vices raigne God wanteth power say they of what we can The other would performe that which is vaine Both faultie in one fault and both alike Must haue the stroke which our lawes iudgements strike He calls himselfe a sonne from heauens descent What can earths force aualie gainst heauens defence His life by immortalitie is lent Then how can punishment his wrath incense Though death her selfe in his arraignment decke He hath his lifes preseruer at a becke verse 21 As doth the Basiliske with poysoned sight Blinde euery function of a mortall eye Disarme the bodies powers of vitall might Rob heart of thought make liuing life to die So doth the wicked with their vices looke Infect the spring of clearest vertues brooke This Basiliske mortalities chiefe foe And to the hearts long-knitted arterie Doth sometime perish at her shadowes showe Poysning her selfe with her owne poysoned eie Needs must the sting fall out with ouer-harming Needs must the tong burne out in ouer-warming verse 22 So fares it with the practisers of vice Laden with many venomous adders stings Sometimes are blinded with their owne deuice And tunes that song which their destruction sings Their mischeife blindeth their mischeiuous eies Like Basiliskes which in their shadow dies They goe and yet they cannot see their feete Like blinded pilgrimes in an vnknowen way Blind in perceiuing things which be most meete But neede nor sight nor guide to goe astray Tel them of good they cannot vnderstand But tell them of a mischeife that 's at hand The Basiliske was made to blind the sight verse 23 24 The adder for to sting the worme to creepe The viper to deuoure the dog to bite The nightingale to wake when others sleepe Onely man differs from his makers will Vndoing what is good and doing ill A god-like face he had a heauenly hue Without corruption image without spottes But now is metamorphosed anewe Full of corruption image full of blottes Blotted by him that is the plot of euill Vndone corrupted vanquisht by the deuill Chapter III. verse 1 BVt euery cloude can not hide Phoebus face Nor shut the casement of his liuing flame Nor is there euery soule which wanteth grace Nor euery hart seducde with mischiefs name Life cannot liue without corruption World cannot be without destruction Nor is the body all corrupt or world Bent wholie vnto wickednes assault The adder is not alwaies seene vncurlde Nor euery soule found guiltie in one fault Some good some bad but those whom vertues guard Heauen is their hauen comfort their reward verse 2 3 Thrice happy habitation of delight Thrice happy step of immortalitie Thrice happy soules to gaine such heauenly sight Springing from heauens perpetuitie Oh peacefull place but oh thrice peacefull soules Whom neither threats nor strife nor wars control They are not like the wicked for they liue Nor they like to the righteous for they die Each of their liues a differing nature giue One thinkes that life endes with mortalitie And that the righteous neuer liue againe But die as subiects to a grieuous paine verse 4 What labouring soule refuseth for to sweat Knowing his hire his paiment his reward To suffer winters colde and summers heate Assured of his labours due regard The Bee with summers toile will lade her hiue In winters frost to keepe herselfe aliue And what diuinest spirit would not toile And suffer many torments many paines This worlds destruction heauie laboures foile When heauen is their hire heauens ioy their gaines Who would not suffer torments for to die When deaths reward is immortalitie verse 5 Paine is the entrance to eternall ioy Death endeth life and death beginneth life Beginneth happy endeth in annoy Begins immortall peace ends mortall strife Then seeing death and paines bring ioy and heauen What need we feare deaths pain when life is giuen Say sicknes or infairmities disease As many harmes hang ouer mortall heades Should be his worlds reward yet heauen hath ease A salue to cure and quiet resting beds God maketh in earths world lament our pleasure That in heaueÌ„s world delight might be our treasure verse 6 Faire may the shadow bee the substance foule After the â—â—…all followeth the trust The clearest skinne may haue the soulest soule The purest golde will looner take the ruste The brooke though nere so cleare may take some foile The hart thogh nere so strong may take some foile Wouldst thou be counted iust make thy selfe iust Oh purifie thy mire be spotted heart For god doth trie thy actions ere he trust Thy faith thy deeds thy wordes and what thou art He will receiue no mud for clearest springs Nor thy vnrighteous wordes for righteous things verse 7 As God is perfit God and perfit good So hee accepteth none but perfit mindes They euer prosper flourish liue and bud Like blessed plants far from destructions winds Still bud nere fade still flourish nere decay Stil rise nere fall still spring nere fade away Who would not couet to be such a plant Who would not wish to stand in such a ground Sith it doth neither fruit nor blessing want Nor ought which in this plant might not be found They are the righteous which enioye this earth The figure of an euer-bearing birth verse 8 The small is alwayes subiect to the great The yong to him which is of elder time The lowest place vnto the highest seate And pale-facde Phoebe to bright Phoebus clime Vice is not gouerner of vertues place But blushes for to see see so bright a face Vertue is chiefe and vertue will be chiefe Chiefe good and chiefe Astraea Iustice mate Both for to punish and to yeeld reliefe And haue dominion ouer euery state To rghit the wrongs which wickednes hath done Deliuering Nations from life-lasting mone verse 9 Oh you whose causes plungeth in despaire Sad facde petitioners with griefes request What seeke you heere 's nor Iustice nor her heire But woe and sorrow with deaths dumbe arrest Turne vp your woe blinde eyes vnto the skie There sits the Iudge can yeeld you remedie Trust in his power he is the truest God True God true Iudge true Iustice and true guide All trueth is placed in his trueths abode All vertues seated at his verouous side He will regarde your sure and ease your plaint And mollifie your miseries constraint verse 10 Then shall you see the Iudges of the earth Summoned with the trumpet of his ire To giue account and reckning from their birth Where worthy or vnworthy of their hire The godly shall receiue their labours triall The wicked shall receiue their ioyes deniall They which did sleepe in sinne and not regarded The poore mans fortune prostrate at their feete Euen as they dealt so shall they be rewarded When they their toyled soules destruction meet From Iudges they petitioners shall be Yet want the sight which they do sue to see verse 11 That labour which is grounded on delight That hope which reason doth enrich with hap That merite which is
to flye sin run into sin And thinke to end when they do new begin God made the earth the earth denies their sute Nor can they harbor in the centres womb God knowes their thoughts although their tongs be mute And heares the sounds from forth their bodies tomb Sounds ah no sounds but man himselfe hee heares Too true a voice of mans most falsest feares verse 10 Oh see destruction houering ore thy head Mantling her selfe in wickednes array Hoping to make thy body as her bed Thy vice her nutriment thy soule her pray Thou hast forsaken him that was thy guide And see what followes to asswage thy pride Thy roaring vices noyse hath cloyd his eares Like foaming waues they haue orewhelmde thy ioy Thy murmurings which thy whole body beares Hath bred thy waile thy waile thy lifes annoy Vnhappy thoughts to make a soules decay Vnhappie soule in suffering thoughts to sway verse 11 Then sith the height of mans felicitie Is plung'd within the pudle of misdeedes And wades amongst discredits infamie Blasting the merit of his vertues seedes Beware of murmuring the chiefest ill From whence all sin all vice all paines distill O heauie doome proceeding from a tong Heauie light tong tong to thy owne decay In vertue weake in wickednesse too strong To mischiefe prone from goodnesse gone astray Hammer to forge misdeedes to temper lies Selling thy life to death thy soule to cries verse 12 Must death needs pay the ransome of thy sin With the dead carcasse of descending spirit Wilt thou of force be snared in his gin And place thy errour in destructions merit Life seeke not for thy death death comes vnsought Buying the life which not long since was bought Death and destruction neuer needs a call They are attendants on liues pilgrimage And life to them is as their playing ball Grounded vppon destructions anchorage Seeke not for that which vnsought will betide Nere wants destruction a prouoking guide verse 13 Will you needs act your owne destruction Will you needs harbour your owne ouerthrowe Or will you cause your owne euersion Beginning with dispaire ending with woe Then die your hartes in tyrannies arraie To make acquittance of destructions pay What do you meditate but on your death What doe you practise but your liuing fall Who of you all haue any vertues breath But ready armed at a mischiefes call God is not pleased at your vices sauour But you best pleased when you lose his fauour verse 14 He made not death to be your conqueror But you to conquer ouer death and hell Nor you to bee destructions seruitor Enhoused there where Maiestie should dwell God made man to obay at his beheast And man to be obayde of euery beast He made not death to be our labours hire But we our selues made death through our desart Here neuer was the kingdome of hell fire Before the brand was kindled in mans hart Now man defieth God all creatures man Vice flourisheth and vertue lieth wan verse 15 O fruitefull tree whose roote is alwaies greene Whose blossomes euer bud whose fruites encrease Whose toppe celestiall vertues seat hath been Defended by the soueraintie of peace This tree is righteousnes ô happy tree Immortalized by thine owne decree O hatefull plant whose roote is alwaies drie Whose blossomes neuer bud whose fruites decrease On whom sits the infernall deitie To take possession of so foule a lease This plant is vice O too vnhappy plant Euer to die and neuer fill deaths want verse 16 Accursed in thy growth dead in thy roote Cancred with sin shaken with euery winde Whose top dooth nothing differ from the foote Mischiefe the sappe and wickednesse the rhinde So the vngodly like this withered tree Is slacke in doing good in ill too free Like this their wicked growth too fast too slowe Too fast in slouth too slow in vertues hast They thinke their vice a friend when t is a foe In good in wickednes too slow too fast And as this tree decayes so do they all Each one copartner of the others fall Chapter II. verse 1 INdeede they doe presage what wil betide With the misgiuing verdict of misdeeds They knowe a fall will follow after pride And in so foule a hart growes manie weeds Our life is short quoth they no t is too long Lengthned with euill thoughts and euill tong A life must needs be short to them that dies For life once dead in sin doth weakely liue These die in sin and maske in deaths disguise And neuer thinke that death new life can giue They say life dead can neuer liue againe O thoughts ô wordes ô deeds fond foolish vaine verse 2 Vilde life to harbor where such death abodes Abodes worse then are thoughts thoughts worse then words Wordes halfe as ill as deeds deeds sorrowes odes Odes ill inchaunters of too ill records Thoghts words and deeds conoyined in one song May cause an Eccho from destructions tong Quoth they t is chaunce whether we liue or die Borne or abortiue be or neuer bee Wee worship fortune shee 's our deitie If she denies no vitall breath haue wee Here are wee placed in this orbe of death This breath once gone we neuer looke for breath verse 3 Betweene both life and death both hope and feare Betweene our ioy and griefe blisse and dispaire We here possesse the fruite of what is here Borne euer for to die and die deaths heire Our heritage is death annexde to life Our portion death our death an endlesse strife What is our life but our liues tragedy Extinguishde in a momentary time And life to murder life is cruelty Vnripely withering in a flowrie prime And vrne of ashes pleasing but the showes Once dry the toiling spirit wandring goes verse 4 Like as the traces of appearing clouds Giues way when Tytan resalutes the sea With new-changd flames guilding the Oceans flouds Kissing the cabinet where I hetis lay So fares our life when death doth giue the wound Our life is led by death a captiue bound When Sol bestrides his golden mountaines toppe Lightning heauens tapors with his liuing fire All gloomye powers haue their diurnall stoppe And neuer gaines the darknes they desire So perisheth our name when wee are dead Our selues nere cald to mind our deeds nere read verse 5 What is the time wee haue what be our daies No time but shadowe of what time should be Daies in the place of houres which neuer staies Beguiling sight of that which sight should see As soone as the begin they haue their fine Nere waxe still waine nere stay but still decline Life may be cald the shadowe of effect Because the cloude of death doth shadow it Nor can our life approaching death reiect They both in one for our election sit Death followes life in euery degree But life to followe death you neuer see verse 6 Come we whose olde decrepit age doth hault Like limping winter in our winter sin Faultie wee know we are tush what 's a fault A
