that Caesars haue And sooth to say wherin hath Iesus err'd Or not deseru'd such suffrance at thy hands Hath he not alwayes in his life preferr'd Disgrace and dole to rid thee out of bands Oh was not he the man the Lambe that dy'd To shew thee heauen in woe and not in pride He was Almightie to haue sau'd his head If he had pleas'd But for a president Of passiue Fortitude and Lamblihead He condiscended vnto woe and torment And did erect the Crosse a capitall Ensigne of honour and renowne to all And since what Saint did euer amount to blesse That hath not more or lesse been crucifi'd Either with selfe zeale-doome or by oppresse Of tyrannie by villaines hands inflicted The seed that must to flowery growth redound Must first lie dead and withered in the ground Besides oh what a monstrous thing it is To liue delitious vnder a thorney head Thy God to daigne to die for thy amisse And thou repine to be dishonored For Vertues sake Oh fond ingratitude So to permit thy Sence thy Soule delude If so the flesh the world the deuill could doe More spight vnto thy state then God can quayle Or that his grace could not transcend thy woe Be-cheering it with happie counteruayle Then might'st thou with a just repine detest To be by any fate of flesh opprest But God both can and will relieue his Plaintife That doth with just petitions inuoke him Selfe-louelesse and repinelesle at the griefe That from his soueraigne doome betides him The louing mothers teat is not so prone Vnto her Babe as Christ to his deere one So shew'd his Pellican-content to die To giue thee life the gore adowne his breast To wash away thy sin-impuritie His dolour was thy euerlasting rest His bitter wounds the euer open gates Of grace and glorie to thy rankest fates Loe he thy paines-appease true charter-warrant Of glorie after gall The bonnie bright Whose crimson rayes can faire propulse and daunt The dreadest Goblin of thy darkest night Be thou the man of duty to thy dole The rest let him alone for to controle Inshrine thy Patience in his Passion Thy Hope thy Constance in his after-boones To his entire irradiation Submit thy night-shades and decreased Moones He is the Sonne of Right and will appay All vertues anguor with a Hollie-day Behold his image yonder on the Crosse See how he droops and dies and damnes Reuenge Yeelding his whole humanity in grosse A pendular reproch on woodden henge Yea euen his Deitie he doth deject Vnto a seeming shadowed defect Be not a beast of desperation A moodie torment traitor to thy selfe T' is grosse conceipt and imperfection To ground thy Barke vpon thy owne shores shelfe Suffice it that extrinsecall aggriefe Abound sans that thou giue it home-reliefe Thinke that thy sinnes are greater then thy woe Thy worldly griefes but Graces happy rescue From greater helles that to thy sowle doe growe Or haply to enforce to manly vertue Thy youngling hestes of grace or to containe Thy present good from proouing after vaine Time and thy graue did first salute thy Nature Euen in her infancie and cradle-Rightes Inuiting it to dustie Deaths defeature And therewithall thy Fortunes fierce despights Death is the gulfe of all and then I say Thou art as good as Caesar in his clay Death is the drearie Dad and dust the Dame Of all flesh-frailtie woe or maiestie All sinkes to earth that surgeth from the same Nature and Fortune must together die Only faire Vertue skales eternitie Aboue Earths all-abating tyrannie Read in my front the ruine of my nature And therwithall perpend thy miseries I doe confesse I were a cursed creature Were not Gods grace aboue m'infirmities So thou in Faith to after-retribution Asswage thy woe and tribulation Die in thy Sauiours wounds and there an end There pricke the Period of thy moody wander To him thy woe and the reuenge commend As to thy soueraigne Liege and high commander And thinke no errour whispereth in thine eare For what I say is true and that I sweare So said the teares of zeale trill'd downe his cheeks Attesting truth vnto his Catechisme When loe eâ—t soons vnto the Crucifixe Crooching adowne he said Oh sacred Chrisme Oh sweet asswage of infelicitie Witnesse that what I say is veritie Say art not thou the image of our Lord The true Character of his sufferance Was he not crown'd deluded and abhord Misuail'd and scourg'd with vile mis-valiance Oh was not he the holie Paschall-lambe That di'd repinelesse for the sinnes of man Sweet Iesu giue me leaue to kisse thy figure With thankfull zeale to thy benignitie And let me pray thee by so great disfigure T' inspire this man of woe thy passiue-glorie That not all like a beast hee droop and die Heart-lesse and impious in his miserie Defend thy image from so black a blurre With thy in-shine Let not temptation foyle So much thy Passions price all like a Curre But as thou art a President of toyle To after-glorie so let thy grace fore-goe And faire accompanie this man of woe Without thy grace my speech is all but aire And barraine Marle it batteneth not the ground It is thy grace that foysoneth all affaire That holie grace that floweth from thy wound I speak in flesh inuested in my bryer There is no flame