steams Stopt with dead bodies so that never-more It should haue seen the Ocean as before Nor payd the Tribute that his Duty craues Saue that the crimsin holp the crystall waues Praysed be God sayd Iuda praysed be The Lord of Hoasts the King of Maiesty That moawes his Foes that doth his owne protect That holds so deer the blood of his elect That fights for vs and teacheth vs to fight Conquer and triumph of the Pagan's might And finally doth punish Tyrants fel With their owne swords to saue his Israel But notwithstanding Ieroboam's Plot Wicked generatioÌ„ of the wicked His third Successor yet succeeds him not A barbarous Fury raigneth in his Race His bloudy Scepter shifteth hands apace Nadab his son and all his seed beside Feels cursed Baasha's cruell Paricide And Baasha's issue is by Zimri slain Zimri by Zimri then doth Omri raign Omri accursed for his owne transgression But more accursed for the foule succession Of such a Son as Achab sold to Sin That boldly brings Sidonian Idols in Builds vnto Baal and of all Kings the worst Weds Iezabel adds Drunkenness to Thirst. Blinde Superstition's like a drop of Oyl 2. Similes Still spreading till it all a Garment spoyl Or like a spark fall'n in a floor of Mat Which soon inflameth all the Chamber that Fiers the whole House the House the Town about Consuming all and never going-out Till Goods and Bodies Towrs and Temples high All in a Toomb of their owne ashes lye When one begins how little be 't to stray From the diuine Law 's little-beaten way We cursed fall into the black Abysse Of all foul Errrors every Sin that is Donns sacred Mask and monsters most ahhord Killing the Saints we think to please the Lord As Achab did who vanquisht with the spel Speach grace and face of painted Iezabel Presumes to lay his sacrilegious hand On th' oyled Priests that in Gods presence stand Of honest Men his Towns depopulates Lessens the Number of his Noble States T' augment his Lands and with the bloud of His Wrights th' Instruments of his new Purchases But slain at last by th' Hoast of Benhadad His Son * Ahaziah succeeds him and almost as bad He breaks his neck and leaues his fatall place To 's brother Ioram last of Achab's race An odious race th' alliance of whose blood Corrupts the Heirs of Iosaphat the good Causing his Son charm'd with Athalia's wile In 's Brother's bloud his armed arms to file And Ahaziah's giddy brain t' infect With the damn'd Error of Samarian Sect. But though these Kings did openly oppugn And stubbornly the King of Heav'n impugn Though Abrah'ms issue now degenerate Did but too-neer their Princes imitate Though over all a Chaos of confusion A Hell of Horror Murder and Delusion A Sea of Sins contempt of God and Good Cover'd these Kingdoms as another Flood God left not yet that Age without his Oracles A hundred Prophets strong in word and miracles Resist their rage and from sad drowning keep The wracked planks on th' Idol-Ocean deep Cleer Sommer Noons need not a candle-light Simile Nor sound Physician but clean opposite So in our Soules the more Sin 's Floods do flowe The more God makes his Mercie 's Gulf to growe For his Embassage in sad Achab's dayes Elijah the Prophet Thes bite Elijah did th' Almighty rayse Who burning-bold in spirit and speach cries-out In Achab's ears and all his Court about O impious Achab fear'st thou not quoth he The sulphury flames and Thunder-bolts that be Already roaring in the dreadfull fist Of God the Lord that doth the proud resist Revengeth wrongs th' outrageous Heathen's Hammer Terror of Terrors and all Tyrants Tamer Doost thou not knowe He threats to Israel A Heav'n of Brass if they his grace repel Reiect his loue and get them other Loues Whoring about with forrain Gods in Groves God cannot lie His dreadfull Threatnings ever Draw dreadfull Iudgements if our Sin persever As the Lord lives this thirsty yawning Plain In seav'n six Month's drinks not a drop of Rain No sooner spoken but in present view Description of the extreame Drought in Israel for three years and a half The Heav'ns begin to change their wonted hew Th' Aire deadly thick doth quickly vanish quight To a sad Day succeeds a sadder Night A bloudy vapour and a burning cloud By day begirt the Sun all coaly-browd By night the Moon denies to fading Flowrs Her silver sweat and pearly-purled showrs The Welkin 's studded with new Blazing-Stars Flame-darting Lances fiery crowns and Cars Kids Lions Bears wrapt in prodigious Beams Dreadfull to see and Phoebus as it seems Weary of travail in so hote a time Rests all the while in boyling Cancer's clime Hills lately hid with snowe now burn a main May hath no Deaw nor February Rain Sad Atlas Nieces and the Hunter's Star Have like effect as the Canicular Zephyre is mute and not a breath is felt But hectik Auster's which doth all things swelt And panting-short puffs every-where vpon The withered Plains of wicked Shomeron Th' vnsavorie breath of Serpents crawling o're The Lybians pest-full and vn-blest-full shoar Now Herbs to fail and Flowrs to fall began The miserable effects therof Mirtles and Bayes for want of moist grew wan With open mouth the Earth the aid doth crave Of black-blew Clouds cleer Kishon's rapid wave Wars now no more with Bridges arched round Sorek for shame now hides him vnder ground Mokmur whose murmur troubled with the noise The sleeping Shepheards hath nor stream nor voice Cedron's not Cedron but late Cedron's bed And Iordan's Current is as dry as dead The beam-brow'd Stag and strong-neckt Bull do ly On palc-faç't banks of Arnon also dry But neither sup nor see the Crystal Wave Ouer the which so often swom they have The lusty Courser that late scorn'd the ground Now lank and lean with crest and courage downd With rugged tongue out of his chained mouth With hollow-flanks panting for inward drouth Rouling his Bit but with a feeble rumor Would sweat for faintnes but he wanteth humour The Towr-backt Camel that best brooketh Thirst And on his bunch could have transported yerst Neer a whole Houshold now is able scant To bear him self he is so feebly-faint Both yong and olde both of the base and best Feel a fel Aetna in their thirstie brest To temper which they breath but to their wo For for pure air they sup into them so A putride thick and pestilentiall fume Which stuffs their Lights and doth their lives consume Ther 's not a Puddle though it strangely stink But dry they draw't Sea-Water's dainty Drink And fusty-Bottles from beyond-Sea South Bring Nile to Somer for the Kings owne mouth For though the Lord th' whole Land of Syria smights Th' heat of his Anger on Samaria lights With greatest force whose furious Prince implies The Prophet Cause of all these miseries Therefore he fearing Achab's ragefull hate Down to Brook Châ—rith's hollow
and all his family To young and old of either Sexe that while Exod. 9 He sent a plage of scalding botches vile So that the Memphites layd on beds to rest VVith vncouth venim daily were opprest To Medciners the medcine valled not So sore the poisond plague did vnder cot He also smote the for rests herbs and grase The flocks of sheep and euery beast that was Throw poison of th' infected ground so â—ell The Morrain made them all to die or swell So that the Shepheard by the riuer side His flock hath rather dead then sick espide He earthly dust to lothly lice did change And dimd the Ayre with such a cloud so strange Of flyes grashoppers hornets clegs and clocks Exod. 10 That day and night throw houses flew in flocks That with incisions sharpe did sheare the skinnes Of Aegypt Panims throw their proudest ynnes And when the heauen most quiet seemd and fair Th' Eternall sent a tempest through the air And at this Hebrew 's prayer such a reare Of thunder fell that brought them all in feare Here lay a Bull that woodran while he brast There lay the Keeper burnt with thunder blast And now the forrest high that hid the air With many a spreeding arme is spoild and bair So that the sap that grafters keeps with paine Which should restore the stock and leafe againe Is lost alas in lesse then halfe a day The husbands hoped fruite gone to decaye What more th' Eternall darkned so the skye For three dayes space none could another spye That cloude so thick the Memphis rebels fand That they might firmly feele it with their hand It seemd that Phoebus left his ancient Round And dwelt three dayes with men of vnderground And as the sunne at one selfe time is felt With heate to harden clay and wax to melt So Amrams sacred sonne in these proiects Made one selfe cause haue two contraire effects For Izak humbly knew the Lord diuine But Pharo more and more did still repine Like to the corpslet colde the more 't is het With hammers hard more hardnes it doth get Yet when his son was slaine by th' Angels hand Exod. 11 Heyre Amongst the eldest heires of Aegypt Land He was afraide and let them go that night Where pleased them to serue their God of might Who sent a cloud before them all the day By night a Piller of fire to guide their way But so dainly this tyrant did gainstand His former graunt and armd all Aegypt Land With hote pursute against all Iacobs hoste That were encamped on the Red-sea coste Such noyse was neuer since the foraigne tide Brak throw Gibraltar when it did diuide The Calp from Abill or when Sicill strand Diuorced was from her Italia Land As was in these two campes that one with boste That other with their wailings fild the coast It seemd the sounds of furious horse and men With hornes and pypes to heaven resounded then Exod. 14. They murmure O Iuggler said the Iewes what hatefull strife Hath moued thee to change our happie life What are we fishes for to swimme the seas Or are we foules to fly whereas we please Beyond the Sea or ouer hilles to soare Was there not graues for vs on Gossen shoare But in this desart heer to dy or haue The blood-red Ocean Sea to be our graue Then Moses with his quickned rod that tide He smote the sea which fearfull did diuide Discouering land that sunne had neuerseene And staid the sea as there two walles had been Which made a passage dry of ample space For all to passe who were of Isaacs race But contrarie the Red-sea did deuower The barbrous tyrant with his mighty power Who proudly durst himselfe to that present Which opened but to saue the innocent O happy race since God doth arme for thee Both fire and aire the windes the clouds and see Which all vnto thy pay haue whole inclinde Let not consuming time weare out of minde So rare a grace but let thine elders shewe This to their noble seed that shall ensewe And let their sonnes vnto their sonnes recorde Throw all the world these wonders of the Lord. God with Coelestiall breade in time of need His loued Iacob fortie yeare did feede Exod. 6. And gaue them water from the solide stone Which of it selfe had neuer moisture none Their caps their coates and shooes that they did weare God kept all fresh and new full fortie yeer And farther least their soules for want of food Exod. 20. Should faint or faile he of his mercies good Gaue them his law pronounced by his voice His spirit to theirs in him for to reioice So teaching them and vs in precepts ten Our dutie first to God and next to men To th' end that man to man should truely stand And ioyne with God and neuer break that band This mightie Prophet dead Duke Iosua than Iosua Their Captaine stout this Palmy province wan Throw might of God he Scepters did subdew Of thirtie tyrant Kings whom all he slew At his commandement like the thunder sound The Rampers strong fell fearefully to ground Before the Tortuse or the horned Ramme Had bet or mined from their wall a dramme For euen of hornes full hoarse their simple blast An engine was their towres adoune to cast He pray'd the heaven for to prolong the day And made the horses of the sun to stay To th' end the night should not with cloud be cled To saue the faithles that before him fled Now when this Panim scourge with age at last Had left this life and vnto heauen past Then Isaac had of Rulers sundry men Whose glorious acts deserues eternall pen. Who knowes not Samgar Barac and Othoniell Iudges Tha valiant Delbor Ahud and good Samuell What Land O Sampson rings not thy renowne Who sole vnarmed bet an Army down What laude to Iephthe iustly might we low Had he not hurt his owne through hastie vow What hill or dale what flood or fixed ground 〈◊〉 not the famous Gedeons praise resound In later time their kings some good some bad Of all the Hebrew state the ruling had Had I the Harpe of Dauid holy King None other sound but Dauid would I sing 〈…〉 uen as all the deeds that Dauid did 〈…〉 ot be done by none but by Dauid So none but Dauid on his yv'rie harpe The glorious praise of God could onely carpe But here his praise I prease not to proclaime Least I throw want of skill obscure the same Yet leaue I not his Son whom grace diuine Salomon Made no lesserich then wondrous of engine Whose doctrine drew to Salem from all wheare A hundred thousand wyzards him to heare From Araby from Ynde to Affrik shore His toung entyste them with his cunning lore Iosias Shall I forget the kings who ouerthrew Idolatrie and plaç't religion dew Shall I forget that King who saw descend Hezekiah Ierusalem Asa. A winged Hoast Solyma to defend Shall I forget him who before his eene Enchast the
