his corrections returne to him as it said Tyre and Sidon would haue returned in Sackcloth and Ashes where the same word Shuba in the Syriack translation is used The second Eripe animam The third Salvum me sac which implies such a Saluation as comes by CHRIST IESVS the Originall beeing Iashag whence IESVS comes The knowledge of God is as Iob sayes of his friends to speake with reuerence a miserable consolation without wee know him to bee our Saviour the very Atheists though they would denie it the Lord will by the terrours of night moue them to confesse there is a GOD yea they shall confesse there is a God but shall not know him a Saviour It is strange how in all the Old Testament the Ancients did abhorre distast and pray against Death although they did know it was the way to their blisse and indeed if we consider death as it is life and it may be put in an equall balance as when Paul thought with himselfe how good and glorious it would bee for him to be quit of this miserable pilgrimage of Life and the glory hee should receiue by Death then fell hee to his Cupio Dissolvi and the balance weighed on Deaths side but considering the good that the Church was to receiue by his staying then otherwise So was it with them of old to whom the joyes of Heaven were but shadowed by MOSES and the rest not so openly revealed as to us But divers expound this place mystically for the death and hell of sinne For without doubt in our naturall death wee praise God better than in this dying life Yea it is said that DIVES knew ABRAHAM in Hell and had a Charitable care of his Brethren on earth c. CERTEINE MEDITATIONS By ABRAHAM HOLLAND Commended and bequeathed to his deerest Mother Mrs. ANNE HOLLAND his deere Sisters A. H. M. H. and E. A. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart bee alwayes acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer From this houre O Lord I haue vowed to serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life I beleeue O Lord helpe my unbeleefe MEDITAT 1. LORD let mee carefully examine my selfe what I was now am and what I may bee I was O Lord before the inspiring of thy powerfull breath into a dead piece of clay Nothing I am by the malice of Sinne in ready way to Perdition I may bee sodainly through the reward of sinne worse than Nothing I was O Lord before I was Predestinate by thy depth of wisedome either to eternall Glory or euerlasting Sorrow I am almost uncertaine poore worme as I am by the innumerable heape of mine owne sinnes and the infinite goodnesse and mercies of CHRIST which shall light on mee I may bee by a too late and false or a true and contrite repentance subiect to either I was O Lord in my Mothers wombe conceiued in the foulenesse of Sinne I am O good Lord a dayly heaper of actuall Sin upon originall Corruption What can I then expect but that I justly may be the ayme marke of thy impartiall vengeance But O Sweet Lord I was loued of thee before I was borne am daily preserued by thee though in the middest of my iniquities and am in hope that through the all-sufficient Merits and Suffering of thy blessed Sonne to bee saued after death from the power of Sinne and Hell and with him glorified eternally Let me then with shame remember what I was and blush with sorrow what I am and repent with sorrow what I may bee and tremble MEDITAT 2. LEt mee O Lord judicially both contemne and feare this thing called Death Let mee O Lord feare it as a man may being the separation of his best acquaintance the Soule and Body let mee contemne the ouglinesse of it as being a Minister to bring both soule and body to a more sweet familiaritie Let me feare it as it is the way to Hell but contemne it being the gate of Heauen Feare it as the wayes of Sinne Contemne it being the reward and pay of a long misery Let mee feare not the Arrest of it but the Exetion let me contemne it knowing CHRIST is my Common-Bayle Feare it as a Monster but Contemne it as being Naturall Let mee not see the face of it without trembling but embrace with contempt c. A Briefe Meditation MY heart is broken O Lord and my distracted thoughts wander vp and downe to finde out thy Mercy mercy I seeke O Lord judgement sitteth at thy feet just God and Mercy on thy right hand mercifull Father giue her leaue a little O God to shew her pleasing countenance unto me the most vile hainous and presumptuous of all sinners O LORD wee haue sinned and thou hast punished O Lord wee still sinne and thou still doest punish giue us Grace Good Lord that wee may sinne no more that thou mayst desist from punishing Let us die O Lord that wee may not die and so strictly by the witnesse of our Consciences judge and Condemne our selues that wee be neither seuerely judged nor justly condemned by thee who both canst and desirest if wee will truely repent shew thy Iudgement milde and thy Mercy infinite Lord as of mee haue Mercy on all and show the light of thy Countenance and we shall O Lord bee whole AMEN A Meditation against the feare of Death ON the sodaine I cannot choose but thinke them madmen or children who stand in feare of Death and yet me thinkes euen thus they are wrong-named since neither Mad men Fooles nor Children feare Death alas shall simplicitie and sencelesse Folly doe more with them than reason or Religion can doe with us Shall the Sea-tost Mariner be sorrie that from ten thousand dangers of the Sea hee is arriued at his safe and long-desired Haven Shall the sterved Prisoner repine if after many yeares wofull Captiuitie hee be at last set at wished Libertie Shall the tormented Sick-man grudge if from a long and languishing Disease a speedy medicine restore him to his former perfect health Is not our Life a sea of troubles A lothsome dungeon A lingring sicknesse Is not Death the skilfull Pilot that guides us to Heaven Is not hee the good Iudge that sets us at libertie The skilfull Physician that cures our Mortalitie and restores us to Eternall life What doe we else by desiring long life but like the ingratefull Israelites desire to Continue at their former Flesh-pots in making Brick and Clay under hard taskmasters in the Egipt of this sinfull world and so keepe from the Canaan of neuer-decaying happinesse Is it not madnesse in desiring Long life to refuse Eternall life Shall wee be such cowards to feare a shadow the seperation of the Soule from God onely indeed is Death the seperation of the Soule from the Body is but the shadow of Death Shall we bee such fooles to seeke to shun that which neuer man could scape Shall we
bee so faint-hearted to feare a thing so common and certaine Was euer poore Labourer sorie after his painefull dayes worke to repose himselfe in sleepe Shall wee then ouerlaboured by a toilesome life grudge to goe to our sweet long and Care-ending sleepe Shall wee desire still to bee in our Nonage and not like heires of Eternity receiue our euerlasting Inheritance Our life is a Banishment from the heauenly Ierusalem shall wee bee grieued by Death to returne from Exile Why feare wee Death which is but the Funerall of our Vices the resurrection of our Graces and the day wherein God payes us our wages Life is neuer sweet to them that feare Death neither can he feare any Enemy that feares not death Did some of the Heathen but reading an uncertaine Discourse of Life hereafter seeke their owne Death to come unto it and shall wee certaine that there is a Life hereafter full of unspeakeable felicitie bee affraid of the way which GOD hath ordained as a passage to it Death is our yeare of Iubile and shall wee not reioyce in it Let euery one then O Lord who desires to bee free'd from sinning and offending thee cry out with PAVL I desire to bee dissolved and to bee with CHRIST A PRAYER Made and vsed with Companie in the aforesaid Visitation O Eternall GOD to whom by Creation wee owe our Beeing from nothing by Sanctification of thy holy Spirit a better beeing from worse than nothing by Redemption and Adoption a joynt Inheritance and Brother-hood with the King of Glory IESVS CHRIST by whom wee are bold to call thee Father neither art thou ashamed to acknowledge us Sonnes For all thy benefits O Lord wee giue thee most humble thankes in that it hath pleased thee to preserue us to this time from the dangers of Hell and Death but especially O good Lord that thou hast giuen us a sence and feeling of our owne sinnes and misery so that wee may call for Mercy before wee goe into the Graue and bee seene no more Wee most humbly and upon the Knees of our soules doe thanke thee O Lord that in this thy great Visitation this great Assizes of thine this fearefull Plague wherein the Graue hath swallowed up so many thousands that it hath pleased thee to command thy raging Minister the Destroying Angell but gently to touch us with an Arrow that was not pointed with Death as if hee had sayd to us Goe away Sinne no more lest a worse thing fall upon you Wee confesse O Lord that our sinnes deserued equally yea more than theirs whom thou hast taken away and yet O Lord wee still remaine to praise thy Name in the land of the Living Which if thou doest continue O Lord thou hast ingaged us to a sodaine and speedy newnesse of life with true Contrition for our former most haynous sinnes and a living in Holinesse and Righteousnesse all the dayes of our life But if so bee this bee but a gleame of thy mercy to trie our Faith and Constancy and that thou hast ordained at this time to make an end of our liues most wretched Pilgrimage thy will bee done O Lord. But ô speake Peace unto our Soules that they need not tremble at this great Seperation O Lord wee know Death is but a shadow and the feare of it more terrible than it selfe Let neither the ouglinesse of it nor of our sinnes distract our mindes when they haue most need to bee busie in obtaining thy grant of a better life Blot out all our offences O Lord and the manifold sinnes of our youths make them O Lord though they bee red as Scarlet yet as White as the wooll of thy immaculate Lambe CHRIST IESVS Wash them O Lord in his Blood and by his wounds