placde in wisedomes might Secure from mischiefes baite or follies clap Wits labour reasons hope and wisedomess merit All three in one make one thrice happy spirit Why set I happinesse fore mortall eyes Which couets to be drencht in misery Mantling their foolish mindes in follies guise Despising wisedomes perpetuitie Sins labour follies hope and vices merit These three in one make a thrice cursed spirit verse 5 Vaine hope must needs consist in what is vaine All foolish laboures flowes from follies teares Vnprofitable workes proceed from paine And paine ill labours duest guerdon beares Their vanities in one and one in three Make three paines one and one vncertaintie A wicked King makes a more wicked land Heads once infected soone corrupts the feete If the tree falls the branches cannot stand Nor children bee their parents indiscreet The man infects the wife the wife the childe Like birdes which in one nest bee all defilde verse 6 The field which neuer was ordainde to beare Is happier farre then a still tilled ground This sleepes with quietnes in euery yeare The other curst if any tares bee found The barren happier then shee that beares This brings foorth ioye the other tares and teares The Eunuch neuer lay in vices bed The barren woman neuer brought foorth sin These two in heauens happines are led Shee fruite in soule hee fruite in faith doth win O rare and happy man for euer blest O rare and happy woman heauens guest verse 1 Who seekes to reape before the corne be ripe Who lookes for haruest among winters frost Or who in greife will followe pleasures pipe What mariner can saile vppon the coast That which is done in time is done in season And things done out of time is out of reason The glorious labour is in doing good In times obseruance and in natures will Whose fruite is also glorious for our foode If glory may consist in labours skill Whose roote is wisdome which shal neuer wither But spring and sprout and loue and liue together verse 2 But euery ground doth not beare blessed plants Nor euery plant brings foorth expected frute What this same ground may haue another wants Nor are all causes answered with one sute That tree whose roote is sound whose grounding strong May firmely stand when others lie along View natures beautie marke her chaunging hue Shee is not alwaies foule nor alwaies faire Chaste and vnchaste she is true and vntrue And some springs from her in a lustfull aire And these adulterers be whose seede shall perish Neuer shall lust and wickednes long florish verse 5 Although the flint be hard the water soft Yet is it molifide with lightest drops Hard is the water when the wind 's aloft Small things in time may vanquish greatest stops The longer growes the tree the greater mosse The longer soile remaines the more the drosse The longer that the wicked liues on earth The greater is their paine their sin their shame The greater vices raigne and vertues dearth The greater goodnes lacke and mischiefes name When in their youth no honour they could get Olde age could neuer pay so yong a debt verse 6 To place an honour in dishonours place Were but to make disparagement of both Both enimies they could not brooke the case For honor to subuert dishonors growth Dishonor will not chaunge for honours roome Shee hopes to stay after their bodies doome Or liue they long or die they sodainly They haue nor hope nor comfort of rewarde Their hope of comfort is iniquitie The barre by which they from their ioyes are bard O olde newe end made to begin newe griefe O new beginning end of old reliefe Chapter IIII. verse 1 IF happines may harbour in content If life in loue if loue in better life Then vnto many happines is lent And long departed ioy might then be rife Some happy if they liue some if they dye Happy in life happy in tragedy Content is happines because content Barenes and barrennes is vertues grace Bare because wealth to pouertie is bent Barren in that it scornes ill fortunes place The barren earth is barren of her tares The barren woman barren of her cares verse 2 The soule of vertue is eternitie All-filling essence of diuinest rage And vertues true eternall memory Is barrennes her soules eternall gage O happy soule that is engaged there And pawnes his life that barren badge to weare See how the multitude with humble harts Lies prostrate for to welcome her returne See how they mourne and waile when she departs See how they make their teares her trophees vrne Being present they desire her being gone Their hot desire is turnde to hoter moane verse 3 As euery one hath not one natures mould So euery one hath not one natures minde Some think that drosse which others take for golde Each difference commeth from a differing kinde Some do despise what others do imbrace Some praise the thing which others do disgrace The barren doth embrace their barrennesse And holde it as a vertue worthy meede The other calles conception happinesse And holde it as a vertue worthy deede The one is firmely grounded on a rocke The other billows game and tempests mocke verse 4 Sometime the nettle groweth with the rose The nettle hath a sting the rose a thorne This stings the hand the other prickes the nose Harming that scent which her sweete birth had borne Weeds among herbs herbs among weeds are found Tares in the mantle of a corny ground The nettles growth is fast the roses slow The weeds outgrow the herbs the tares the corne These may be well compared to vices show Which couets for to grow ere it be borne As greatest danger doth pursue fast going So greatest danger doth ensue fast growing verse 5 The tallest Cedar hath the greatest winde The highest tree is subiect vnto falles High soaring Eagles soone are strucken blinde The tong must needes be hoarse with many calles The wicked thinking for to touch the skie Are blasted with the fier of heauens eie So like ascending and descending aire Both duskie vapours from two humerous cloudes Lies withered the glory of their faire Vnpleasant branches wrencht in follies floudes Vnprofitable fruites like to a weede Made onely to infect and not to feede verse 6 Made for to make a fast and not a feast Made rather for infection than for meate Not worthy to be eaten of a beast Thy taste so sower thy poyson is so great Thou mayst be well compared to a tree Because thy branches are as ill as thee Thou hast begot thine owne confusion The witnesses of what thou dost beginne Thy doomers in thy lifes conclusion Which will vnaskt and askt reueale thy sinne Needs must the new hatched birds bewray the nest When they are nursed in a step-dames breast verse 7 But righteousnes is of another sex Her roote is from an euerlasting seede No weake-vnable grounding doth connex Her neuer-limited memorialles deed She hath no branches for a tempests pray No deedes
but scornes to yeeld vnto decay She hath no withered fruit no shew of store But perfect essence of a compleate power Say that she dies to world she liues the more As who so righteous but doth waite deaths hower Who knowes not death to be the way to rest And he that neuer dies is neuer blest verse 8 Happy is he that liues twice he that dies Thrice happy he which neither liu'd nor died Which neuer saw the earth with mortall eies Which neuer knew what miseries are tried Happy is life twice happy is our death But three times thrise he which had neuer breath Some thinkes that pleasure is atchieude by yeares Or by maintaining of a wretched life When out alas it heapeth teares on teares Griefe vpon griefe strife on beginning strife Pleasure is weake if measured by length The oldest ages hath the weaker strength verse 9 Three turnings are containde in mortal course Old meane and yong meane and old brings age The youth hath strength the meane decaying force The old are weake yet strong in angers rage Three turnings in one age strong weak weaker Yet age nor youth is youths or ages breaker Some sayes that youth is quicke in iudging causes Some sayes that age is witty graue and wise I holde of ages side with their applauses Which iudges with their hearts not with their eyes I say graue wisedome lies in grayest heads And vndefiled liues in ages beds verse 10 God is both graue and old yet yong and new Graue because aged aged because yong Long youth may wel be called ages hew And hath no differing sound vpon the tongue God old because eternities are old Yong for eternities one motion hold Some in their birth some dies when they are borne Some borne and some abortiue yet all die Some in their youth some in old age forlorne Some neyther yong nor old but equally The righteous when he liueth with the sinner Doth hope for death his better lifes beginner verse 11 The swine delights to wallow in the mire The giddy drunkard in excesse of wine He may corrupt the purest reasons gire And shee turne vertue into vices signe Mischiefe is mire and may infect that spring Which euery flowe and ebbe of vice doth bring Fishes are oft deceiued by the baite The baite-deceiuing fish doth fish deceiue So righteous are allurde by sins deceit And oft inticed into sinners weaue The righteous be as fishes to their gin Beguilde deceiude allured into sin The fisher hath a baite deceiuing fish verse 12 The fowler hath a net deceiuing fowles Both wisheth to obtaine their snaring wish Obseruing time like night-obseruing owles The fisher layes his baite fowler his net He hopes for fish the other birds to get This fisher is the wicked vice his baite This fowler is the sinner sinne his net The simple-righteous-falles in their deceit And like a prey a fish a fowle beset A baite a net obscuring what is good Like fish and fowle tooke vp for vices food verse 13 14 But baites nor nets gins nor beguiling snares Vice nor the vicious sinner not the sin Can shut the righteous into prisons cares Or set deceiuing baites to mew them in They know their liues deliuerer heauens God Can breake their baites and snares with iustice rod. When vice abounds on earth and earth in vice Then vertue keepes her chamber in the skie To shun the mischiefe which her baites intice Her snares her nets her guiles her companie Assoone as mischeife raignes vpon the earth Heauen calls the righteous to a better birth verse 15 The blinded eies can neuer see the way The blinded heart can neuer see to see The blinded soule doth alwayes go astray All three want sight in being blinde all three Blinde and yet see they see and yet are blinde The face hath eies but eyelesse is the minde They see with outward sight Gods heauenly grace His grace his loue his mercy on his Saints With outward faced eie and eied face Their outward body inwarde soule depaintes Of hearts chiefe eye they chiefely are berest And yet the shadowe of two eyes are left verse 16 Some blinded be in face and some in soule The faces eyes are not incurable The other wanteth healing to be whole Or seemes to some to be indurable Looke in a blinded eie bright is the glasse Though brightnes banished from what it was So quoth the righteous are these blinded hearts The outward glasse is cleare the substance darke Both seeme as if one tooke the others parts Yet both in one haue not one brightnes sparke The outwarde eye is but destructions reader Wanting the inwarde eye to be the leader Our body may be calde a common-weale verse 17 Our head the chiefe for reason harbours there From thence comes hearts and soules vnited zeale All else inferiours be which stande in feare This common-weale rul'd by discretions eye Liues likewise if shee liue dies if shee die Then how can weale or wealth common or proper Long stand long flowe long flourish long remaine When wail is weales stelth is welths chiefe stopper When sight is gone which neuer comes againe The wicked sees the righteous loose their breath But knowe not what rewarde they gaine by death verse 18 19 Though blinde in sight yet can they see to harme See to despise see to deride and mocke But their reuenge lies in Gods mighty arme Scorning to chuse them for his chosen flocke He is the shepheard godly are his sheepe They wake in ioy these in destruction sleepe The godly sleepe in eies but wake in hearts The wicked sleepe in hearts but wake in eies These euer-wake eyes are no sleepie partes These euer sleepe for sleepe is hearts disguise Their waking eies do see their hearts lament While heart securely sleepes in eyes content verse 20 If they awake sleepes image doth molest them And beates into their waking memories If they doe sleepe ioy-waking doth detest them Yet beates into their sleeping arteries Sleeping or waking they haue feare on feare Waking or sleeping they are ne're the neare If waking they remember what they are What sins they haue commmitted in their waking If sleeping they forget tormentings fare How ready they haue beene in mischiefes making When they awake their wickednes betrayes them When they do sleepe destruction dismayes them Chapter V. verse 1 AS these two slumbers haue two contraries One slumber in the face one in the minde So their two casements two varieties One vnto heauen and one to hell combinde The face is flattery and her mansion hell The minde is iust this doth in heauen dwell The face heauing her heauie eie-lids vp From foorth the chamber of eternall night Sees vertue holde plenties replenisht cup And boldly stands in Gods and heauens sight Shee opening the windowes of her brest Sees how the wicked rest in their vnrest verse 2 3 Quoth shee those whom the curtaine of decay Hath tragically summoned to paine Were once the cloudes and clouders of
may come to highest honours pitch And haue heauens crowne for mortall lifes respect Gods hands shall couer them from al their foes Gods arme defend them from misfortunes blowes verse 17 18 19 20 His hand eterniti 〈◊〉 his arme his force His armour zelousie his breast-plate heauen His helmet iudgement iustice and remorce His shield is victories immortall steauen The world his challenge and his wrath his sword Mischiefe his foe his ayde his gospels word His arme doth ouerthrowe his enimie His breast-plate sinne his helmet death and hell His shield preparde against mortallitie His sword gainst them which in the world do dwell So shall vice sinne and death world and the deuill Be slaine by him which slayeth euery euill verse 21 All heauen shall be in armes against earths world The sunne shall dart foorth fire commixt with bloud The blazing starres from heauen shall be hurlde The pale-facde moone against the Ocean floud Then shall the thundring chambers of the skie Be lightned with the blaze of Titans eie The cloudes shall then be bent like bended bowes To shoote the thundring arrowes of the ayre Thicke haile and stones shall fall on heauens foes And Tethis ouerflowe in her despayre The moone shall ouer-fill her horny hood With Neptunes Oceans ouer-flowing flood verse 22 The winde shall be no longer kept in caues But burst the iron cages of the clouds And Aeole shall resigne his office staues Suffering the windes to combate with the flouds So shall the earth with seas be paled in As erst it hath beene ouerflowde with sin Thus shall the earth weepe for her wicked sonnes And curse the concaue of her tyred wombe Into whose hollowe mouth the water runnes Making wet wildernes her driest tombe Thus thus iniquitie hath raignd so long That earth on earth is punisht for her wrong Chapter VI. verse 1 2 AFter this conflict betweene God and man Remorce tooke harbour in Gods angry breast Astraea to be pitifull began All heauenly powers to lie in mercies rest Forthwith the voice of God did redescend And his Astraea warnde all to amend To you I speake quoth shee heare learne and marke You that be Kings Iudges and Potentates Giue ere I say wisedome your strongest arke Sends me as messenger to end debates Giue care I say you Iudges of the earth Wisedome is borne seeke out for wisedomes birth verse 3 This heauenly ambassage from wisedomes tong Worthy the volume of all heauens skie I bring as messenger to right your wrong If so her sacred name might neuer die I bring you happy tidings she is borne Like golden sunne-beames from a siluer morne The Lord hath seated you in iudgements seat Let wisedome place you in discretions places Two vertues one will make one vertue great And drawe more vertues with attractiue faces Be iust and wise for God is iust and wise He thoughts he words he words and actions tries verse 4 5 If you neglect your offices decrees Heape new lament on long-tosst miseries Doe and vndoe by reason of degrees And drowne your sentences in briberies Fauour and punish spare and keepe in awe Set and vnset plant and supplant the lawe Oh bee assur'd there is a Iudge aboue Which will not let iniustice flourish long If tempt