'Gainst Ezechias and that he would give The godly King fifteen years more to live Transgressing Heav'ns eternall Ordinance Thrice in one Day thou through one path didst prance And as desirous of another nap In thy ver million sweet Aurora's Lap Thy Coach turn'd back and thy swift sweating Horse Full ten degrees lengthned their wonted Course Dials went false and Forrests gloomy black Wondred to see their mighty shades go back So when th' incensed Heav'ns did fight so fell Of the Sunnes standing still in the time of Iosuah Ios. 12. 13 Vnder the Standard of deer Israel Against the Hoast of odious Ammorites Among a million of swift-Flashing Lights Rayning down Bullets from a stormy Cloud As thick as Hail vpon their Armies proud That such as scaped from Heav'ns wrathfull thunder Victorious swords might after heaw in-sunder Coâ—â—ur'd by Iosuah thy brave steeds stood still â—â—â—ull Career stopping thy whirling wheel And one whole Day in one degree they stayd In midst of Heav'n for sacred Armies ayd Least th' Infidels in their disordred Flight Should save themselues vnder the wings of Night Those that then liv'd vnder the other Pole Seeing the Lamp which doth enlight the Whole To hide so long his lovely face away Thought never more to haue re-seen the Day The wealthy Indians and the men of Spain Never to see Sun Rise or Set again In the same place Shadows stood still as stone And in twelue Houres the Dials shew'd but one THE FIFT DAIE OF THE FIRST WEEK THE ARGVMENT Fish in the Sea Fowls in the Aire abound The Forms of all things in the Waters found The various Manners of Sea-Citizens Whose constant Friendship far exceedeth Mens Arions strange escape The Fowls attend On th' only Phoenix to her end-less end Their kindes their customs and their plumes variety Som presidents of Prudence som of Piety The gratefull Aegle burning in the Fláme With her dead Mistress the fair Sestian Dáme LAtónian Lamps conducting divers ways After a Poeticall maner he craueth time opportunity to discourse in this Day of the creation of Fishes of Fowles About the World successiue Nights and Days Parents of winged Time haste haste your Carrs And passing swiftly both th' opposed Barrs Of East and West by your returning Ray Th' imperfect World make elder by a Day Yee Fish that brightly in Heav'ns Baldrik shine If you would see the Waters waving brine Abound with Fishes pray Hyperion T' abandon soon his liquid Mansion If he expect in his prefixt Career To hoast with you a Month in every Yeer And thou eternall Father at whose wink To which purpose â—specially he calleth on the true God The wrathfull Ocean's swelling pride doth sink And stubborn storms of bellowing Windes be dumb Their wide mouthes stopt and their wilde pinions num Great Soverain of the Seas whose books can draw A man aliue from the Whales monstrous maw Provide me Lord of Steers-man Star and Boat That through the vast Seas I may safely float Or rather teach me dyue that I may view Deep vnder water all the Scaly crew And dropping wet when I return to land Laden with spoils extoll thy mighty hand IN VAIN had God stor'd Heav'n with glistring studs The first part of this Book wherin he handleth how by the Commandement of the Lord thâ— Fishes began to moue in the Waters The Plain with grain the Mountain tops with woods Sever'd the Aire from Fire the Earth from Water Had he not soon peopled this large Theatre With living Creatures Therefore he began This-Day to quicken in the Ocean In standing Pools and in the straggling Riuers Whose folding Channell fertill Champain severs 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 haue as wel as Skies Sun Moon and Stars The Seas no lesse stored with priui ledges and presidents of Gods glorious power then Heauen Earth and of the strange Fishes that liue therin As well as Aire Swallows and Rooks and Stares As well as Earth Vines Roses Nettles Millions Pinks Gilliflowrs Mushroms and many millions Of other Plants more rare and strange then these As very Fishes living in the Seas And also Rams Calfs Horses Hares and Hogs Wolves Lions Vrchins Elephants and Dogs Yea Men and Mayds and which I more admire The Mytred Bishop and the Cowled Fryer Wherof examples but a few yeers since Were showen the Norways and Polonian Prince You divine wits of elder Dayes from whom The deep Inuention of rare Works hath com Took you not pattern of your chiefest Tools Out of the Lap of Thetis Lakes and Pools Which partly in the Waues part on the edges Of craggy Rocks among the ragged sedges Bring-forth abundance of Pins Pincers Spoaks Pikes Percers Needles Mallets Pipes and Yoaks Owers sayls and swords saws wedges Razors Rammers Plumes Cornets Kniues Wheels Vices Horns Hammers And as if Neptune and fair Panâ—pé Palaeâ—on Triton and Leucothoé Kept publik Roules there is the Calamary Who ready Pen-knife Pen and Ink doth cary As a rare Painter draws for pleasure heer Why God created so many sorts of strange Fishes A sweet Adonis a foul Satyre there Heer a huge Cyclop there a Pigmè Elf Somtimes no less busying his skilfull self Vpon som vgly Monster seldom seen Then on the Picture of fair Beauties Queen Even so the Lord that in his Work 's variety We might the more admire his powerfull Dëity And that we might discern by differing features The various kindes of the vast Oceans creatures Forming this mighty Frame he every Kinde With diuers and peculiar Signet sign'd Som haue their heads groveling betwixt their feet Examples The Pour-Cuttle Cuttle Crab. Sea Harâ— Oyster As th' inky Cuttles and the Many-feet Som in their breast as Crabs som head-less are Foot-less and finn-les as the bane-full Hare And heat-full Oyster in a heap confus'd Their parts vnparted in themselues diffus'd The Tyrian Marchant or the Portuguez Can hardly build one Ship of many Trees The Tortoise But of one Tortoise when he list to float Th' Arabian Fisher-man can make a Boat And one such Shell him in the stead doth stand Of Hulk at Sea and of a House on land Shall I omit the monstrous Whirl-about Which in the Sea another Sea doth spout Where-with huge Vessels if they happen nigh Are over-whelm'd and funken sodainly Shall I omit the Tunnies that durst meet The Tunnyâ— Th' Eöan Monarchs neuer daunted Fleet And beard more brauely his victorious powrs Then the Defendants of the Tyrian Towrs Or Porus conquered on the Indian Coast Or great Darius that three Battails lost When on the Surges I perceiue from far Th' Ork Whirl-pool Whale or huffing Physeter Diuers kindes of Whales Me thinks I see the wandring Ile again Ortygian Delos floating on the Main And when in Combat these fell Monsters
furious thrist of proud aspiring dies not Whose hands transported with fantastike passion Bear painted Scepters in imagination Then Auarice all-arm'd in hooking Tenters And clad in Bird-lime without bridge she venters Through fell Charybdis and false Syrtes Nesse The more her welth the more her wretchedness Cruell respect-less friend-less faith-less Elf That hurts her neighbour but much more her self Whose foule base fingers in each dunghill poar Like Tantalus starv'd in the midst of store Not what she hath but what she wants she counts A wel-wingd Bird that neuer lofty mounts Then boyling Wrath stern cruell swift and rash That like a Boar her teeth doth grinde and gnash Whose hair doth stare like bristled Porcupine Who som-times rowles her ghastly-glowing eyn And som-time fixtly on the ground doth glaunce Now bleak then bloody in her Countenance Rauing and rayling with a hideous sound Clapping her hands stamping against the ground Bearing Bâ—cconi fire and sword to slay And murder all that her for pitty pray Baning her self to bane her Enemy Disdaining Death prouided others dy Like falling Towrs o'r-turned by the winde That break themselues on that they vnder-grinde And then that Tyrant all-controuling Loue Whom heer to paint doth little me behooue After so many rare Apelleses As in this Age our Albion nourishes And to be short thou doest to battail bring As many Souldiers 'gainst the Creatures King Yet not his owne as in this life Mankinde True very Goods or seeming Goods doth finde Now if but like the Lightning in the sky These sudden Passions past but swiftly by The horrible effects of the Passions of the soule far more dangerous then the diseases of the body The fear were less but O! too-oft they leaue Keen stings behinde in Soules that they deceiue From this foul Fountain all these poysons rise Rapes Treasons Murders Incests Sodomies Blaspheming Bibbing Theeuing False-contracting Church-chaffering Cheating Bribing and Exacting Alas how these far-worse then death Diseases Exceed each Sicknes that our body seises Which makes vs open war and by his spight Giues to the Patient many a holsom light Now by the colour or the Pulles beating Or by som Fit som sharper dolor threatning Whereby the Leach neer-ghessing at our grief Not seldom findes sure means for our relief But for these Ills raign in our Intellect Which only them both can and ought detect They rest vnknown or rather self-conceal'd And soule-sick Patients care not to be heal'd Besides we plainly call the Feuer Feuer The Dropsie Dropsie ouer-gilding neuer With guile-full flourish of a fained phraze The cruell Languors that our bodies craze Whereas our fond self-soothing Soule thus sick Rubs her owne sore with glozing Rhetorik Cloaking her vice and makes the blinded Blain Not fear the touch of Reasons Cautere vain And sure if euer filthy Vice did iet The miserable corruption of our Times worse then all former Ages In sacred Vertues spot-less mantle neat 'T is in our days more hatefull and vn-hallow'd Then when the World the Waters wholly swallow'd I le spare to speak of foulest Sins that spot Th' infamous beds of men of mighty lot Least I the Saints chaste tender ears offend And seem them more to teach then reprehend Who bear vpon their French-sick backs about All riotous Prodigalitie disguised with the name of Liberalitie Farms Castles Fees in golden shreads cut-out Whose lauish hand at one Primero-rest One Mask one Turney or one pampering Feast Sends treasures scrap't by th' Vsury and Care Of miser Parents Liberall counted are Who with a maiden voice and mincing pase Quaint looks curl'd locks perfumes and painted face Effeminate curiofitie luxuvious Pride miscalled Cleanlines Base coward-hart and wanton soft array Their man-hood only by their Beard bewray Are Cleanly call'd Who like Lust-greedy Goates Insatiate lust and Beast like Loosenes surnamed Loue. Brothel from bed to bed whose Siren-notes Inchaunt chaste Susans and like hungry Kite Fly at all game they Louers are behight Who by false bargains and vnlawfull measures Extream Extortion counted Thrist Robbing the World haue he aped kingly treasures Who cheat the simple lend for fifty fifty Hundred for hundred are esteemed Thrifty Blasphemous Quarrels brauest Courage Who alwaies murder and reuenge affect Who feed on bloud who neuer doe respect State Sex or Age but in all humane lyues In cold bloud bathe their paricidiall kniues Are stiled Valiant Grant good Lord our Land Inhuman Murder highest Manhood May want such valour whose self-cruell hand Fights for our foes our proper life-blood spils Our Cities sacks and our owne Kindred kils Lord let the Launce the Gun the Sword Shield Beturn'd to tools to furrow-vp the field And let vs see the Spyders busie task Wov'n in the belly of the plumed Cask But if braue Lands-men your war-thirst be such If in your brests sad Enyon boyl so much What holds you heer alas what hope of crowns Our fields are flocks-less treasure-less our Towns Goe then nay run renowned Martialists Re-found French-Greece in now Natolian lists Hy hy to Flanders free with conquering stroak Your Belgian brethren from th' Iberians yoake To Portingal people Galizian-Spain And graue your names on Lysbon's gates again FINIS THE HANDI-CRAFTS THE IIII. PART OF THE I. DAY OF THE II. WEEK THE ARGVMENT The Prayse of Peace the miserable states Of Edens Exiles their vn-curious Cates Their simple habit silly habitation They finde out Fire Their formost Propagation Their Childrens trades their offerings enuious Cain His better Brother doth vnkindly brain With inward horror hurried vp and down He breaks a Horse he builds a homely Town Iron 's inuented and sweet Instruments Adam fore-tells of After-Worlds euents HEavn's sacred Imp fair Goddess that renew'st The Poet heere welcometh peace which after long absence seems about this time to haue returned into France The Benefits she brings with Her Th' old golden Age and brightly now re-blew'st Our cloudy sky making our fields to smile Hope of the vertuous horror of the vile Virgin vnseen in France this many a yeer O blessed Peace we bid thee welcom heer Lo at thy presence how who late were prest To spur their Steeds couch their staues in rest For fierce incounter cast away their spears And rapt with ioy them enter-bathe with tears Lo how our Marchant-vessels to and fro Freely about our trade-full Waters go How the graue Senate with iust-gentle rigour Resumes his Robe the Laws their ancient vigour Lo how Obliuions Seas our strifes do drown How walls are built that war had thundred down Lo how the Shops with busie Crafts-men swarm How Sheep and Cattle cover every Farm Behold the Bon-fires waving to the skies Hark hark the cheerfull and re-chaunting cries Of old and young singing this ioyfull Dittie Iö reioyce reioyce through Town and Citie Thanks-giuing to God for peace Let all our ayr re-eccho with the praises Of th' everlasting glorious God who raises Our ruin'd State who
