euen as Scarlet red And with vaine thoughts my heart was filled full Though in corruption I was borne and bred By Christ I yet am made as white as wooll So dearely hee hath all the world esteem'd That by his death the faithfull hee redeem'd Christ is the onely Shepheard of renowne Who loue 's his sheepe so truely and so deare That for their sakes his life he did lay downe That they by him might Crownes of Glory weare In that celestiall place prepar'd for those Which true Repentance from their hearts disclose Sweet Iesus I haue often gone astray And erred both in thought in word and deed O lead me now into the perfect way Though great my sinnes thy mercies great exceed With mercy Lord me straying sheepe behold And bring me backe againe into thy Fold Grant gracious Father I thy Lawes may keepe And that thy Statutes I may right obey That when the Goates are seuer'd from the Sheepe At thy right hand I may with comfort stay Where I shall heare that blessed voyce Venite So neuer feare that cursed sentence Ite In Iustice Lord doe not behold my sinne To take thereof a strict and strait accompt Nor in iust iudgement doe not once begin To punish mee because my sinnes surmount All other sinners whatsoere they be In Mercy not in Iustice looke on mee Lord keepe mee euer from presumptuous sinne So guide direct and order all my wayes That I regenerate may a new begin To serue thee right and giue thee perfect prayse For who can magnifie thee in the pit Or giue thee praise which doe in darknesse sit O Lord to thee I sue I beg intreat Not for my merits but thy mercies sake To grant me mercy from thy mercy seate For my deseruings me accursed make Which if thou shouldst no better me regard Death and Hell-fire would be my iust reward With Sinne and Shame I am inuiron'd round Sinne at my right hand Shame stands at my left And vice and folly in me so abound That of thy graces I am quite bereft I sinne still shame at sinne I leese and win Thus daily walke I circuler in sinne I leese heauens blessed and all-glorious place In running head-long into sinne and errour I winne Prince Plutoes Court of blacke disgrace All fraught with dread with torment and with terrour This is my iust desert my due my meede If thou O Lord in Iustice should'st proceede Since then I am so wicked and so vaine So vilde so wretched in thy gracious fight My impure heart which filthy sinne doth staine Make pure O Lord and so reforme aright The inward man that being dead to sinne I may to righteousnesse anew begin And so to liue and liuing so to dye That dying so I so may liue againe And so to liue to all eternitie Amongst thy glorious Saints in heauen to raigne A sinners death thou Lord dost not desire If he repent and from his sinnes retyre Repentance then shall be the onely course To bring me into fauour with my God From Folly quite I will my selfe deuorce To which I haue beene wed twelue yeares and odde Twelue yeares and odde I haue beene vainely led More oft then there be hayres vpon my head I will begin my nunquam sera now And spend the remnant of my dayes in grace I haue confirm'd it with a solemne vow A life more godly euer to imbrace For God hath said from 's word he will not flee Who true repents shall truely pardon'd bee To this by word be firme himselfe hath tide Which stronger is then couenant bond or bill Yea better farre then all the world beside For hee all-faithfull is and euer will Then sinke Despayre into the depth of hell I le trust in God with whom I hope to dwell A PRAYER AGAINST TEMPTATION I Now haue vow'd from vanitie to flee To dedicate my life and loue to thee O gracious God grant I my vow may keepe Till Death close vp mine eyes with his dead sleepe For vnlesse thou be an assistant to it I of my selfe vnable am to doe it My nature is so sinfull weake and fraile That when that Sathan doth my thoughts assayle Hee oft of me the Victory doth winne So beares me head-long into grieuous sinne With Sathans boystrous and contagious blast Of great temptations here and there I 'me cast Vpon the Rockes of Feare Distresse and Woe Hope and Despayre doe oft to warring goe Sometimes I say that I will cease from sinne And yet through weaknesse I againe begin Sometimes this sinne I doe and then abhorre it And sometimes that then straight craue pardon for it I sinne and for my sinnes doe begge remission As if to sinne still I would haue commission Thus Sathan doth against my soule conspire In making of mee to my sinnes retyre Thy gracious aide I therefore doe deplore Good God that I may euer thee adore With feruent zeale and with an vpright heart Laying foule vice and vanity apart Infuse into my minde thy