let us bee healed from the stinking sores and ulcers of putrified and festred Sinne So that O Lord we may smile at Death and embrace the very terrour of it Repell O Lord the Divell and all his ministers who in these times of affliction are most ready to lay before our weake soules a large Catalogue and bill of our most haynous offences telling us that thou art a just GOD and wilt not heare the prayers of such great offenders but O Lord there is Mercy with thee that thou mayest bee feared yea that thou mayest bee loued Grant O Lord that though wee be euen swallowed vp of death and desperation yet wee may lay hold upon the precious Merits of thy deare Sonne and our loving Saviour so that either in life or death wee may crie with a true Faith and Comfort Come Lord IESVS come quickly To whom with thee the Father and the Holy Ghost bee all honour and glory now and ever AMEN A Vale to his best Part. DId not Religion controll I would say Farewell my Soule But so much as may depart Farewell I say my soule and heart Since from thee I 'me forc'd to flie I 'le enter no meane Heresie But will thinke it may agree A Body without Soule that 's thee Thou hast my soule and so behau'd I am in hope it may bee sau'd My heart 's in thee or mee or both And yet if seperate I am loth Thou hast not all know for thy part I am a niggard of my heart Farewell I say and though 't is paine To say this word Farewell againe Farewell yea so that thou may'st liue A thousand Vales I will giue That this Vale true appeare Take a Farewell and a Teare From thy A. H. Abraham Holland Hauing made many EPITAPHS for others made this Epitaph for himselfe and on his Death bed dictated it to his Brother H. H. PAssenger that wilt bestow So much time to read this know Here 's one a lasting sleepe doth take Till Christs Trumpet bid him wake This is that Gole whereto the man That lyeth here interred ran This the Race-end to which at most Jt can be said that hee rode Post. Let Him sleepe quiet and doe Thou Leaue Sinne not by and by but now Delay not houres which swiftly glide As a full Torrent or quicke Tide Knowing thus much good Christiā passe But with this Thought I am He was Denatus 18. Februarij 1625. Vnto these Post-humes is added NAVMACHJA OR A POETICALL DESCRIPTION OF the cruell and bloudie Sea-fight or Battaile of LEPANTO Most memorable BY ABRAHAM HOLLAND Revised by the Author and now againe Published Printed for HEN HOLLAND M.DC.XXVI TO THE READER that asketh what when and where was this Battaile of LEPANTO IN the yeare of CHRIST IESVS 1571. His open Arch-Enemie the Great Turke having had many Victories by Land in sundry Nations as well in subduing whole Countries as in taking many strong Cities and Castles from the Christians which confined neere his Territories enforcing the Christians either to renounce their holy Faith or to endure unspeakeable Slavery themselues their Wiues and Children beeing daily bought and solde in open Markets like Horses Oxen and Asses The Turke by this time had Conquered many
armes and legs And thinking then to throw him in the tide Hee 's caught vpon an Anchor on the side That one beholding rightly might haue sed He iustly was hang'd drawne and quartered Some fearing swords into the sea doe flie And so for feare of death feare not to die Some fall into the Ocean stain'd with gore Which from their former wounds had gusht before Which kill'd not them as it from them was spil'd But entring into them againe th' are kil'd Heere 's one about to strike his foe doth fall Into the sea before he can recall His erring stroke striking the sea to stay him The Ocean in revenge o' th blow doth slay him One fearing death doth faine to die and bleed And while he is in faining dies indeed Another being about to strike his foe Looseth at once his arme and threatning blow His left arme shiuering reaches at the other But cut atwaine lies with it's equall Brother Both ioyn'd though both devided as in spight Of Death they meant to part their last good-night By shaking hands the miserable truncke As loth to part fainting vpon them sunke One seeing them together thus might say There a whole bodie all in peeces lay See two with sturdy grapple striuing whether Should overcome both fall in sea together Embracing both till they haue lost their breath And seeme though foes in life yet friends in death Two brothers slaine as they together stood One then might sweare they were allied in blood Other two who so nigh resembling were A lov'd mistake vnto the parents deare Cruell death sever'd them and that one left Poore parents knew of errour now bereft He left eternall cause of griefe renowes Who still aliue still his dead brother shew's And yet to them this comfort still he giues Th' one cannot die so long as th' other liues The wounded souldiers now that all else failes To stop their wounds doe teare their woful sailes Poore men who after they were overthrowne Had torne those wings wherby they might haue flown One with his bleeding ready to expire Thinks with his blood to quench the ship on fire And so in mids of flames he bleeding stands Tearing new wounds with his kind cruell hands And grieu'd to see his blood so little profit He oft adds teares to helpe the quenching of it Till at last fainting he is faine to fall Into the sea which made his Funerall And bleeding in it from each mangled lim He quenched it and it extinguish't him See a poore wretch with both armes cut asunder Distracted leapt into the water vnder Meaning to swim but see the wofull wretch With how much toile he laboureth to stretch His raw-veind stumps which for his armes before Gush nothing now but streames of deadly gore Faine would he catch t'vphold his wavering life Some kind remaine o' th ship but all his strife Doth make him sooner to be out of breath And wanting armes he yet embraces death One getteth this by hauing lost his eies In that he cannot see his miseries Anothers legges are gone that who him sees Might thinke he did begge pardon on his knees What refuge now is left when if they shun Th' approaching sword into the fire they run Shunning the fire they into waterfall So no way wants a certaine Funerall Thus after strange vnheard of sort they lie And death by many deaths makes one man die The mangled ships no longer can with stand Th'intruding sea and Mars his fiery brand But sinking downward one might then haue thought Them gone t' helpe Charon to waft ore his fraught The conquer'd fleet prickt now with desperate stings Of horror wish their army did of wings Onely consist but now as if it stood Tyed with fast anchors to the stubborne flood Mooues not away but void of all instruction Venter their owne to hasten the destruction Of their once Maisters who into corners creepe As among Wolues a flocke of trembling sheepe Much like a silly Doue whose broken wing Hath tried the Talons of the aiery King And lieth panting on the bloody ground Striving to flie from 's enemies rebound Alas poore bird it wants that winged oare Which should it's wonted scape to it restore And so at length with silent patience crouching It 's made a prey to the fierce bird encroching Thus fleet and bird lie i' th same wofull plight Whose onely wish is to be put to flight The Sunne no longer could endure to see ' Mongst humane men such inhumanity Therefore his Horses bathing in their fome With posting speed hast to their watrie home Where yet a while they all amazed stood Finding in stead of Sea a Sea of Blood FINIS H. H. Authoris Fratis majoris cujus cura ac impensa haec praemissa Posthuma edita sunt CHARACTER SI quis praenomen cupiat cognoscere nostrum HENRICI nomen Nympha Secrata dedit Jnque tuo MICHAEL festo sum natus ortus Septemb. 1583 Christiadis sumpsi nomen in Aede tua Jlla luce mihi dilâ—â—ta adjungitur Vxor Septemb. 1615 Cognovi socium nocte priore thorum Hiâ— MICHAEL Magnus Princeps pessundabit omnes Papicolas istis Tartâ—ra tetra patent Dei Pater Omnipotens famulo mihi posse beatum Sortiri in Coelo cum MICHAELE Locum Aliud CHARACTER ACROSTICON vice EPITAPHIj Hic mihi ne totum delerent Funera Nomen Ostendam vitae rem Loâ—a Nomen Avos Laude vigent patres vidâ—t COVENTRIA natum Luce novâ HENRICVM nomine signat aqua A patriae grâ—mio LONDINVM excâ—pit adultum Anno 1599. N â—â—rit idem Câ—ara cum Pare Liber ago Diviâ—icoâ— est verbum Mihi Roma perosa Vita quidem tenâ—is sit mihi grata tamen Solaque post Mortem Coelestia dona supersins Mihi Roma perosa FINIS Page 80. l. 4. a Plus male facta nocent quam benedicta decent praedicat viva voce qui praedicat vita voce Ib. p. l. 30. b Nemesis pedes habet Lips de Constant tarditatem judicii gravitate supplicii compenset Page 81. l. 12. a Ecles 7.18 Qui dicunt ne appropinqâ—es mihi quia immundus es Es 65.5 Ib. p. l. 23. b Va vobis derisoribus cum venerit dies judicii aperti fuerint libri conscientiarum Cum dicetur vobis ecce hos puritatis derisores impura eorum opera Quid facietis tunc cum Caeli re ve labunt iniquitates vestras terra adversus vos consurget Ib. p. l. 29. c Dicunt non faciunt hoc magnum Crimen habetur In linguis pietas pectore nulla manet Page 82. l. 9. a Mallet Deus multos nocentes condonare quam unum innocentem condemnare Ib. p. l. 19. b Vnguentum est unguentum itsi vultures defugiant Theod. Page 84. l. 3. a Quam bent te ambitio mersit vanissima ventus tumidos tumidae vos superastis aquae Quam bene totius raptores orbis avaros Hausit inexhausto justa vorago maris Theod. Beâ—a in Psal 27.2.124.3.6 Psal 21.11 Page 85. l. 14. a Job 4.8 Psal 27.2 Non est laâ— aequior ulla Quam necis artifices arte perire suâ Ib. page 17. b Anno 1602. in Londino de plaga 38244. Consumptis tot peste viris tot peste puellis vix habuit nobis tum nova plaga locum Ibid. page l. 21. Antigones rex amicis sun dentibus ut si Athenas caperet firmis eas validis muniret praesidiis Nullum inquit scio praesidium firmius aut stabilius quam civium benevolentiam Sic Periander summâ ope commitendum esse dixit iis qui into regnare vellent ut benevolentia potius quam armis stiparentur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sola benevolentia subditorum firmisissima est regis custodia Synesius Errata IN the Eipistle to all the afflicted page â— line 5. for of read and. Ib. p. l. 11. Maccheus 2. p. Of the Subject l. 25. leave out still p. 3. l. 29. steams p. 4. l. 7. this p. 33. l. 5. him p. 69 l. 25. trash p. 79. l. 29. if FINIS
