A SONG OR STORY FOR THE LASTING REMEMbrance of diuers famous works which GOD hath done in our time WITH AN ADDITION OF certaine other Verses both Latine and English to the same purpose PSAL. 107.8 O that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men LONDON Printed by R. Young for I. Bartlet at the golden Cup in Cheape-side 1626. The Introduction from out of the XXXI of Deuteronomie where God chargeth Moses to make his Song BEhold thou shalt with thy fore-fathers sleepe As for this people whom thou art to leaue They will not long my Testimonies keepe Though now they seeme to them so fast to cleaue But they will rise vp after thou art gone To scorne my Word and trample it vpon After the gods a whoring will they runne Of the strange people which are in the land Whither they goe to take possession And them amongst to fixe their wandring band Me will they cast away and are so weake My holy Cou'nant made with them to breake Then shall my wrath against them kindled be Euen in that day my fury shall be hot Them I 'le forsake that haue forsaken me And hide my face from them that me forgot And they shall of their foes be eaten vp Tasting of heauie woe and bitter cup. So that themselues shall be enforc't to say In midst of sorrow Came not all these woes On vs because our God is gone away 'Mong vs no longer to haue his repose I will from them in hiding hide my face That euills-all and other gods embrace Now therfore write you for your selues this song Which thou mayst teach the Isralytish fry Putting the same into their mouth and tongue That it for me gainst them may testifie For I will them into the country leade By oath vnto their fathers promised The Country which with milk honie flows Where hauing eate their fill and waxen fat Vnto strange gods they will their heart dispose And worship them vpon their faces flat But me they will contemptuously prouoke Breaking my Cou'nant casting off my yoke And it shall be when many euills-sore Shall them befall make them much complaine This song shall witnesse if there were no more In mouth of all their seed still to remaine That I foreknew what 's in their heart or hand Before I bring them to the promis'd land Who so would see this song of heau'nly choice Penn'd by that holy shephard Isrells guide And sweetly vtterd with a swan-like voyce When here his soule no longer might abide Let him vnto that holy fountaine goe From whence such streames do plentifully flow Nor shall he need to thinke his time mispent Deut. 32. For what is there to Israel committed Hath a more large and generall extent And to our present times may well be fitted Now is that wall of separation downe Now that is ours which then was their renowne And oh that in their holy name alone And other graces we did them succeed Oh that their falshood and rebellion Had not in vs like bitter roote and breed Oh that by their example we might see Such thoughts such deedes such sorrows how to flee For vs another Canan is prouided Far better better milke and better honie We looke our spirits should ere long be guided To heau'n it selfe where without price or monie We shall enioy what here we may but tast A ioyfull-blessed life for aye to last Oh then what manner ones should we be here And how refin'd should be both life and heart Not like this world but like our Countrie deere Where none but holy ones haue any part We need not feare these Cananites to follow Who be all perfect none vnsound or hollow Yee that in Sion are secure awake Yee that do wauer in a Sea of doubt How long wilt be ere the right way ye-take Halting no more or compassing about Or God or Baal Christ or Masse adore Choose which you will serue one but halt on more Remember who it is that witnesse bare Euen that Amen the witnesse true and sure Who made all creatures to be what they are I know thy workes they cannot proofe endure Thou art not cold nor art thou hot enough I would thou wert key-cold or hot in loue Sith then that Luke-warme is the frame mold Which all this while and after all my cost Thou hast attained neither hot nor cold So that my labour seemes to be but lost I am resolu'd Consider what I say Out of my mouth to spew thee quite away Oh heauie doome how can we chuse but tremble We say we 're rich and full and nothing neede But God knows all he knows how we dissemble Poore wretched-caytifes without