holy grace Make it for thee a sacred mansion place With holy weapons arme my brest within That I of Sathan may the conquest winne With Faith in thee with Hope and Confidence Let all these weapons Lord be my defence For what am I without thy gracious aide But euen a filthy loathsome sinner made What strength haue I the Diuell to withstand If thou be wanting with thy powerfull hand For that same great old enemy to man Goes still about to murther whom he can Defend mee Lord from his deuouring iawes And make me truely to obserue thy Lawes And as thy selfe mine onely maker art So frame my minde and so direct my heart That alway still may harbour in my brest Vnfained hate of that I now detest FINIS
of my name I beare my shame My name is spotted with my sinnes offence But true repentance yet will cleare the same And make for it I hope a recompence Then farewell all the follyes of my youth Which haue beene Traytors for too worke my ruth Most vaine delights haue hurt me all they can In doing to me vild and great disgrace I now will mortifie a sinfull man Repentance doth thrust folly out of place Folly therefore for euer fare thee well For true Repentance in my heart doth dwell Bacchus thou God of all ebriety Which dost obtuce and blunt the edge of wit Thou enemy vnto sobriety Which mak'st some rage as in a franticke fit Who so frequents thy Court shall not bee wise To thee therefore no more I le sacrifice Thou which dost cause the liquid iuyce of Grape The diuersity and contrariety of pretty drunken trickes and qualities That is dance like Alexanders great horse For to possesse mens seuerall heads with rage Some for to dance the Anticke like an ape And some to sing as t were a Bird in Cage Some Maudlin-drunke doe straight distill downe teares And some like great Bucephalus carreares Some fall to sweare blaspheme to cogge and lye And some will rattle pots against the wall Some in Pot valour will his man-hood trye And some to other pretty feats will fall Some then will run through fire and water deepe And some be silent and fall fast asleepe Some arm'd in Ale will stoutly prate of Warres And some will in an Ale-house draw his dagger Some will ore looke the Moone and all the starres And some will in a beastly humor swagger And some will offer to no Creature wrong Because the Crampe is in his legges and tongue Some like an Ape will featly mumpe and mow When Drinke hath much deformd his formall face And some will reele when as hee cannot goe And some will run and ride the wild-goose chase And some will shout and hallow like madmen And some will roare like Lyons in a Den. Some valiant Hercules will imitate Drinke makes Cowards valiant To fetch the triple-headed Dog from Hell And some of great atchiuements then will prate As if their deeds should Hercules excell And some will fight vp to the knees in blood For his friends sake if it will doe him good Some like an Adiectiue doe props require For to support their ill distemperd bodies And some like Swine doe wallow in the mire And some goe gazing heere and there like noddies Some hath the ach so grieuous in his head That hee wants helpe to carry him to bed Some disobedient rake-hell voyd of grace When Drinke hath got the maistery of his wit Will call his father foole before his face And cheeke by iole by him will boldly sit And some in drinke will giue a desperate stab And some not stick to call his mother Drab Some hath his face most curiously bedeckt Most admirable rich faces With Carbuncles and buttry buttons fine And some will haue his face most strangely sleckt Like Creame and strawberies or Claret wine And some will haue his nose most rich bespred With Pearles and Crinkoms mixt with crimson red Some to maintaine his huge red bottle nose Least that the fire should bee extinct and dye Ere hee want cash to drinke hee le paune his cloaths So make his back out of his belly crye And bitterly the same to ban and curse That by his paunch his back should fare the worse Some ere he want his quenchlesse thirst to slake Will Conicatch and cheat so liue by 's wit And some nere greatly care a purse to take If opportunity their purpose fit Thus may wee see this sin Ebriety Doth linke together much impiety All these are Bacchus prentises free made Of that foule trade of filthy Drunkennesse His Liuery is on their fronts displaid And true deuotion they to him expresse At 's Altars they Tobacco sacrifice And honor him in all due quaffing wise He traines them vp and frames them makes them fit For death destruction and eternall woe Their finnes will sinke them to th' infernall pit Where Drunkards all without Repentance goe Besides all earthly