still Retaines a heart unbroken acts more ill Than all his life before that soule is Steele Which doth not bleed that hell which doth not feele The present blow It is with us who here Hourely view death as when exempt of feare At an Ostend or such a Siege to die The Souldiers thought it a Necessitie And so did slight it when each houre were showne So many others Death's t' assure their owne Endeared Friends I am well and better much And in more sweet securitie than such Who thinke of a long life by these death 's here Being freed from what is worse than death the Feare Seldome is Christian Valour better gain'd Than when 't is by such miserie obtain'd I doubt not but that Fame which still doth use To spred abroad more large than certaine newes Hath blaz'd our State and haply doth assure As you suppose farre more then we endure Thus farre let me your doubts herein suffice Rumour it selfe can scarce Hyperbolize Our Reall woe Feare it selfe cannot vow There is more Mischiefe than wee suffer now If you shall heare of Streets wherein the Grasse Doth grow for want of men that use to passe Or Smithfield turn'd a medow or a plaine Wherein the Horses Kine and Sheepe againe May feed rather than sell or of poore men That in their Graues together lie by ten By twenties or by more or sodaine Fates Of people dying in the streets and gates Doe not suppose it false we wretches trie What other Ages shall hold Poetrie A March in midst of August and the Star That raigneth now farre from Canicular In all but the effects not cloth'd in bright And scorching Sun-shine but in midst of Night And Winter stormes as if the Plague did flie Wrap't in those clouds to fright the troubled Skie And blast mortalitie the ayre the while Scarce in a Moneth strikes forth one pleasing smile Muffled in damps so close that from beneath Wee deeme it hard by any way but Death To see bright Heauen againe The Rurall swaines Begin to doubt the Vsurie of their paines And Prophesie a Famine and the Earth Choked with Carkasses threatens a Dearth As a Reuenge The Skies the while doe showre Downe poysonous tempest to augment the power Of her pretended Malice while the breath Of blacke contagious windes doe transport Death Through the enuenom'd ayre Earth Aire and Skie Conspiring to our great Calamitie In what a case poore London stands to show Would aske a Pen and Muse that onely know How to write griefe alas it is become A Theatre of Tragedies where some Di'de i' th' first acts and many slaughters past God knowes what murder shall be in the last I liue not in it but in Chelsey aire Where Death but in his Out-rodes doth repaire And thence doe onely heare the murmuring Bels Disclose the slaughter by the frequent Knels Yet as a tender Mother though shee haue A Child interr'd and sleeping in the graue Yet will she oft goe see the tombe and dew His dust with pious teares and oft renew His Posthume exequies so sometime I Goe to behold the Citie and espie As I doe walke along the widdow'd streets Nothing but sorrow in each face that meets In the Large ruine nothing but a griefe That speakes it selfe in silence true and briefe Ah deere Sirs it is changed from the Place Yee knew it once when as the beautious face Of Gallantrie inrich'd the Streets and Eyes Of frequent beautie made it a Paradise And the Delight of Nations whose concourse Thither and the Refluxe as from the Source Of humane Kinde did make it seeme to bee The Center of the World the Worlds Epitome Death now alas hath not begun but led His Triumph through the Towne and largely spred His gloomy wings in circuit o're the Walls Attended by ten thousand Funerals As if those Pageants raised to renowne Our deere Queenes Well-come and great Charles his Crowne Had bin of purpose made a Wofull throne For Death and Fate to sit spectatours on When I see these thinke you I can forbeare But praise that God who let 's me still be here And makes me not a Spectacle as they That now are mine and liu'd but yesterday Deare Friends it is not London but the shade And Carkasse of that place in ashes layd Where you shall see in stead of sport and play A false yet as it seemes a Holiday The Doores shut up and all the Streets about But here and there a Passenger walke out So solemne silence that a man would say 'T were a light Night or Seruice-time all Day The Bells as frequent as when oft they sound When a yong Prince is borne or new King crown'd Which heard a Stranger might be brought to sweare The Fift of August or Nouember there Were Solemnized now which to assure The Bon-fires almost euery night procure A Shade of Ioy which if you right will Know As funerall Piles not solemne Bonfires glow The Bells in their sad language almost tell They ring no Holiday but speake a Knell The Doores so shut that one in them might doubt Whether it were to keepe Death in or out What Muse shall I inuoke t' indite a rime That may expresse our miserable time Where the pale Visages of men expresse Farre aboue Poetrie the Heauinesse Of Gods sharp Scourge where the Red wand affrights The Starring Passenger and troubled Nights Are spent in Burials when what e're we see Is but an Argument of Miserie The Wormwood-Nosegayes the trembling Pace Of them that passe though they haue Herbe of Grace And curious Boxes to repell the ayre Which might assault them seeming to out-dare The will of Destinie Nor can I blame Our weake Mortalitie which thinkes no shame To show a frailtie deeming perhaps that Fate Can yeeld to Soueraigne Bezoar Mithridate Or such Death-killers let us thinke so still So wee root out that weed of Sin and ill Which taints our soules so though for many yeares It haue preuail'd wee 'l drowne it in our teares And Kill this Giant Plague which through the towne As an unloosed Lyon beareth downe What e're it meets making no doubt to strike The cloudie Cedar and low Shrub alike So quicke and fast that it makes men to say 'T will not be long untill the Iudgement Day Absolue the Massacre Death so doth shrine To bring the Vniuerse to light againe So few are borne to life so many Die Lucina doth not Tith Mortalitie As if Death would not leaue untill for all Doomesday doe make one fire one funerall When now the Weeke-bills almost reach unto The summe which that of th'yeare had wont to doe If from the Towne a Stranger should but spie How the affrighted People hast to flie In trembling heapes hee could not but suppose The ransack'd Citie taken by the Foes And now possess'd and the remaining rout On a strict composition flying out Enter the Citie you shall meet with there A fearefull Valour an audacious Feare Where men doe
Honours and beguile Their early feares with too late hopes alas They little thinke that now the soyled Grasse Vsurpes their deare embraces and grim Fate Sits pale vpon those Beauties which of late They made their Ages comforts who now shall Ah! be bound to them for a Buriall O call to mind this Fatall Yeere wherein * Equally justly sent Thy Iustice hath been equall to our Sin Both great O let thy blessed Goodnesse still As it is wont to doe surpasse our Ill. Those men whom we did love whom we did trust Should be our Shields are turn'd to Shades to Dust Let the in-throned Soule of IAMES implore That after Him thou punish His no more Let the great Sprite of OXFORD which hath past The Sentence of thy Anger be the last Thou plaguest vs withall and let us know That still thou pittiest us poore men below But never let this Land endure againe That wofull solitude which once did raigne In our faire Cities which neglected left In a deplored ruine shew'd the theft Of angrie Fate when scarce a tenant Mouse Was left in many a faire unpeopled house But the sad Owles and Night-Ravens aloofe Did keepe their Revels on the silent roofe When at high Noone one passing by should meet A Mid-night Darke and silence in the street When in the wayes well-pav'd and worne before By frequent steps of men there now grew store Of uncouth Grasse and Harvests now apace Grew where they once were sold i'th'Market-place When as no Merryments no Sports no Playes Were knowne at all and yet all Holy-dayes No Papers then over the doores were set With Chambers readie furnish'd to be let But a sad Lord haue mercie vpon vs and A bloodie Crosse as fatall Marks did stand Able to fright one from the Prayer The time Then held it an inexpiable Crime To visit a sicke friend Strange Stoure wherein Love was a fault and Charitie a sin When Bad did feare infection from the Good And men did hate their cruell Neighbour-hood 'T was a deplored time wherein the Skyes Themselves did labour and let fall their eyes When one might see the Sunne with sallow hayre And languishing complexion dull the ayre Looking eeu'n so as when at Chryses Plaint He went like Night the Graecian troupes to taint With sad Infection when his dire shafts cast Kill'd more than Hector in the nine yeeres past The Heavens were cloth'd with bleak mists the aire With the thick Dampe was struck into despaire Of future clearenesse or serener day But that the Clouds for feare ran oft away The Night whose dewie shade had wont to tame The soultry reliques of the Mid-day flame Distill'd no Crystall Pearles vpon the ground But wrapt in vaporous smoake and cloath'd around With poysonous Exhalations did affright The trembling Moone whose dim and paler light Look'd with that countenance as if againe Her silver hornes should ne're escape the Wane So to renew her Circuit The dull Quire Of sickly Starres shew'd now no smiling fire But shone like un-snuff'd Tapers as if Fate Did give them leave now to prognosticate Their owne estate not others and applie Themselves at last to sad Astrologie The poyson-clutter'd Springs with Plague infus'd Ran not with Crystall