike to all The same things doe Befall the righteous and th' unrighteous too Th' unclean and clean have here the self-same pay And he
Corrupt and putrefy the purest Oil Ev'n so a little folly stains his fame Whom fair Repute for wisdome lends a name 2. A wise mans heart is plac'd at his right hand His plots and councels are of strong command But hearts of fools are weak and rash bereft Of sage advice their hearts are at their left 3. Nay if their steps but measure out the way Their Garb their Looks their Language do betray Their folly read by whomsoere they meet Themselves proclaim their selves in ev'ry street 4. If thy Superior happen to incense His jealous wrath at thy suppos'd offence Doe thou thy part and yeild for yeilding slakes The raging flame that great transgression makes 5. I see an ev'll beneath the Sun that springs From error reigning in the breasts of Kings 6. Fools are made Statesmen command at Court And men of parts are made the lower sort 7. So have I seen proud servants mounted high On Lordly Steeds and Lords to lackey by 8. He that shall dig a pit that shall prepare A snare shall be ensnar'd in his own snare And he that tramples down a hedge shall meet A Serpent to salute his trampling feet 9. He that shall shake a stone-compacted wall Shall undergoe the danger of the fall Who undertakes to cleave the knotty Oak Shall be a painfull partner in the stroak 10. But if th' unwhetted edge be blunt the arm Must give more strength so receive more harm But if he challenge wisdome for his guide Wisdome will doe what painfull strength deni'd 11. The rash reproving mouth of fools are arm'd Like unenchaunted serpents if not charm'd 12. The wise mans words are gracious where they go But foolish language doth themselves o'rethrow 13. Folly brings in the Prologue with his tongue Whose Epilogue is Rage and open wrong 14. The fool abounds in tongue there 's none can know What his words mean or what he means to doe 15. The tedious actions of a fool doth try The patience of the weary stander by Because his weaknesse knows not how to lay His actions posture in a Civill way 16. Woe to the Land whose Princes wisdome swayes The Scepter in the nonage of her dayes And whose grave Rulers that should haunt the seat Of sacred Justice rise betime to eat 17. Blessed art thou ô Land when as thy King Derives his royall blood from th' ancient spring Of Majesty and Rulers timely diet Serves to maintain their strength not their riot 18. By too much slothfulnesse the building fals Into decay and ruine strikes her wals And through the sluggish posture of his hand The weather-beaten house forgets to stand 19. Who eats and drinks and frolicks uncontrol'd Maintaining riot with his wanton gold 20. Curse not the King nor them that bear the sword No not in thought tho thought express no word The fowls of heav'n shall vent such hideous things And swift Report shall fly with secret wings SOLILOQUIE X. BUt ah my soul How closely folly cleaves To slesh blood How mungrell nature weaves Wisdome and folly in the self-same Loome Like webbe and woof whereby they both become One perfect webbe to cloath our imperfections With Linsy-woolsy and our mixt affections With foolish wisdome O how full of earth Was our first Ore which at our sinfull birth Was taken from the Womb Now purifi'd In sacred Fires and more then seven times tri'd In sharp afflictions furnace yet how base Our Bullion is not worthy of the Face That makes us currant O how apt and prone Is flesh and blood to fall if let alone But one poor Minute Most in danger then To be surpriz'd and foyl'd with Folly when Our bold Presumption tempts our thoughts to prise Our wisdoms over-much and seeme too wise How one rash action O how one dead Flie Embalm'd in thy sweet Oyle does putrefie Thy Box of Spikenard How it casts a shame Upon the beauty of thy honour'd Name O then my soul take heed to keep thy heart At thy right hand There there she will impart Continuall secrets and direct thy wayes In sacred Ethicks sweetning out thy dayes With season'd Knowledge knowledge past the reach Of black-mouth'd Error shall instruct and teach Thy tongue wise silence Wisedome when to break Thy closed lips and Iudgement how to speak Shee 'l teach thee Christian Policy and how To keep thee safe when as thy Princes brow Shall threaten death even when the flame shall flye Like horrid Lightning from his wrathfull Eye I but the rage of Princes oftentimes Darts Lightning at the Person not his Crimes And their misguided will oft times demands Obedience there where Conscience countermands Take heed my soul Thou tread'st upon the Ice Be not too vent'rous here nor too too nice Rush not too bold thou mayst as soon convince An Error in thy Conscience as thy Prince To lay commands upon indâ—fferent things Is a sole Royalty belongs to Kings If here thy conscience doubt the Book of Life Must cast the balance and decide the strife If this way thy enforc'd obedience then Must stoop If that Please rather God then men If th' Embers of his rage should chance to lye Rak'd up or furnace from his angry eye Quit not thy duty 'T is thy part t' asswage The jealous flames of his consuming rage What if through Error or misguided will He leaves the way to Good and cleaves to Ill Lend him thy Prayers Lament advise perswade Lift not thy hand nor let thy tongue upbraid His sacred Person Hee 's by heav'n appointed To be thy Prince O touch not heav'ns Anointed What if he lend the fulnesse of his pow'r To those imperious Spirits that devour Subjects like bread and drink the loyall blood Of men like water men not once allow'd To plead for life but silently subscribe To those that cannot judge without a Bribe What if his power pleases to commit His past'rall staffe to such as are more fit To kill and eat or recommend his flocks To such dum dogs of whom nor wolfe nor fox Will stand in awe or shew their feares by flight That have not tongues to bark nor teeth to bite Rebell not thou nor in a hostile way Accoast thy Prince Or suffer or obey What if the Common Favorite of the times The Courtly Fool grown great with count'nance climes Up to a Lordship when the Man of merit Broke on the wheel of Fortune must inherit Nothing but scorn and want and a poor name Betraid to pity and to empty Fame Be thou thy self let not thine eye be evill To a wise heart both hils and dales are levell How happy is that land how blest the Nation Whose Prince directs by Power not by Passion Whose sacred wisdome knowes how great a price True vertue beares and how to punish Vice Whose royall Majesty and princely love Can both incorporate and joyntly move In a self glorious Orbe and from one Sphear Breathe such rare influence of love and fear Into