sight or weede Buy then of him gold robes ointmēt bright Rich cloth'd to make vs and of clearer sight Then shall we see the end of all his threts That he an holy awe might keepe vs in And why his naked glittring sword a whets That we might all repent vs of our sinne And why he doth such strange deliu'rance send That we might praise him and our liues amend This very end it was that mooued me Though not so fit to vndertake the taske To frame this song or story as you see Be sure the liquor 's good what ere the caske For heere as in a glasse you may behold The works that God hath wrought some new some old Yet none so old but yong men may remember The farthest workes that here I shall recite Haue they bin hidde as vnder heapes of ember Now would I rake them vp into the light Indeed they are not hid but men are blind And loth to call the works of God to minde For diuerse worthy ones with faithfull pen Haue writ the most that I am writing heere Calling to praise of God vnthankfull men Which might their soules vnto his grace endeere But oh how few do prize such godly paynes Or reape vnto themselues such profer'd gaines Yet will I venture all are not alike God will haue prayses for they be his due A silly rod the stonie rocke may strike A silly song forgotten workes renue If men be mute then babes if babes an Asse Or else the stones shall bring Gods will to passe And if you 'l haue me tell you all my heart T is not my hope yet would I not presage That men will take my plainnesse in good part But come ye children ye of tender age This vnto you I write and thus in verse That ye might best conceaue learne and reherse Come children harken and consider well Gods Word will teach you best but workes withall Such workes as I shall very plainely tell Will teach you how with feare on God to call Thou Lord which dost the little ones affect Let this poore song thy little ones direct Faults escaped Pag. 18. l. 2. reade slack and l. 17. r. Peere p. 40. l. 9. fiery p. 44. l. 13. On and l. 15.
was in strictest veiwe That by the peoples presse And sommeyrs mortazing vndue They came to this distresse And that Gods finger may appeare More plainly no foundation Nor wall did faile but all enteire The seeld roofe kept his station Oh then that those which did escape With feete out of the snare Might learne no more to runne or gape After such Romish ware And that we all might learne to flee From Babell and her dung Least for our filthinesse we be Into her sorrows flung But to returne whence I digrest Take the old stile or new Nouembers fift must be confest Worthy all-lasting viewe A day that iustlie was assign'd To the Almighties glory A day when all should call to minde The famous powder-storie But this not all to God belongs Nor do we praise him best By Sermons Prayers or lowd Songs Bels Bone-fires or by feast All these are good but somewhat elz Is of far better note When heart and life our soules and selues To him are all deuote God looked for 't that all estates Should mend what was amisse That truth and iudgement in our gates Should one another kisse But we alas did soone forgit The mightie workes of God Not growing better any whit By shaking of the rod Nor by the wrack beyond the sea Of Christian brotherhood Nor Banners that our foes displey Gainst Brittaines royall blood Nor by the safe returne againe Of our then-royall-Prince From his great venture into Spaine Nor his deliu'rance since When he was safe in falling downe By gard of Angels tended Nor his safe comming to the Crowne Rightly on him descended These workes of God could not suffice To draw vs from our sinning But still we kept the hue and size We had at the beginning This stirred vp the Lord of Hostes To ielousie and rage And made him smite againe our Coastes Not sparing any age 1625. IN the one thousand yeare of God Sixe hundred twenty fiue Was sent the Pestilentiall rod Our rockie hearts to riue In the chiefe Citty of the Realme It had the chiefest seate There like a sea to ouerwhelme Pride that was growne so great Or like a fire to purge away The drosse of hatefull sinne Or like a trumpet thence to fray The sleepe that soules were in The Queene of Cities wont to sit In Chaire of highest state Now sate in dust and lowest pit All sad and desolate The highest Court of Parlament To Oxford did remooue The Tearmers were to Redding