torrents as they us'd But in dull streames as them dire influence fills With fainting pace scarce reach'd unto their rills And languid Rivers which before did passe The Crystall with their clearenesse now alas Looke muddie without stirring and their streames That wont to be all spangled with the beames Of the blithe Sunne now in a weltring floud Ran not with water but prodigious bloud Those Trees whereof the Antients us'd to rayse Their Funerall Piles might in these fatall dayes Burne at their owne Death's which in sad despayre Spred not their leavie beauties through the ayre But suffer'd Autumne in the Spring forlorne And ferall Cypresse now had cause to mourne Poppeyes themselves this time in death did sleepe And the Myrrhe-tree had reason here to weepe A Funerall Perfume those gaudie flowers Which wont to make Ghirlonds for Paramours Mourn'd in their drouping braverie and spread The ground at their owne deaths as for the dead The Corne grew not as if it meant t'undoo Men not with Plague alone but Famine too Herbes Physicks Soveraignes here infected die And for themselves could find no remedie The brute Beasts now which Nature to bestow The Excellence on Man did make with low Downe-looking Postures first did feele the rage Of th'Earth-borne Plague and died before their age The long-liv'd Hart this time to die began Before it reach'd unto the age of Man The faithfull Spaniell by his death did trie The mischiefe of his well-nos'd Facultie And ranging with quick Sent did soonest prove Th' infectious Malice of the Dogge above The lustie Steed scouring in 's Game apace Lights on Deaths Gole in middle of his Race The nimble Fowle as th' ayre it flyes around Flags his sick wings and sinkes unto the ground Not long before to the remorselesse Skie In sillie Notes have sung his Elegie The lucklesse Night-Ravens which us'd to grone The death of others now might Dirge their owne The Snow-plum'd Swan as it did gently ride Vpon the silver Streame sung forth and di'de Anon the Damp dares breake into the Walls Making a way by thousand Funeralls Who can expresse th' astonishment and feare Which doth at entrance of a Plague appeare Even so the fleeced Heard doth tremble when An Aburne Lion hungrie from his Den Breakes in among 'em then you may behold The pale-look'd Shepheard gaze upon his Fold With helpelesse pitie the poore Lam-kins creepe Vnder their Dams the sillie trembling Sheepe Stand full of cold amazement at the sight Small hope for mercie and lesse hope in flight Expecting onely which of all shall scape The readie horror of the Lions rape Other Diseases warning give before That we may reckon and acquit the Skore Of our sinnes Prodigalitie in this We scarce can be resolved whether 't is Sicknesse or Death it selfe so quick it tries The strength of Nature so soone poore Man dies That many to repose in th' Evening lying Have made their sleepe true kin to Death by dying Before the Morne Ah! who would then deferre A preparation for this Messenger Of bless'd or curs'd Eternitie What man Would still presume to sinne that knowes the span Of short uncertaine Life Yee gracious Powers That measure out the minutes and the houres Of this our wandering Pilgrimage restraine These sodaine slaughter-men or good God waine Vs from our sinnes that wee may neither feare The rape of Death nor covet to be here O curbe this raging Sicknesse which with sense Bereaves us of the meanes of Penitence When a dire Phrensie seizeth on the Braine Full of resistlesse flame and full of paine That Madnesse which no cure can well appease Is but a Symptome unto this Disease Our bloud all fire as if it did portend We were not here to stay but soone
for 't Thus in many places The worthiest mens rewards haue bin disgraces Thus Athens wont her best deseruers use Thus Rome her noble Statesmen to abuse With death or banishment thus still wee trie Contempt ensues familiaritie Yea Prophets as our Sauiours selfe did deeme In their owne Countries still haue small esteeme Well whatsoe're this Towne doe thinke you let It thus bee Knowne All England's in your debt Yet are there some I dare avouch it good Ingenuous mindes who hauing understood Your worth and merits loue your very name Though farre remote yea and admire the same I doubt not yet deare Father e're you die By timely Fate to see you rais'd as high As your well-weigh'd ambition aimes at which Is to bee sweetly well content not rich T' enioy your friends and children and they you To spend your fading old yeares residue In sweet tranquillitie and liue with such As will respect and honour you as much As here they slight you and the time from hence Shall all your past misfortunes recompence All comforts fit for age shall you be giuen Your onely care to make your path for Heauen And if my selfe a Poet may presage You shall haue yet an old new Golden age God will not end your aged dayes so long As you may still helpe and doe good among His people here But as a Captaine when He meanes to exercise his faithfull'st men He puts them upon dangers makes them trie Disasters hardnesse and all miserie That when at last the foe shall be repair'd They bee not found unskill'd and unprepar'd Sicknesse is but a mustring show wherein Wee learne to fight to skirmish and to win At the last combat Death in that tide Happy is hee that oftest Sicknesse tride Such as did all-wayes in full health remaine Are oft poore wretches lamentably slaine As untri'd Souldiers Though once Fate by God Shall of your fraile make a period To his Friends in the Time of his Sicknesse A resolution against Death FRiends if it bee my lot as some men vse To pay their debt sooner than you would chuse To harsh exacting Fate I would not haue You stand lamenting o're my youthfull Graue As if it were my Prison and I throwne There on a desperate Execution I know there 's no release from 't yet more free Know I this prison than your libertie I would not haue you raile at it and say That it from you had closely stolne away And treacherously betray'd your Friend alas They erre who thinke they into th' graue doe passe As to a Punishment and therefore call It the sad Vrne the Place of Buriall The house of Lamentation Lifes Thiefe The Den of Sorrow and the Cell of Griefe You wrong it by these Names It is my Bed Where Lifes Day spent I lay my wearied And o'retoyl'd Body in a long deepe Night Till hee that giues all Day renew my Light It is my sleeping chayre my chayre of State Wherein I sit equall with conquering Fate And out-face Death daring him if hee can To challenge more than I haue payd of Man Make him my Sinnes-bill cancell and agree That Christs crosse o're it my acquittance bee As a poore Traueller whom the conceite Of a long tedious Iourney thitst and heate And wearinesse tormenteth by the Way Longing for home all he can doe doth Pray For some Refreshment at the last espies The joyfull smoake of his owne Countrey rise To bid him welcome then with Pleasures Teares Hee casts away both Languishment and Feares And smiling takes the next Banke hee doth see So pleasing is my Graue so sweet to mee This piece of Ground which you in scorne perchance Miscall my Graue is my Inheritance That 't is intayl'd on me the Law averres By due succession from my Grandfathers Mine it hath bin by right since Adam curst Man with this Blessing and possess'd it first While I haue Life heere I am but Lifes Ward And by my Nonage from my right debarr'd Death giues me that 's so long kept from my Hand I 'me now at Age and come unto my Land Nor thinke my Purchase too soone gayn'd but call My eight and twentie Climactericall My Graue's my long-sought Inne to which at most It can be said that I haue ridden Post Whither retyred some perhaps will feare The sawcie Wormes will bee intruders there To feed upon me whilest my Faith protests It is not so they bee my bidden Guests What Man is hee that hauing in the Time Of life committed some foule haynous crime And knowing that the Fame of it 's inroll'd In characters of Brasse yea were 't of Gold That would not praise the hand and friendly call Which scratches out the sad Memoriall Wherein doth liue his Infamie what soule That knowes this fleshly Table doth inroll The Memory of our Faults that would not call Wormes and the Graue Redressers of our Fall The one of which doth hide the other devoures All that was guiltie shamefull bad of ours Our Graue's the veyle which shadowes from the eyes Of Posthume Malice our Iniquities This wretched thing you mourne for and behold The dreary Linnen and the Earth to fold This thing compact of sinewes Bone and Blood The Receptacle both of Sinne and Food Death's ready Executioners This This is not Holland but 's Effigies Which when 't was best and by the Soule could moue Was but a liuely shape of God aboue And onely bless'd in that but now alas That chiefe Ingredient of the curious Masse That gaue it Actiue Life is ta'ne away And Nothing left but ruine and Decay A thing so despicable base and vile That lest it should surviving Men defile Wee Prison'â— first in Linnen then in Wood Then ramme it deepe in Earth and to make Good The rest lest it againe approach the Day Make marble Bulwarkes o're the wretched clay Egyptians hence did their dead Kings embowre In tombes as bigge as their blaspheming Towre Raising in weaker mindes sometimes a doubt How they at th'Resurrection will get out Of these strong Prisons whose unweldy Frames Seeme rather to oppresse than raise their Names Doubtless this wretched thing call'd Man whose curse Light upon all things is than all things worse When once his soule is gone The silly Flower Though dead and wither'd yet retaines some Power Availeable in Physicke Cattell when Th' are dead themselues nourish the liues of Men And dead Grasse theirs And Corne is neuer good Vntill it bee cut downe and us'd for food No tree so rude no shrub so base no beast So vile but dead serues for some use at least For ornament wee loue to see by skill A curious limb'd Picture and stand still To gaze upon it yea wee can endure To see Deaths shaddow and grim Portraicture Though ne're so ugly when against a wall Set a dead man indeed amongst us all You scarcely shall finde one that will not flie As at a Monster or grim Prodigie Doe you then grieue to see this Bugbeare toy This