at all but from thy fire Make it appeare how good a God thou art And how thy woundes were not in vaine inflicted What Nature cannot doe let Grace impart To strengthen and inhearten the afflicted Shew that thy mercie is aboue the bound Of Fortunes topsie-turuie to confound Let not the fancies of a loftie stile And vaine mundanitie transport thy creature As though alonlie Fortunes lowre or smile Were soueraigne Glories gift and dread defeature As though thy power were worne out of date And could no longer signiorize our fate Disperse the terrors of his moodie night That he may see thy shone Hierusalem And in this holie Cittie Sions light Abide and faithfullie beleeue this Theame Happie they all that suffer for our Lord For he to such his heauen will affoord With that he kist the Crucifixe againe And with a strict imbrace therof he sounded His Ghost amounted vp to heauens domaine His corps lay trunke-like seeming dead confounded Whiles I meane while internallie infiered Did feele the woonders of Gods grace inspired Then gan I credit Catechrysius And hatefullie abhor my former mood Base Melancholie black and impious That so distrayd me from eternall good My heart exulted and in zeale I swore Now by our Lord I le be a beast no more I will no longer grudge at vertues toyle But gladly will be crucifi'd with Iesu No yron-fate shall heerafter foyle My constancie vnto the Christ-crosse rew I will accompt all dollour and mishap More deere then sweetest Lullaby in Fortunes lap No longer will I wander vp and downe The desart of Reuenge and dread Dispaire But heer will stint me against mis-fortunes frowne A
Whom angour of mishap or guilt of ill Driues to dispaire and selfe misdoomfull deed Loe heer th'vnfraught of his woe-loaden will And reuerend riches to his ghostly need Loe heer the Arke against the inundation Of Sinne and Fortunes funerall-temptation Heer loe the amitie of men and Angels In vniforme adore of one true God Heer Peace and Pietie togither dwels Heer Scisme and Discords clouen-foot nere trod Heer sacred Ceremonies are in vre As wedlocke-rightes twixt Faith and Soules insure Heer chantes the Nightingale incessant praise And prayer vnto the Orient sonne of God Heer Grace our vncouth Adamisme allayes Stepping her golden foot wher guilt erst trod Heer Sacrifice and Sacrificer both Gods blesse and good acceptance still fore-goeth Hewould haue told me more to this pourport But that his vp-hill pace out-tyr'd his speech And now were also neer the Temple port Where euerie sight I saw was so heauenly rich As had he vttered more mine eies delight Had quite vndone mine eares to doe him right Ah now I want the Muse of Salomon To tell you a Temple-tale a tale of truth All of the Architect and frame of Sion To tell you of her age and of her youth And of her reuerend raigne and regiment And how Doblessa rues her high atchiuement The grownd was Faith the meane-worke Charitie The Top a Hopefull apprehension Of heauens attaine All was of Vnitie A sollid mettle heawn out of Christ his Passion Yea Christ himselfe was fundamentall stone And all the Sowder was Deuotion There shin'd the Rubie and the Chrysolite The sparkling Diamond and the Emeraud greene Each Saphyre in their seuerall delight There was the happie Iacent to be seene The Topasse Onyx and many a faire gem Corrall Amber and Aggats were trash among thē Which such bright rough-cast ouer all incrusted T' was heauen to see what Rain-bowe rayes it yeelded Whiles euerie gem ambitiously contended T'out-stare each others starry neighbourhed It was ynough t'illumine all the world But for the mysts that false Doblessa hurld Roses and flowers of all cullored kindes The Marie-bush and pleasant Eglantine The Honey-suckle in her twisted twines Immixt with Yuie and the Grape-full Vine Did all growe vp that starrie spanglement Spousing her splendure with their spiced sent Below these heauen-amounting swauities Grew ouer all the Temple-greene beside Sweet Gilliflowers and Primroses The Pink and Gerisole the Suns deer bride The Molie Violet and the pleasant Dasie Balme Margerum and sweet Coast-marie There grew the loftie Cedar and the Pine The peacefull Oliffe and the martiall Firre The verdant Laurell in her shadie-shine The patient Palme and penitentiall Mirrhe The Elme the Poplar and the Cipresse tree And all trees els that pleasant are to see All kinds of fruits were there perpetuall The Date the Almond the sauceful Citron The Fig the Orange and Pomgranet royall The Quince the Abricock and the musk-Mellon The Plumme the Cherie and the pleasant Peare The Filberd and the Mulberie grew there Amid these trees these fruites these flowerie sweetes Ran in a Maze-like wile a chrystall streame Of heauenly Nectar in whose sweet floods and fleets Swom sholes of fishes euerie fishes gleame Brighter then Tytan in his Southerne stage This streame was strong against prime guiltes enrage Her silent murmur was so musicall As it dissolu'd the Rock to sand and grauell Whereby it might more in especiall With multiplicitie of eares incell Her musick-sweets yea euen the earth beloe Did open and eruct her bowels therto There