sent Their Titles there to prooue Nor were the strangers strange alone To the infected City But her best louers all were gone And left her without pitty I meane the rich did flocke away And bad her streetes adew Except the poore which needes must stay There stayed but a few Nothing was heard but passing-bels And friends their friends lamenting Nothing but heauy dolefull-knells Death not at all relenting Nothing was seene but heapes of dead To feede the hungrie graue Or others lying sicke a bed No way their life to saue Some looked pale and some with paine Were forc't to raue and roare Some did the deadly markes sustaine And some the deadly sore In one yeares space or lesse then so From time the Plague began To what a number did they grow That death grip't in his spanne Sixtie two thousand at the least Sixe hundred seuenty seuen Were made appeare by deaths arrest Before the God of heauen Yea do but from Iunes second looke Vnto Decembers last Scarse shall you reade in English-booke Of like doome euer past Within this three months space alone As hath bin duly counted Fiftie three thousand ninetie one By Bills report amounted In London and the Liberties Sixe moe neere Parishes adde All the forenamed clos'd their eies And made their friends full sad More dyde in this than former pest By th' heauy hand of God In thirteene weekes to say the lest Eleuen thousand fortie and odde Of all which summes the greatest part By death departed thence Were pearced through with fire dart Of raging Pestilence If within and without one Cittie Walls Were found of men such lacke More then six myriades of soules Brought to so heauy wracke Oh then what was the wrecke and spoile Of all the land beside In Cities and in Country soyle Throughout the kingdome wide Trading grew dead and mony scant The rich doubting their state The poore were pinched sore with want All fear'd the dismall fate Men from their dwellings fled apace Where these night arrowes fell But picked halberdes in each place Were set them to repell The high wayes vnfrequented were Men feared all they met And many keeping home were there Caught in this spreading net High time it was that when the Lord Was thus to fury bent All of their sinnes so much abhorr'd should speedily repent Our Royall King right humbly fell Before the King of Grace In mourning weedes becomming well This sad and heauie case It pittied him to see his sheepe By flockes to fall away It made his very soule to weepe To see their quick decay Himselfe began and then he made His subiects all to fast Py Proclamation he forbade So long as plague should last All other workes vpon the day To fasting set apart That all at once might weekely pray To God with broken heart Thus all at once powr'd out their groanes To God in this restraint Filling both heauen and earth with mones And cries of their complaint And God which euer keepes his word Soone pittied our woes Bidding the Angell sheath his sword And slake his murdring blowes When in one weeke of sicknesse wanne Fiue thousan'a hundred fiue Dyde in the City then began The City to reuiue Yet after this in sixe weekes space Of Plague and Feuers sore Their died in the foresaid place full seuenteene thousand more But oh behold Gods mightie power To graue were carryed thence In Twelfe weeke after this no more But One of Pestilence Euen when the plague was spred at length Into the Cities heart Then did abate the raging strength And poison of his dart Right so the Iewish Church of old For Dauids proud presumption And for their owne rebellions bold falne in a quicke consumption Iust when the Angell stretch't his hand Ierusalem to stroy It pleased God no more their land with sicknesse to annoy Yea marke when those return'd agin That from the Cite fled And when the Country thicke came in To market boord and bed Who would haue thought but by and by The plague should be renewed Yet did it still most quiet lie As in a corner mewed Neuer was heard of such a change T was but few daies before The sicknesse vp and downe did range Scarse passing by a dore The very ayre it selfe might then Seeme to be quite infected Now Churches streetes shops houses men All sure and safe protected The eyes which had not before-seene The Cities desolation Could scarse beleeue that there had bin Such deadly visitation Sixe monthes are gone about at