scarre-crow layd aside to shun th'annoy Of the beholders or for my Soule is it That you doe mourne which now doe throned sit Surfetting with pure Ioyes and holy mirth And smiles at that for which you weepe on earth That 't is dislodg'd from that debauched Inne Which helpt it ne're in ought but onely sinne I would haue giuen you leaue to mourne if then I had by suddaine Death bin summon'd when Wretch'd man I labour'd to the height of sin And bolder grew the deeper I grew in When Vice was turn'd to custome and each deed Though ne're so impious did perswade with speed Another worse as if Despaire had bin The beastly Pander to unbrideled sin But Heau'n be bless'd Heau'n better lou'd my soule Than without stay to let it headlong roll To everlasting Death and so did Kill The Body sooner to retayne that still The Soule as hee inspir'd it pure nor at all Conscious of sinne no not Originall Thinke you I feare those things which you doe call By such blacke names The Griefly Funerall The Fatall beere sad Flowers and dreary Hearse The mournefull Followers and the weeping Verse Thinke you already I doe not disdaine The mightie tapers and the sable traine Or e're I doe expire thinke you my soule Will be so cowardly to feare the toll Of a sad bell whose heauy language goes Deadly as if it did intend to close It's voyce with mine Thinke you I doe not spie The dolefull silence of the standers by As if they all were speechlesse and from me Did draw one generall stupid sympathy Me thinkes I heare the silly Women say Hee is whole chested and will goe away By dying upward and some other trie If that my legges be cold and straight doe lye Here 's one doth Iudge my feeble Pulse and cryes ' Cause shee must bee the Friend to close mine eyes Another maketh Triall of my Breath Thus doe I heare 'em furnish me for Death But ó let me not heare them let my sprite Bee busie then in purchasing a light More sweet then Life it selfe may wholly I Bee fix'd in thoughts of Immortalitie Let me then an audacious Client stand Pressing to Kisse my unseene Sauiours hand And let me bee so busie in my Prayers That not the Feare of Death nor ougly cares Throng'd in the memory may disturbe the Soule Which now is neere to Heav'n her capitoll In the last Triumph after Conquest wonne O're Death and Hell and grim Perdition T is a toy to thinke when life is past That Fate did lagge or else made too much hast When wee die quickly or by tedious Age Fulfill the circuit of Lifes Pilgrimage In my opinion a Day-ag'd Child Hath when it dyes a race as well fulfill'd As Clymacterick Old men I confesse Not with so many out-rodes yet no lesse Exactly Nature doth averre the same And a day Rose aswell an Age may claime As the long liued Oake Though Time devoure The one so slowly th' other in an Houre If'cause I dye before you you repine I 'le thinke you enuy at this blisse of mine And wish't your owne there 's nought but sinne in me That could deserue long life and miserie Which Sinne the God of Mercy quell'd and check't The cause and after tooke away th' effect Long life or if because I dye so soone And come into mine Evening at the Noone And full Meridian of mine age you erre And doe not know what blisse the Fates conferre On mee hereby by which I shall obtayne As I now dye to rise at last againe In fresher youth The Marriner behold To gather up a little Pelfe and Gold Contemned Death If hee doe chance to finde A nearer Cut to China or to Inde Reioyceth and shall wee who through this vale And gulfe of miserie in Life doe sayle Grudge if the Fates doe show a nearer Haven Our Purchase being no Gold nor Pelfe but Heaven FINIS A LETTER Savouring of Mortification written and sent in the time of the late Visitation of the Plague to his deere Brother H. H. in LONDON DEare Brother I am sorry your other occasions would not permit mee to enjoy your company longer at my last being at London especially in this time of sorrow when the dearest friends are not able to say to day wee will meet to morrow which me thinkes cannot choose but put euery man in minde how carefull hee ought to bee that though in our Kinred and Friendship wee be separated on Earth wee may by true repentance and relinquishing our sinnes gaine that blisse that at the reunion againe of soule and body in that happy communion of Saints we may meet againe with joy Our small Village here as an out-member of your great Citie suffers proportionably with it the heauy stroke of Gods wrath insomuch that whole Families of the most curious preventers haue beene wofully swept away especially a Gentleman lest to keepe the Countesse of Nottinghams * This house is called the Kings Nurcerie House who with his Wife a beautifull Gentlewoman and foure most sweet and louely Children and their Man are all gone I hope to blisse and their Mayd that is onely left lying at the mercy of God Wretch that I am why delay I one minute to cast my selfe prostrate at the feet of Mercy and prepare my selfe for the like passage Within these few dayes most of this house in the judgement of men were likely to out-liue mee whose wilde and looser youth threatens a too timely old-age They liu'd in a beautious House a refined and pure Ayre wanted neither Antidote nor assisting Physicke and yet alas they now are not they are dust and ashes and the food of Wormes O! the depth of the wisedome of our great GOD hee saw that it was good for them to dye to gaine a better life and for us that by their deaths wee may learne and prepare our selues to dye Ah Brother thinke not this is a time Rhetorically to set forth a sorrow or passion thinke not but my heart speakes what I write I know the reward of Sinne I know the value of a Soule thinke not but while it is in my power by the merits of CHRIST I will haue a care and prouidence for the price of my Saviours blood my Soule Deare Brother I doubt not but you are so well prepared and armed against this Visitation of God that my weake devotion is either needlesse or unable to assist you Yet I desire you not any way to deject your selfe onely in the humiliation for sinne in this great Assizes of Almighty God where we all are brought to our Trials For my selfe I thanke the comforting Spirit of God I haue not beene these many yeares in so great securitie as I am in this time of imminent danger When euery minute telling me I must die and that God knowes how soone I now and but now begin to liue alas the time that I spent before was but death and I liu'd but in a dreame A
apace that one might then Haue thought th' had been all mouing Iron men And now the Martiall steely-pointed staues Were snatch't in hast the heauy murdring Glaues Bowes bent to slaughter weighty Courtelaxe And Darts Death's Harbingers the black bill axe And other armes which before rusting stood But now are brought forth to be skour'd with blood Our saile-wing'd fleet launcheth fro'th'shore now eased Of it's dread burden nor was th' earth more pleased To see from her one hideous terrour past That grieu'd to see another come as fast One might haue thought the battell was begun To see how Neptune first was thorough run How the sterne brasse his curled forehead tore And trembling waues were strucke by cruell oare Each Fleet the Captaines had deuided soone Into the formes of the halfe-circled Moone But as their furious hornes together met These two halfe-moones a full Moone did beget Which like to that in Heauen as it did goe Made the fleet waters strangely Ebbe and Flow. Now as with proud aduance they neerer came Those beasts which gaue the saile-rul'd vessels name With an aspect more grim than is their life As breathing nought but bate and balefull strife Come fiercely forward all as if from thence They meant to moue their painted Residence The Lyon Elephant and sauage Hogge The Libard Tygre Ounce and cruell Dogge Sternely affront each other one might guesse In midst of Sea a sauage Wildernesse Wherein with admiration one might see So many a fierce wild beast so many a Tree But now our valiant Generall traversing About the fleet encourag'd them rehearsing This speech wherein he brauely did exhort To th' Fight which ready cut th' Oration short Courage braue friends and that is all I pray Strength cannot want where Courage leads the way But what need I th' vndaunted hearts excite Of them whose eies me thinks already fight Looke as ye doe and ye shall neuer need Weapons or hands to make your foes to bleed Your look's shall strike'em dead and warlike sight Shall put your fearefull enemies to flight What ere ye aime at heere before you lie Honour Reuenge Spoile Riches Victorie Which if they mooue not see your Natiue Land Your Nurse your Mother see how she doth stand A farre to marke which of you best shall render The Meed of Nurture who shall best defend her Them will she honour brauely then driue backe This vast Sea-monster which is come to racke Your Nursses entrailes com't but once to Land The very Earth will be affraid to stand It 's cruell brunt whither if reach it can The blood and teares will make an Ocean Deeper than this I see 'em now repaire O let my Omen vanish into aire Vnto our Land see how like Wolues they rage About the coasts sparing nor sex nor age See how they pull strong wals of Citties downe Leauing the men as naked as the Towne They raze your sacred Temples and not leaue A hallowed place where after ye may heaue Your hands for aide to heav'n Your Altars frames These wicked wretches with prophaned flames Sacrifice to their anger yea they dare To open Ghostly Tomb's and thence lay bare Your Ancestors sad Coffins whose dead ashes In stead of teares their Childrens blood be-dashes They dragge our ancient Parents vnto slaughter Answering their dying grones with cruell laughter Our younger Wiues and Sisters they deflour And baselâ— make our neerest kinsmen our