him you your owne temptation moue Proceeding from the iudgement of hid tong Hard iudgement shal he haue which iudgeth hard And he that barreth others shall be bar'd verse 6 For God hath no respect of rich from poore For he hath made the poore and made the rich Their bodies be alike though their mindes soare Their difference nought but in presumptions pitch The carcasse of a King is kept from soule The Begger yet may haue the cleaner soule The highest men do beare the highest mindes The cedars skorne to bowe the mushromes bend The hiest often superstition blindes But yet their fall is greatest in the end The windes haue not such power of the grasse Because it lowly stoopeth when as they passe verse 7 8 The olde should teach the yong obseruance way But now the yong doth teach the elder grace The shrubs doe teach the Cedars to obay These yeelde to winds but these the winds out-face Yet he that made the windes to cease and blowe Can make the highest fall the lowest growe He made the great to stoop as well as small The lions to obay as other beasts He cares for all alike yet cares for all And lookes that all should answere his beheasts But yet the greater hath the sorer triall If once he findes them with his lawes deniall verse 9 Be warnde you tyrants at the fall of pride You see how surges chaunge to quiet calme You see both flowe and ebbe in follies tide How fingers are infected by their palme This may your caueat be you being kinges Infect your subiects which are lesser things Ill sents of vice once crept into the head Doth pearce into the chamber of the braine Making the outward skin diseases bed The inward powers as nourishers of paine So if that mischeife raignes in wisedomes place The inward thought lies figured in the face verse 10 Wisdome should clothe her selfe in Kings attire Being the portrature of heauens Queene But tyrantes are no Kings but mischiefes mire Not sage but shewes of what they should haue beene They seeke for vice and how to go amis But doe not once regard what wisdome is They which are Kings by name are Kings by deed Both rulers of them selues and of their land They know that heau'n is vertues duest meed And holines is knit in holy band These may be rightly called by their name whose words and works are blaz'd in wisedomes flame To nurse vp crueltie with milde aspect verse 11 Were to begin but neuer for to end Kindenes with tygers neuer takes effect Nor proffered frendship with a foe-like friend Tyrants and tygers haue all natural mothers Tyrants her sonnes tygers the tyrants brothers No words delight can moue delight in them But rather plow the traces of their ire Like swine that take the durt defore the gem And skorns that pearle which they should most desire But Kings whose names proceed frō kindnes sound Do plant their harts thoghts on wisdōs ground verse 12 13 A grounding euer moist and neuer dry An euer fruitfull earth not fruitlesse way In whose deare wombe the tender springs do lye which euer flowes and neuer ebbes away The sunne but shines by day she day and night Doth keepe one stayed essence of her light Her beams are conducts to her substance view Here eye is adamants attractiue force A shadowe hath shee none but substance true Substance out liuing life of mortall corse Her sight is easie vnto them which loue her Her finding easie vnto them which proue her verse 14 The far fet chastitie of female sex Is nothing but allurement into lust Which will forsweare and take scorne and annex Denie and practise it mistrust and trust Wisedome is chast and of another kinde
herbs commixt with sweetest flower Care was my swadling clothes as well as cloth For I was swadled and clothed in both Why do I make my selfe more then I am Why say I I am nourished with cares When euery one is clothed with the same Sith as I fare my selfe another fares No King had any other birth then I But waild his fortune with a watry eye verse 6 Say what is mirth an entrance vnto woe Say what is woe an entrance vnto mirth That which begins with ioy doth not end so These go by chaunge because a changing birth Our birth is as our death both barren bare Our entrance waile our going out with care Naked we came into the world as naked Wee had nor wealth nor riches to possesse Now differ we which difference riches maked Yet in the end we naked nerethelesse As our beginning is so is our end Naked and poore which needs no wealth to spend verse 7 Thus weighing in the ballance of my minde My state all states my birth all births alike My meditated passions could not finde One freed thought which sorrow did not strike But knowing euery ill is curde by praier My minde besought the Lord my griefes allaier Wherefore I prayde my praier tooke effect And my effect was good my good was gaine My gaine was sacred wisedomes bright aspect And her aspect in my respect did raigne Wisedome that heau'nly spirit of content Was vnto me from heau'n by praier sent verse 8 A present far more worthy then a crowne Because the crowne of an eternall rest A present far more worthie then a throne Because the throne of heau'n which makes vs blest The crowne of blisse the throne of God is shee Compared vnto heau'n not earth to thee Her foot-stoole is thy face her face thy shame Thy shame her liuing praise her praise thy scorne Thy scorne her loue her loue thy merits blame Thy blame her worth her worth thy being borne Thy selfe art drosse to her comparison Thy valour weake vnto her garison verse 9 To liken gold vnto her radiant face Were likening day to night and night to day The Kings high seat to the low subiects place And heau'ns translucent breast to earthly way For what is golde her scorne her scorne her ire Melting that drosse with nought but angers fire In her respect t is dust in her aspects Earth in respect of her t is little grauell As dust as earth as grauell she reiects The hope the gaine the sight the price the trauell Siluer because inferiour to the other Is clay which two she in one looke doth smother verse 10 Her sight I called health her selfe my beautie Health as my life and beautie as my light Each in performance of the others dutie This curing griefe this leading me aright Two soueraigne eies belonging to two places This guides the soule and this the body graces The heart sicke soule is cur'd by heart-strong health The heart-strong health is the soules brightest eye The heart-sick body heal'd by beauties wealth Two sunnie windolets of eithers skie Whose beames cannot be clouded by reproach Nor yet dismounted from so bright a coach verse 11 What dowrie could I wish more then I haue What wealth what honour more then I possesse My soules request is mine which I did craue For sole redresse in soule I haue redresse The bodyly expences which I spend Is lent by her which my delight doth lend Then I may call her author of my good Sith good and goods are portions for my loue I loue her well who would not loue his food His ioyes maintatiner which all woes remoue I richest am because I doe possesse her I strongest am in that none can oppresse her verse 12 It made me glad to thinke that I was rich More gladder for to thinke that I was strong For lowest mindes do couet highest pitch As highest braues proceed from lowest tongue Her first arriuall first did make me glad Yet ignorant at first first made me sad Ioyfull I was because I sawe her power Wofull I was because I knew her not Glad that her face was in mine eies lockt bower Sad that my senses neuer drew her plot I knew not that she was discretions mother Though I profest my selfe to be her brother verse 13 Like a rash wooer feeding on the lookes Disgesting beauty apparitions show Viewing the painted out-side of the bookes And inward workes little regardes to know So I feeding my fancies with her sight Forgot to make inquirie of her might Externall powers I knew riches I had Internall powers I scarcely had discerne Vntamedly I learned to be glad Faining I hated veritie I learnd I was not enuious learned to forsake her But I was louing learned for to take her verse 14 And had I not my treasure had bin lost My losse my perills hazard had proclaimde My perill had my lifes destruction tost My lifes destruction at my soule had aimde Great perills hazarded from one poore losse As greatest filth doth come with smallest drosse This righteous treasure whoso rightly vseth Shall be an heire in heau'ns eternitie All earthly fruites her heretage excuseth All happinesse in her felicitie The loue of God consists in her embracing The gifts of knowledge in her wisedomes placing verse 15 I speake as I am prompted by my mind My soules chiefe agent pleader of my cause I speake these things and what I speake I finde By heau'ns iudgement not mine owne applause God he is iudge I next because I haue her God he doth know I next because I craue her Should I direct and God subuert my tongue I worthy were of an vnworthy name Vnworthy of my right not of my wrong Vnworthy of my praise not of my shame But seeing God directs my tongue from missing I rather looke for clapping than for hissing verse 16 He is the prompter of my tongue and me My tongue doth vtter what his tongue applies He sets before my sight what I should see He breathes into my heart his verities He telles me what I thinke or see or heare His tongue a part my tongue a part doth beare Our wordes he knowes in telling of our hearts Our hearts he knowes in telling of our words All in his hands words wisedome workes and arts And euery power which influence affords He knowes what we will speake what we will doe And how our mindes and actions will goe verse 17 18 The wisedome which I haue is heauens gift The knowledge which I haue is Gods reward Both presents my fore-warned sences lift And of my preseruation had regard This teaches me to know this to be wise Knowledge is wits and wit is knowledge guise Now know I how the world was first created How euery motion of the aire was framed How man was made the diuells pride abated How times beginning midst and end was named now know I time times chāge times date times sho And when the seasons come and when they goe verse 19 20
I know the chaunging courses of the yeares And the diuision of all differing climes The situation of the stars and spheres The flowing tides and the flow-ebbing times I know that euery yeare hath his foure courses I know that euery course hath seuerall forces I know that nature is in euery thing Beasts furious winds rough men wicked are whose thoghts their scurge whose deeds their iugmēts sling Whose words and works their perill and their care I know that euery plant hath difference I know that euery roote hath influence verse 21 True knowledge have I got in knowing truth True wisedome purchased in wisest wit A knowledge fitting age wit fitting youth Which makes me yong though olde with gaine of it True knowledge haue I and true wisedomes store True hap true hope what wish what wold I more Known things I needs must know sith not vnknown My care is knowledge she doth heare for me All secrets know I more because not showne My wisedome secret is and her I see Knowledge hath taught me how to heare knowne causes Wisedome hath taught me secrecies applauses verse 22 23 Knowledge and wisedome knowne in wisest things Is reasons mate discretions centinell More then a trine of ioyes from vertues springs More then one vnion yet in vnion dwell One for to guide the spring sommer the other One haruests nurse the other winters mother Foure mounts and foure high mounters all foure one One holy vnion one begotten life One manifolde affection yet alone All one in peaces rest all none in strife Sure stable without care hauing all power Not hurtfull doing good as one all foure This peacefull army of foure knitted soules verse 24 Is marching vnto peaces endles warre Their weapons are discretions written roules Their quarrell loue and amitie their iarre Wisedome director is captaine and guide All other take their places side by side Wisedome deuides the conflict of her peace Into foure squadrons of foure mutuall loues Each bent to war and neuer meanes to cease Her wings of shot her disputation moues Shee warres vnseene and pacifies vnseene Shee is wars victory yet peaces Queene verse 25 Shee is the martiall trumpet of alarmes And yet the quiet rest in peaces night Shee guideth martiall troupes she honours armes Yet ioyns she fight with peace and peace with fight Shee is the breath of Gods and heauens power Yet peaces nurse in being peaces flower A flowing in of that which ebbeth out An ebbing out of that which floweth in Presumption she doth hate in being stout Humilitie though poore her fauours win Shee is the influence of heauens flow No filth doth follow her where ere shee goe verse 26 Shee is that spring which neuer hath an ebbe That siluer-coloured brooke which hath no mud That loome which weaues and neuer cuts the webbe That tree which growes and neuer leaues to bud Shee constant is vnconstancie her foe Shee doth not flow and ebbe nor come and goe Phoebus doth weepe when watrie cloudes approach Shee keeps her brightnes euerlastingly Phoebe when Phoebus shines forsakes nights coach Hir day is night and day immortally The vndefiled mirrour of renowne The image of Gods power her vertues crowne verse 27 28 Discretion knowledge wit and reasons skill All foure are places in one only grace They wisedome are obedient to her will All foure are one one in all foures place And wisedome being one she can do all Sith one hath foure all subiect to one call Her selfe remaining selfe the world renewes Renewing ages with perpetuall youth Entring into the soules which death pursues Making thē Gods friends which were frends to truth If wisedome doth not harbour in thy minde God loues thee not and that thy soule shall finde For how canst thou be lead without thy light verse 29 30 How can thy eyles soule direct her way If wanting her which guides thy steps aright Thy steps from night into a path of day More beautifull then is the eye of heau'n Guilding her selfe with her selfe-changing steau'n The stars are twinckling handmaides to the moone Both moone and stars handmaids to wisdomes sunne These shine at middest night this at mid-noone Each new begins their light when each hath done Pale-mantled night followes red mantled day Vice followes both but to her owne decay Chapter VIII verse 1 WHo is the Empresse of the worlds confine The Monarchesle of the foure cornerd earth The Princesse of the seas life without fine Commixer of delight with sorowes mirth What soueraigne is shee which euer raignes Which Queene-like gouerns al yet none cōstrains Wisedome ó flie my spirit with that word Wisedome ó lodge my spirit in that name Fly soule vnto the mansion of her lord Although thy wings be findged in her flame Tell her my blacknes doth admire her beautie I le marie her in loue serue her in dutie verse 2 If marry her God is my father God Christ is my brother Angells are my kin The earth my dowrie heauen my aboade My rule the world my life without my sin Shee is the daughter of immortall Ioue My wife in heart in thought in soule in loue Happy for euer hee that thought in hart Happy for euer he that heart in thought Happy the soule of both which beares both part Happy that loue which thoght har◠soule hath sought The name of loue is happiest for I loue her Soule heart and thoughts loues agents are to proue her verse 3 Ye parents that would haue your children rulde Here may they be instructed rulde and taught Ye children that would haue your parents schoolde Feeding their wanton thirst with follies draught See here the schoole of discipline erected See here how yong and old are both corrected Children this is the Mistris of your blisse Your schoolemistris reformer of your liues Parents you that do speake thinke do amisse Here 's she which loues and lifes direction giues She teacheth that which God knowes to be true She chuseth that which God would chuse for you verse 4 What is our birth poore naked needy cold What is our life poore as our birth hath beene What is our age forlorne in being old What is our end as our beginnings scene Our birth our life our age our end is poore what birth what life what age what end hath more Made rich it is with vanities vaine show If wanting wisedome it is follies game Or like a bended or vnbended bow Ill fortunes scoffe it is good fortunes shame If wisedome be the riches of thy minde Then can thy fortune see not seeing blinde verse 5 6 Then if good fortune doth begin thy state Ill fortune cannot end what she begins Thy fate at first will still remaine thy fate Thy conduct vnto ioyes not vnto sins If thou the bridegroome art wisedome the bride Ill fortune cannot swimme against thy tide Thou marrying her dost marry more than she Thy portion is not faculties but blisse Thou needst not teaching for she teacheth thee Nor no reformer she thy mistris