least Since that great ebbe and fall Few all this while dy'd of the pest And some weekes none at all Nor was the sicknesse driuen out Alone from London Citie But in all Countries round about Was shewed the like pitty For though some sparkles here and there To awe vs yet remaine Yet little breakes out any where To burne vs vp againe Euen in our towne so far remote When this dismall diseaze One place and house and man of note most dangerously did seaze When towne and Country were afraid It would haue further spred This deadly plague with dead was laid As in a resting bed And there it should haue rested still As many weekes it did If men had not their doings-ill With false pretences hid As For this Parish thankes to God By whom the lot is cast To this day felt this heauy rod Not one from first to last Cry of our sinnes and grace abus'd Did well deserue the worst But God to heare that crie refus'd Else had we bin the first Now what may be the Lords intent It is not hard to ghesse Euen this that we might all repent And his free grace confesse COnfesse we all before the Lord His grace and mercy then And shew his Acts with one accord Before the sonnes of men In presence of his holy ones praise him with ioy and feare Who doth reuiue our wither'd bones And light from darknesse reare Man woman child both old and yongue Rich poore the low and high Laud and extoll with hart and tongue The highest Maiestie Yee blessed Angels honour him And all the heauenly band Yee byrds that flye and fish that swimme And cattell of the land Let euery Citie Shire and Towne Each Church and house and soule With thankfull pen write his renowne In euerlasting roule Let all that liues confesse his grace That saues their life and fame Let none by wicked life deface The glory of his name And thou my soule remember well The kindnesse of the Lord Cease not with thankfull lips to tell The truenesse of his word Who gaue thee pardon of thy sinne And kept thee from the smart For all the danger thou wertin Of the infectious dart THou Lord which from the Spanish yoake And from the powder blast And from that former sicknes stroake And from this newly past Hast saued vs and ours and thine So many as suruiue Oh do not of thy Grace diuine Our feeble soules depriue For we alas are like to fall Into the same excesse If to thy workes thy grace withall Come not to worke redresse So are we wedded to the toyes Of our owne hearts deuising That we neglect the heau'nly ioyes From thy pure wayes arising Euen when the scourge was on our back How few their life amended Our mending then must needes be slack When once the plague is ended Nor Nauy nor the powder Plot Nor frightfull noise of war Nor roaring of the Cannon shot Nor all the plagues that are Shall ought preuaile nor yet our strange Deliuerance from all Vnlesse thy holy spirit change And draw our hearts withall Then draw vs Lord immediately And we shall follow thee And make vs such effectually As thou wouldst haue vs be So neede we not to feare the Turke Nor Pope not Spaine nor Hell For thou shalt euery euill worke Reueale defeat and quell No sicknesse pestilentiall Shall smite our Tabernacle Or if there doe thy mercy shall Be our safe receptacle Lord saue thy Church our King and State Lord purge out all our drosse And such as doe thy Gospell hate Infatuate and crosse Lord blesse the Parlamentall Court Vpper and lower House And when to Counsell they resort In them remember vs. From King that sits vpon the Throne To begger in the streete Let all their by-past sinnes bemoane Before thy mercy feete That we and our posterity Safe-hid vnder thy wing May euer of thy verity And sauing mercie sing Amen FINIS DEO BIS-VLTORI SAXVM Ad memoriam Classis Hispanicae Anno 1588. Submersae Subuersae VIdimus heutrepidicùm vidimus aequora Iberâ Classe tegi centū et senas quater illa vehebat Non Vincenda rates Veteres ingentia nautae Obstupuêre ratum noua corpora Viderat illas Estque suas miratus opes Neptunus inse Aduenisseomnes ridet Telluris honores Nos verò horruimus toti tot tympana crebrae Clamoremque tubae strictos super omnia cultros Flagrorumque minas quae barbarus omnia Iberus Gentis in Exitium quaesiuerat arma Britannae Nos lacerae viduaeque rati spes credimus Illa Sulphure igne grauis ventis spoliata magistro Traditur votis exit crudelibus Hosti Mista suis pereat flammis sed perdat