Most hated foes our tender infants rawle Scarce borne being borne vnto their funerall These things which heav'n be thank't I but suppose Vnlesse yee helpe will once aduance our foes Say that our Nauy be farre lesse than theirs Haue not great ships amids their swift carriers Beene staid by little Remoraes Then on And let not this cold Element whereon We are to fight quench those couragious flames Which burne in euery manly brest that aimes At immortality but strike so sterne That the dumbe fishes may heereafter learne To speake your praises and each waue report Vnto it's neighbour in how valiant sort Ye fought till that the Oceans vtmost bound And farthest Thule with your fame shall sound Yea that the Sun when he at night shall presse This way may goe and tell th' Antipodes What acts he saw nor yet of ayd despaire The Sea it selfe if need shall aske will spare A thousand of his streaming arm 's for you All fish prooue sword-fish to fight for our due Thinke for no refuge heere to flie your hand Not feet must bring you backe againe to land No longer will the time with vs dispence What my speech wants my sword shall recompence Now 'twixt a thousand liues a thousand death 's Of time one little winged minute breath 's The loud-mouth'd Gun onely expects the fire At touch of which as burnt it should expire It 's skrieking voice groning that so much death Should be accomplish't by th' infectious breath Of it's dire mouth Darts ready are to part To hide their heads in some ill fortun'd hart Arrowes and Muskets leuel'd seeme to kill Before they can in act in fierie will One might haue thought viewing this fearefull sight ' Thad bin the picture of a Navall Fight But harke th' amazing signes of battell sound Making the lands remote and rockes rebound The shrill voic't Trumpet and couragious drum In barbarous language bid the foes to come Death's horrid vizar now begins t' appeare In their pale faces terrour and gastly feare In their amazed hearts doth panting rise And future blood bath's in their fiery eyes Sterne Cruelty aduanceth in their lids With headlong fury stalking in the mids Apelles present here or one so skil'd Might haue made pictures hence that would haue kil'd The thundring Ord'nance now began to rent Th' amazed aire the flames before it sent Seeme lightning and as deadly bullets flie Prodigious haile seem'd to powre downe the skie Smoake made a clowdy mist and all together Seeme on the sea to make tempestuous weather To call for ayd here stands as much in stead As in that place when from a doubtfull head The seauen-mouth'd Nilus with a desperate shocke Headlong doth tumble from th' amazed rock Making the people on the neighbouring shelues That hearing him they cannot heare themselues Thus the fights noyse made many a man to fall In troublous death a silent Funerall Alas those Elements which vse t' vp hold Our crazy liues with their iust heate and cold Making compact our bodies constitution Striue now to cause it 's vtter dissolution The quicke and piercing fire as it doth burne Their wofull carkasses doth freezing turne Their minds to quaking feare and I hill despaire The liquid flitting and all-searching aire Admitts remorsles shot and murdring darts Denying breath at last to coole their harts The theevish water though it ran away With suttle shifts did notwithstanding slay And swallow most with a deuouring flood Onely poore earth starke still astonished stood Who viewing this would not haue thought a wonder That without raine wind lightning
haile or thunder Or hidden shelues or rocks sea-ambusht back Or any temrest ships should suffer wrack That one might heere haue term'd it choose you whether A strong Calme or calme tempestuous wether See winged arrowes posting through the skie How quicke they hast froth ' battells rage to flie The trembling speares as souldiers doe them shake Seeme at their Maisters dangrs that they quake The flashing swords which sheathed once they ware Seeme now to feare being vnarm'd and bare But now each fleet each ship with hope-full pride Clash altogether furious side to side As when two winds in blacke tempestuous wether With boistrous wings impetuous meete together With their vntamed and resistles iustle Making high turrets shake and cedars rustle Where in light shirmish they remaine contending Till out of breath th' are faine to make an ending Now death 's at hand and night together keepe Cleare life and dreadfull death's blacke iron sleepe Fierce rage sad griefe blind Fury now grow higher Good cause when sence of touch and hearing nigher Men now with men contend and ships with ships One body ' gainst another here one skips Into his enemies deck but beaten back He leaps to 's owne of which if so he lacke He fall's in sea much like a wave whose head By vrging winds vnto the shore is led And thence by brest of the oft-drowned shore Taking a blunt repulse for spight doth rore And staggering runs backe and is this all Ambition aymes at in the way to fall Their tired sences labour'd in such wise That they grew dull with too much excercise Their troubled eyes viewing such gastly sights Wisht that sad darkenesse cancell'd all their hights That horrid noise the battell made was such Hearing heard nothing ' cavse it heard so much Tast is of death ranke blod pollutes the smell What feeling felt they all did feele too well Such a confusion racks their senses here Th' had Reason now to wish they sencelesse were Grim death in purple stalkes vpon the hatches With pale and griesly lookes see how he snatches Hundreds a once vnto him till the dreary Lean-face't ill-favord Death of death grew weary See on the sea how thousand Bodies float From their great ships hasting to Charons Boat Which crabbed Skuller now might thinke it meet His old-torne Boate should be new-chang'd a Fleet. The tumults noise pierc't the blew-arched skie The chrystall Aire fill'd with a deadly crie Onely in this was blest as blowes abounded It could be euer cut yet neuer wounded The silent Earth glad that shee was debarr'd From this sad Fight yet inwardly was heard The dreadfull strokes rebounding loud to mone And Eccho made her yeeld a hollow grone But this cause chiefly made her most to raue That to her due the sea should prooue a graue Neuer did strong-breath't Aeolus disturbe The sea so much When he can hardly curbe His madding pages when they raging muster To quarrell with the waues or whistling bluster Among the well-set trees and branched bowgh's Singing through chinks of some decayd house Nor sterne Orion with his stormy light Appalling shipmen doth so much affright The soone moov'd sea as did this battels noise Which Neptune answer'd with his bellowing voice Who as the Fleet 's vrg'd neerer to the strand Which tumbling pace ran frighted vp the sand That had not bounds restrain'd his element His watery vaile had cloth'd the Continent The fearefull winds on th' Ocean durst not rome But least they should be smother'd kert at home And there sat sighing Clouds their rane doe keepe Though ready at the battells sight to weepe Least their pure drops with gore-blood should be staind So that no winds blew nor from heauen it rain'd Maruaile not yet at tempests on the flood So many teares stream'd and such streames of blood Nor without winds are waues to be admir'd So many grones and dyings brea'ths expir'd The Oceans skaly silent wandring nation Seeing pale armed troups inuade the station Of their vast kingdome downe the sanguine flood Fearefully glide fearing their future food The tender Nymph's who with their siluer feete Vse on the plaines of crisped Thetys meete Where tripping prettely th' are wont to dance Themselues into a heauenly slwmbring trance Of sweet repose at these inhumane shocks With haire all torne creepe into th' hollow rockes Wher shrouded they to meditate began No rocke so flinty as the heart of man The rocks though alwaies struck by waters fury The rockes yet patient beare this iniury Yea Thetis selfe whose woombe enriched bare That fearefull Thunder of the Troian war Stubborne Achilles who in fight did win Such glory wisht that warr 's had neuer bin So she with all her trembling watery peers Augment the brinish sea with brinish teares Ships now begin to burne that one might see Neptunes and Vulcans consangunity Yea now these ships which free from water stood Strangly begin to sinke with humane blood Which as from thence with fearefull gush it ran Fill'd vp the wrinkles of the Ocean Making with purpose gastly gored hue Of one Red sea which was before now two Which sea so full of Dead it hence might come Well to be called Mare Mortuum The quaking ships with murmuring guns are rent Whose wounded sides the gored streames doe vent Of dead and wounded men who lay therein As if they had their Beeres or coffin's bin They lay therein and as the ships did goe Seem'd bloody bloodles dead and mooving too The furious fire with flames doth vndermine The towring Mast made of the lofty Pine So that same tree which oft hight's Nuptiall's Now Cypresse-like doth burne at Funerall's And eaten by the galling flames at last Fall's downe the huge high heauy weighted Mast And as great things are wont fell not alone Killing a troupe nor of it's foes but owne The tacklings sail 's and cables now doe burne And fire casts Anchors neuer to returne About their eares the whistling bullets sung And wandring wild-fire made th' affrighted throng Croud into corners speedily and they That durst stand men to sensles fire giue way As when with in the fat Trinacrian soile Inflamed Aetna doth begin to boile When nak't Pyracmon with his round-ey'd fellowes Sweatinh heaue vp their huge strong-breathed bellowes Thundring vpon their steeled Anviles top To furnish armour for their smoaky shop Their pondrous hammers and redoubling makes Enceladus belch out his sulph'ry flakes Of veng-full wrath then may you see blacke smoke Vomiring out wrapt in a pitchy cloke And the hard bowels of the mountaine torne By setter'd fire with a strange bounding borne Vp to the cloulds whose fearefull fall to shun The neighbouring people with a maz'ment run To shroudin'g Dens hiding them closely vnder Fearing from high and from below a thunder Then did th' inhumane battels fury rage Nor could the sea th' increasing flames asswage And Mars himselfe in Adamantine armes With a hoarse voice rores out against all-armes He that would now haue travailed to hell Might