huge That in our Age three men could hardly bouge Vnder whose waight his flying Foes he dashes And in their flesh bones stones and steel he pashes Somtimes he shoots somtimes he shakes a Pike Which death to many dread to all doth strike Som in the breast he wounds som in the backs Som on the hanch som on the head he hacks He heaws down all and maketh where he stood A Mount of bodies in a Moat of blood The Pagans wholly put to flight At length the Pagans wholly left the place Then both sides ran these chased those do chase These onely vse their heels those heels and hands Those wish but a fair way these that the sands Would quickly gape and swallow quick to Hell Themselues that fled and them that chaç't so fell These render nought but blowes those nought but blood Both sides haue broak their Ranks pel-mel they scud Choakt-vp with dust disordered dis-aray'd Neither Command Threat nor Intreat obay'd Thou that late bragdst that thy White Wormly braue Could dry-foot run vpon the liquid Waue And on the sand leaving no print behinde Out-swifted Arrows and out-went the Winde With a steel Dart by ABRAH'M stifly sent Art'twixt thy Cuirace and thy Saddle slent And thou that thrice neer Tygris silver source Hadst won the Bell as best in every Course Art caught by LOT and thrild from side to side Loosest thy speed-praise and thy life beside It seems no Fight but rather as befalls An execution of sad criminals Whoso escapes the sword escapes notso His sad destruction or if any tho Escap't at all they were but few at least To rue the fatall ruine of the rest For th' Vnkle and the Nephew never lin Till out of Canaan they haue chaç't them clean Like to a Cast of Falcons that pursue Simile A flight of Pigeons through the welk in blew Stooping at this and that that to their Louver To saue their lyues they hardly can recouer At his return from Fight the Kings and Lords The Kings of Caâ—â—â—n receiued Abraham and his company with great ioy and the gratefull offer of their homage vnto him Of Palestine with glad and humble words Do welcom Abram and refresh his Troop To 's knees their heads to 's feet their knees they stoop Ovaliant Victor for thy high deserts Accept the homage of our humble hearts Accept our grateful zeal or if ought more As well thou maist thou doest expect therfore Accept said they our Lands our goods our golde Our wiues our lyues and what we deerest holde Take all we haue for all we haue is thine No wrong to vs to take thy Valours fine Melthisedec Gods sacred Minister Melchisedech blesseth Abraham And King of Salem coms to greet him there Blessing his bliss and thus with zealous cry Devoutly pearç't Heav'ns starfull Canopey Blest be the Lord that with his hand doth roule The radiant Orbs that turn about the Pole And Rules the Actions of all Humane-kinde With full command and with one blast of winde Razes the Rocks and Rends the proudest Hills Dries-vp the Ocean and the Empty fils Blest be the great God of grear Abraham From Age to Age extolled be his Name Let every Place vnto him Altars build And euery Altar with his Praise be fill'd And every Praise above the Welkin ring As loud or louder then the Angels sing Blessed be He that by an Arm-less crew Of Art-less Shepheards did so quick subdue And tame the Tamers of Great Syria so And to the servants of an exil'd Foe Hath given the Riches and the royall store Both of their Booty and their Owne before Of such an Hoast of Nations that first see Sol's early rising from Aurora's knee But Abraham to prove that not for Prey Abraham distributes the booty reseruing only a portion for the Amorites that were his confederates He put-on arms divides the Spoils away The Tythe's the Priests the Rest of all the things Yerst lost in field he renders to the Kings Save but the Portion He participates To th' Amorites his stout Confederates Shewing himself a Prince as politicke Prudent and iust as stout and Souldier-like That with his Prowess Policy can mel And Conquering can vse his Conquest wel Magnanimous in deeds in words as meek That scorning Riches true Renown doth seek So from the Sea even to th' Euphratean-source And even from Dan to Nilus crystall course Rings his renown Of him is all the speech He is famous far and neere At home abroad among the poor and rich In war and peace the Fame of his high deeds Confirms the Faithfull in their fainting Creeds And terrifies the Tyrant Infidels Shaking the sides of their proud Citadels That with their fronts the seat of IOVE do scorn And with their feet at I'luto's crown do spurn Voice Harp and Timbrel sound his praise together He 's held a Prophet or an Angel rather They say that God talks with him face to face Hoasts at his house and to his happy Race Givs in Fee-simple all that goodly Land Even from the Sea as far as Tygris strand And it is certain the Thrice-sacred-One God appeares vnto him and maketh covenant with him The King of Kings by Dream or Vision Speaks with him oft and calls him thus by name Faint not my servant fear not ABRAHAM I an no fiend that with a fained lip Seek guilefully thy simpleness to trip Nor to intice thee with a baen-full breath To bite like ADAM a new fruit of death 'T is I that brought thee from thy Native V R From night to day from death to life thus far I brought thee hither I have blest thee heer I with thy flocks have covered far and neer Canaan's fat Hills I have preserv'd thy Wife From Strangers lust and thee from Tyrants knife When thy faint heart and thy false tongue affrai'd To tel the Truth her and thy self betray'd 'T is I that have so oft from Heathens powr Preserv'd thy person and as Conquerour Now made thee Trivmph over th' Eastern Kings Whereof so far thy famous Valour rings I am in brief I am the Lord thy God Thy help at home thy Guide and Gard abroad Keep thou my Covenant and to signifie That to the World thou di'st to live to Me Circumcision instituted Go Circumcise forth-with thy Self and Thine Lead holy Life walk in my Wayes divine With vpright-foot so shall my favour haunt Thy House and thee and thou shalt nothing want No I will make thee Lord of all the Land Which Canaans Children haue with mighty hand Canaan promised to Abraham So long possest a happy Land that flowes With milk and hony a rich Land where growes Even of itself all kinde of Fruit and Corn Where smiling Heav'ns pour-down their Plenties-Horn I 'le heap thee there with Honor Wealth and Powr I will be thy Reward thy Shield and Towr O Lord said ABRAM though into my lap In shours of Gold ev'n all the Heav'ns
their bare bones be seen We must still keep them short and clip their wings Pare neer their nails and pull out all their stings Lade them with Tribute and new Towle and Tax And Subsidies vntill we break their backs Tire them with travail flay-them pole-them pil-them Suck bloud and fat then eat their flesh and kil-them 'T is good for Princes to haue all things fat Except their Subiects but beware of that Ha Miscreants ha rascal excrements That lift your heel against your gracious Prince Hence-forth you get nor wood nor straw no more To burn your Bricks as you haue had before Your selues shal seek it out yet shal you stil The number of your wonted task fulfill I have Commission from the King of Kings Moses reply Maker Preserver Ruler of all things Replies the Hebrew that to knowe the Lord Thou feel his hand vnless thou fear his word In th' instant AARON on the slippery sand Aaron casteth downe his Rod which immediatly turnes into a Serpent Casts down his Rod and boldly thus began So shall thy golden Scepter down be cast So shall the Iudgements of the Lord at last Now deemed dead revive to daunt thy powr So ISRAEL shall Egypts wealth devour If thou confess not God to be the Lord If thou attend not nor obserue his Word And if his People thou do not release To go and serue him in the Wildernes Before that AARON this Discourse had done A green-gold-azure had his Rod put-on It glistered bright and in a fashion strange Into a Serpent it did wholly change Crawling before the King and all along Spetting and hissing with his forked tongue The Magicians of Egypt counterfet that miracle and bewitch the eyes of the King The Memphian Sages then and subtill Priests T' vphold the Kingdom of their OSIRIS Vpbrayd them thus Alas is this the most Your God can do of whom so much you boast Are these his Wonders Go base Montè-banks Go shew els-where your sleights and Iuggling pranks Such tricks may blear som vulgar innocents But cannot blinde the Counsell of a Prince Who by the Gods instructed doth contain All Arts perfection in his sacred brain And as they spake out of their cursed hands They all let-fall their strange-inchanted Wands Which instantly turn into Serpents too Hissing and spetting crawling to and fro The King too much admires their cunning Charms The place with Aspicks Snakes and Serpents swarms Creeping about as an ill-Huswife sees The Maggots creeping in a rotten Cheese Simile You you are Jugglers th' Hebrew then repli'd You change not Nature but the bare out-side And your Enchantments onely do transform The face of things not the essentiall form You Sorcerers so mock the Princes ey And his Imagination damnifie That common Sense to his externall brings By re-percussion a false shape of things My Rod's indeed a Serpent not in showe As heer in sight your selues by proof shall knowe Immediatly his Dragon rear'd his head Roul'd on his brest his body wriggelled Som-times aloft in length somtimes it sunk Into it self and altogether shrunk It slides it sups the air it hisses fell In steed of eyes two sparkling Rubies swell And all his deadly baens intrenched strong Within his trine Teeth and his triple Tongue Moses rod-Serpent deuoureth the Serpents of the Egyptians Call for the Combat and as greedy set With sodain rage vpon those Counterfet Those seeming-Serpents and them all devour Euen as a Sturgeon or a Pike doth scour The Creeks and Pills in Rivers where they lie Of smaller Fishes and their feeble fry But at high Noon the Tyrant wilfull-blinde Pharao and his people hardened Therefore God plagued Egypt And deaf to his owne good is more inclin'd To Satans tools the people like the Prince Prefer the Night before Light 's excellence Wherfore the Lord such proud contempts to pay Ten sundry plagues vpon their Land doth lay Redoubling so his drad-full strokes that there Who would not love him milde him rough should fear Smiting the Waves with his Snake-wanded wood 1. By turning their Waters into bloud AARON anon converts the Nile to blood So that the stream from fruitfull MEROE Runs red and bitter even vnto the Sea The Court re-courst to Lakes to Springs and Brooks Brooks Springs and Lakes had the like taste and looks Then to the Ditches but even to the brink There flow'd alas in steed of Water ink Then to the likeliest of such weeping ground Where with the Rush pipe-opening Fern is found And there they dig for Water but alas The wounded soyl spets bloud into their face O iust-iust Iudgement Those proud Tyrants fell Those bloudy Foes of mourning ISRAEL Those that delighted and had made their game In shedding bloud are forç't to drink the same And those that ruthe-les had made Nile the slaughter Of th' Hebrew Babes now die for want of Water Anon their Fields Streets Halls and Courts he loads 2 Couering their Land with Frogs With foul great Frogs and vgly croking Toads Which to the tops of highest Towrs do clamber Even to the Presence yea the priuy Chamber As starry Lezards in the Sommer time Vpon the walls of broken houses climbe Yea even the King meets them in every dish Of Privy-diet be it Flesh or Fish As at his Boord so on his royall Bed With stinking Frogs the silken quilts be spred The Magicians counterfait the same but their deceipts are vain The Priests of PHARAO seem to do the same AARON alone in the Almighties Name By Faith almighty They for instruments Vse the black Legions of the Stigian Prince He by his Wonders labours to make knowen The true Gods glory only they their owne He seeks to teach they to seduce awry He studies to build vp they to destroy He striking Strangers doth His people spare They spoil their owne but cannot hurt a hair Of the least Hebrew they can onely wound He hurts and heals He breaks and maketh sound And so when PHARAO doth him humbly pray Re-cleers the Floods and sends the Frogs away But as in Heav'n ther did no Iustice raign The King eased of his punishmēt is again hardned The Kings repentance endeth with his pain He is re-hardned like a stubborn Boy That plies his Lesson Hypocritely-coy While in his hand his Master shakes the Rod But if he turn his back doth flowt and nod Therefore the Lord this Day with loathsom Lice Therefore 3. Egypt is plagued with Lyce Plagues poor and rich the nasty and the nice Both Man and Beast For AARON with his wand Turns into Lice the dust of all the Land The morrow after with huge swarms of Flies Hornets and Wasps he hunts their Families 4. With Flies c. From place to place through Medows Fens and Floods Hills Dales and Desarts hollow Caves and Woods Tremble therefore O Tyrants tremble ay Poor worms of Earth proud Ashes Dust and Clay For how alas how will you make
wil-full will not hear The SONG OF MOSES Hearken O Heavens and O thou Earth give ear Vnto my voice and Witness on-my part Before the Lord my zeal and their hard hart O Heav'n and Earth attend vnto my Song Hear my discourse which sweetly slides along As silver showrs on the dry Meads do trill And hony deaws on tender grass distill God grant I pray that in their hearts my Verse As water on the withered Lawns may pearce And that the hony dropping from my tongue May serve the olde for rain for deaw the young I sing th' Eternal O let Heav'n and Earth Com praise him with me sound his glory forth Extol his Powr his perfect Works record Truth Goodnes Greatnes Iustice of the Lord. But though for ever He have showen him such His children yet no Children rather-much A Bastard Race full of malicious sin All kinde of vice have foully wallowed in O foolish People doost thou thus requight His Father-care who fenç't thee day and night As with a Shield Who chose thee as his heir Who made thee of so foule a masse so fair Vn-winde the bottom of olde Times again Of Ages past vn-reel the snarled skain Ask of thy Parents and they shall declare Thine Elders and they 'll tell thee Wonders rare They 'll tell thee how when first the Lord had spred Men on the Earth and iustly levelled His strait long Measure th' All-Bal to divide He did for thee a plentious Land provide For his deer IACOB whom his favour then Seem'd t' have sequestred from the rest of men To th' end his Blessed Seed in future age Should be his Care Love Lot and Heritage They 'll tell thee too how through the sandy horro◠Of a vast Desart Den of ghastly Terror Of Thirst and Hunger and of Serpents fell He by the hand conducted ISRAEL Yea of his goodnes to direct him still By Word and Writ show'd him his sacred Will Vnder his wings shade hid him tenderly And held him deer as apple of his ey As is the royall Eagle's sacred wont When she would teach her tender Birds to mount To flie and cry about her Nest to cheer-them And when they faint on her wingd back to bear-them God without aid of other Gods or Graces Safe guide hath made him mount the highest Places Suck Oyl and Hony from the Rocks distilling In plentious Land with pleasant Fruits him filling He gave him Milk and Butter for his meat Kid Lamb and Mutton and the flowr of Wheat And for his Drink a most delicious Wine The spright full bloud of the broad-spreading Vine But waxen fat he lifts his wanton heel