is The lesson which she giues thee for thy learning Is euery vertues loue and sins deseruing verse 7 Dost thou desire experience for to know Why how can she be lesse than what she is The growth of knowlege doth from wisdome grow The growth of wisedome is in knowing this Wisedome can tell all things what things are past What done what vndone what are doing last Nay more what things are come what are to come Or words or works or shews or actions In her braines table-booke she hath the summe And knowes darke sentences solutions She knowes what signes and wonders will ensue And when successe of seasons will be new verse 8 Who would not be a bridegroome who not wed Who would not haue a bride so wise so faire Who would not lie in such a peacefull bed Whose canopy is heau'n whose shade the aire How can it be that any of the skies Can there be missing where heau'ns kingdom lies If care-sicke I am comforted with ioy If surfeting on ioy she bids me care Shee sayes that ouermuch will soone annoy Too much of ioy too much of sorrowes fare She alwayes counsels me to keepe a meane And not with ioy too fat with griefe too leane verse 9 Faine would the shrub growe by the highest tree Faine would the mushrome kisse the cedars barke Faine would the seely worme a sporting be Faine would the sparrow imitate the larke Though I a tender shrub a mushrome be Yet couet I the honour of a tree And may I not may not the blossoms bud Doth not the little seed make eares of corne Doth not a sprig in time beare greatest wood Doth not yong eu'nings make an elder morne For wisedomes sake I know though be yong I shall haue praises from my elders tongue verse 10 And as my growth doth rise so shall my wit And as my wit doth rise so shall my growth In wit I growe both growths grow to be fit Both fitting in one growth be fittest both Experience followes age and nature youth Some aged be in wit though yong in ruth The wisedome which I haue springs from aboue The wisedome from aboue is that I haue Her I adore I reuerence I loue Shee 's my pure soule lockt in my bodies graue The iudgement which I vse from her proceedes Which makes me maruelld at in all my deedes verse 11 Although mute silence tie my iudgements tongue Sad secretarie of dumbe action Yet shall they giue me place though I be yong And stay my leisures satisfaction Euen as a iudge which keeps his iudgements mute When clients haue no answer of their sute But if the closure of my mouth vnmeetes And diues within the freedome of my words They like petitioners tongues welcome greetes And with attentiue eare heares my accords But if my words into no limites goe Their speech shall ebbe mine in their ebbing flow verse 12 And what of this vaine world vaine hope vaine show Vaine glory seated in a shade of praise Mortalities descent and follies flow The badge of vanity the houre of daies What glory is it for to be a King When care is crowne and crown is fortunes sling Wisedome is immortalities alline And immortalitie is wisedomes gaine By her the heauens lineage is mine By her I immortalitie obtaine The earth is made immortall in my name The heau'ns are made immortall in my fame verse 13 14 Two spatious orbes of two as spatious climes Shall be the heritage which I possesse My rule in heau'n directing earthly times My raigne in earth commencing earths redresse One king made two one crowne a double crowne One rule two rules one fame a twice renowne What heauen is this which euery thought containes Wisedome my heau'n my heau'n is wisedoms heau'n What earth is this wherein my bodie raines Wisedome my earth all rule from wisedome giu'n Through her I rule through her I do subdue Through hir I raigne through hir my empire grew verse 15 A rule not tyrannie a raigne not blood An empire not a slaughter house of liues A crowne not crueltie in furies moode A Scepter which restores and not depriues All made to make a peace and not a warre By wisedome concords Queene and discords barre The coldest worde oft cooles the hottest threat The tyrants menaces the calmes of peace Two coldes augmenteth one two heates one heat And makes both too extreame when both encrease My peacefull raigne shall conquer tyrants force Not armes but wordes not battaile but remorce verse 16 Yet mightie shall I be though warre in peace Strong though abilitie hath left his clime And good because my warres and battails cease Or at the least lie smothered in their prime The sence once digged vp with feares amaze Doth rage vntam'd with follies senceles gaze If wisedome doth not harbour in delight It breakes the outward passage of the minde Therfore I place my war in wisedomes might Whose heauie labours easie harbours finde Her company is pleasure mirth and ioy Not bitternes not mourning not annoy When euery thought was ballanced by weight verse 17 18 Within the concaue of my bodies scale My heart and soule did holde the ballance streight To see what thoght was ioy what thoght was waile But when I saw that griefe did weigh down plesure I put in wisedome to augment her treasure Wisedome the weight of immortallitie Wisedome the ballance of all happinesse Wisedome the weigher of felicitie Wisedome the Paragon of blessednesse When in her hands there lies such plenties store Needs must her heart haue twice asmuch and more Her hart haue I conioyned with hir hand verse 19 20 Her hand hath she conioyned with my hart Two soules one soule two hearts one bodyes band And two hands made of foure by amours art Was I not wise in chusing earthly life Nay wise thrice wise in chusing such a wife Was I not good good then the sooner bad Bad because earth is full of wickednes Because my body is with vices clad Anotomy of my sins heauines As doth vnseemely clothes make the skin foule So the sin-inked body blots the soule verse 21 Thus lay my hart plung'd in destructions mire Thus lay my soule bespotted with my sin Thus lay my selfe consum'd in my desire Thus lay all parts ensnared in one gin At last my hart mounting aboue the mud Lay betweene hope and death mischiefe and good Thus panting ignorant to liue or die To rise or fall to stand or else to sinke I cast a fainting looke vnto the skie And sâ—we the thought which my poore hart did think Wisdome my thought at whose seene sight I prai'd And with my hart my minde my soule I said Chapter IX verse 1 2 3 O God of Fathers Lord of heau'n and earth Mercies true soueraigne pitties portraiture King of all kings a birth surpassing birth A life immortall essence euer pure Which with a breath ascending from thy thought Hast made the heau'ns of earth the earth of nought Thou which hast made mortalitie for
man Beginning life to make an end of woe Ending in him what in himselfe began His earths dominion through thy wisedomes flow Made for to rule according to desart And execute reuenge with vpright heart verse 4 Behold a crowne but yet a crowne of care Behold a scepter yet a sorrowes guise More than the ballance of my head can beare More than my hands can hold wherein it lies My crowne doth want supportance for to beare My scepter wanteth empire for to weare A leglesse body is my kingdomes mappe Limping in follie halting in distresse Giue me thy wisedome Lord my better happe Which may my follie cure my griefe redresse O let me not fall in obliuions caue Let wisedome be my baile for her I craue verse 5 Behold thy seruant pleading for his hire As an apprentice to thy gospels word Behold his poore estate his hot-cold fire His weake-strong limmes his mery woes record Borne of a woman woman-like in woe They weake they feeble are and I am so My time of life is as an houre of day T is as a day of months a month of yeeres It neuer comes againe but fades away As one mornes sunne about the hemispheres Little my memory lesser my time But least of all my vnderstandings prime verse 6 Say that my memory should neuer die Say that my time should neuer loose a glide Say that my selfe had earthly Maiestie Seated in all the glory of my pride Yet if discretion did not rule my minde My raigne would be like fortunes follie-blinde My memory a pathway to my shame My time the looking-glasse of my disgrace My selfe resemblance of my scorned name My pride the puffed shadow of my face Thus should I be remembred not regarded Thus should my labours end but not rewarded verse 7 What were it to be shadow of a king A vanitie to weare a shadow'd crowne A vanitie to loue an outward thing A vanitie vaine shadowes of renowne This King is king of shades because a shade A king in shew though not in action made His shape haue I his cognisance I weare A smoaky vapour hemd with vanitie Himselfe I am his kingdomes crowne I beare Vnlesse that wisedome change my liuerie A king I am God hath inflamed me And lesser than I am I can not be verse 8 When I commaund the people do obay Submissiue subiects to my votiue wil A prince I am and do what princes may Decreâ— commaund rule iudge performe fulfill Yet I my selfe am subiect vnto God As are all others to my iudgements rod. As doe my subiect honour my command So I at his commaund a subiect am I build a temple on mount Sions sand Erect an altar in thy citties name Resemblances these are where thou doost dwell Made when thou framedst heau'n earth and hell verse 9 Al these three casements were containd in wit T was wisedome for to frame the heauens skie T was wisedome for to make the earth so fit And hell within the lowest orbe to lie To make a heau'nly clime an earthly course And hell although the name of it be worse Before the world was made wisedome was borne Borne of heau'ns God conceiued in his breast Which knew what works would be what ages worn What labours life should haue what quiet rest What shuld displease and please in vice in good What should be clearest spring what fowlest mud verse 10 Oh make my sinfull bodies world anew Erect new elements new aires new skies The time I haue is fraile the course vntrue The globe vnconstant like ill fortunes eies First make the world which doth my soule contain And next my wisdome in whose power I raigne Illumine earth with wisedomes heau'nly sight Make her embassador to grace the earth Oh let her rest by day and lodge by night Within the closure of my bodies hearth That in her sacred selfe I may perceiue What things are good to take what ill to leaue verse 11 The bodies heate will flow into the face The outward index of an outward deede The inward sins do keepe an inward place Eies face mouth tongue euery function feede She is my face if I do any ill I see my shame in her repugnant will She is my glasse my tipe my forme my mappe The figure of my deede shape of my thought My lifes character fortune to my happe Which vnderstandeth all that heart hath wrought What workes I take in hand she finisheth And all my vitious thoughts diminisheth My facts are written in her foreheads booke verse 12 The volume of my thoughts lines of my words The sins I haue she murders with a looke And what one cheeke denies th' other affords As white and red like battels and retreates One doth defend the blowes the other beates So is her furious moode commixt with smile Her rod is profit her correction mirth She makes me keepe an acceptable stile And gouerne euery limit of the earth Through her the state of monarchie is knowne Through her I rule and guide my fathers throne verse 13 Mortalitie it selfe without repaire Is euer falling feebly on the ground Submissiue body hart aboue the aire Which faine would knowe when knowledge is not found Faine would it soare aboue the Eagles eie Though it be made of lead and cannot flie The soule and body are the wings of man The soule should mount but that lies drownd in sin With leaden spirit but doth what it can Yet scarcely can it rise when it is in Then how can man so weake know God so strong What hart from thought what thought from heart hath sprung verse 14 15 We thinke that euery iudgement is alike That euery purpose hath one finall end Our thoughts alas are feares feares horrors strike Horrors our lifes vncertaine course do spend Feare followes negligence both death and hel Vnconstant are the paths wherein we dwell The hollow concaue of our bodies vaultes Once laden vp with sins eternal graues Strait bursts into the soule the slime of faults And ouerfloweth like a sea of waues The earth as neighbour to our priuy thought keeps fast the mansion which our cares haue bought verse 16 Say can wee see our selues are we so wise Or can we iudge our owne with our owne hearts Alas we cannot folly blindes our eies Mischiefe our mindes with her mischieuous arts Folly raigns there where wisdom shuld beare sway And follies mischiefe barres discretions way O weake capacitie of strongest wit O strong capacitie of weaker sence To guide to meditate vnapt vnfit Blinde in perceiuing earths circumfluence If labour doth consist in mortall skill T is gâ—eater labour to know heauens will verse 17 The toyling spirit of a labouring man Is tosst in casualties of fortunes seas He thinkes it greater labour than he can To runne his mortall course without an ease Then who can gaine or finde celestiall things Vnlesse their hopes a greater labour brings What volume of thy mind can then containe thoghts words works which god thinks speaks