sate the Mauis and the Nightingale Carrolling their Layes vnto th' eternall spring The little Larke high houering ouer all There euery bird did either play or sing The Parrat for his plumes did most excell But Phaenix bare away the triumph-bell There was no sauage shape no Laruall hue No Bug no bale nor horrid Owlerie But all that there was was sincere and true Her sweets her spendure her musick-glee Yea euen the Angels of Diuinitie Were of that league and Confraternitie Whiles thus with sacred follace I suruayd The Temples outward majestie and heauen So long on that imparadize I stayd That now the Temple-clocke did strike eleuen It was the instant time of high Oblation We might no longer linger but begon Estsoons we did so peacefullie aduance That to the Temple-dore we straight arriu'd Ore which was grauen Vna Militans Astile from Vnitie and Warre deriu'd The gate was all of pure beaten golde The Portch a sunnie Zodiacke to behold Then in we entred oh we entred in Please God I neuer may come foorth againe What saw I there Oh my eyes were dimme My soule my substance all was poore and vaine To comprehend so high magnificence Yet what I can I will you it dispence I Spanield after Catechrysius foot A happie shaddow to good a substance All like a flower as yet but in thee root Tending to future growth and shone aduance The Temple-porter was a reuerend man And was t' admit in no Elizian Then ask'd he Catechrisius who I was Who answered a Catecumen hee With that he greeted me and let me passe Such was my entrie to felicitie The Temple gates were fovver and this was it Which none but Europe-spirits might admit There on my knees my heart was full of fire Fire of the grace of God deere grace of God Which strong bemettled my zeales aspire To view the glorie of that shone abod It was a Pigion from the Temple-top Which all that frame and glorie did vp prop. A Pigeon whiter then the whitest Pigion Solie subsistant of his owne pure Esse His Posse was Sanctification And Graces bounteous liberalitie What Iesus erst had planted with his blood This Pigion gaue it grace-full liuelihood The beames which issued from his brightsome brist Were such as none but Sion euer saw Nor euer could Doblessas dreary mist Indarken or resemble or withdraw Loue Peace and Magnanimity in good Patience and Prudence aboue all flesh and blood Iustice and Temperance and Benignitie Zeale and internall Consolation Pittie and hopefull Longanimitie Obedience and brotherly Correction Deuotion and Mortification And firme affiance in our Lords Saluation Such were the Pigions rayes from Temple-top Which like a heauen of light illumin'd all It being therto a more secure vpprop Then any lime and stone or brazen wall Oh Sion Sion happie Cittie thow So holie-ghosted against all ouerthrow Then looking downe vnto the residue I might discerne a reuerend ministerie Of men and Angels chanting vnto Iesu Incessant Hymnes of praise and Iubilie The high Sacrificator at the Altar Victiming with holie rites his makar What shall I say of all the maiestie Of all the reuerend rites and ceremonies The rich adorne the heauenly melodie The luster and the precious swauities That there I saw felt heard and vnderstood Oh they transcended farr poore flesh and blood For what the goodnesse and the power of God In their immensitie could jointlie doe Was there in force sans bound or period His grace
thinking who he is for whom you fight Redouble your prowesse and your manly might You combate for the high Hierusalem A region of Peace and Immortalitie Fore-spell'd and promist only vnto them That straine in her behalfe their vp-shot constancie Nor feare yee any woundes or any dying So good a death tends to a better reuiuing See how confusedly Doblessa fightes Without all discipline or good array Her Camp abandon'd to intestine spightes And euerie one contending to beare sway Their owne disorder will confound their power The frame of Discord dures not an hower On then like gallants of the holy-Ghost Fighting in Vnity and for a Crowne Against a rascall and tumultuous Host Nere let the strumpet pull the Temple downe No neuer shall the strumpet pull it downe For God is God and it is all his owne Rememorate the glorie of her Age And of her Raigne and of her pristin Warres How often hath she quell'd Doblessas rage Attempting to assayle her holy Rampiars Hath she not been a Nurse vnto yee all A Shelter and a feast most festiuall Besides hath God not promised of yore That hell shall nere preuaile against her gates And hath not he vouchsau'd to die therfore Establishing her glorie against all Fates Yea is not he her fundamentall stone Her daylie Sacrifice and high Oblation What will ye more Oh Sionites no more But to your tacklings stand like men of honor Like men of Sion one to twentie score Such Babell-hildings mortifie their rancor With constant and imperious resistance God and his Angels are in your assistance So said he blest them and dismist them all Who straight in troops vnto the Rampiers ran And happie he could get vpon the wall There then a second skirmish fresh began Doblessa still persisting in th' assault And Sion