Against his God to whom his Soule should kneel Forsakes his Maker and contemns the Same That saved him from danger death and shame Then he inflam'd the fury of the Lord With profane bowing to false Gods abhord With serving Idols and with Sacrificing To Fiends and Phansies of his owne devising For vain false Gods Gods vn-renown'd and new Gods that his Fathers nor he neuer knew He hath forgot the true eternall BEEING The God of whom he holdes his bliss and being God saw it well and Ielously a-fire Against his Children thus he threats his ire No I will hide the brightnes of my face I 'll take from them the treasures of my grace Then let vs see what will of them becom But what but mischife can vnto them com That so perverse with every puff let fly Their Faith sole constant in inconstancy Th' have made me ieloux of a God no God I 'll make them ieloux I will Wed abroad A People yet no People And their brest Shall split for spight to see the Nations blest Devouring Fire that from my heart doth fume Shall fiercely burn and in my wrath consume The deep of Deeps the middle Downs and Fields And strong foundations of the steepest Hils I 'll spend on them my store of Punishments And all mine Arrows Famine Pestilence Wilde Beasts and Worms that basely crawling are Without remorse shall make them end-les War Abroad the Sword their strong men shall devour At home through Fear the Virgin in her flowr The fresh young Youth the sucking Children small And hoary head dead to the ground shall fall Yea even already would I quite deface And clean destroy them I would IACOB race Raze his Memoriall from the Earth for ay But that I fear the Heathen thus would say We have preuail'd we by our strength alone Have quell'd this People and them over-throwen 'T was not their God that did it for their Sins No He himself is vanquisht with his Friends Ha! sottish blocks void of all sense and sight Could one man put a thousand men to flight And two ten thousand if the God of Arms Had not even solde their Troops and bound their arms For God our God doth all their Gods surpass They knowe it well but their Wine springs alas From SODOM's Vine and grew in GOMER's fields Which Gall for Grapes for Raysins Poyson yeelds It is no Wine no the black bane it is The killing vomit of the Cockatrice 'T is bitter venom 't is the same that coms From the fel ASPIK's foul infecting gums Do not I knowe it keep not I account In mine Exchequer how their Sins do mount Vengeance is mine I will in fine repay In my due time I will not long delay Their Ruin posteth then th' Omnipotent Shall iudge for IACOB then I will repent To quite-destroy mine owne beloved People Seeing their strength all fail'd and wholly feeble 'T will then be said Where are there Gods becom Their deaf dull Idols sent-les sight-les dumb To whom they lift their hearts and hands and eyes And as their Guards so oft did sacrifice Now let those trim Protectors them protect Let them them rise quickly and defend their Sect Their Fires and Altars and com stand before To shield the Fondlings that their Fanes adore Knowe therfore Mortals I th' IMMORTAL am There 's none like Me in or above this Frame I wound I heal I kill I fetch from Grave And from my hands none can the Sinner save I 'll lift my hand toward th' arched Heav'ns on high And swear with-all by mine Eternity Which onely Beeing gives to all to Been That if I whet my Sword of Vengeance keen If once I say as soverain King alone I sit me down on my high Iustice Throne I 'll venge me roughly on mine Enemies And guerdon iustly their iniquities My heart-thrill Darts I will make drunk with blood I 'll glut my Sword with slaughter all the brood Of rebell Nations I will race in fine To recompence the blood and death of Mine O Gentiles then his People praise and fear Sith to the Lord it is so choisely-deer Sith Hee 'll auenge his Cause and beating down His Enemies will mildly cheer his Owne FINIS The CAPTAINES THE IIII. PART OF THE III. DAY OF THE II. WEEK THE ARGVMENT Iust Duked IOSVAH cheers the Abramides To CANAAN's
to vndo-vs As these neer Nations Israel accords And with an Oath confirms the solemn words So I good Lord perceiving all the Seed A sacred application of their profane example Of Sin-full Adam vnto Death decreed Doom'd to the Vengeance of thy Fury fell And damn'd for ever to the deepest Hell Would fain be free but if I should alas Com as I am before thy glorious face Thou righteous God wilt turn thine eyes away For Flesh and Blood possess not Heav'n for ay And the strict Rigour of thy Iustice pure Cannot O Lord the least of sins endure Oh then what shall I do I 'll similize These Gabaonites I will myself disguize To gull thee Lord for even a holy Guile Findes with thee grace and fauour often-while I'll put-on crafty not the cloak of Pride For that was it whereby our Grandsires di'd And Lucifer with his associates fell From Ioys of Heav'n into the Pains of hel But th' humble Fleece of that sweet sacred Lamb Which for our sakes vpon the Cross became So torn and tatter'd which the most refuse Scorn of the Gentiles Scandal of the Iewes And as a piece of Silver Tyn or Lead Simile By cunning hands with Gold is covered I that am all but Lead or dross more base In fervent Crusible of thy free Grace I 'll gild me all with his pure Beautie 's Gold Born a new man by Faith I 'll kill mine old In Spirit and Life Christ shall be mine example His Spirit shall be my spirit and I his Temple I beeing thus in Christ and Christ in me O! wilt thou canst thou driue vs farre from thee Deprive from promis'd new Ierusalem Christ thine owne Likenes and me like to him Bannish from Heav'n whose Blisâ— shal never vade Thy Christ by whom and me for whom 't was made But O presumption O too rash Designe Alas to Will it only is not mine And though I Would my flesh too-Winter-chill My Spirit 's small sparkles doth extinguish still O! therfore thou thou that canst all alone All-sacred Father's like all-sacred Son Through thy deep Mercy daign thou to transform Into thy Self me sin-full silly worm That so I may be welcom to my God And liue in Peace not where the Iewes abode But in Heav'n Sion and that thou maist be Th' vniting glew between my God and me Now Eglon's Hebron's Iarmuth's Salem's Lords And Lachis Kingling after these Accords Wroth that their Neighbours had betrayed so Their common Country to their common Foe Had made so great a breach and by the hand Led as it were th' Hebrews into their Land Set-vpon Gabaon but th' Isacian Prince As iust as valiant hastes to hunt them thence And resolute to rescue his Allies He straight bids Battail to their Enemies The Fight growes fierce and winged Victory The Battaile of the fiue Kings Shaking her Laurels rusht confusedly Into the midst she goes and coms and goes And now she leans to these and now to those Auster the while from neighbour Mountains arms A hundred Winters and a hundred storms With huge great Hail-shot driving fiercely-fell In the stearn visage of the Infidel The roaring Tempest violently retorts Extraordinary Volleys of Hail-shot froÌ„ Heauen vpoÌ„ the Infidels Vpon themselues the Pagans whirling darts And in their owne breasts their owne Launces bore Wher-with they threatned th' Hoast of God before And even as if it enuied the Renown Of valiant Iosuah now by Ganges knowen With furious shock the formost Ranks it whirr'd Vpon the next the second on the third Even as a Bridge of Cards which Play-full Childe Simile Doth in an evening on a Carpet build When som Wag by vpon his Work doth blowe If one Arch fail the rest fall all arowe Each vpon other and the Childe he Cries For his lost labour and again he tries If any resting on his knotty Spear Gainst Arms and storms yet stand out stifly there Th' Hail which the Winde full in his face doth yerk Smaâ—ter than Racquets in a Courtre-ierk Balls 'gainst the Walls of the black-boorded house Beats out his eyes battters his nose and brows Then turn the Pagans but without a vail For instantly the stony storm of Hail Which flew direct a-front direct now falls Plumb on their heads and cleaues their sculs and cauls And ever as they waver to and fro Over their Hoast the Haily Clowd doth go And never hits one Hebrue though between But a sword's length or not so much be seen A bluckler one another a bright helm Over his threatened or sick head doth whelm But the shield broken and helm beaten in Th' Hail makes the hurt bite on the bloody green Those that escape be take them to their heels Iosuah pursues and though his sweat distills From every part he wounds he kills he cleaues Neither the Fight imperfect so he leaues But full of faithfull zeal and zealous faith Thus O strange language thus alowd he saith Beam of th' Eternall daies bright Champion At the command of Iosuah the Sun staÌ„dâ—th stil. Spiall of Nature O all-seeing Sun Stay stand thou still stand still in Gabaon And thou O Moon i' th' vale of Aialon That th' Ammorites now by their hare-like flight Scape noâ— my hands vnder all-hiding Night As a Caroche draw'n by foure lusty steeds Simile In a smooth way whirling with all their speeds Stops suddainly if 't slip into a slough Or if it cross som Log or massie bough The Day-reducing Chariot of the Sun Which now began towards his West to run Stops instantly and giues the Hebrews space To rid the Pagans that they haue in chase Nature amaz'd for very anger shakes DescriptioÌ„ of Na ture who offended therat makes her complaint to GOD. And to th' Almighty her complaint she makes Seemly she marches with a measur'd pase Choler puts colour in her lovely face From either nipple of her bosom-Twins A liuely spring of pleasant milk their spins Vpon her shoulders Atlas-like she bears The frame of All down by her side shee wears A golden Key wher-with shee letteâ—h-forth And locketh-vp the Treasures of the Earth A sumptuous Mantle to her heels hangs down Wher-in the Heavens the Earth and Sea is showen The Sea in Silver woven the Earth in Green The Heav'ns in azure with gold threds between All-quickning Loue fresh Beauty smiling Youth And Fruitfulness each for her fauour su'th Grace still attends ready to do her honour Riches and Plenty alwayes wait vpon her Accoutred thus and thus accompani'd With thousand sighs thus to the Lord she cri'd Prosopopoeia Shall it be sayd a Man doth Heav'n command Wilt thou permit a braving Souldiers hand To wrong thine eldest Daughter ah shall I Haue the bare Name and He th' authority To Govern all and all controul O Lord With the bare winde of his ambitious word Shall I the World's Law then receiue the Law At others hands of others stand in aw If 't be thy pleasure or
saw'd in Transomes Beams and Somers Great Rocks made little what with Sawes and Hammers The sturdy Quar-man with steel-headed Cones And massie Sledges slenteth out the Stones Digs through the bowels of th' earth baked stiff Cuts a wide Window through a horned Cliff Of ruddy Porphire or white Alabaster And masters Marble which no Time can Master One melts the White-stone with the force of Fire Another leveld by the Lesbian Squire Deep vnder ground for the Foundation ioynes Wel-polisht Marble in long massie Coines Such both for stuff and for rare artifice As mought beseem som royall Frontispice This heaws a Chapter that a Frize doth frame This Carues a Cornich that prepares a Iambe This formes a Plynth that fits an Architraue This planes a Plank and that the same doth graue Giues life to Cedars dead and cunningly Makes Wood to moue to sigh and speak wel-nigh And others rearing high the sacred Wal By their bold Labours Heav'n it self appall Cheerly they work and ply it in such sort As if they thought long Summer-dayes too-short As in Grape-Harvest with vnweary pains Simile A willing Troup of merry-singing Swains With crooked hooks the strouting Clusters cut In Frails and Flaskets them as quickly put Run bow'd with burthens to the fragrant Fat Tumble them in and after pit-a-pat Vp to the Waste and dauncing in the Must To th' vnder-Tub a flowry Shower doo thrust They work a-vie to th' eye their Work doth growe Who saw 't i' th' Morning scarce at Night can knowe It for the same and God himself doth seem T' haue ta'en to Taske this Work and work for them While in the Night sweet Sleep restores with rest The weary limbs of Work-men ouer-prest Great King whence came this Courage Titan-like So many Hils to heap vpon a rick What mighty Rowlers and what massie Cars Could bring so far so many monstrous Quars And what huge strength of hanging Vaults embow'd Bears such a waight aboue the winged Clowde If on the out-side I doo cast mine eye The Stones are ioyn'd so artificially That if the Maçon had not checkerd fine * Syrian Syre's Alabaster with hard Serpentine And hundred Marbles no lesse fair than firm The whole a whole Quar one might rightly tearm If I look In then scorn I all with-out Surpassing Riches shineth all about Floore Sides and Seeling couerd triple-fold Stone lyn'd with Cedar cedar limn'd with Gold And all the Parget carv'd and branched trim With Flowrs and Fruits and winged Cherubim I over-passe the sacred Implements In worth far passing all these Ornaments Th' Art answers to the stuff the stuff to th' vse O! perfect Artist thou for Mould didst chuse The Worlds Idea For as first the same Was sever'd in a Three-fold divers Frame And God Almighty rightly did Ordain One all Divine one Heav'nly one Terrene Decking with Vertues one with Stars another With Flowrs and Fruits and Beasts and Birds the other And playd the Painter when he did so gild The turning Globes blew'd Seas and green'd the field Gaue precious Stones so many-coloured lustre Enameld Flowers made Metals beam and glister The Caruer when he cut in leaues and stems Of Plants such veins such figures files and hems The Founder when he cast so many Forms Of winged Fouls of Fish of Beasts of Worms Thou doost divide this Sacred House in Three Th' HOLY OF HOLIES wher-in none may bee But God the Cherubims and once a yeer The Sacred Figure of Perfection deer Of Gods eternall Son Sins sin-les check The ever-lasting true MELCHISEDEC The fair mid-TEMPLE which is ope alone To Sun-bright Leuites who on Izrael shone With