a Drunkard reeles Stopt by so many nor can he get far So vigilant the Interlopers are Here he falls there he rises makes a stand And stand he must whilst they with their black band Assault on all sides and the eager hounds Following the chase inflict many slight wounds VVhich multiplyed prove fatall he must yeild At last who 'gainst a Myriad fights a field VVas it Achilles or his Myrmidons That slew the first and best of Priams sonnes 'T is certaine Hector was the better Knight But what one man can with a thousand fight Pharaoh is plagu'd with multitude of Flyes And Caesar prickt with many bodkins dies The battaile done and having got the day They busied are how to dispose the prey The slaughtred corps for winter must provide Therefore with skill their Stations they divide Heave at the carcasse here there every where And by degrees to their dark Cavernes beare So stones of ponderous weight we often see Carried with art and like dexterity To repaire Paules And if the putrifi'd Corps shall annoy their Garners not well dri'd VVith the same skill they bring it forth again Expose to the ayre to heate to cold to raine Vntill at last 't is season'd and made good Then carry it back to make their winter food Of which they are so carefull that no weather Shall hinder them their winter crop to gather And shame our souldiers that goe out to plunder And having got a petty booty under Some Taverne or poore Alehouse roofe devoure Their naughtily gotten prey in one short houre Emmets no more then men immortall are But sometimes die yet with more pious care Then many men they shall be buryed And obsequies performed to the dead Vnlesse you see Sir Richard and the Knave His Clarke the Sexton that shall dig the grave Keep your dead bodies of them Mummie make No needy soules will churlish Charon take For passengers into his leaking boate That are not able to defray their groat How many vertues in our Emmets shine VVhat providence what piety what divine Religion how much charity to men As they dig Treasures out the Minerals then Hide them in holes with much sollicitude Not avaritious but for mankinds good For know amongst the Northerne Indians are A race of Ants more great more fit for warre Then these with us yet qualifi'd as these With the same graces the same industries These as laborious as the others spare No Summer travaile but with serious care Fill Granaries with corne and in the spring And Autumne daily Ammunition bring Against the winter nor then will they rest But digging i' th earths bowels where the best Silver and gold lie hid take out the Ore And in their Cells the precious mettalls store And knowing how much damage gold doâ—s man Hoard up and hide with all the care they can That strong supporter of uncivill â—arres Treasons reward that sinewes of the warres That implement of pride and lawlesse pleasures Ambitions nurse suckled by golden treasures What made great Walstein aime to be a King But golden Rivers and a silver spring The fomenters and hatchers of all evill The best deserving vassalles of the Devill As Caesars Generall Villages and Townes He plundered Nobles Citizens and Clownes And got such summes that nothing could content His swelling spirits but regall government What has man got by all the Indian pelfe But many talents to undoe himselfe Our England Ireland Italy France Spaine Dane Polak German had sufficient gaine Before we understood what Inguts were But when we had full Carracks of them there Stept in ambition and deep Policie Aimes at an Europian Monarchie Encourag'd and supported by that plate That comes from Peru a most easie gate To enter Kingdomes did not Philips Asse At any time through any City passe Where the sword could not then the world combines And strong against the house of Austria joynes VVhy was the Spaniard rich why did he bring The gold from India to undoe his King 'T was Charles the fifts wise word wars had not been So long in Europe had not Christians seen So much of Spanish gold Monarkes defray Out their own stock Rebellious souldiers pay As Philip did and Philips sonne hath lost The Netherlanders yet was at the cost To loose 'em And sad warre shall never cease Either by Conquest or a happy Peace So long as King and States find any Coyne To maintaine warre The Chieftaines shall combine On either side here they shall loose gaine there This yeare the States shall winne the King next yeare The pay-masters defraud the Captains they Cheat with false musters them and of their pay The souldiers All the Mines of Potasie Cannot content the avarice of these three Else how should they maintaine themselves how keep Their wenches goe so gallant play drink deep Meane while the Nobles Peasants Citizens Fast and doe pennance for the souldiers sins But now a mighty inundation comes Vpon the Hesperean Monark ' as his summes Exhausted every smaller Bird resumes His propper feathers from the Austrian plumes The Pythagorean Schollers dare divine And Monarchies and Common-weales consigne To some fixt space which ended they decay And in their Empires others beare the sway Revolve the Chronicles sixe vultures flow On either side of Romulus to shew Rome should six hundreth yeares like some new Moon Be still augmenting and those ages run Six hundreth yeares Rome daily should goe downe Vntill at last shee lost the Imperiall Crowne Let us come nearer Meronius Race Shall rule two hundreth thirty eight yeares space Then Pepin and his Martialists shall come And inthroniz'd accomplish the same summe VVhich made compleat nor past they are cast downe And Capet Valois Burbon weare the Crown Are times expired are the moments run Must the Hesperean Monarchy be done Must other Nations in his Empire come Give Lawes to more then halfe our Christendome Great Richelieu that Cardinall of France VVith Spaines destruction striving to advance The French affaires as Vindex roules a stone Likely to justle Caesar out his Throne This haughty Prelate like the Ivie growes About the Mother Queen and overthrowes The Tree which gave him strength So many rise By those of whom they make a sacrifice VVe daily see so much preferd by her To th' King and sworne a Privy Counsellour As Hannibal vowes an eternall hate Against the Spaniard and chiefe Potentate Of Germany Can such soules that should be The Thrones of Love Temples of Lenitie Conceive such fires can Church-men who should breath The Oracles of Peace speak blood and death And make our world a new Calvaria fild With skuls of Gentry and Plebeians kild Nay one great Monark to supply a roome Vouchsafes amongst the rest to have his tombe Say Mary why hast thou this fire-brand hurld Amongst us to consume the wretched World Blood was shed fast enough Why didst thou goe And fetch a fury from the depths below To make the world