et hostem Ventis vecta suis perit haec sed perdit et hostem Vidimus hîc laeti velis albentia primò Aequora nunc sanie et nigromaculata cruore Excutitur cursu Classis pars aequore mersa est Inmedijs pars ardet aquis pars flumine caeco Errat ignotis vix tandem allabitur oris Ad memoriam proditionis Puluerariae Anno. 1605. Indicatae Vindicatae VIdimus ô laeti cùm vidimus eruta caeco Roma tui sceleris quanta quot arma specu Ferrum saxa faces et dolia sulphure foeta Scilicet his Meretrix vina dat hausta cadis Haec latuêre diu magni sub fornice Tecti Iussa manere manum Fauxe sceleste tuam Legibus illa olim penetralia sacra ferendis Proh pudor horrendum penè tulêre scelus Rex Princeps Proceres Patres flos Plebis vt vno Ictu corruerent ipsaque Relligio Admotura sacras aderat manus vltima flammas Prodit disperdit vindicat ista Deus Nil Erebū pudeat scelerum Scelus hoc dabit vnum Infandosque homines Eumenidasque pias En Erebo accessit sceleris noua forma paremque Huic Erebum sceleri postulat illa nouum Par sceleri dabitur pretium Modus vnus vtrique Nullus erit poenae nullus eratsceleri Par merito laus danda Deo Modus vnus vtrique Nullus erit laudi nullus erat merito Rite Deo Saxumque datum nomenque Bis-vltor Vicerat hinc hostes luseratinde dolos Perditione priùs nunc proditione petebant Perditaperditio est prodita proditio To God our twice-Reuenger WE saw but oh how sad were we to see Spaines prouder Fleete on the proud Ocean spred An hundred ships there were and eight times three Which made it deem'd and nam'd vnconquered The ancient Pilots were amaz'd to see 't When they beheld this new-huge-bodied fleete The Sea with mazed smil saw in her bounds All the Earths wealth and honor brought by ships But we all trembled at the frequent sounds Of Trumpets Drummes at naked Swords and Whips Sore threatned wherewith all the Spaniard fell Came arm'd this Brittaine nation to quell Our hopes are in a lone-torne ship befitted With fire and Brimstone as her chiefest loade Shee without guide is to the windes committed And forth with cruell
seaze ⧠A Song of Thanksgiuing for the lasting Remembrance of Gods wonderfull works neuer to be forgotten 1588. FIrst I le begin with Eightie eight That most admyred yeere When 't was in king of Spains conceipt Ore's all to domineere The Seas were spred with stately saile Their men and their Munition Were all prepared without faile To bring vs to perdition How many scores of Shipping-tall And of their Gallyes long How many Regiments withall Of Souldiers stout and strong How many hundred Horse to praunce And Mules for carriage meet How many thousand Ordinance Were carried in the Fleete How many hundred thousand pound Of Powder and of Bullet How many millions were found Of victualls for the Gullet Who so would make a iust account Must reckon with the least For to such number all amount As cannot be exprest Besides great store and company Of tearing torturing whips And instruments of cruelty Prouided in their Ships As meaning not to be so kind Our blood at once to spill But by our lingring paine their minde And bloody lusts to fill From seuen yeeres old or if not so From ten and so forth on All had beene killd both high and low Their sword could light vpon Virgins had dyde when they had first The Virgins honour lost Women vnript on Speares accurst Had seene their Infants tost The children whom they meant to saue With brand of Iron-hot Were in their face like Indian slaue To beare a seared spot Their soule alas had beene a spoyle To soule-destroying Pope Their bodyes spent in restlesse toile Without all ease or hope There were but few that should obtaine This mercy which was such As if you reckon vp the gaine You 'l say it was not much Yea they that seru'd the Romish gods Had beene within the hemme Of Spanish sword which knew noods Or small twixt vs and them For death of Catholicks quoth they We neede not to be sory Their soules shall goe the Catholick way To Heauen or Purgatory As for their wealth and dignity All this for vs doth make For all how much so ere it be Shall fall vnto our stake Oh blessed foules what better course The highest heauen to merit Than if such Catholicks perforce Their lands and goods inherit Such Catholickes as had the Popes Most solemne blessing past To all that would their wealth and hopes Into this Nauy cast For you must know