haue seene weary sweating Charon well In feruent labour with his mossy oares Tugging pale shaddowes to th' ore-swarmed shores Which on the bancks as they lamenting crept Wailing Cocytus in compassion wept Acheron flow'd with griefe and as they say Lethe it selfe could neuer forget this day The Furies whin'd by Plutoes Iudgement cast Who sware their rage was farre by men surpast One coming heere might tired Clotho spie How she could searse her weary arm 's apply To turne the wheele and Lachesis repine Who sware she could not threds of mortalls twine So fast as they were cut you might haue seene Atropos raging with remorsles teene And seeking each where for some greetty stone To whet her sheeres whose edge was dulled growne With too much cutting of their fatall thread Whose haples liues this gastfull battell shed Fire now and water did not each contend But seeme their power so mutually to lend That at this time there many a one became Burn't in the sea and drowned in the flame This one good hap to carkasses did fall Th' had fire to burn 'em at their funerall The mangled ships not fearing to be drencht Gladly take breaches thereby to be quencht But now thou Tisiphonc infernall Muse Rouzing thy selfe from Stygian sleepe peruse The various Images of dreary Fate Hapning in this sad Fight and Intimate Them to my mind which well I thinke agree Not with a sweete and heauenly Muse but thee Th' Industrious Pilot sitting at the sterne VVhere in a little card he can discerne The vast vncertainetie of Neptunes haunt Ruling swift ships by powerfull Adamant Here as he sits retir'd and watchfull minds The frequent change of two and thirty winds Comes an vnruly shot and him doth force To certaine death change his vncertaine course So he that wont stern blasts in truce to bind Could not foresee when he should loose his wind From stormes and Mists of Death he could not free Himselfe who wont the Tempests curbe but he Who bearding Neptune vs'd on th' Ocean float Is now controll'd in Charons little boat The Master ranging vp and downe the Deck And wounded mortally to him doth beck His Mate who hasting to his ayd in vaine Is there together with the Maister slaine And at once ended with him his liues Date Proouing himselfe truely the Masters Mate The Trumpetter with braue reuiuing sound Quickning their dying harts is fell'd â—oth ' ground And as in 's mouth he still the brasse did wield His dying breath made it a dead march yeeld And hauing lent his Trumpet so much breath In 's life it turn'd him some againe at 's death The Drummer with his nimble hand repeating His doubled blowes without compassion beating His harmlesse drum which seem'd with groning cry To murmur at his Maisters cruelty Sodenly two rash bullets rudely come Tearing both skin of drumer and the Drum Drummer of life of sound the Drum 's bereft So Drum and Drummer both are speechles left The Gunner as with nimble hast he runs To fire his seldome-vaine-reporting Guns His head a leaden-winged bullet hits And his hard braine-pan into peeces splits He of a thousand this alone might vaunt That of his death he was not ignorant And this true riddle might of him abide He liued once by 's Death by 's life now dide Here comes a Captaine with vndaunted face Encouraging his souldiers to the Chace And being about to say be braue and bold An vntaught bullet rudely bids him hold And as death's mist in his dull eyes did wander Beseeching ayd he left to be commander And he whose voice from fainting thought to call them By 's dying grone doth fearefully apall them This leader faithfull to his vtmost breath Can onely now lead them the way to Death See how to steale the wauing flagg one climbs Vp by the cards but being espied betimes Tangled i' th' ropes he is of life bereft And so is hang'd for his intended Theft But the cords burnt wherin his leggs were bound He gets a Pirats death both hang'd and drown'd Some vnder hatches closed in despaire Mount vp their foes with powder into the aire Which done it seem'd a strange prodigious sight A troupe of armed men to maske the light It seemeth yet that they no damage meant 'em Who the next way vp into heauen sent 'em Making them flie beyond Dae'dalian skill In the vast aire without a winged quill Giuing to them a strange vnwonted death Who hauing aire too much yet wanted breath See see the lot of sad Mortality Our chiefest help 's helpe oft to Miserie Some men who came secure from future harmes Inroll'd in well-proou'd steely clothed armes Fall by mischance into the sea 's dire hand Whence being vnarm'd they might haue swom to land Their armes doe sinke and without mercy end 'em So kill'd by that which chiefly should defend ' em One with his Musket ready to giue fire Aymes at another aduerse Muskettier But his match missing fire hee 's forc't to die By the others matches true fidelity By which he di'de can scarc'ly well be knowne Whether by th' others Musket or his owne See there a Coward wanting heart t' abide The daunting face of the fierce aduerse side Slinketh behind the next not caring whither Comes a mad shot and kill 's 'em both together Praise him in this for though his life outdar'd him To equall th' other yet his death compar'd him Neuertheles if truly ye doe mind him As in his life in 's death he came behind him One seeming now his side begin to faile Shew's them their colours while himselfe lookes pale Sure by this man some Omen ill was showne To keepe their colours who could loose his owne Those men who chanced in the ships to fall The cruell sea was made their buirall And intoth ' waues without remorse were throwne Poore men slaine by their foes drownd by their owne A Fisherman who nigh them cut the Maine Sitting in 's boate was with a bullet slaine And the barke fir'd wherein he dead did fall Which gratis burnt gaue him his Funerall True to thy Maister kind boat who with him Didst oft in life and now in death do'st swim With him aliue in water that didst tire Thy waue-beat sides dy'st now with him in fire Yet me thinks thou shouldest not deserue this turne Who so oft plung'd with him which shouldest burne Yet saile with him t' Elysium saile the faster In Carons stead that thou maist waft thy Maister Strang Boat which thus we not amisse may call His Life Death Charon and his Funerall A Noble man that was a Renegate While he against his King doth boldly prate A shot takes off his head as if t were reason That he should be beheaded for his Treason A baser fellow while he dares complaine And raile against his once owne Soveraigne A true Liege-man as he thus boldly brags Striketh him vp and his vile body drags About the ship and while he vainely begs Remosles cutteth off his
sorrow and our sin Which tooke him hence for had he stay'd till then When there should be no memorie left of men H 'had bin a Choice of heaven and surpass't The Annalls and the Chronicles which vast Vncertaine times have made doe not surmize That I herein am set t'Hyperbolize A strict Historian of the time that say's Lesse shall be held Detractour of his Praise Yea future judgements when they shall compare Him with the rest shall call those writers spare Who made him not a Patterne as the blinde Old HOMER did ACHILLES of his Kinde Alas 't was nothing in the ancient time For Noble men to raise their names and clime By hauty acts unto the top of Fame When as obeysance to their Prince did claime And their owne Interests that they should show Not more what they adventur'd than did owe When each day almost new invasions when Civill disturbance did compell the men To a forc'd valour In those times to have A TALBOT ESSEX or a DRAKE did save The Countrie but from damage but that now When the now-Sainted IAMES had made a VOW To blesse himselfe and us by making Peace That not all Spirit and all MARS should cease But such a flame from those still ashes rise Did saue the Land from guilt of Cowardize Since OXFORD was a Youth BELLONA ne're Breath'd her allarmes in this our Hemisphere But he pursu'd them with a Noble fire To fame his Countrie and his owne desire Grounded on that Great Venice and the Fates Though lucklesse of Bohemia with the States Now fatall to him and th'attempted Seas Shall be his true though Posthumes witnesses He sought no new-made Honours in the Tide Of favour but was borne the same he di'de Nor came he to the Elysium with shame That the old VERES did blush to heare his Name Brighter than theirs where his deserts to grace His Grand-fathers rose up and gave him place And set him with the Heroës where the Quire Of ayrie Worthies rise up and admire The stately Shade those Brittish Ghosts which long Agoe were number'd in th' Elysian throng Ioy to behold him SYDNEY threw his Bayes On OXFORDS head and daign'd to sing his praise While Fame with silver Trumpet did keepe time With his high Voice and answered his rime The soft inticements of the Court the smiles Of Glorious Princes the bewitching wiles Of softer Ladies and the Golden State That in such places doth on Greatnesse waite And all the shadie happinesse which seemes To attend Kings and follow Diadems Were Boy-games to his minde to see a Maske And sit it out he held a greater taske Than to endure a Siege to wake all Night In his cold armour still expecting fight And the drad On-set the sad face of feare And the pale silence of an Army were His best Delights among the common rout Of his rough Souldiers to sit hardnesse out Were his most pleasing Delicates to him A Batter'd Helmet was a Diadem And wounds his Brauerie Knowing that Fame And faire Eternitie could neuer claime Their Meeds without such Hazards but alas That wee must say such a Man OXFORD was A Hatefull Syllable which doth implie