Rayes of Doctrine and who feeding well On the Lawes Hony seem in Heav'n to dwell And th' vtter PORCH the Peoples residence The Vulgars Ile the World of Elements And various Artist honour'st all the Parts With Myron's Phydias and Apelles Arts. This Pattern pleas'd thee so th' hast fram'd by it Th' eternall Watch-births of thy sacred Wit Thy pithy Book of Prouerbs richly-graue Vnto the PORCH may rich relation haue For that it giues vs Oeconomike Lawes Rules Politike and Priuate civill Sawes And for the most those Lessons general At Humane matters aim the most of all Ecclesiastes the Mid-TEMPLE seems It treadeth down what ever Flesh esteems Fair pleasant precious glorious good or great Drawes vs from earth and vs in Heav'n doth seat And all the World proclaiming Uain of Vains Mans happinesse in Gods true Fear maintains SANCTVM-SANCTORVM is thy Song of Songs Where in Mysterious Verse as meet belongs Thou Mariest Iacob to Heav'ns glorious King Where thou devoted doost divinely sing CHRIST'S and his CHVRCHES Epithalamie Where sweetly rapt in sacred Extasie The faith-full Soule talks with her God immense Hears his sweet Voice her self doth quintessence In the pure flames of his sweet-pearcing eyes The Cabinets where Grace and Glory lies Enioyes her Ioy in her chaste bed doth kisse His holy lips the Loue of Loues her Blisse When he had finisht and had furnisht full The House of God so rich so bewtifull O God sayd Salomon great Only-Trine Dedication of the Temple Which of this Mystike sacred House of Thine Hast made me Builder build Mee in the same A living Stone For thy deer DAVIDS name On DAVIDS branches DAVIDS blisse reviue That on his Throne his Issue still may thriue O All-comprising None-comprised Prince Which art in Heav'n by thy Magnificence In Hell by Iustice each-where by thy Powers Dwell here deer Father by thy Grace to Ours If in a doubtfull Case one needs must swear Loose thou the Knot and punish thou severe Th' audacious Periure that hence-forth none chance Taxe thee of Malice or of Ignorance If our dis-flowred Trees our Fields Hail-torn Our empty Ears our light and blasted Corn Presage vs Famine if with ten-fold chain Thy hand hath lockt thy Water-gates of Rain And towards this House we humbled cast our eye Hear vs O Lord hear our complaint and cry If Captiues we in a strange Land bewayl If in the Wars our Force and Fortune fail And towards this House we humbled cast our eye Hear vs O Lord hear our complaint and cry If Strangers moov'd with rumor of thy Miracles Com heer to Offer to consult thine Oracles And in this House to kneel religiously Hear them O Lord hear their complaint and cry Hear them from Heav'n and by thy Favors prest Draw to Thy TEMPLE North South East and West The passe-Man Wisedom of th' Isacian Prince A Light so bright set in such eminence Vn-hideable by envious Arrogance Vnder the Bushell of black Ignorance Shines every where illustres every place Among the rest it Lightens in the Face Of the fair Princesse that with prudent hand The soft Arabian Scepter doth command The Queen of Saba where continuall Spring The Queene of Saba Red Cinamom Incense and Myrrhe doth bring Where private men doo Prince-like Treasures hold Where Pots be Silver Bedsteds beaten Gold Where Wals
of Christ. On our Horizon brought the dayes broad light Haue led men's soules in dark eternall night Feel torments worthy of their wickedness 23 Next Symmachus Porphirius marches first Lucian and Celsus then whose hardned heart The Gospell knowen did labour to subvert And Iulian also of all Caesars worst 24 Who knowing well that tortures were but vain To force the Saints from the right Faith to straie By sugred stile studies another way Turns truth to lies and lies to truth again 25 Next I perceive the Circumcised Crew 4. Cabalists and Talmudists Rabbies Of Cabalists and butly Talmudists Troubling the Church with their mysterious Mists Who wel-nigh dead'gainst CHRIST do spet and spew 26 Much like to Snakes that wagg their sting-les sting When as their heads and bodies being slain They threat their Foes with force-less fury vain And to their Graues their Thirst of vengeance bring 27 Now com the Doctors of the Alcaron 5. Turkish Doctors Who mingling poyson by their subtill glose The World 's blinde eyes with darker Clouds inclose They shew their sorrow by their saddest mone 28 But who are these that wear Faith's Livery 6. Heretiks old and new And bear the badge of Faith's best Souldiars And yet are laden with such bolts and bars And so despised of Faith's company 29 These if I err not are the Heretiks Who pusht by proud and curious spirits do blend Both Heav'n and Earth and busily contend To lead the World in crooked paths and Creeks 30 Now as soft windes with straight constrayned breath Through chinks and crannies stealing privily Hurt more our health than boistrous blasts that fly And roule abroad the stones vpon a heath 31 And as the Foe that shakes the Citie 's wallâ— With thundring shot is not so dangerous As a lewd Burgess false and mutinous That in the Town stirs-vp domestik brauls 32 So Pagans Turks Iews doo not damnifie The Faith like these their open violence May be avoyded but false fair-pretence Is hardly scaped with much ieopardie 33 They make like vs a fair religious showe They haue like vs one Church one FAITH one Lord They read like vs one Bible and one Word So sly they are Gods Church to over-throwe 34 In foremost rank heer go the Sadduces That to deny Angels and Resurrection Both Spirits of grace and of reiection Then th' Esseans foul and Formal Pharises 35 Next that deceiver that devised first Simon Magus Nicolaus Author of the Sect of the Nicolaites Church-chaffering and after him insues That mariage-Foe who brutishly renews Pluto's not Plato's Common-law accurst 36 Cerinthus next all bruis'd and bleeding fresh Of Beam-pasht wounds that brain'd him suddainly When in the Baths profane he did denie Christs holy God-head hidden in our flesh 37 For having likewise warr'd against the same God-head of th' onely Man-God Ebion Paul Samyan Photin Carp'crate Artemon Shewe by their looks their sorrow and their shame 38 There mourns that Manés who did fondly fain Two divers Gods Authors of Good and Ill There Valentin the air with cries doth fill Who did deny that bodies Rise again 39 Cerdon great Patron of the Stoïcall Marcion Menander pitious Moan do make There sighes Apelles saying Christ did take Not simply flesh but flesh fantasticall 40 There goes Basilides who canoniz'd Cyrenean Simon in our SAVIOVRS steed Montanus there afrantik head indeed Who guiltless Children kill'd and sacrifiz'd 41 There Tatians Encratiâ—s Severioâ—s Sabellians too which seeking th' vnity In Gods great Essence lost the Trinity Abhor too-late their fond conclusions 42 There th' Alexandrian Priest that yerst did voyd Arrius His entrails at the stool whose Heresie Witching wel-neer th' Earths Vniversity With Sword and Schism the World so much annoy'd 43 Sadly beholds sad-marching Macedonius And Eunomus who at the first had sowen His poysonie seeds but after of their owne They gathered two other Sects erronious 44 Bizantian Nestor and our owne â—â—lagius Libian Donatus Luciferians Euticheans fond and fond Priscillians All frown and fret for inward grief outrageous 45 Shall I conceal Seruetus and the train Of those Dëists that in Sarmatia swarms And Kingling Muncer that with frantik arms Founds hundred sorts of Anabaptists vain 46 Both Syrtes sands I might as eas'ly number As number those whose sweet in chanting Writs With Error 's dregs have drenched wanton Wits Chiefly'n this Age which all corruptions cumber 47 For Satan now him so insinuates In faithless hearts that ween themselues be wise That so foul Error can he not devise But shall be backt by strong associates 48 I see the Beast that bears the purple Whore Great Anti-christ vsurping powr divine 7. Antichrist the Schismatiks Set on Seaven Hills who with her whordom's wine Makes drunk the Princes that her Seat adore 49 And last of all I see the Schismatiks Which renting Christ's vnseamed coat in twain Trouble the Church-peace with contentions vain Following too neer the steps of Heretiks Canto III. 1 GReat Sire's great Son Oliue God's liuely face Wisedom conceiued of the onely Wise To vs given Giver First and Last born twise Once in full Time once out of all Times space 2 Beam of that Sun which fills the world with Light Life of our life our death's death Stinger's sting Our perfect wise iust holy valiant King Word that no word can full express aright 3 O Lord draw draw me draw me from this throng Whose feet and hands are bold to war with thee For with dry eyes I can them never see Nor without grief recite them in my Song 4 Ah! I am out now my deer God I goe From Babel to Iernsalem the Land Of Life Saints house and holy Ark to stand Against all Seas and all rough storms that blowe 5 Lo heer these Champions that haue brauely-bold Withstood proud Tyrants stoutly consacring Their liues and soules to God in suffering Whose names are all in Life's fair Book in-roll'd 6 All-hail Saint-Souldiers let vs once imbrace O valiant Knights let me your hands and brows Adorn with Palms and with Apollo's boughs Let present honours former shames deface 7 Com sacred Kings O holy Princes com Com to this Triumph Lords whose valiant hands Haue Satan's kingdom sought to bring in bands And in your Crowns giv'n Faith the chiefest room 8 He that the first Isaac infranchized Moses Iosua Leads by the hand that Duke whose faithfull word Stopt Phoebus Coursers and whose conquering Sword Subdu'd the Land the Lord had Promised 9 He that but armed with an Asses bone Samson Slew thousand Foes Sangar Othoniel Ahod and Ieptha Barac Samuel And th' Heathen's scourge triumphant Gedeon 10 That great King-Prophet Poet Conqueror Dauid Sweet Psalmograph Asa that Idols brake He that made all the Idol-altars quake Iosias And after did the Paschal Lamb restore 11 Iehosaphat Ioathan Azarias And he whose life the Lord did dis-abbridge Whom Heav'nly arms from Assur did vnsiedge The most religious match-less Ezechias 12 Wise
presages that the Flood abates The dismal flood where blood and tears did flowe And Ianus now locks-vp his Temple gates Iustice and Faith doo kindly kisse each other And Mars appeas'd sits down by Cupids Mother SONNET 3. Fair fruitfull Daughter of th' Omnipotent Great Vmpire that doost either World sustain Without whose help all would return again Like hideous Chaos to confusion bent O Mother of the living second Nature Of th' Elements Fire Water Earth and Air O Grace whereby men climbe th' heav'nly stair Whence void this world harbors no happy creature Pillar of Lawes Religions pedestall Hope of the godly glory of th' Immortall Honour of Cities Pearl of Kingdomes all Thou Nurse of Vertues Muses chief supportall Patron of Artes of Good the speciall spring All hail deer Peace which vs all heale doost bring SONNET 4. Comforth deer Fraunce from thy dark Cell of mone Com as new-born from Warrs vnkindly quarrels Turn tragick Cypresse to triumphant Laurels Change black to green and make thy Graue a Throne Let Cores dwell vpon thy Desart Plain Bacchus and Dian on thy Hills and Groues Pomana in Gardens Pan among thy Droues Secure all Rhoades and ope all Gates again Resume O Cities Rule and Reverence Revest yee States your Robes of dignity Rise-vp yee Ruines in fair Battlements Com Muses Pallas Themis Mercurie Restore vs Lawes Learning and Arts and Trade And let our Age a golden Age be made SONNNET 5. Most Christian Kingdom thou wert ne're so near Drown'd in the deep Gulphes of thy Civill warre As in the tempest of this later lar Which past conceit of calming did appear When all the windes adversly armed were Though selfly-foes yet friends to work thy wrack Thy Ship a helm thy self a heart didst lack On troubled waters tossed here and there Then from aboue O bounty most admired Saint Hermes shin'd whose gentle light presageth That then the anger of the Heav'ns asswageth O happy PEACE lesse hoped then desired O grace much honour'd little yet conceiv'd O blessed guile that thus our sense deceiv'd SONNET 6. Who could expect but past all expectation So suddain order from so sad confusion So loyall friendship from false emulation So firm possession from so fierce intrusion Who could expect but past all likelihood From such a storm such and so sweet a calme From Fraunce her cyndars such a Phoenix-brood Pandoras boxe to yeeld so rare a balme Who could expect but past all humane thought So frank a freedom from a thrall so late Or certain Rudder of so rent a State True Aesculapius thou alone hast wrought This MIRACLE not on Hyppolitus But on this Kingdom much more wonderous SONNET 7. Th' vnlookt-forworking of all things almost Inconstant-constant in succession strange Amazeth those whose wits we chiefly boast To see this suddain vn-expected change Each feels th' effect but none the cause descries No though he haue with starrs intelligence God to himself reserues such Mysteries Disposing Kingdoms by his Prouidence O end-less Bounty In the midst of Broyls He giues vs PEACE when Warr did vs inflame And reaues the mischief we pursu'd yer-whiles But this doth most extoll his glorious Name That when most sharply this extreamest Fit Stroue to be cure-les soon he cured it SONNET 8. Som reasoned thus No violence can last Revolted Subiects of themselues will quail Iust Soveraignty can never be displac't And lawfull Princes first or last preuail But who could think that the conioyned powers Of Spain and Rome with an exceeding number Of rebell Cities and false States of ours So weak a King so little should encumber Others discoursed in another sort While all things sorted to another end Then their imaginations did purport That earth may knowe it cannot comprehend The secret depths of Iudgements all-divine No there 's no ground beginning midst nor fine SONNET 9. Admire we onely Gods Omni-potence His deep-deep Wisedom and his Mercy deer For with these three he hath surmounted heer Our hatefull foes our hopes and all our sense His power appears vpon our Lord and King As yerst on Dauid for they both attain By war-like