blessings quite forsake them And shame and Beggery doe ouertake them Who euer knew but that some fearefull end At vnawares these Malt-wormes did surprize In which God doth his Iustice right extend As hee is all-vpright all-iust all-wise His menaces they neuer feare at all Vntill his iudgements on their heads doe fall But first being loath for euer they should dye He warnes them faire as warned folkes may liue And with delayes he likewise them doth trye Deferring still due punishment to giue But when he sees they will not turne to grace His Iudgement straight doth mercy quite displace Then grim-facd Death comes with his Mace in 's fist And at Gods suit doth suddaine them arrest There is not resisting against Death When t is in vaine to rescue or resist His conquering hand doth euer get the best He is Gods Sargeant and no kind of baile Can any whit in all the world preuaile Not all the costly rich Arabian gold Can ransome them from Deaths strong Prison place Nor all the treasure that our eyes behold No bonds no baile can helpe them in this case No strength of men no pollicies no lawes Can once redeeme them out of deaths strong clawes Thus on these lawlesse liuers hee makes seasure Not by one way but by a sundry kind Which is at Gods appointment will and pleasure By his decree their liues are so resign'd As by examples often doe appeare Which is enough to strike our hearts with feare One in the midst of quaffing ends his dayes Euen by a suddaine stab which he receiues Such Accidents doe happen many wayes Another in a ditch lies drunke and leaues His liuelesse Corpes there grieuous to bee found To witnesse he was drunke ere hee was drownd Another doth receiue a wofull check His braines round whirling with distempering drinke Downe from his horse doth fall and breake his neck All these are heauy Iudgements we may thinke Another surfetting in great excesse Dyes suddaine in the midst of Drunkennesse Another hauing spent his onely meanes In a most drunken loose lasciuious vaine Vpon base Panders filthy Whores and Queanes Which wealth might well him else in age sustaine Hauing thus vainely spent a good estate By a sad swing his dayes doe end their date He departeth out of this World in a halter Oh are not these faire warnings to take heed And yet alas men cannot warned bee For still they doe in drunkennesse exceed Wee are so blind our faults wee cannot see Drunkards each where doe swarme as thick at least As flyes on some dead putrified beast Sodome did not in greater sin abound Then doth this wicked world wee now enioy Whereas ten righteous men could not be found For which the Lord with fire did it destroy That in so much we now
may plainly see Sodome was burn'd her sinnes escaped be For he which will not take his Lap downe free The Drunkards terme their Drinke Lap a good currish comparison fit enough for such dogges as they bee Lap so they terme it such as dogs doe vse And dogs with such indeed doe best agree Because Gods Creatures they so vild abuse Hee 's a base fellow that will this denye When as most basenes in themselues doth lye And he that will not drinke off his whole scowre Is a Bench-whistler and a peasant slaue Oh they will raile vpon him euery hower And tell him hee s not worthy for to haue A boone companion or good fellowes name If that he rightly cannot shew the same But hee which brauely will carouse and quaffe And drinke downe-drunke euen to the depth of Hell And spend his money as it were but chaffe Oh that 's the man that beares away the bell He shall be praisd for taking of his due And call'd a Captaine of the Drunken crew But if to pledge a slash hee doth refuse They 'l take the pot and throw the drinke in 's face And with broad scoffs most grossely him abuse Thus will they vrge him to his great disgrace So vpon this they must goe try their tooles Then out they goe to fight like drunken fooles When as they cannot goe nor stand alone Then most of all their hearts with fury swell They 'l make great brags to haue their valour showne That they will fight euen with the Diuell of Hell Whilst that their reputation quite doth sinke Base is the quarrell that begins in drinke But of all other he is truely wise That from these ill-good-fellowes can refraine Though scoffingly they say he is precise Yet Drunkards tongues his credit cannot staine For blest are they which haue an euill report By them which are right of the Diuells consort 'T is great impeachment to a generous mind A base and paltry Ale-house to frequent It best befits a Tinker in his kinde Then any man of vertues eminent Goe to an Ale-house to quaffe and carouse T is Cousin German to a Baudy-house