makes When heau'n it selfe cannot such honour gaine Nor Angells know the counsell which God takes Yet if thy heart be wisedomes mansion Thy soule shall gaine thy hearts made mention verse 18 Who can in one dayes space make two dayes toile Or who in two dayes space will spend but one The one doth keepe his meane in ouerbroyle The other vnder meane because alone Say what is man without his spirit swayes him Say what 's the spirit if the man decayes him An ill reformed breath a life a hell A going out worse than a comming in For wisedome is the bodies centinell Set to guard life which else would-fall in sin Shee doth correct and loue swayes and preserues Teaches and fauours rules and yet obserues Chapter X. verse 1 COrrection followes loue loue followes hate For loue in hate is hate in too much loue So chastisment is preseruations mate Instructing and preseruing those we prooue So wisedome first corrects then fauoureth But fortune fauours first then wauereth First the first father of this earthly world First man first father cal'd for after time Vnfashioned and like a heape was hurl'd Form'd and reform'd by wisedome out of slime By nature ill reform'd by wisedome purer Shee mortall life she better lifes procurer verse 2 3 Alas what was he but a clod of clay What euer was he but an ashâ—e caske By wisedome clothed in his best array If better may bee best to choose a taske One gaue him time to liue she power to raigne Making two powers one one power twaine But ó maligne ill boading wickednes Like bursting gulfes orewhelming veâ—tues seed Too furious wrath forsaking happines Loosing ten thousand ioyes with one dire deede Cain could see but follie strucke him blinde To kill his brother in a raging minde verse 4 Oh too vnhappy stroke to end two liues Vnhappy actor in deaths tragedy Murdring a brother whose name murder giues Whose staying action slaughters butcherie A weeping part had earth in that same play For she did weepe herselfe to death that day Water distill'd from millions of her eyes Vpon the long dride carcasse of her time Her watrie conduites were the weeping skies Which made her wombe an ouerflowing clime Wisedome preseru'd it which preserues all good And taught it how to make an arke of wood verse 5 Oh that one borde should saue so many liues Vpon the worlds huge billow-tossing sea T was not the borde t was wisedome which suruiues Wisedome that arke that boord that fence that bay The world was made a water-rowling waue But wisedome better hopes assurance gaue And when pale malice did aduance her flagge Vpon the raging standard of despight Fiends soueraigne sins mistrâ—s and hells hagge Dunne Plutoes Lady empresse of the night Wisedome from whom immortall ioy begun Preseru'd the righteous as her faultlesse sonne verse 6 The wicked perished but they suruiu'd The wicked were ensnar'd they were preseru'd One kept in ioy the one of ioy depriu'd One feeding fed the other feeding steru'd The foode which wisedome giues is nourishment The foode which malice giues is languishment One feeds the other feeds but choking feedes Two contraries in meat two differing meats This brings forth hate and this repentance seeds This war this peace this battails this retreats And that example may be truely tride These liu'd in Sodomes fire the other dide verse 7 The land will beare me witnes they are dead Which for their sakes beare nothing else but death The witnes of it selfe with vices fed A smoaky testimony of sins breath This is my witnes my certificate And this is my sinne weeping sociate My pen will scarce holde inke to write these woes These woes the blotted inkie lines of sin My paper wrincles at my sorrowes showes And like that land will bring no haruest in Had Lots vnfaithfull wife beene without fault My fresh-inkt pen had neuer calld her salt verse 8 But now my quill the tel-tale of all moanes Is sauory bent to aggrauate salt teares And wets my paper with salt-water groanes Making me stick in agonising feares My paper now is growne to billowes might Sometimes I stay my pen sometimes I write O foolish pilate I blind-harted guide Can I not see the clifts but rent my barke Must I needs hoist vp sailes gainst winde and tide And leaue my soule behinde my wisedomes arke Well may I be the glasse of my disgrace And set my sin in other sinners place verse 9 10 But why despaire I heere comes wisedomes grace Whose hope doth lead me vnto better hap Whose presence doth direct my fore-run race Because I serue her as my beauties map Lâ—ke Cain I shall be restored to heau'n From shipwracks perill to a quiet hau'n When that by Cains hand Abel was slaine His brother Abel brother to his ire Then Cain fled to fly destructions paine Gods heauie wrath against his blouds desire But being fetcht againe by wisedomes power Had pardon for his deed loue for his lower verse 11 By his repentance he remission had And relaxation from the clogge of sin His painefull labour labours riches made His labouring paine did plesures profit win T was wisedome wisedome made him to repent And newly plac'd him in his olde content His body which was once destructions caue Blacke murders teritorie mischiefes house By her these wicked fins were made his slaue And she become his bride his wife his spouse Enriching him which was too rich before Too rich in vice in happynes too poore Maegera which did rule within his breast verse 12 And kept foule Lernas fen within his minde Both now displease him which once pleasde him best Now murdring murder with his being kinde These which were once his frends are now his foes Whose practise he retorts with wisedomes blowes Yee still lie they in ambush for his soule But he more wiser keepes a wiser way They see him and they barke snarle grin and houle But wisedome guides his steps he cannot stray By whom he coÌ„quers and throgh whom he knows The feare of God is stronger then his foes verse 13 14 When man was clad in vices liuery And solde as bondman vnto sins commaund Shee shee forsooke him not for infamie But free'd him from his harts imprisoned band And when he lay in dungeon of despight Shee interlinde his griefe with her delight Though seruile shee with him shee was content The prison was her lodge as wel as his Till she the scepter of the world had lent To glad his fortune to augment his blisse To punish false accusers of true deeds And raise in him immortall glories seeds verse 15 Say shall wee call her wisedome by her name Or new inuent a nominating stile Reciting ancient worth to make new fame Or new-old hierarchie from honours file Say shall file out fame for vertues store And giue a name not thought nor heard before Then should wee make her two where now but one Then should we make her common to each tongue Wisedome shall be her name
she wise alone If alter olde for new we do olde wrong Call her still wisedome mistris of our soules Our liues deliuerer from our foes controules verse 16 To make that better which is best of all Were to disarme the title of the power And thinke to make a raise and make a fall Turne best to worst a day vnto an houre To giue two sundry names vnto one thing Makes it more commoner in Ecchoes sling She guides mans soule let her be calld a Queene Shee enters into man call hir a sprite Shee makes them godly which haue neuer beene Call her her selfe the image of her might Those which for vertue plead she prompts their tong Whose sute no tyrant nor no King can wrong verse 17 Shee stands as barre betweene their mouth and them She prompts their thoghts their thoghts prompts speeches sound Their tongues reward is honours diadem Their labours hire with duest merit crown'd Shee is as iudge and witnes of each heart Condemning falshood taking vertues part A shadow in the day star in the night A shadow for to shade them from the sunne A star in darkenes for to giue them light A shade in day a star when day is done Keeping both courses true in being true A shade a starre to shade and lighten you verse 18 19 And had she not the sunnes hot burning fire Had scorcht the inward pallace of your powers Your hot affection coolde your hot desire Two heats once met make coole distilling showers So likewise had not wisedome beene your star You had beene prisoner vnto Phoebes car Shee made the red-sea subiect to your craues The surges calmes the billowes smoothest wayes Shee made rough winds sleepe silent in their caues And Aeole watch whom all the winds obayes Their foes pursuing them with death and doome Did make the sea their church the waues their tome verse 20 21 They furrowed vp a graue to lie therin Burying themselues with their owne handie deed Sin dig'd a pit it selfe to bury sin Seed plowed vp the ground to scatter seed The righteous seeing this same sodaine fall Did praise the Lord and ceas'd vpon them all A glorious prise though from inglorious hands A worthy spoile though from vnworthy hearts Tosst with the Oceans rage vppon the sands Victorious gaine gained by wisedomes arts Which makes the dumbe to speak the blind to see The deafe to heare the babes haue grauitie Chapter XI verse 1 2 3 WHat he could haue a hart what hart a thought what thoght a tong what tong a shew of fear Hauing his ship balanste with such a fraught Which calms the euer-weeping oceans tears Which prospers euery enterprise of warre And leades their fortune by good fortunes starre A Pilate on the seas guide on the land Through vncouth desolate vntroden way Through wildernes of woe which in woes stand Pitching their tents where desolation lay In iust reuenge incountring with their foes Annexing wrath to wrath and blowes to blowes verse 4 But when the heate of ouermuch alarmes Had made their bodies subiect vnto thurst And broyld their hearts in wraths-allaying harmes With fiery surges which from body burst That time had made the totall summe of life Had not affection stroue to end the strife Wisedome affectionating power of zeale Did coole the passion of tormenting heate With water from a rocke which did reueale Her deare deare loue placde in affections seate She was their mother twice she nurst them twice Mingling their heat with cold their fire with ice verse 5 From whence receiude they life from a dead stone From whence receiude they speach from a mute rock As if all pleasure did proceed from mone Or all discretion from a senslesse blocke For what was each but silent dead and mute As if a thorny thistle should beare fruit T is strange how that should cure which erst did kill Giue life in whome destruction is enshrinde Alas the stone is dead and hath no skil Wisedome gaue life and loue t was wisedomes minde Shee made the store which poysoned her foes Giue life giue cure giue remedy to those verse 6 7 Blood-quaffing Mars which washt himselfe in gore Raignde in her foes thirst-slaughter-drinking hearts Their heads the bloody store-house of bloods store Their minds made bloody streames disburst in parts What was it else but butchery and hate To przie yong infants bloud at murders rate But let them surffet on their bloody cup Carowsing to their owne destructions health We drinke the siluer-streamed water vp Which vnexpected flow'd from wisedomes wealth Declaring by the thirst of our dry soules How all our foes did swimme in murders boules verse 8 What greater ill than famine or what ill Can be compared to the fire of thirst One be as both for both the body kill And first brings torments in tormenting first Famine is death it selfe and thirst no lesse If bread and water doe not yeelde redresse Yet this affliction is but vertues triall Proceeding from the mercy of Gods ire To see if it can finde his truths deniall His iudgements breach attempts contempts desire But oh the wicked sleeping in misdeede Had death on whom they fed on whom they feede verse 9 Adiudgde condemnd and punisht in one breath Arraignde tormented torturde in one lawe Adiudgde like captiues with destructions wreathe Arraignde like theeues before the barre of awe Condemnd tormented torturde punished Like captiues bold theeues vnastonished Say God did suffer famine for to raigne And thirst to rule amongst the choisest hart Yet father-like he easde them of their paine And proou'd them how they could endure a smart But as a righteous King condemnd the others As wicked sonnes vnto as wicked mothers verse 10 For where the diuel raignes there sure is hell Because the tabernacle of his name His mansion-house the place where he doth dwell The cole-blacke visage of his nigrum fame So if the wicked liue vpon the earth Earth is their hell from good to worser birth If present they are present to their teares If absent they are present to their woes Like as the snaile which shewes all that she beares Making her backe the mountaine of her shoes Present to their death not absent to their care Their punishment alike where ere they are verse 11 Why say they mournd lamented greeude and wailde And fed lament with care care with lament Say how can sorrow be with sorrow bailde When teares consumeth that which smiles hath lent This makes a double prison double chaine A double mourning and a double paine Captiuitie hoping for freedomes hap At length doth pay the ransome of her hope Yet frees her thought from any clogging clap Though backe be almost burst with yrons cope So they indurde the more because they knew That neuer till the spring the flowers grew verse 12 And that by patience commeth hearts delight Long-sought for blisse Long far fet happines Content they were to die for vertues right Sith ioy should be the pledge of heauines