Valour can be extinct and Vertue die O wer 't not Profanation I now Could turne a stiffe Pythagorist and allow A reall Metempsychosis if so The Soule of OXFORD might divided flow On much Nobilitie and yet my sect Should honour finde from hence they no Defect This was the yeare of Iubile in Rome No meruaile 't was of griefe with us at home England hath bin Romes Sacrifice the whiles Our Teares and Funerals haue bred their Smiles A company of sacred Soules before Him left Mortalitie as if the skore Of Fate were quickly to be payd but when He left us wretches to continue men While hee himselfe did to a Crowne attaine The whole Quire seem'd in him to die againe As if h' had bin th' Epitome and Briefe Of all their Vertues and of all our griefe But Fate did act this last and greatest theft To see if wee had any Sorrow left As if those loued Soules which went before Had spent our teares and left our Eyes no more Alas now pities us and bids us sleepe Seeing when Eyes are done our hearts can weepe Two Epitaphs vpon the same Noble Earle EPITAPH 1. PAssenger that needs wilt know Who lyeth here First let mee craue That thou thy Pietie to show Let fall a teare Vpon the Graue 'T is Oxford whom when thou shalt finde Entoomb'd below Who late did liue Thou thy selfe shalt call vnkinde To haue bin so Jnquisitiue EPITAPH 2. TO say that OXFORD here or there Doth lye confines a place To his vnbounded Fame That Body which you balme and seare That Image you doe grace Js but his Shade his Name What place of Heauen hath his Soule And his diviner parts To mortals is vnknowne This wee may say without controll Jn all true English hearts His Toombe is made though they bee made of Stone FINIS A L'envoy to my endeared Friends Mr. R.T. Mr. W.H. Mr. T.C. and others being in the Countrey Seruing for an Introduction to the Description of the Plague DOe you not wonder that in this sad time I still haue leysure to compose a rime When as a Christian care forbids me now The helpe of Poetrie that my hot brow Should sweate with actiue Wine or that my heart Should be so free from passion to vse Art Vnto my wilde expressions The mirth That entertaines a Muse and giues a Birth To happy lines is farre more fit for you Who in your Countries happinesse doe view Our slaughters from a farre as men in sight That stand remote spectators of a Fight Yet I would haue both you and all suppose Sorrow can speake as well in verse as prose In this great Yeare of Elegies indeed Not with that life that flame and actiue speed As when Securitie did bid me play With the smooth tresses of Asteria And wander in her eyes alas that theame Is quell'd in griefe and drowned in the Streame Of the times sorrow those Heroïck layes That were begun haue throwne away their bayes And cloth'd themselues in Cypresse and my brow Expects a Night-cap more than Lawrell now Sirs you perhaps are chasing o're the Fields The Hare the Deere or what the season yeelds Doe Imp your Falcons wings making it flie A suttle ambusher about the Skie We are the Prey of Death and each night stay The call of Fate untill the Morning say We may draw forth a Noone and so at Night Lie downe againe not sure of other light Till the great Resurrection for may bee Death hath his Writ this Night to serue on mee Doe you inquire whether wee be affraid Of Death or no which so soone doth inuade So surely Kill I answer no that man That liueth now and view's the storme and can Still be affraid of Death I must surmize A Renegade or full of Cowardize No Penitent can feare and hee that
man in my judgement never more liues than when hee is most mortified I perswade my selfe that man shall neuer die who di'd while hee liu'd Brother I am resolu'd so soone as this heauy Storme is ouer to enter my selfe into the Orders of the Ministrie wherein I doubt not but to finde such Friends as quickly to prouide my selfe of an honest and competent liuing God is my judge I shall not bee at quiet till by truely labouring to saue others Soules I assure mine owne saluation If God lend me a longer life this is my resolution if otherwise it bee his will to take mee from hence though I could not in my Life I beseech God that I may glorifie him in my Death I pray you when you write to Coventry to remember my humblest dutie to my deare and aged Parents to whom I doubt not yet but by adding some comfort to their grey-hayres to requite partly my former disobedience desire both them and my Brothers and Sisters to pray for mee as I doe for them Brother I must confesse you haue beene more like a Father than a Brother unto mee God bee with you remember mee to your Wife and let us heartily pray for one another and bee cheerefull I rest Your loving Brother ABRAHAM HOLLAND Chelsey August 24. 1625. A Confession of my Sinnes to GOD and a testimonie of my Faith TO number my sinnes O Lord is impossible for they haue bin infinite to measure them our past humane skill for they haue bin immense and ah too great to repent truely for them not in my power without the grace of thy holy Spirit to obtaine pardon for them incredible but through the infinitenesse of thy still ready mercy and the all-sufficient-merits of my deare Saviour and Redeemer yet ô good Lord were my sinnes numberlesse as the Sands or Atomes that flit through the ayre yet should they neuer compare in number with thy Mercies were they for quantitie not to be comprehended thy goodnesse should surpasse them for qualitie not to bee mentioned foule and abhominable thy Purenesse is able to make them cleane and turnes the blackest of them into whitenesse of Snow their deepest graine of scarlet into wooll I haue sinned I haue highly sinned ô Lord I haue long sinned and shall still sinne unlesse thou helpe ô Lord unlesse thy grace prevent To amend my life ô Lord I haue made many and earnest vowes when thou hast but gently afflicted mee in my health I haue ever slipped backe and trodden in the steppes of my former sinnes what then ô Lord can I expect but a continuall miserie that I may know thee Yet ô Lord knowing that thy Will is not to destroy but preserue thy Glory to forgiue not punish and my Saviour as willing as able to bee a powerfull Mediatour with thee for us Sinners the price of his bitter Passion In the name of it in the name of thy Goodnesse thy Mercy haue mercy good Lord upon mee who require many drops of my Saviours blood to clense my Sinnes so shall I praise thee in the Land of the living before I goe into the Graue and there bee no more remembrance of mee A Metricall Version of part of PSALME 73. SVre GOD loues Israell and all Whose hearts are cleane yet I Had like t' haue let my feet to fall And trodden in iniquitie Because I did the bad ungodly see Stand still and flourish in Prosperitie 2. Death's perill they doe never feare But strong and lustie doe remaine Nor like to us misfortunes beare Nor suffer equall plagues and paine This is the cause that they are swolne with Pride And over-whelm'd in Crueltie abide 3. Their eyes with fatnesse swell and they Doe whatsoe're they can devise Others they doe Corrupt and say Most vile and wicked blasphemies Nor sticke they to revile the God of might And against Heaven powre forth malicious spight 4. Thus all the world they doe infect Which makes the silly people goe Aside and fall unto their Sect Thinking that they are blessed so Tush how say they shall God perceiue what wee Doe heere shall hee from high our actions see c. c. Mr. T. C. the Authors endeared Friend his Poeticall Version on the 91. PSALME 1. MAke the great God thy fort and dwell In him by Faith and doe not care So shaded for the fires of Hell Nor for the cunning Fowlers snare Nor Poyson of th' infected Ayre 2. His Plumes shall make a Downy bed Where thou shalt rest hee shall display His wings of Truth over thy head Which as a Shield shall chase away The Dreads of Night the Darts of Day 3. The winged Plague that flies by night The Murdring Sword that kils by Day Shall not thy Peacefull sleepes affright Though on thy right and left hand they A thousand and tenne thousand slay 4. Onely thine eyes shall see the fall Of Sinners but because thy Heart Dwels with the Lord not one of All Those Ills nor yet the Plaguy dart Shall dare approach neere where thou art 5. When thou art troubled hee shall heare And helpe thee for thy loue embrac't And knew his name wherefore hee 'le reare Thy honours high and when thou hast Enioy'd them long saue thee at last T. C. A MEDITATION ON PSALM 6. Vers 4.5 Returne deliver my Soule c. ALL this Psalme of DAVID is Prayer and as one said the very dreames of the righteous bee prayers to GOD So the very Songs of DAVID bee Prayers In the beginning of the Psalme he useth only a deprecatorie prayer Rebuke me not c. but afterwards hee comes to that Importunitie of prayer that Impudency that violence of prayer as Austine saith When wee earnestly Pray Quasi agimus facto Obsidemus Deum and as the Mathematician said Hee could deuise an Instrument would remoue the whole fabricke of the world if any one could but deuise him a place where to settle it So DAVID hauing as it were setled this great instrument of Prayer upon GOD turnes and as it were steeres him which way he will Returne which implies that hee had bin there before for as God first made Flowers and Trees before he made the Sunne but after a Paradise when the Sunne did vivificate it so God makes Man before the Sunne of Grace shine upon him but then makes him a liuing Paradise when hee inspires the Sunne of righteousnesse into our Soules and that is one kinde of returning to us yea when by many relapses of sin we fall from God hee giues us againe grace to repentance that is another returning There be three manner of significations of the originall word Shuba here used The first Redire in locum suum as heauy things to the Center and light to their exhausion upward so man returneth to the dust from whence first he came thus God returneth In terram suam when hee revisireth the soule of a sinfull man The second in withdrawing his judgements from us The third when we by