the Popes Crusade Was sent or gentle Bull To all that would this great Armade Enrich with purses full Or gaue a man a lesser fleece Who so gaue what they could Were quit for thirteene pence a peece of all sinnes new and old Thus went the Host to sea with fame Renowned there to braue it The Inuincible Nauy was the name Their holy Father gaue it Nor doubted they to make their songs Of triumph before hand As if already Spanish throngs Had conquered our Land Mendoz ' mendaciously begun In France to giue it out England is won All England won Their forces put to rout Medyna was the Admirall Of this new Christned Fleete Who left his wife friends goods and all In zeale but vndiscreet He sought to Christ and Mary both And to all Saints beside Sole Christ to credit very loth In doubtfull wind and tide Our little Fleet in Iuly first Their mightie Fleete did view She came but with a softly course Though windes behind her blew Her front much like the Moone was crook't The hornes seuen myles asunder Her Mastes like stately towers look't The Ocean groaning vnder And now behold they were at hand Daring our English Borders Making full sure to bring our land Vnder their Spanish orders But God aboue laughing to scorne Their wicked wile and wealth To his Annointed rais'd an horne Of hope and sauing health Prince Prophets people ioyntly cry'd To CHRIST ALONE for ayd Whose power inuincible was try'd With Banner all-displayd That noble Drake draue on apace And made the Spaniard diue And Hawkins follow'd hard the chase As Hawke doth Couee driue With these well forbisht Forbisher Their Nauy did assayle All at her backe did thunder her And swept away her tayle Those were the Worthies three which first Next to their Admirall Ventur'd the hostile rankes to burst Spite of their Don-Recall And many moe of great renowne Did brauely play their part In skill and valour putting downe The Spanish strength and art But why doe I record the men That fought with such as brau'd vs I said and so I say agen It was the Lord that sau'd vs. He arm'd from heauen his mightie hoast To batter Babel-towers His Angels though vnseene oppoz'd Their side and helped ours They which to Creatures yeeld the trust From the Creator taken Of him and them it is most iust They should be quite forsaken The blustring windes the swelling waues The crackes of flashing fire Each in their turne did checke the braues Of Spaines enraged Ire Eight of our Ships of wilde-fire pitch Rosen and brimstone full And such like other matter which Was most combustible Were set on fire and guided well In secret of the night By helpe of wind it them befell On Spanish Fleete to light The Spaniards saw how neere they came At Anchor as they lay The Sea all-bright with shining flame As if it had beene day Who fearing lest our Ships beside The hurt of fierie cracke Might with some deadly engines ride Vnto their vtter wracke All lifting vp with one consent An hideous wofull cry Did fill with bitterest lament The Ocean and the Skie Some pull vp Anchors some for hast Their massie Cables cut They set vp Sayles and all-agast Their hand to Owers put And smitten with a pannicke terror Confusedly they fled As whom their owne bewitching error To shame and sorrow led They fled with shame the way they came One from another scattred Their Shipping tall with Cannon ball Was soundly beat and battred Their reckning was that Parmaes Duke Should helpe them with his force But God his courage did rebuke From taking such a course T is best thought he for me and mine To keepe vs where we are For they we see are faine to whine That ventured so farre Our Holland-friends with vs kept watch Vpon the Coast of Flanders He might haue soone met with his match If not with his Commanders Yet at the last he was so stout When to the Lady of Hall His vowes were payde on knees deuout His Armed troupes to call With whom he did to Dunkerk passe But later than was meete So that by some he twitted was As false to Spanish Fleete Thus were they left of God and men To wrackes of wind and weather Their thoughts were high before but then They fainted al together They came not forth so thick before But now they went as thin Their numbers were abated sore That numberlesse had bin As Saul did Amalek or worse They vowd vs all to handle As whom their Balaam did curse With Booke and Bell and Candle But