a shambles But thy sins Are well rewarded as he first begins With thy confusion makes thee a Runnagate 〈◊〉 in this Kindome and that State So Agrippine will have her Nero raigne Though as he swayes his Mother shall be slaine Imperiall Cities are sollicited The Princes the Electours and the Swede Lewes and Adolph in strong leagues shall joyn To share Beme Austria Franconie and Rhine The couquering Swede shall think 't a point of State Not to surrender the Palatinate Although he had ingag'd his Royall word Such small fidelity attends the sword VVhat pen can write how many plagues invade Afflicted Germany Fire Famine Blade And pestilence Ride forty leagues and you Shall scarce a Village or a Cottage view I' th' way lie many famish'd corps that are The bleeding Testâ— of an inhumane warre England reflect and feare 't will be thy fate To be as Germany so unfortunate Vnlesse the sager Councels of our King And Parliament a mediation bring And make our Albion happy VVhy should we The same blood Language Land so cruell be Vnto ovr selves at last when all is done The Sonne shall grieve his Father is undone The Father that his Sonne is slaine the Mother Abhorre her Sonne because he kild his Brother Saturity of Bread long ease much pelfe Makes wanton England fight against it selfe VVhat France and Spaine could not abundant store Of gold has made us miserablie poore Therefore our Indian Ants in love to man Treasure up gold and with what art they can Keep 't from us that the ready impliments Of strife remov'd we buy not penitence At too deare rates Yet all their industry Cannot prevent their neighbours treachery For when Sol mounted high on Leâ—'s back Or pressing Virgo through the Zodiak Shall drive his steeds and with his scorching fire Cause the laborious Emmets to retire Vnto their Cells the false inhabitants Of Darda steale the treasure of our Ants Hid in remoter Magazins but they Knowing by th' sent the theeves have made a prey Of their concealed wealth like eager hounds Pursue the flying Felons and with wounds Recover the lost booty then returne Their gold amongst them in much Triumph borne The Conclusion WHen the Angels had the ample world survaid And here and there in much amazement staid They all agreeing one sole Deitie Could of so rare a work the workman be One added 't were a Luciferian pride VVhat 's wanting what 's superfluous to decide Since he made all whose wisdome best could see VVhat and how fashion'd things he made should be Yet since we have a freedome to unfold Our sence had I been Counsellour I would Have had a voice more audible and higher Then of that Trump which when a generall fire Consumes the world shall summon soules to come To judgement and receive their latest doome This every day and houre should walke the round O' th' spatious Globe and to the creatures sound The praise of their Creatour with what art He made the world and polisht every part How Heaven and Earth at his appointment stand Supported with a finger of his hand How he the watry Meteors snowes hailes raines I' th' aiery Regions with a word sustaines Gives limits to the swelling Ocean then Extoll his works amongst the sonnes of men His orderd providence supreamer love Even to his enemies as from above He sent his only Sonne to pay the price Of Adams debt and be a sacrifice For mans transgression with his pretious bloud Purchast for sinfull man Beatitude So shall the learned and unlearned know VVhence why and how the streames of graces flow And wakened by this voice their spirits raise And be the Organs of their Makers praise Having spoke thus a Seraphin replies If this were granted I would then advise The VVarlike Drum eternally should cease And the world gently lul'd asleep by Peace The noyse of warre being like the noise of hell VVhere constant horrour and confusion dwell VVhere Eccho Drums and Guns and Trumpets sound Th' harmonious streines of Piety are drownd VVe all love man let 's at Iehovah's Throne Petition hee 'd all differences attone And Kings and Common-weales to union bring That all may joyntly Allelujahs sing In Heaven where are no jarres no warres no strife But full fruition of a blessed life Errata PAge 9. line 16. for deluding ruine read deluding spirit Ibid. for Iorams raigne read Iorams ruine FINIS Phi. lib. de Plantations Noemi Gen. 1. The Greek Doctors hold the Angels to have bin created before the world the Latin D. with the World which opinion is more probable though the other is not erâ—onious D. Th. 1. p. q. 61. art 3. Gen. 6. Deut. 34. Cornelius a lapide in Gonesin Pererius in Dan esteemes this out of the greatest miracles in nature Job 38. Reg. 2. 18. The Duke of Alva observed to be erected and magnanimous in adversity Insolent and insulting in prosperity Psal. Exod. Reg. 7. Iob. 15. 16. Ps. 7. 4. Apoc. 7. Isai. 19. Reg. 3. 32. lob 1. Pestilence Famine Gen. 4 Ex Phile 〈…〉 aliis â—â—ich 〈…〉 sacra humana Exod. 3 Polib lib. 1. At large relates the remarkable passages of the Mercenary Warre And out of him Sir Walter Raleigh in his history of the World Caufin Calepin Verb. sormic Albert Walstone Duke of Freid land Ferdinand the â—conds Generall making a prey of both Imperials and the enemy in a short time heaped up infinite Treasures Philip of Macedon was wâ—nâ— to say an Asse loaden with gold would enter any City Philip 2. Philip 4. Vindex revolting from Nero is observed to roule the first stone which thrust Nero out the Empire Tacitus The King of Swedeland Mary Medises Queen of France the raiser of Cardinall Richelieu and by him made forsake the Kingdome Iob. Iob. 7.
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'