fierce supplying all default It was a heauen to see the good array And vnitie of Sion in this conflict How euerie one was willing to obay His Officers encharge though nere so strict The holy-Ghost was in and ouer all Cheering their combate with his cordiall Meane while the high Sacrificator he Attended to the Temples Sacrifice Offring it vp for peace and victorie He chanted Hymnes and Laudes and Letanies And in Pontificall Procession He and his Clergie made their intercession Some in their studdies commented the Text Conferring place with place and with traditions Ov'ring the fraud wherwith Doblessa vext Their Ghospels peace some others in her stations Boldlie aduentured their liues to tell The Babellonians of all her hell Some they perswaded those were verie few And of those few not one of ten persisted But still as feare and fraud their frailties drew They started backe againe like men agasted Oh what it is to be too secular It was selfe-loue that all their weale did marre And of such braue aduenturous Sionites As Doblessa could by hooke or crooke intrap They di'd the death and suffred all the spights That rage and rascall wit could jointly rap Subject they were to dreadfull persecution By publick edict and false brethrens treason What sacring and what sacramenting was In Sion all this while for Sions safetie Was more then all the strength of stone and brasse In her defence God not in enmitie But for her greater glories sake permitting Doblessa thus to bid it bale and bickring Contrarie-wise Doblessa ru'd the fate Of her attempt her mood began to quaile For God now seeing the prefixed date Of Sions patience in her last auayle Did on the suddaine so enlarge his grace That th'whoore retir'd and gaue backe apace And then to shew her latest trumperie Now that our Lords permission faild her powre She gan with Magicke-spels and sorcerie Faire Virgin-like to falsifie her figure Therby to seeme as gracious as she could To Sions eie such was her guize of ould But when she saw that all her fallaces And fierce assaults to Sion were in vaine And feeling now withall Gods heauie furies Showre down vpon her like a floud of raine Shee could no longer bide the brunt of Sion But backe she reel'd to hell and Babylon And fearing least her daunted enterprize Might haplie alien her peoples hearts From her obeysance She so bewitcht their eies With mystes of falsed glory and high deserts That they besotted in their disaster Betooke them to their heeles and fled with her And as they fled Oh marke their vanitie They did so crauin-cockadoodle it As though they had run away victorie And left faire Sion in her dying fit Such hoopes such clangor and such symphonie And all was but Doblessas pollicie She nusled them in so proud Peacockrie To th' end they might not see their damned state But still perseuer as the Bumble-Bee Repine-lesse in their dung and desperate Oh cursed and vnkind captiuitie To be so willing drudge to Falsitie Yet some whome Sions more especiall beame Had bright appaid to see her dignitie Fled from the witch as wak'd from out a dreame Of Faery and Chimericall Imagerie Such Sion intromitted in her gate Applauding them with deere congratulate Contrarie-wise whatsoeuer Sionite Doblessa could with slight or fight enthrall She led away into eternall night Blind-folding their eyes to make them fall Into a thousand helles and offendickles Thrise fatall lapse from Grace into such pickles Nor was the holie Temple thus acquitted For euer after from her hostill trouble But still as Hydra-like she had renued One head vpon the others stump and stubble She came againe and made a braggard-show But still she bare away the Palsie-blow Such being the ancient league of God to Sion Necessiting her Peace to such temptation And yet withall protesting his protection Therto against all hell and Babylon What greater safetie then so good assurance The word of God is of eternall durance Thus Sion triumpht ouer moode and tumult Cabaging her Peace in perfect vnitie Against whatsoeuer future-Scismes insult And seeing now no more hostilitie But all the Region cleere She fell arifling Doblessas spoyles the Honors of her fighting And in her warlike wardrop there she plast them Amongst a world of former pillages And spoyles of Babell high Hierusalem Sisterlie applauding such her victories And thinking long the day to honor her With her embrace and euerlasting cheere Then to conclude the high Sacrificator Came foorth in place and blest the Combatants Bidding them giue to God th' eternall honor Of so high hap And therupon he descants A large discourse of Gods protection How prompt he alwayes was to succour Sion So done he efts dismist the multitude T' attend vnto the buriall of their brethren Whom Sions honor had that day endu'd With zeale to die for her like valiant men Their graues resented Immortalitie Sweeter then all the sents of Arabiâ— And for it was a speciall victorie Archiu'd euen on the very walles of Sion There was proclaim'd a generall Iubilie To be sollemniz'd throughout all the region The Octaue after in feast-full reference And thanks to God for such his high defence In