It is the receptacle of all vices An Ale-house rightly decyphered Where Tinkers and their Tibs do oft repaire Where theeues and Iugglers with their sleight deuises Their false got booties at a night doe share Where Rogues and Runagates doe still resort And euery Knaue which is of euill report It is a Cage of all base Villany Where Swearers Dicers Cutpurses and Cheators Bull-wards and Beare-wards with like company Of Fidlers Farriers Conycatching creatures Bauds Pedlers Panders and such Bride-well stuffe As Mistris Meritrix with t'flaunting Ruffe It is a harbor for iniquity It is the very sinke of horrid sin It is a Den of all impiety And well is he that doth not fall therein It is a place of pleasure bitter-sweet Where Knaues and Whores doe oft together meet There euery saucy Iack will haue his Gyll And euery knaue will with his mate be bold Naught euermore with naught frequenteth still Birds of a feather will together hold Where stinking carion doth corrupted lye There greedy Kytes doe all together flye Thus where an Ale-house is decyphered right Me thinke a Gentleman should scorne to staine His vertues which might else giue splendor bright So basely in an Ale-house to remaine Goe to an Ale-house why then goe to Hell For there all sin and villany doth dwell There euery vpstart base-condition'd slaue If that he haue but money in his bagge A Gentleman vnto his teeth will braue And in his pots most malapertly bragge Confront him too with termes most grosse and vild Who toucheth pitch of force shall be defilde Oh is' t not pitty Gentlemen should drownd Their wealth their wits and vertues all in drinke When such good qualities in them are found They should alas so much i' th wetting shrinke For though they be well read and highly borne Yet th' are but held in base contempt and scorne How much Oh how much doe they dimme I say Their Orient vertues which might else appeare As bright as Cynthia in her glorious ray When gentle windes the night from Clouds do cleare Ay me that Vertue should lie so obscure And Prisoner-like such pennance great indure Then Gentlemen let me you this perswade From what you be doe not degenerate God a degree you aboue others made That chiefely Vertue you might imitate For Gentlemen from Swains should differ farre As doth the Moone from the least twinkling starre As for the vulgar let them still be vicious Let them be drunke and altogether vaine Let them be wicked Swearers and malicious If no perswasions can their wills restraine A rusticke humour fits a rusticke mind Onely be you from such grosse ills refinde Once did I see I would I had not so A thing not strange yet strange I would it were A Vicar was so drunke hee could not goe With drinking of Tobacco Ale and Beere Needs must the People then goe far astray When as the guide doth reele out of the way Another time I saw as bad a sight A Iustice that did rule a corporation Would to the people bid at noone good-night By reason of strong liquors operation Ill can hee keepe a Towne in good subiection When as he cannot rule his owne affection And is not this a lamentable case They which should be as Lanthornes shining bright To guide each one to run a vertuous race Doe more eclipse their wayes then make them light Vnreuerend Sirs your places fit you ill Because you cherish Vice and Vertue kill I knew a Vicar was as free a man Behold a swaggering Vicar As euer to this day Tobacco nosed He would not sticke to drinke off his whole Can If in an humour he was so disposed For a full cup he would be no mans debter Ther 's not a Roaring-boy could pledge him better A Constable which lack't both wit and law As of them such Lack-iudgements there be many Would drinke himselfe as witlesse as a Daw So breake the peace and braule and fight with any Infringe his oath and oft be changing knockes Iudge then if he deserue not best the Stockes Actâ—nke Attourney likewise I haue knowne Which would carouse as deepe as any other Vntill by drinke he would be ouerthrowne For to good fellowship he was sworne brother But may not he euen for an Ideot passe Will trust his Case with such a drunken Asse Thus they which should ciuillity imbrace Obserue good order and preserue the peace Doe altogether erre in such a case Which doth their endlesse infamy increase For when such faults by these men vnderstand who 'le put a sword into a mad mans hand Thus they which should be perfect presidents Of glorious vertue and a godly life Doe euen become accursed instruments To foster drunkennesse now growne too rise The Cleargy doâ— instruct admonish preach Yet seldome follow that which they doe teach But though their hearts be vaine