broyls their pre-appointed Raigne Strangers and subiects and selues conquering His Prudence shines when to preserue vs thus All humane wit his wisedom doth convince His gracious bounty in our bountious Prince Ovarious wonders mel delicious Flowes from a living Lion Mars is quiet Valour relenting Conquest void of ryot SONNET 10. This was no action of a humane hand But th' only work of the great Thunderer Who wise-directing all the things that are In vs divinely works his owne command Som men vnwilling benefit their Land Or vn-awares their Countries good preferr Another motions PEACE but mindeth Warr And PEACE succeeds what-ever drifts withstand Th' Arch-Architect the matchles Artizan All instruments vnto good vses prooues Man 's but a wheel which that great Moover moues Each gracious gift in that first cause began Each good 's a gleam of that first light alone If Ill approach vs onely that 's our owne SONNET 11. If God dart lightning soon he dewes down rain A dreadfull Iudge and yet a gentle Father Whose wrath slowe-kindled is soon quencht again To moue vs sinners to repent the rather 'Gainst Hel-bred Hydra Heav'n-born Theseus brings The great Alcides arm and armory Of greatest Ill a greater Good there springs And Mercy still doth Rigour qualifie Ah Fraunce so many Monsters to suppresse Thou hadst great need of Royall fortitude Els had'st thou been an Afrik Wildernes O happy lost Realm for it hath ensude That now thy gain is more in restauration Then was thy losse in all thy desolation SONNET 12. But if I sing great Henries fortitude Shall I not then be blam'd for ouer-daring If over-slip it then be taxt for fearing Of silent dread and dumbe in gratitude What e're befall my youth-bold thoughts conclude Like Icarus my nimble Muse to raise And if I fall in such a Sea of praise What rarer Mausole may my bones include A sacred rage of som sweet-furious flame Will-nill-I rapts me boldly to rehearse Great Henries Tropheis and his glorious name Then roule thou Torrent of my tender verse Though his high Theam deserue a consort rather Of all the Muses and all musikes Father SONNET 13. Great Prince not pleas'd with a vain vertue-seeming Great Victor prone to pardon humblenes Happy all Hap Heav'ns onely gift esteeming Warriour whose warrs haue wrought his Coūtries PEACE Noble by deeds and noble by descent Ancient Achilles youthfull Nestor sage Whose ripe-experienç't courage confident To knocks knits counsail and giues rule to rage As hard in toyle as in compassion soft Inur'd to that by nature born to this Who sheds no blood but sheddeth tears as oft Who never fights but still the field is his So like to Mars that both in loues and warres Bellona and Uenus take him still for Mars SONNET 14. A spirit to vertues cheerfully addrest Apt to all goodnes to no ill inclin'd Quick to conceiue ingenious
whom he hath erected aboue vs and aboue all things not to abuse the law of humane hospitality and other holy bands for to giue place to these frenetike opinions so to abolish a pretended tyranny I haue also to warne thee of two different sorts of men of the which one sort is so depraued that they can heare nothing but that which is altogether prophane and the other is so supersticious that they make conscience not onely to write but also to read of holy things in verse as though that the measure and iointure of syllabes were so constrained as it were vnpossible to keepe the sense vnperuerted or at least not excessiuely obscured Now if I perceiue that this my first assay may bee to thee agreeable I shall continue more gladly my newe commenced race in such sort that thou shalt not repent thine indulgence nor I my passed pains But if contrarie fall in time to come I wil be ware to là y out my smalpack in this ample Theatre of France where there is almost as many Iudgements as beholders A Dieu GSSDB The Argument of the whole Historie of Iudith AFter that the Children of Israel were deliuered from captiuitie and returned to their land the Citty of Ierusalem reedified the Temple builded and prepared to the seruice of the Lord the multitude of the people being scattered in sundry towns and places of the Land where they liued in peaceable rest the Lord knowing man to be negligent of GOD and his saluation chiefly when he liues at ease and all things frames vnto his fraile desire to th' end that his people should not fal in such an inconuenience would exercise them with a feareful affliction and temptation sending vpon their Countrey an army so great in number and puissance that made the whole earth to tremble This expedition was vnder the Persian Monark named in the historie Nebuchadnezar which neuerthelesse is not his right name His chiefe Lieutenant generall and Conducter of the whole Armie was Holophernes who wheresoeuer hee came ouerthrewe all religion permitting none to inuocate or acknowledge any other God but Nebuchadnezar his Maister whome hee enforced to constitute and establish for the onely God So entred hee Iudea with intent to destroy it all which the people perceiuing and that his power was so great that no nation could resist him and also knowing his cruell hatred were sore affraied and almost driuen to extreame desperation seeing none other thing present before them but ruine and destruction And this the Lord suffered to showe in time his worke to bee more wonderfull For the people being humbled and hauing called to the Lord for mercie and succour at his hand hee both heard and succoured them at neede The meane was not through strength or stoutnesse of some worthy Captaine but by the hand of Iudith a tender feeble woman to the shame of this most proud and cruell tyrant and all his heathen hoste For shee cut off his head put all his campe to slight destroyed his men of Armes in such wise that they fled here and there and seeking to saue their liues left all their tentes and baggage Thus the Lorde by the weake and those that are not regarded makes his workes admirable By one selfe meane hee saued his owne and executed his iustice against his enemies In which wee haue to consider his singular ptouidence and goodnesse and the care which he hath in especiall for his faithfull and all his whole Church This Historie is intituled by the name of Iudith because it containes the narration of her great vertues and for that the Lorde vsed her as an instrument for the deliuerance of his people It is not certaine who was the first Author hereof neuerthelesse the reading of it hath beene receiued in the Church for the doctrine and vtility of the same THE SVMMARIE OF The I. BOOKE HOLOPHERNâ—â— Lieutenant generall and chief of the army of Nebuchâ—dnezzaâ— K oâ— the Assyrians was in the fielde for to subdue diuers people and amongst others the Iewes All the Nation is seazed with great feare for the cruelties committed by the enemy Then as it fals out â—n bruits of war al the whole people were troubled som sauing themselues in corners for feare others attending in great perplexity some sad and Tragicall ende the last sort calls vpon God This while IOACHIM the chiefe Priest gouerned the people hâ— by his letters and expresse commandement recalls those that were fled and scattered and made them returne to Ierusalem where in presence of the Leâ—its hee made sacrifice earnest prayer vnto God to withdrawe his ire and to bee mercifull to his people which done he enters in counsell and requires his Princes to consult vpon the cause and consider what iâ— most 〈◊〉 and to preferre the loue of Gods law and the countâ— iâ— before all priuate things the first that gainstands this exhortation is an hypocrite and fauourer of the enemy who giues couÌ„sell to render them to HOLOPHERNEâ— calling him a Prince gratious to those that applauds to him and inuincible in battell to those that dare resist him But the second Lord replying â—â—alously againe detecteth his false hypocriâ—ie and carelesse securitie exposing the people to the mercy of a barbarous godless enemy before the duty they ought to their God and their countrey and to establish in place of the true God a wicked Nâ—MROD conâ—ummat in all impiety and wickednes to abolish all vertue and godlinesse For he proues that if the nations should be rooted out for the right religioÌ„ God should be more honored in the death of the Iewes then in their liues and that it is more worthy to die Hebrewes then to liue infidels and free men then slaues Shortly that they ought to prefer honor and duty before feare and a vaine hope to prolong their dolefull dayes This reply encouraged all the aâ—â—istâ—ts wherof IOACHIM gaue thankes to God and resoluing himselfe vpon a iust defence for the onseruation of the seruice of God and the freedome of his nation and the liues of the innocent against this villanous inuatision wise by deâ—aâ—â—ed the regiments of towns to persons conuenient who past to their â—â—â—igned places each one preparing according to their power vnto the warre with courage paine and diligence The first Booke of Iudith I Sing the vertues of a valiant Dame PropositioÌ„ summe of this worke Who in defence of Iacob ouercame Th' Assyriaâ— Prince and slew that Pagan stout Who had beset Bethulia walles about O thou who kept thine Izak from the thrall Inuocation of the true God Of infidels and steeld the courage small Of feeble Iudith with a manly strength With sacred furie fill my heart at length And with thy Holy spirit my spirit enspire For matter so diuine Lord I require No humain stile but that the Reader may Great profit reape I ioy thou praise alway And since in vulgar verse I prease to sing DedicatioÌ„ of the Author altred by the
did that sprite that made the Prophet blesse Num. 23. The Israelites whom Balec did addresse To curse them all and wage his couetous toung Which spake contrarie that he would haue soung So please it you my Lord I shall descrie The storie of Izrell yet so doing I Am like the modest Bee that takes but small Of every flowr though she haue choise of all For where she list the sweetest off she crops These people that ye see on mountain tops A briefe discourse of the estate of the Iewes Encamped in these craggs are of the line Of Abraham who seruing God diuine That mighty God of Gods who creat all And firmely knit and built this mighty ball Came to this Land that then was tild and sowen Gen. 12. And by the name of wealthy Canaan knowen Where onely God his wealth did multiplie In goods and siluer gold and familie And when of age he was an hundred year His wife eake barren neuer child did â—ear God gaue them Isaac swearing that his seed Should many Scepters rule and Land bespreed But when that holy Abraham was old And hoped well the promise made should hold O pitious case Th' immortall voice him spake And bad him sacrifice his sonne Isaac Then like a ship between two windes beset Gen. 22. Vpon the raging sea on both sides bet In doubtsom fear â—e wots what way to keep Least one of them confound her in the deep Makes close her ports and slides on Neptunes back At pleasure of the hoisteous windes to wrack So felt this Hebrew in his heart to fight Both loue and duety reason faith and right Nor wist he way to take his troubled soule From this to that continually did roule Vntill the time his heav'nly fear and loue His naturall earthly pitie did remoue Then hauing built the fire and all anone His sonne he layd vpon the sacred stone And with a trembling hand the curtlasse drewe With heavied arme the stroke for to ensewe When lo th' Eternall staid the balefull knife And down it fell and spaird the guiltless life Then God content to haue so great assaye Of Abrams faith defended him alway Of Isaac Iacob came and Iacob than Of valiant sonnes had twelue in Canaan Who forç't by famine fled to Aegypt Land Where for a while their dwelling good they fand Exod. 1 And grew so great in number that they were A fear to those that had them harbourd there And though th' Egyptians dayly them opprest And burthens on their sweating backs were drest Yet like the valiant Palme they did sustaine Their peisant weight redressing vp againe This mov'd King Pharo to command through all Great Nilus Land where raine doth neuer fall He bad his folke should slay whereso they came All children males the seede of Abraham Assoone as they from mothers wombs were free Their day of birth should be their day to d ee O cruell Tiger thinks thou that this deede Of Izak may cut-off th' immortal seede ExclamatioÌ„ Well may it stay the sucklings for to liue And kill th' accustomde frute that heaven doth giue But spite of this men Iacobs seede shall see In flouring state to rule all Cananee The first of every house shall feele the hand And wrath of God against this law to stand It fortun'd Pharo's daughter with her traine Of Ladies faire to play them on the Plaine Vpon the shoare where Gossan floode doth slide Where after many pastimes they had tride She hears an enfant weepe amongst the reedes Then iudging it for one of Izaks seeds As so it was yet with Paternall feare Against his pitious plaint she clos'd her eare But after vewing in that infants face I know not what of fauour and of grace Which did presage his greatnes to ensew Loue vanquisht lawe and pittie dread withdrew So from the floode not onely she him caught But curiously she causde him to be taught As her owne sonne O sonne elect of God Admiration That once shall rule the people with thy rod Thou haste not found a seruant for thy mother But euen a Queene to nurse thee and none other Now see how God alwaies for his elect Note Of wicked things can draw a good effect His prouidence hath made a wicked thing Vnto his owne great profit for to bring When Iosephs brether sold him like a slaue Gen. 41 He after came a kingly place to haue Of Haman proude the darke enuious hate Brought Mardoche the iust to great estate For where his enemie sought his shamefull end Est. The same vnto the worker he did send This Hebrew Moses once as he did keepe On Horeb mount his father Iethro his sheepe Father in Law He saw a fearefull sight a flaming fire Enclose a thorny bush whole and entire From whence a mighty voice vnto him spake Which made the ground betweene the Poles to shake I am that One is was and ay shall bee Exod. 3. Who create all of nought as pleaseth mee I can destroie I am the great and iust The faire the good the Holy one to trust Whose strong right hand this world hath set in frame I am th' Almighty God of Abraham I plague my foes and grant my seruants grace All those that knowledge me and all their race Then follow thou my will and quickly go From me to that prophane King Pharao Who holds the towrs of Memphis and the field Of Nilus shore that rich encrease doth yeeld And bid him let my people freely goe But if with hardned hart he will not so Stretch out thy staffe for to confirme thy charge And it shall turne into a Serpent large And this he shortly did the thing to proue It quickned lo and on the ground gan moue O Miracle he saw without all â—aile It grew a Serpent fell with head and taile Which crangling crept and ranne from trod to trod In many a knot till time th' Almighty God Commanded him the same for to retaine Which to the former shape returnd againe Thus siling humain sight it changed form One while a Rod one while a creeping worm Then armed with this staffe the Lord him sent The proud idolatrous princes to torment He in the name of God full oft did pray The King to let the Hebrews go their way Vnto the desert where he did deuise To offer God a pleasant sacrifise But Pharo clos'd his eare against the Lord And to his holy word would not accord Then God th' Eternall wrought by Moses hand Exod. 4 To approue his word great wonders in that Land For he not only Riuers turnd to blood Exod. 7 But also all the heads of Nilus flood Which watreth wealthy Egypt with his sources Was turnd to blood amid their siluer courses So that the king himselfe his life to feede Was faine to vse such water for his neede This Moses made the froggs in millions creep Exod. 8 From floods and ponds and scrall from ditches deep Who cled all Misraim with their filthy frie Euen on the king