When vnexpected things were brought to passe They were amazde and wondred where God was Hee whom they did denie now they extoll Hee Whom they do extoll they did denie Hee whom they did deride they doe enroll In register of heau'nly maiestie Their thirst was euer thirst repentance stopt it Their life was euer dead repentance propt it And had it not their thirst had burnd their harts verse 13 Their harts had cri'd out for their tongues replie Their tongues had raised all their bodies parts Their bodyes once in armes had made all die Their foolish practises had made them wise Wise in their hearts though foolish in their eyes But they alas were dead to worshippe death Sencelesse in worshiping all shadowed showes Breathlesse wasting of so vaine a breath Dumbe in performance of their tongues suppose They in adoring death in deaths behest Were punished with life and liuing beastes verse 14 15 Thus for a shew of beasts they substance haue The thing it selfe against the shadowes will Which makes the shadowes sad woes in lifes graue As nought impossible in heauens skill God sent sad-ohes for shadowes of lament Lions and beares in multitudes he sent Newly created beasts which sight ne'er sawe Vnknowne which neither eye nor eare did know To breathe out blasts of fire against their law And cast out smoake with a tempestuous blow Making their eyes the chambers of their feares Darting forth fire as lightning from the spheares verse 16 Thus marching one by one and side by side By the prophane ill-limnd pale spectacles Making both fire and feare to be their guide Pulld downe their vaine-adoring chronicles Then staring in their faces spit forth fire Which heats and cools their frosty-hot desire Frosty in feare vnfrosty in their shame Coole in lament hot in their powers disgraces Like luke-warme coales halfe kindled with the flame Sate white and red mustring within their faces The beasts thē selues did not so much dismay them As did their vgly eyes aspects decay them verse 17 Yet what are beasts but subiects vnto man By the decree of heau'n degree of earth They haue more strength then he yet more he can Hee hauing reasons store they reasons dearth But these were made to breake subiections rod And show the stubernnesse of man to God Had they not beene ordain'd to such intent Gods word was able to supplant their powers And root out them which were to mischiefe bent With wrath vengeance minutes in deaths houres But God doth keepe a full-direct-true course And measures pitties loue with mercies force verse 18 19 The wicked thinkes God hath no might at all Because he makes no shew of what he is When God is loth to giue their pride a fall Or cloud the day wherein they do amisse But should his strength be showne his anger rise Who could withstand the sunne-caues of his eyes Alas what is the world against his ire As snowie mountaines gainst the golden sunne For'st for to melt and thawe with frosty fire Fire hid in frost though frost of colde begunne As dew-distilling drops fall from the morne So nw-destructions claps fall from his scorne verse 20 But his reuenge lies smother'd in his smiles His wrath lies sleeping in his mercies ioy Which very seldome rise at mischiefes coyles And will not wake for euery sinners toy Boundlesse his mercies are like heauens grounds They haue no limittes they nor heau'n no bounds The promontary top of his true loue Is like the end of neuer-ending streames Like Nilus water-springs which inward moue And haue no outward shew of shadowes beames God sees and will not see the sinnes of men Because they should amend amend oh when verse 21 The mother loues the issues of her wombe As doth the father his begotten sonne Shee makes her lap their quiet sleeping tombe Hee seekes to care for life which new begun What care hath he think then that cares for all For aged and for yong for great and small Is not that father carefull filld with care Louing long suffering mercifull and kinde Which made with loue all things that in loue are Vnmercifull to none to none vnkinde Had man beene hatefull man had neuer beene But perisht in the spring-time of his greene verse 22 23 But how can hate abide where loue remaines Or how can anger follow mercies path How can vnkindenesse hinder kindnesse gaines Or how can murder bathe in pitties bath Loue mercy kindenesse pitty eithers mate Doth scorne vnkindenesse anger murder hate Had it not beene thy will to make the earth It still had beene a Chaos vnto time But t was thy will that man should haue a birth And be preserude by good condemnd by crime Yet pitty raignes within thy mercies store Thou spar'st lou'st vs all what would we more Chapter XII verse 1 2 WHen all the elements of mortall life Were placed in the mansion of their skin Each hauing dayly motion to be rife Closde in that body which doth close thē in God sent his holy spirit vnto man Which did begun when first the world began So that the body which was king of al Is subiect vnto that which now is king Which chastneth those whom mischiefe doth exhale Vnto misdeeds from whence destructions spring Yet mercifull it is though it be chiefe Conuerting vice to good sin to beliefe verse 3 Old time is often lost in being balld Balld because old old because liuing long It is reiected oft when it is calld And weares out age with age still being yong Twice children we twice feeble and once strong But being old we sin and do youth wrong The more we grow in age the more in vice A house-roome long vnswept wil gather dust Our long vnthawed soules wil freeze to ice And weare the badge of long imprisoned rust So those inhabitants in youth twice borne Were old in sin more olde in heauens scorne verse 4 5 Committing workes as inckie spots of fame Commencing wordes like foaming vices waues Committing and commencing mischiefes name With workes and words sworne to be vices slaues As sorcery witchcraft mischieuous deeds And sacrifice which wicked fancies feeds Well may I call that wicked which is more I rather would be lowe than be too hie Oh wondrous practisers clothde all in gore To end that life which their owne liues did buy More than swine-like eating mans bowelles vp Their banquets dish their blood their banquets cup. verse 6 7 Butchers vnnaturall worse by their trade Whose house the bloody shambles of decay More than a slaughter-house which butchers made More than an Eschip seely bodies pray Thorow whose hearts a bloody shambles runnes They do not butcher beasts but their owne sonnes Chief murdrers of their soules which their souls boght Extinguishers of light which their liues gaue More than kniue-butchers they butchers in thought Sextons to digge their owne begotten graue Making their habitations old in sinne Which God doth reconcile and new beginne verse 8 9 That murdring place was turnd into
delight That bloody slaughter-house to peaces breast That lawlesse pallace to a place of right That slaughtring shambles to a liuing rest Made meete for iustice fit for happinesse Vnmeete for sin vnfit for wickednesse Yet the inhabitants though mischiefes slaues Were not dead-drencht in their destructions flood God hop'd to raise repentance from sins graues And hop'd that paines delay would make them good Not that he was vnable to subdue them But that their sins repentance should renue them verse 10 Delay is tooke for vertue and for vice Delay is good and yet delay is bad T is vertue when it thawes repentance ice T is vice to put off things we haue or had But here it followeth repentance way Therefore it is not sins nor mischiefes pray Delay in punishment is double paine And euery paine makes a twice double thought Doubling the way to our liues better gaine Doubling repentance which is single bought For fruitles grafts when they are too much lopt More fruitlesse are for why their fruits are stopt verse 11 So fares it with the wicked plants of sin The rootes of mischiefe toppes of villany They worser are with too much punishing Because by nature prone to iniury For t is but folly to supplant his thought Whose heart is wholy giuen to be nought These seeded were in seede oh cursed plant Seeded with other seede Oh cursed roote Too much of good doth turne vnto goods want As too much seede doth turne to too much soote Bitter in taste presuming of their height Like misty vapours in blacke-coloured night But god whose powerful arms one strength doth hold verse 12 Scorning to staine his force vpon their faces Will send his messengers both hote and colde To make them shadowes of their owne disgraces His hot Ambassador is fire his cold Is winde which two scorne for to be controld For who dares say vnto the King of kings What hast thou done which ought to be vndone Or who dares stand against thy iudgements stings Or dare accuse thee for the nations mone Or who dare say reuenge this ill for me Or stand against the Lord with villanie verse 13 What he hath done he knowes what he will doe He weigheth with the ballance of his eies What iudgement he pronounceth must be so And those he oppresseth cannot rise Reuenge lies in his hands when he doth please He can reuenge and loue punish and ease The carued spectacle which workemen make Is subiect vnto them not they to it They which from God a liuely forme do take Should much more yeeld vnto their makers wit Sith there is none but he which hath his thought Caring for that which he hath made of nought verse 14 The clay is subiect to the potters hands Which with a new deuice makes a new moule And what are we I pray but clayie bands With ashie body ioynde to cleaner soule Yet we once made scorne to be made againe But liue in sin like clayie lumps of paine Yet if hot anger smother coole delight Hee 'le mould our bodies in destructions forme And make our selues as subiects to his might In the least fewell of his angers storme Nor king nor tyrant dare aske or demaund What punishment is this thou hast in hand verse 15 We all are captiues to thy regall throne Out prison is the earth our bands our sins And our accuser our owne bodies grone Prest downe with vices weights and mischiefs gins Before the barre of heau'n we pleade for fauour To cleanse our sin-bespotted bodies sauour Thou righteous art our pleading then is right Thou mercifull we hope for mercies grace Thou ordrest euery thing with looke-on sight Behold vs prisoners in earths wandring race We know thy pitty is without a bound And sparest them which in some faults be found verse 16 Thy power is as thy selfe without an end Beginning all to end yet ending none Sonne vnto vertues sonne and wisedomes frend Originall of blisse to vertue showne Beginning good which neuer ends in vice Beginning flames which neuer ende in ice For righteousnes is good in such a name It righteous is t is good in such a deed A lamp it is fed with discretions flame Begins in seede but neuer ends in seed By this we know the Lord is iust and wise Which causeth him to spare vs when he tries verse 17 Iust because iustice weighs what wisedome thinkes Wise because wisedome thinkes what iustice weighs One vertue maketh two and two more linckes Wisedome is iust and iustice neuer straies The help of one doth make the other better As is the want of one the others letter But wisedome hath two properties in wit As iustice hath two contraries in force Heate added vnto heate augmenteth it As too much water bursts a water-course Gods wisdome too much proou'd doth breed gods hate Gods iustice too much mou'de breeds Gods debate verse 18 Although the ashy prison of fire-durst Doth keepe the flaming heate imprisoned in Yet sometime wil it burne when flame it must And burst the ashie caue where it hath bin So if Gods mercy passe the bounds of mirth It is not mercy then but mercies dearth Yet how can loue breed hate without hates loue God doth not hate to loue nor loue to hate His equitie doth euery action proue Smothring with loue that spitefull enuies fate For should the teene of anger trace his brow The very puffes of rage would driue the plow verse 19 But God did end his toile when world begun Now like a louer studies how to please And win their harts againe whom mischiefe won Lodg'd in the mansion of their sins disease Hee made each mortall man two eares two eyes To heare and see yet he must make them wise If imitation should direct mans life T is life to imitate a liuing corse The things example makes the thing more rife God louing is why do wee want remorce Hee put repentance into sinfull hearts And sed their fruitlesse soules with fruitfull arts verse 20 21 If such a boundlesse Ocean of good deeds Should haue such influence from mercies streame Kissing both good and ill flowers and weedes As doth the sunnie flame of Tytans beame A greater Tethis then should mercy bee In flowing vnto them which loueth thee The sunne which shines in heau'n doth light the earth The earth which shines in sin doth spight the haau'n Sinne is earths sunne the sunne of heau'n sins dearth Both odde in light being of height note eu'n Gods mercy then which spares both good and ill Doth care for both though not alike in will verse 22 Can vice be vertues mate or vertues meate Her company is bad her foode more worse Shee shames to sit vpon her betters seat As subiect beasts wanting the Lions force Mercy is vertues badge foe to disdaine Vertue is vices stop and mercies gaine Yet God is mercifull to mischiefe flowes More mercifull in sins and sinners want God chast'neth vs and punisheth our foes Like sluggish drones amongst a
laboring ant VVee hope for mercy at our bodies doome Wee hope for heau'n the baile of earthly tombe verse 23 What hope they for what hope haue they of heau'n They hope for vice and they haue hope of hell From whence their soules eternity is giu'n But such eternity which paines can tell They liue but better were it for to die Immortall in their paine and misery Hath hell such freedome to deuoure soules Are soules so bolde to rush in such a place God giues hell power of vice which hell controules Vice makes her followers bolde with armed face God tortures both the mistris and the man And ends in paine that which in vice began verse 24 A bad beginning makes a worser end Without repentance meet the middle way Making a mediocrity their friend Which else would be their foe because they stray But if repentance misse the middle line The sunne of vertue endes in wests decline So did it fare with these which strai'd too far Beyond the measure of the middayes eye In errors waies lead without vertues star Esteeming beast-like powers for deitie Whose heart no thought of vnderstanding ment Whose tongue no word of vnderstanding sent verse 25 Like infant babes bearing their natures shell Vpon the tender heads of tendrer wit which tongue-tide are hauing no tale to tell To driue away the childhood of their fit Vnfit to tune their tongue with wisedomes string Too fit to quench their thirst in follies spring But they were trees to babes babes sprigs to them They not so good as these in being nought In being nought the more from vices stem Whose essence cannot come without a thought To punish them is punishment in season They children like without or wit or reason verse 26 To bee derided is to be halfe dead Derision beares a part tweene life and death Shame followes her with misery halfe fed Halfe-breathing life to make halfe life and breath Yet here was mercy showne their deeds were more Then could bee wipte off by derisions score This mercy is the warning of misdeedes A trumpet summoning to vertues walls To notifie their hearts which mischiefe feeds Whom vice instructs whom wickednes exhal's But if derision can not murder sin Then shame shall end and punishment begin verse 27 For many shamelesse are bolde stout in ill Then how can shame take roote in shamlesse plants When they their browes with shamelesse furrows fill And plows ech place which one plow-furrow wants Then being arm'd gainst shame with shamlesse face How can derision take a shameful place But punishment may smoth their wrinckled brow And set shame on the forehead of their rage Guiding the forefront of that shamelesse row Making it smooth in shame though not in age Then will they say that God is iust and true But t is too late damnation will ensue Chapter XIII verse 1 THe branch must needs be weake if roote be so The roote must needs be weake it branches fall Nature is vaine man cannot be her foe Because from nature and at natures call Nature is vaine and wee proceede from nature Vaine therefore is our birth and vaine our feature One body may haue two diseases sore Not being two it may be ioynde to two Nature is one it selfe yet two and more Vaine ignorant of God of good of show Which not regards the things which god hath don And what things are to doe what new begun verse 2 Why doe I blame the tree when t is the leaues Why