bands of Chus on Gerar greene Shall I forget him who preparing fight Iosaphat 'Gainst Ammon Seir and Moabs Idoll might Saw ech of their three hoasts on others fall And with them selfs their selfs disconfit all Yet for their sinnes God gaue them in the hands Of Calde Kings who conquered all their Lands And took King Zedekee and made an end Of that Impire till God did Cyrus send Who set them free and gaue them of his grace Two rulers of their owne And now this place Is kept by sacred Ioachim whose powers Consists not onely within Sions towers But Edom Sidon Moab and we all Do knowe his strength and knowes him principall Now Sir you hear the progresse first and last Of Isâ—acs race in order as it past One while the Lord enhaunst them to the skie One while he drew them downe in deepe to lie ' But were he Iudge or Prince or King of might ' Who reul'd the Hebrews policie aright ' While they observ'd th' alliance made before ' By their forefathers who to God them swore ' In happy state all others they surpast ' And vnderfoote their proudest foes were cast ' And all the world that their destruction sought ' Against their state and name preuailed nought ' But contrary as oft as they astraide ' From God their guide he on their shoulders laid ' The Barbare yock of Moâ—b and oft-times ' Of Palestine and Ammon for their crimes ' The heauie hand of God was seen to be ' On their ingratefull infidelity Now if so be that any odious sinne Prouoke their Lord his Iustice to begin Then mine not you their towers and tourets tall Nor bring the wrack som engine to their wall Nor place thy battries braue nor yet aduenter With thy courageous camp the breach to enter For if Libanus mount or Carmell faire Or Niphathaei should parke them from repaire If Ynde and Nilus with the Rhene and Rhone To close them round about should run in one For their defence yet shall they notwithstand With all their force thy flurious fighting â—and But if they haue not broke the â—and indeed That God with Abraham made and with his seede Beware my Lord beware to touch or moue These people that the Lord so much doth loue For though south Aùtan would dispeople his Lands And bring the blackest Moores to swarme in bands If Northren Boreas vnder his banners colde Would bring to field his hideous Souldiers bold If Zephyrus from sweet Hesperia coste Would send his chosen armed men to Hoste If Eurus for to aide thine enterprise Would bring his men from whence the sun doth rise Yet all their numbers hudge and forces strong Can neuer do to Israell any wrong Nor hurt one hair if their great God say nay That God will them defend because he may With one small blast confound all Kings that darre As thou doest now prouoke him vnto warre Then like as ye behold the quiet see Not raging when the windes ingendring be But blauncheth first then growes in little space In wallowing waves to flowe with fomy face And lastly beates the banks and ships vnshrouds With wrackfull waues vphoist to highest clouds So almost all the princes of that hoste With inward anger gan to be emboste As oft as they the prayse of God did heare So to his speech encreast their spitefull chear Which in the end to blasphemy them brought Th' immortall God of Gods to set at nought Kill and cut off quoth they this traytour fine Whose subtill talke with all his whole engine Pretends to saue these Hebrews from our hands And threats vs with vaine Gods of forraine Lands For if it please you noble prince to send But twenty men of value that are â—end Within your camp these recklesse rebels then Shall be a pray to all your warlike men O wicked wight but then the Uizroy stout With power appeasde the murmur of the route And to him said O shameles Prophet thou What Sibyll or what charmer tell me now What Diuell or Daemon so doth thee inspire That Izrell shall of vs haue his desire Such men as with no God can be content But such as pleased Moses to inuent Of his owne head a God that hath no power â—lasphemic For to deliuer them nor thee this hower Haue we an other God or king of kings Then our great Persian Monark now that rigns Whose barded horse ore runns the Nations all Whose armed men out of these mountaines tall Shall rake these Rebels that from Egypt came To this where they vniustly keep the same Dye dye thou shalt O wretch thy toung vntrue And double heart shall haue their wages due But foole what speake I thus no haste a while Thy blood O villaine shall not me defile So iust a paine so soone thou shalt not haue For thy deceipt so soone to go to graue ' For in a wretches sodaine death at ones ' Their long some ill is buried with their bones But to that end I may prolong thy strife In Bethull town I will prolong thy life Where euerie howre thou shalt haue such affraye To dye vndead a thousand times a day Till time with them who thou so strong hast thought To shamefull end with them thou shalt be brought What wherefore temblest thou and art so pale What sorrow makes thy heart so soone to faile If God be God as thou right now hast said Then of thy faith giue witnesse vndismaid A marshall of the campe then being prest Who was not yet so cruell as the rest There tooke this demy Pagan Ammons Lord And sent him bound to Bethull with a cord Then euen as in his clawes the kite doth beare The chirping chicken throu the weather cleare While that the cackling hen belowe on ground Bewayles her bird with vaine lamenting sound So in like woe his worthy men were left For that so worthy a chief was them bereft The Townsmen then beholding neere their wall These Miscreants to armour straight they fall Yâ—lad in plate and mail and runnes in bands And fearcely fronts their foes with steele in hands As fast as done the riuers doun the hils That with their murmur hudge the deepes vpfils The Heathen seeing this retirde away And left the Lord of Ammon for a pray To th' Hebrew soldiers who did him constraine Though he was willing with them to remaine When all the folke with prease about him past His eyes and hands vp to the pole he cast ' And thus he spake O God that great abides ' Vpon th' Immortall seat and iustly guides ' The ruled course of heav'n whose liuing spreete ' Reuiuing spreds and through all things doth fleete ' I render thee O God immortall prayse ' For that before I end my wofull dayes ' Now from th' vnfruitfull stock thou doest me race 'To graft me in thy fruitfull tree of grace ' Where in despite of all contrary strife ' I shall bring forth the fruits of lasting life And ye O Iacobs sonnes
withstand The Heathen host with ech of them in hand An yron mace in stead of launces long And brazen bucklers beating back the throng Their habergions like stiddies stithe they baire With helmets high and pennons pight in aire Of equall age they were and equall length Of equall courage and of equall strength Like Poplers twain that recheth vp their tops And holds their heads so high that none them crops But on the Riuers side do sweetly sway Like germain brether hailsing oft a day The Heathen seeing thus the Iews descend With edge of sword their Citie to defend They left th' assault and thence retyring went As they commanded were vnto their tent But when I think how xxx dayes that towne Tormented was with mischief vp and down Too sad a song I cannot hear inuent So great a sadnesse right to represent My hand for horrour shakes and now no more Can lead my sacred pen as erst before For now mine eyes that watred are with tears Declares my matter all of mischief bears Oh Sprite from whence all sprit and life doth come Thou loosde the tongue of Zacharie that was dōme And sent thy Heralds through the world to preach Thy name and in a hundreth tongues to teach Guide thou my pen and courage to me lend That to thy honour I this worke may end Although that Izak sawe on euery hand A world of folke against his towne to stand Yet tracting time he thought he would prouide No lesse to keep then coole th' Assiegers pride But when they fand the conduits cut and rent By which their water to their towne was sent Their courage bolde and all their craks alas As licour faild so did their stoutnesse pas Their Lords preferring death to bondage vile Made them beleeue the thing did them beguile To wit they gaue men hope that they might keep Sufficient wat'r in wels and cesterns deep Through all the towne the people to relieue That thirst should not the souldiers greatly grieue The magistrates in deed had great regard To see this water wisely spent and spar'd That Bottell sweet which serued at the first To keep the life but not to slocken thirst A viue description of Thirst. When wels grew dry the Commons ran in rage And sought out euery sink their thirst t' asswage And drank with long som draught the pools in haste To quench their thirst with ill contented taste Which poysoned ayre enfect their purest breath Whereby the drinker drank his present death O wretched folke who felt so hard a strife Drink or not drink both wayes must lose their life For he that drank and he that did refrain Had of their enmies both an equall pain For why the water vile slew them throughout No lesse then did their enmies them about That wretched towne had neuer a street nor rewe But Parcas there had found som facion newe To murder men or martyr them with fears As mov'd the most indurate hart to tears If so much water in their brains had been As might forbear a drop to wete their een There plaind the old man that the souldier strong Had reft his Bottell from his head with wrong But while he spake his hart for thirst did faint And life him left which frustrate his complaint The souldier braue Oh hart brek for to tell His proper vryne drank thirst to expell The wofull mother with her spettle fed Her little childe half dead in cradle bed The Lady with her Lord at point of death Embracing fals and yeelds their latest breath For cruell thirst came out of Cyren Land Where she was fostred on that burning sand With hote intracted tongue and sonken een With stomack worn and wrinkled visage keen With light and meigre corse and pailed vains In stead of blood that brimstone hote retains Her poysond mouth blew throw that holy town Such hellish ayr that stifled vp and down The Arters of the Iewes in such a way That nought was seen but burials night and day So that the heauen to see their dolours deep Could scarsly keep his course but preasd to weep And would haue ioind his tears to their complaint If God of hosts had made them no restraint Yea I my self must weep who cannot speak The woes that makes my heavy hart to break And so will silent rest and not rehearse But counterfait the painter in my verse Who thought his colours paile could not declare The speciall woe king Looke the Table Agamemnon bare When sacrificed was his onely race With bend of black he bound the fathers face Now while the people were in this estate And with their princes wrangling in debate They thus besought the Lord for to decide Between their simplesse and their princes pride The Lord be iudge of that which ye haue wrought And what your wicked counsells hath vs brought If you had offred peace to this great Lord At first we might haue wonne him to accord Then happy happy dayes we might haue seen And not so many souldiers murdred been Alas what hope haue we within this holde Our enmies are more meek a thousand folde Then are our owne They haps would vs preserue Our wilfull owne pretends to see vs sterue Our children do our childrens weal denay And headlong hastes vnto their owne decay We knowe O Lord the breaking of thy law Hath caused thee this sword on vs to draw And iustly thou thine yrefull bowe doest bend On our vnloyall heads the shot to send But thou who doth not long retain thine yre Against thine owne thy mercy we require Change thou the purpose of our foolish guides And of these Heathen armed at our sides Or els let vs vpon their weapons fall And of their hands to be destroyed all Er we this drougth and deadly venim haue With languishing to send vs to the graue My brethren dear the Ruler then gan say Our whole desire hath been both night and day Not for to see the seed of Abrahm lost For which we striue against this furious hoste What haue ye pain so likewise pain haue we For in one boat we both imbarked be Vpon one tide one tempest doth vs tosse Your common ill it is our common losse Th' Assyrian plague shall not vs Hebrews grieue When pleaseth God our mischief to relieue Which he will doe if ye can be content And not with grudge his clemency prevent Then striue not you against that puissant king Who create all and gouerns euery thing For comfort of his Church and children dear And succours them though time do long appear Somtime an Archer leaues his bowe vnbent And hong vpon a naile to that intent It may the stronger be to bend again And shoot the shot with greater might and main Right so th' eternall doth withholde his ill A longer time perchance for that he will More egerly reuenge him of their crime Who do abuse his long for bearing time When men applauds to sinne they count it light And but a matter