blame I nature for her mortall men Why blame I men t is she t is she that weaues That weaues that wafts vnto destructions pen Then being blamefull both because both vaine I leaue to both their vanities due paine To prize the shadow at the substance rate Is a vaine substance of a shadowes hue To thinke the sonne to be the fathers mate Earth to rule earth because of earthly view To thinke fire winde ayre stars water and heau'n To be as Gods from whom their selues are giu'n verse 3 Fire as a God oh irreligious sound Winde as a God oh vaine oh vainest voice Aire as a God when t is but duskie ground Star as a God when t is but Phoebes choice Water a God which first by God was made Heauen a God which first by God was laide Say all hath beautie excellence array Yet beautifide they are they were they bee By Gods bright excellence of brightest day Which first implanted our first beuties tree If then the painted outside of the show Bee radiant what is the inward row verse 4 If that the shadowe of the bodies skin Bee so illumin'd with the sun-shin'd soule What is the thing it selfe which is within More wrencht more cleansde more purifi'd from foul If elementall powers haue Gods thought Say what is God which made them all of nought It is a wonder for to see the skie And operation of each ayrye power A meruaile that the heau'n should be so hie And let fall such a low distilling shower Then needs must hee bee high higher then all Which made both hie and lowe with one tongues call verse 5 The workeman mightier is then his hand-worke In making that which else would be vnmade The nere-thought thing doth alwaies hidden lurke Without the maker in a making trade For had not God made man man had not beene But nature had decayde and nere beene seene The workman neuer shewing of his skill Doth liue vnknowne to man though knowne to wit Had mortall birth beene neuer in Gods will God had beene God but yet vnknowne in it Then hauing made the glory of earths beautie T is reason earth should reuerence him in dutie verse 6 The sauadge people haue a supreame head A king though sauadge as his subiects are Yet they with his obseruances are lead Obaying his beheasts what ere they were The Turkes the infidels all haue a Lord Whom they obserue in thought in deed in word And shall we differing from their sauage kinde Hauing a soule to liue and to beleeue Be rude in thought in deed in word in minde Not seeking him which should our woes releeue Oh no deere brethren seeke our God our fame Then if wee erre we shall haue lesser blame verse 7 How can wee erre wee seeke for ready way Oh that my tongue could fetch that word againe Whose very accent makes me go astray Breathing that erring wind into my braine My word is past and cannot be recalde It is like aged time now waxen balde For they which goe astray in seeking God Doe misse the ioyefull narrow-footed path Ioyfull thrice ioyfull way to his abode Nought seeing but their shadowes in a bath Narcissus-like pining to see a show Hindring the passage which their feete should goe verse 8 9 Narcissus fantasie did die to kisse O sugred kisse dide with a poisoned lip The fantasies of these do die to misse Oh tossed fantasies in follies ship He dide to kisse the shadow of his face These liue and die to
duskie vapours hemde in blacke Behold thy downfall ready at thy hand Behold thy hopes wherein thy hazards stand Oh spurne away that blocke out of thy way With vertues appetite and wisedomes force That stumbling blocke of follie and decay That snare which doth ensnare thy treading corse Beholde thy body falls let vertue beare it Beholde thy soule doth fall let wisedome reare it verse 11 Say art thou yong or olde tree or a bud Thy face is so disfigured with sin Yong I doe thinke thou art in what in good But olde I am assur'd by wrinckled skin Thy lips thy tongue thy heart is yong in praying But lips and tongue and heart is olde in straying Olde in adoring idolls but too yong In the obseruance of diuinest lawe Yong in adoring God though olde in tong Olde and too olde yong and too yong in awe Beginning that which doth begin misdeeds Inuenting vice which all thy body feeds verse 12 13 But this corrupting and infecting foode This caterpiller of eternitie The foe to blisse the canker vnto good The new accustom'd way of vanitie It hath not euer beene nor shall it be But perish in the branch of follies tree As her descent was vanities aline So her descending like to her descent Here shall shee haue an end in hell no fine Vaine glory brought her vainely to be spent You know all vanity drawes to an end Then needs must shee decay because her frend verse 14 Is there more follie then to weepe at ioy To make eyes watrie when they should be drie To greeue at that which murders griefes annoy To keepe a shower where the sunne should lie But yet this folly-cloude doth oft appeare When face should smile and watry eie bee cleere The father mournes to see his sonne life-dead But seldome mournes to see his sonne dead-liu'd Hee cares for earthly lodge not heau'ns bed For death in life not life in death suruiu'd Keeping the outward shadow of his face To worke the inward substance of disgrace verse 15 Keeping a shew to counterpoize the deed Keeping a shadow to be substance heire To raise the thing it selfe from shadowes seed And make an element of liuelesse aire Adoring that which his owne hands did frame Whose hart inuention gaue whose tong the name But could infection keepe one setled place The poyson would not lodge in euery brest Nor feede the hart the minde the soule the face Lodging but in the carcasse of her rest But this Idolatry once in mans vse Was made a custome then without excuse verse 16 Nay more it was at tyrannies commaund And tyrants cannot speake without a doome Whose iudgement doth proceed from heart and hand From heart in rage from hand in bloudy tombe That if through absence any did neglect it Presence should pay the ransome which reiect it Then to auoide the doome of present hate Their absence did performe their presence want Making the image of a kingly state As if they had new seed from sins olde plant Flattring the absence of olde mischiefes mother With the like forme and presence of another verse 17 Making an absence with a present sight Or rather presence with an absent view Deceiuing vulgars with a day of night Which know not good from bad nor false from true A crafts-man cunning in his crafty trade Beguiling them with that which he had made Like as a vane is turn'd with euery blast Vntill it point vnto the windie clime So stand the people at his worde agast Hee making olde new forme in new-olde time Defies and deifies all with one breath Making them liue and die and all in death verse 18 They like to Tantalus are fed with shoes Shewes which exasperat and cannot cure They see the painted shadow of suppose They see her sight yet what doth sight procure Like Tantalus they feed and yet they starue Their foode is caru'd to them yet hard to carue The crafts-man feeds them with a staruing meat Which doth not fill but empty hungers gape Hee makes the idoll comely faire and great With well limnd visage and best fashioned shape Meaning to giue it to some noble view And faine his beautie with that flattring hue verse 19 Enamour'd with the sight the people grew To diuers apparitions of delight Some did admire the portraiture so new Hew'd from the standard of an olde trees hight Some were allur'd through beutie of the face With outward eye to worke the soules disgrace Adored like a God though made by man To make a God of man a man of God T is more then humaine life or could or can Though multitudes applause in error trode I neuer knew since mortall lifes abod That man could make a man much lesse a God verse 20 Yes man can make his shame without a maker Borrowing the essence from restored sin Man can be vertues foe and vices taker Welcome himselfe without a welcome in Can he doe this yea more oh shamlesse ill Shamefull in shame shamelesse in wisedomes will The riuer of his vice can haue no bound But breakes into the ocean of deceit Deceiuing life with measures of dead ground With carued idols disputations baite Making captiuitie cloth'd all in mone Bee subiect to a God made of a stone verse 21 Too stony hearts had they which made this lawe Oh had they beene as stony as the name They neuer had brought vulgars in such awe To be destructions pray and mischiefes game Had they beene stone-dead both in looke fauour They neuer had made life of such a sauour Yet was not this a too sufficient doome Sent from the roote of their sin-oregrowne tong To cloud gods knowledge with hel mischiefs gloome To ouerthrowe truths right with falshoods wrong But dayly practised a perfect way Still to begin and neuer end to stray verse 22 23 For either murders pawe did gripe their harts With whispring horrors drumming in each eare Or other villanies did play their parts Augmenting horror to newe strucken feare Making their hands more then a shambles stall To slay their children ceremoniall No place was free from staine of blood or vice Their life was markt for death their soule for sin Marriage for fornications thawed ice Thought for despaire body for eithers gin Slaughter did either end what life begunne Or lust did end what both had left vndone verse 24 25 The one was sure although the other faile For vice hath more competitors then one A greater troupe doth euermore auaile And villanie is neuer found alone The bloud-hound folows that which slaughter kild And theft doth folow what deceit hath spild Corruption mate to infidelitie For that which is vnfaithfull is corrupt Tumults are schoole fellowes to periury For both are full when either one hath supt Vnthankfullnes defiling and disorders Are fornications and vncleannes borders See what a sort of rebells are in armes verse 26 To root out vertue to supplant her raigne Opposing of them selues against all harmes To the deposing of her empires
gaine O double knot of treble miseries Oh treble knot twice thrice in villanies O idoll-worshipping thou mother art Shee procreatresse of a he offence I know thee now thou bearst a womans part Thou nature hast of her shee of thee sence These are thy daughters too too like the mother Black sins I dim you all with inckie smother verse 27 My pen shall be officious in this scene To let your harts blood in a wicked veine To make your bodies cleare your soules as cleane To cleanse the sinkes of sin with vertues reine Behold your cole-blacke blood my writing inke My papers poysoned meate my pens fowle drinke New christned are you with your owne new blood But madde before sauage and desperate Prophecying lies not knowing what was good Liuing vngodly euermore in hate Thundring out oathes pale Sergeants of despaire Swore and forswore not knowing what you were verse 28 Now looke vpon the spectacle of shame The well-limnd image of an ill-limnd thought Say are you worthy now of praise or blame That such selfe-scandall in your owne selues wrought You were heart-sicke before I let you blood But now heart-well since I haue done you good Now wipe blinde folly from your seeing eies And driue destruction from your happy mind Your follie now is wit not foolish-wise Destruction happinesse not mischiefe blinde You put your trust in idoles they deceiude you You put your trust in God and he receiude you verse 29 Had not repentance grounded on your soules The climes of good or ill vertue or vice Had it not flowde into the tongues enrowles Ascribing mischiefes hate with good aduice Your tong had spild your soul your soul your tong Wronging each function with a double wrong Your first attempt was placed in a show Imaginary show without a deed The next attempt was periury the foe To iust demeanors and to vertues seede Two sins two punishments and one in two Makes two in one and more than one can do verse 30 Foure scourges from one paine al comes from sin Single yet double double yet in foure It slayes the soule it hems the body in It spills the minde it doth the heart deuoure Gnawing vpon the thoughts feeding on blood For why she liues in sin but dies in good She taught their soules to stray their tongs to sweare Their thought to thinke amisse their life to die Their heart to erre their mischiefe to appeare Their head to sin their feete to treade awry This sceane might well haue bin destructions tent To pay with paine what sin with ioy hath spent Chapter XV. verse 1 But God will neuer die his hands with bloud His heart with hate his throne with crueltie His face with furies map his browe with cloud His raigne with rage his crowne with tyrannie Gratious is he long-suffering and true Which ruleth all things with his mercies view Gratious for where is grace but where he is The fountaine-head the euer-boundlesse streame Patient for where is patience in amisse If not conducted by pure graces beame Truth is the moderator of them both For grace and patience are of truest groth verse 2 For grace-beginning truth doth end in grace As truth-beginning grace doth end in truth Now patience takes the moderators place Yong-olde in suffering olde-yong in ruth Patience is olde in being alwaies yong Not hauing right nor euer offering wrong So this is moderator of Gods rage Pardoning those deeds which wee in sin commit That if wee sin shee is our freedomes gage And wee still thine though to be thine vnfit In being thine ô Lord wee will not sin That we thy patience grace and truth may win verse 3 O grant vs patience in whose grant we rest To right our wrong and not to wrong the right Giue vs thy grace ô Lord to make vs blest That grace might blesse blisse might grace our sight Make our beginning and our sequell truth To make vs yong in age and graue in youth Wee know that our demaunds rest in thy will Our will rests in thy word our worde in thee Thou in our orisons which dost fullfill That wished action which wee wish to bee T is perfect righteousnes to know thee right T is immortalitie to know thy might verse 4 5 In knowing thee we know both good and ill Good to know good and ill ill to know none In knowing all wee know thy sacred will And what to do and what to leaue vndone We are deceiu'd not knowing to deceiue In knowing good and ill wee take and leaue The glasse of vanitie deceit and showes The painters labour the beguiling face The diuers-coloured image of suppose Cannot deceiue the substance of thy grace Only a snare to those of common wit Which couets to be like in hauing it verse 6 The greedy lucre of a witlesse braine This feeding auarice on sencelesse minde Is rather hurt then good a losse then gaine Which couets for to loose and not to finde So they were coloured with such a face They would not care to take the idols place Then be your thoughts coherent to your words Your words as correspondent to your thought T is reason you should haue what loue affords And trust in that which loue so dearely bought The maker must needs loue what he hath made And the desirers free of either trade verse 7 Man thou wast made art thou a maker now Yes t is thy trade for thou a potter art Tempring softe earth making the clay to bow But clayie thou dost beare too stout a hart The clay is humble to thy rigorous hands Thou clay too tough against thy Gods commaūds If thou want'st slime beholde thy slimie faults If thou want'st clay beholde thy clayie breast Make them to be the deepest centres vaults And let all clayie mountaines sleepe in rest Thou bear'st an earthly mountaine on thy back Thy harts chiefe prison-house thy souls chief wrack verse 8 Art thou a mortall man and mak'st a God A God of clay thou but a man of clay O suds of mischiefe in destruction sod O vainest labour in a vainer playe Man is the greatest worke which God did take And yet a God with man is nought to make Hee that was made of earth would make a heau'n If heauen may be made vpon the earth Sins heires the ayres sins plants the planets seau'n Their God a clod his birth true vertues dearth Remember whence you came wither you goe Of earth in earth from earth to earth in woe verse 9 No quoth the potter as I haue beene clay So will I end with what I did begin I am of earth and I doe what earth may I am of dust and therefore will I sin My life is short what then I 'le make it longer My life is weake what then I 'le make it stronger Long shall it liue in vice though short in length And fetch immortall steps from mortall stops Strong shall it be in sin though weake in strength Like mounting Eagles on high