them that her vpbrought Like to the gratefull stork that gathereth meat And brings it to her elders for to eate And on a firtree high with Boreas blowne Giues life to those of whom she had her owne But if she might som howre from trauell quite At vacant time it was her chief delyte To read the scriptures where her faithfull minde Might confort of the heav'nly Manna finde Somtime she broyded on the canuas gall Som bird or breast or A egle or Elephant tall While subtely with siluer nedle fine She works on cloth som history diuine Heer Lot escaping the deuouring fire From sinnefull Zodom shortly doth retire To Segor where his wife that was vnwitty Cast back her eye to see the sinnefull Citty And for her mis-beliefe God plagued the falt Transforming her into a Pillar of salt Here she Susannaes story viuely wrought How neer she was to execution brought And yet how God the secret did disclose And made the mischief fall vpon her foes Here Iosephs story stands with wondrous art And how he left his cloke and not his heart To his lasciuious Dame and rather chose The Prison then her armes him to enclose Her cruell Iâ—phte with his murdring knife To keep his vow bereaues his daughters life Her trauell done her lute she then assayes And vnto God she sings immortall prayes Not following those that plyes their thriftles pain In wanton vearse and wastefull ditties vain Thereby t' entrap great men with luring looks But as the greedy fisher layes his hooks Alongst the coste to catch som mighty fish More for his gain then holesom for the dish Of him that byes euen so these sisters braue Haue louers mo then honest may dens haue But none are burnt with their impudent flame Saue fooles and light lunatikes voyd of shame Of vertue only perfect loue doth growe Whos 's first beginning though it be more slowe Then that of lust and quickens not so fast Yet sure it is and longer time doth last The straw en kendles soone and slakes again But yron is slowe and long will hot remain Thus was the holy Iudiths chaste renowne So happily spred through Israell vp and down That many a man disdaind the damsels fine With Iewels rich and haire in golden twine To serue her beuty yet Loues firy dart Could neuer vnfriese the frost of her chaste hart But as the Diamant byds the hammer strong So she resisted all her suters long Vnminded euer for to wed but rather To spend her dayes with her beloued father Till at the last her parents with great care Withstood her will and for her did prepare Manasses one who was of noble race Both rich and faire as well of sprite as face Her mariage then was not a slight contract Mariage Of secret billes but by a willing act Before her friends The chaunce that once befell To wandring Dina may be witnesse well That secret mariage that to fewe is kend Doth neuer lead the louers to good end For of our bodies we no power may clame Except our parents do confirme the same Then see how loue so holily begunne Between these two so holy a race they runne This chaste young-man and his most chastest wife As if their bodies twain had but one life What th' one did will the other will'd no lesse As by one mouth their wils they do expresse And as a stroke giuen on the righter eye Offends the left euen so by Sympathie Her husbands dolours made her hart vnglad And Iudiths sorrowes made her husband sad Manasses then his wife would not controule Tyranniously but look how much the soule Exceeds the corse and not the corse doth grieue But rather to preserue it and relieue So Iudith with Manasses did accorde In tender loue and honourde him as Lord. Their house at home so holy was to tell It seemd a Church and not a priuate Cell No seruant there with villain iestes vncouth Was suffered to corrupt the shamefast youth No ydle drunkard nor no swearing wight Vnpunisht durst blaspheme the Lord of might No pleasant skoffer nor no lying knaue No dayly Dycer nor no Ruffian braue Had there abode but all the seruants weare Taught of their Rulers Gods eternall feare Manasses he who saw that in his time All iustice was corrupt with many-a cryme And that the most peruers and ignorant For money or fauour would none office want Of high estate refusde all publike charge Contenting him with ease to liue at large From Court and Palace free from worldly pelfe But since he thought him borne not for himself But also that som charge he ought to bear For confort of his friends and countrey dear Yet did he more not being magistrate For publike weale then men of more estate So that his house was euen the dwelling due Of Iustice and his mouth a sentence true Th' afflicted poore he dayly did defend And was the widowes ayde and tutor kend To Orphelines and was the whole support And chief conforter of the godly sort The vain desire of Indian treasures great Made neuer his ship to sayl nor oar to beat The greedy hope of gain with ventrous daunger Made neuer his sword be drawen to serue the stranger He neuer sold within the wrangling Barre Deceitfull clatters causing clients Iarre But quietly manurde his little feild And took th' encrease therof that time did yeilde He sowde and planted in his proper grange Vpon som sauage stock som frutry strange The ground our common Dame he vndermines On stake and ryce he knits the crooked vines And snoddes their bowes so neither hote nor cold Might him from labour in the chamber hold But once as he beheld his haruest train With crooked Circle cutting downe the grain The sunne a distillation on him sent Whereof he dyed his soule to heauen it went He that the number of the leaues could cast That in Nouember fals by winter blast He that could tell the drops of rain or slete That Hyad Orion or Pleiades wete Sheds on the ground that man might only tell What tears from Iudiths eyes incessant fell What treasure and golde and what he left her tho VVidowhead In place of pleasure caused all her woe The sight of them made her in heart recorde Their olde possessor and her louing Lord. Though she had had asmuch of gold and good As Lydia Land or Tagus golden flood Yet losing him of treasure she was bare For whom all other treasures causde her care Yet in this state she stoutly did sustain Like patient Iob contempning all her pain Three times the Sunne returned had his prime Since this befell and yet the sliding time That wonted is to wear walloes away Could neuer for his death her dolour stay But alwayes in som black attire she went Right modestly and liv'd on little rent Deuout she was and most times sole and sad With dole in heart and mourning vesture clad Out shedding tears as doth the turtle doue On withred stalke that wails her
to battell drew Thus 'tweene them two did cruell war ensew Arphaxaâ— armed all the yles of Greece Where Iason was but sought no golden fleece But golden lingots with aboundant gaine Wher Phasis streame bedeawes the pleasant Plaine The Harmastans and Albans strong and wise That sowes but once and haue their haruest thrise The men that neer to Oxus banks abydes And those that Antitaurus horns diuydes And those that mans the mount vpon whose brest The ship that scap't the genrall flood did rest And those that are not hid within the Reame Wher proude Iaxartes flowes with furious streame In short the Medes brought men to ayde their plea From Pontus far beyond the Caspian sea And of this Hoste Arphaxat was commander With hope and heart more high then Alexander My prince desirous then to winne or dy Left nought vndone that furthred to supply His troubled state He armed Syttacene And waged Archers out of Osrohene Ye Lords of Lands that yelds the hundreth corne Leaue Euphrates and bounds where ye were borne Ye Carmans bolde that all on fish do feede And of their pelts do make your warlike weede Leaue Hytan bounds go seek the golden sands Ye Parths ye Cosses Arabs and ye lands That of your Magi Prophets thinks ye knowe Their spells diuine yourself for pâ—kmen showe O Calde chaunge thine Astrolab and square To speare and shield for we no wight will spare Of able age of high or lowe degrie That trails the pike or launce layes on his thie Let women Children and the burghers olde At home alone let them their houses holde We sommond eke the Persians and Phoenicians The soft Aegyptians Hebrews and Cilicians To come in haste and ioyne their force to ours But they disdainfully deteind their powrs And with their wicked hands and words vnsage They did our sacred messengers outrage My maister for a time putvp this wrong Attending time to quite these enmies strong With purpose more at leasure to prouide T' abate this sacrilegious peoples pride Two greater kings were neuer seen beforne Battell Then camped was in Ragau field at morne With hauty harts enarmed all in yre Ech soldier set another so on fire That scarsly they could keep them in their bound Till pipe or Cymball or the trumpets sound Denounce the choke but with their furious faces They thret their foes afarre with fell menaces And strokes at hand two thousand Lads forlorne To blunt the sword were down in battell borne Vpon their flanks flew feruently the stones That bet their bucklers to their brused bones The squadrons then steps sternly to the strokes With harts in humain all the battell yokes And are supplide with many mighty bands Som counters them and sternly them withstands With foot to foot ech other ouer plyes Both Meds and Caldes clasp with gastly cryes Like Nilus stream that from the rocks doth romble Or Encelade when he in tombe doth tomble Here som lies headles som that cannot stand Trails on his wombe and wants both foot and hand Cut off with stroks some perâ—'t throu plate and mails Some shoulder-â—lasht some panched in th' entrails Some brains outbet some in the guts were gor'd Some dying vomit blood and some were smor'd Some neither quick nor dead do yet attend What place it pleaseth God their soules to send So loth the little life that doth abyde Is from the dying body to diuide The ground that erst was yellow greene and blew Is ouercled with blood in purpure hew While this man giues some one his deadly baine He of another gets the like againe The rage encreasing growes with yrefull flame The field is spred with bodies dead and lame Like as ye see the wallowing sea to striue Flood after flood and waue with vvaue to driue Comparison Then waues with vvaues the floods with floods do chase And eft returnes vnto their former place Or like the crops of corne in mids of May Blowne vvith the vvestren wind aside doth sway Both to and fro as force doth them constraine And yet their tops redresseth vp againe So whiles the Syrians are by Medes displaced And whiles the Medes by Syrianâ— are rechased Then like two raging floods that down do fall From two contrarie mutine mountains tall Downe bearing bridge and bank and all destroyes And striues which one may do the most annoyes So these two kings in force and courage stout Excels the rest with slaughter them about Wherso they'preast they left on either side Behinde them two long opened wayes and wide For all their bucklers Moâ—ions and Quiraces Were of no proofe against their peisant maces Yet for the time the Medeâ— so fearcely fought That they th' Assyrian bands in terrour brought And pauld his soldiers harts and brak their might Who ouercome tooke them to shamefull flight The Medes pursewd and wounded in that chace Ten thousand men but none vpon the face In short this day our Scepter had depriued Had I not like the thunder dint arriued In battels brunt Their male and their vantbras Their helme and shield before my Coutelas Were fraile as glas and neuer a stroke I lent But deadly was and them more terrour sent Then all our camp The soldier then in feare With trembling hand could scarsly weild his speare The pal-hewd knight with hart in brest that quakes His thyes in saddle and feet in stirrops shakes For dread of me There some with trenchant glaiue From hight of head to middle down I claiue And some so farre I foyned through the Iack The blade aperde a foote behinde his back So that the Medes afrayd at such a thing In heat of fight they fled and left their king Who seing himself betrayd his clothes he rent And bloodie towards Ragau towne he went Where we him met yet Braue did him defend And sought amongst his foes a famous end As doth the Tyger wilde who sees her den Beset about with hunters dogs and men That turns her feare to furious raging rife And will not vnreuenged lose her life So he them thunderbet wherso he went That neuer a stroke in vaine his right hand spent But er with murdring blade they could him quell Full many-a bold precursor he sent to hell At last Arphaxat gan of slaughter tyre And wounded sore left both his life and yre And fell as doth some huge high planted oak That long hath byde the winds and many-a stroak Of many an axe yet stoutly doth sustaine Their trauels long and frustrats all their paine The roote doth sigh the dale doth roring sound And to the heauen the noyse doth high rebound His head now here now there seemes to incline And threats him here and there with great ruine Yet stands vpright aboue the highest okes Till vanquisht with a thousand thousand strokes He falls at last and brings with him to ground Both trees and cattell to the Plaine profound So with Arphaxat fell the Medes empyre My king the king of kings then in his yre Ras'd