mountaines tops My honour shall bee placed in deceit And counterfait new shewes of little weight verse 10 My pen doth almost blush at this replie And faine would call him wicked to his face But then his breath would answeâ—… with a lie And staine my inck with an vntruths disgrace Thy maister bids thee write the pen sayes no But when thy maister bids it must be so Call his hart ashes oh too mild a name Call his hope vile more viler then the earth Call his life weaker then a clayeie frame Call his bespotted heart an ashye hearth Ashes earth clay conioyn'd to heart hope life Are features loue in being natures strife verse 11 Thou mightst haue chose more stinging wordes then these For this he knowes he is and more then lesse In saying what he is thou dost appease The foming anger which his thoughts suppresse Who knowes not if the best be made of clay The worst must needs be clad in foule array Thou in performing of thy maisters will Dost teach him to obay his lords commaunds But he repugnant is and cannot skill Of true adoring with heart-heau'd vp hand Hee hath a soule a life a breath a name Yet is he ignorant from whence they came verse 12 My soule saith he is but a mappe of shoes No substance but a shadow for to please My life doth passe euen as a pastime goes A momentary time to liue at ease My breath a vapour and my name of earth Each one decaying of the others birth Our conuersation best for there is gaines And gaine is best in conuersations prime A mart of lucre in our conscience raignes Our thoughts as busie agents for the time So we get gaine ensnaring simple men It is no matter how nor where nor when verse 13 We care not how for all misdeedes are ours We care not where if before God or man We care not when but when our crafts haue powres In measuring deceit with mischiefes fanne For wherefore haue we life forme and ordaining But that we should deceiue and still be gaining I made of earth haue made al earthen shops And what I sell is al of earthy sale My pots haue earthen feete and earthen tops In like resemblance of my bodies vale But knowing to offend the heauens more I made fraile images of earthy store verse 14 O bold accuser of his owne misdeedes O heauy clod more than the earth can beare Was neuer creature clothde in sauage weedes Which would not blush when they this mischief hear Thou toldst a tale which might haue bin vntolde Making the hearers blush the readers olde Let them blush still that heares be olde that reades Then boldnes shal not raigne nor youth in vice Thrice miserable they which rashly speeds With expedition to this bold deuice More foolish than are fooles whose misery Cannot be changde with new felicitie verse 15 Are not they fooles which liue without a sence Haue not they misery which neuer ioy Which takes an idoll for a Gods defence And with their self-willd thoghts themselues destroy What folly is more greater than is here Or what more miserie can wel appeere Call you them gods which haue no seeing eyes No noses for to smell no eares to heare No life but that which in deaths shadow lies Which haue no hands to feele no feete to beare If gods can neither heare liue feele nor see A foole may make such gods of euery tree verse 16 And what was he that made them but a foole Conceiuing follie in a foolish braine Taught and instructed in a wodden schoole Which made his head run of a wodden vaine T was man which made them he his making had Man full of wood was wood and so ran mad He borrowed his life and would restore His borrowed essence to another death He faine would be a maker though before Was made himselfe and God did lend him breath No man can make a god like to a man He sayes he scornes that worke he furder can verse 17 He is deceiude and in his great deceit He doth deceiue the folly-guided harts Sin lies in ambush he for sin doth waite Here is deceit deceiude in either parts His sin deceiueth him and he his sin So craft with craft is mewed in either gin The crafts-man mortall is craft mortall is Each function nursing vp the others want His hands are mortall deadly what is his Onely his sins buds in destructions plant Yet better he than what he doth deuise For he himselfe doth liue that euer dies verse 18 Say call you this a God where is his head Yet headlesse is he not yet hath he none Where is his godhead fled his power dead His raigne decayed and his essence gone Now tell me is this God the God of good Or else Siluanus monarch of the wood There haue I pierst his barke for he is so A wooden god fainde as Siluanus was But leauing him to others let vs go To senslesse beasts their new adoring glasse Beasts which did liue in life yet died in reason Beasts which did seasons eate yet knew no season verse 19 Can mortall bodies and immortall soules Keepe one knit vnion of a liuing loue Can sea with land can fish agree with foules Tygers with lambes a serpent with a doue Oh no they cannot then say why doe wee Adore a beast which is our enimy What greater foe than folly vnto wit What more deformitie than vgly face This disagrees for follie is vnfit The other contrary to beauties place Then how can senslesse heads deformed shoes Agree with you when they are both your foes Chapter XVI verse 1 OH call that word againe they are your friends Your liues associats and your loues content That which begins in them your follie ends Then how can vice with vice be discontent Beholde deformitie sits on your heads Not hornes but scornes not visage but whole beds Beholde a heap of sins your bodies pale A mountaine-ouerwhelming villany Then tell me are you clad in beauties vale Or in destructions pale-dead liuerie Their life demonstrates now aliue now dead Tormented with the beasts which they haue fed verse 2 3 You like to Pelicans haue fed your death With follies-vaine let bloud from follies veyne And almost sterude your selues stopt vp your breath Had not Gods mercie helpt and easde your paine Beholde a new-found meat the Lord did send Which taught you to be new and to amend A strange disgested nutriment euen quailes Which taught them to be strange vnto misdeeds When you implore his aide he neuer failes To fill their hunger whom repentance feeds You see when life was halfe at deaths arrest Hee new created life at hungers feast verse 4 Say is your God like this whom you ador'd Or is this God like to your handie frame If so his power could not then afford Such influence which floweth from his name Hee is not painted made of wood and stone But he substantiall is and rules alone He can oppresse and
helpe helpe and oppresse The sinfull incolants of his made earth He can redresse and paine paine and redresse The mountaine-miseries of mortall birth Now tyrants you are next this but a show And merry index of your after woe verse 5 6 Your hot-colde misery is now at hand Hot because furies heat and mercies colde Cold because limping knit in frosty band And cold and hot in being shamefast-bolde They cruell were take crueltie their part For misery is but too meane a smart But when the Tygers iawes the Serpents stings Did summon them vnto this lifes decay A pardon for their faults thy mercy brings Cooling thy wrath with pitties sunnie day O tyrants tere your sin-bemired weeds Beholde your pardon sealde by mercies deeds verse 7 8 That sting which pained could not ease the paine Those iaws that wounded could not cure the wounds To turne to stings for helpe it were but vaine To iawes for mercie which wants mercies bounds The stings ô Sauiour were puld out by thee Their iawes claspt vp in midst of crueltie O soueraigne salue stop to a bloody streame O heauenly care and cure for dust and earth Celestiall watch to wake terrestriall dreame Dreaming in punishment mourning in mirth Now knowes our enimies that it is thee Which helpes and cures our griefe and misery verse 9 Our punishment doth end theirs new begins Our day appeares their night is not oreblowne Wee pardon haue they punishment for sins Now we are raisde now they are ouerthrowne Wee with huge beasts opprest they with a flie Wee liue in God and they against God die A flie poore flie to follow such a flight Yet art thou fed as thou wast fed before With dust and earth feeding thy wonted bite With selfe-like food from mortall earthly store A mischiefe-stinging food and sting with sting Do ready passage to destruction bring verse 10 Man beeing grasse is hopt and graz'd vpon With sucking grasse-hoppers of weeping dew Man being earth is wormes vermilion Which eats the dust and yet of bloudy hue In being grasse he is her grazing food In being dust he doth the wormes some good These smallest actors were of greatest paine Of follies ouerthrow of mischiefes fall But yet the furious dragons coulde not gaine The life of those whom verities exhale These follie ouercame they foolish were These mercie cur'd and cures these godly are verse 11 When poysoned iawes and veninated stings Were both as opposite against content Because content with that which fortune brings They eased were when thou thy mercies sent The iawes of dragons had not hungers fill Nor stings of serpents a desire to kill Appal'd they were and struck with timerous feares For where is feare but where destruction raignes Agast they were with wet eye-standing teares Outward commencers of their inward paines They soone were hurt but sooner healde and cured Lest black obliuion had their minds inured verse 12 The lion wounded with a fatall blow Is as impatient as a king in rage Seeing himselfe in his owne bloody show Doth rent the harbour of his bodies cage Scorning the base-housde earth mounts to the skie To see if heauen can yeeld him remedy Oh sinfull man let him example be A patterne to thine eye glasse to thy face That Gods diuinest word is cure to thee Not earth but heauen not man but heauenly grace Nor hearb nor plaister could help teeth or sting But t was thy word which healeth euery thing verse 13 We fooles lay salues vpon our bodies skin But neuer drawe corruption from our minde We lay a plaister for to keepe in sin We drawe foorth filth but leaue the cause behinde With hearbs and plaisters we do guard misdeedes And pare away the tops but leaue the seedes Away with salues and take our Sauiours word In this word Sauiour lies immortall ease What can thy cures plaisters and hearbs afford When God hath power to please and to displease God hath the power of life death help and paine He leadeth downe and bringeth vp againe verse 14 15 Trust to thy downefall not vnto thy raise So shalt thou liue in death not die in life Thou dost presume if giue thy selfe the praise For vertues time is scarce but mischiefes rife Thou mayst offend mans nature is so vaine Thou now in ioy beware of after paine First commeth fury after fury thirst After thirst blood and after blood a death Thou mayst in fury kill whome thou louedst first And so in quassing blood stop thine owne breath And murther done can neuer be vndone Nor can that soule once liue whose life is gone verse 16 What is the body but an earthen case That subiect is to death because earth dies But when the liuing soule doth want Gods grace It dies in ioy and liues in miseries This soule is led by God as others were But not brought vp againe as others are This stirs no prouocation to amend For earth hath many partners in one fall Although the Lord doth many tokens send As warnings for to heare when he doth call The earth was burnt drownd with fire raine And one could neuer quench the others paine verse 17 Althogh both foes God made them then both frends And onely foes to them which were their foes That hate begun in earth what in them ends Sins enimies they which made friends of those Both bent both forces vnto single earth From whose descent they had their double birth T is strange that water should not quench a fire For they were heating-cold and cooling hot T is strange that wailes could not allay desire Wailes waters kinde and fire desires knot In such a cause though enimies before They would ioyne friendship to destroy the more The often weeping eies of drie lament verse 18 Doth powre forth burning water of despaire Which warms the caues frō whence the tears are sent And like hot fumes do foule their natures faire This contrary to icie-waters vale Doth scorch the cheekes makes them red pale Here fire and water are conioynde in one Within a red-white glasse of hote and cold Their fire like this double and yet alone Raging and tame and tame and yet was bold Tame when the beasts did kill and felt no fire Raging vpon the causers of their ire verse 19 Two things may well put on two seuerall natures Because they differ in each natures kind They differing colours haue and differing features If so how comes it that they haue one minde God made them friends let this the answer be They get no other argument of me What is impossible to Gods command Nay what is possible to mans vaine eare T is much he thinkes that fire should burne a land When mischiefe is the brand which fiers beare He thinkes it more that water should beare fire Then know it was Gods will now leaue t' enquire verse 20 Yet mightst thou aske because importunate How God preserude the good why because good Ill fortune made not them infortunate They Angells were
betrayed Mischiefe beguilde a night surpassing night Vice fought with vice and feare was then dismayde Horror it selfe appal'd at such a sight Sinâ—s snare was then ensnarde the fisher cought Sinnes net was then entrapt the fouler fought Yet all this conflict was but in a dreame A show of substance and a shade of truth Illusions for to mocke in flattring theame Beguiling mischiefe with a glasse of ruth For boasts require a fall and vaunts a shame Which two vice had in thinking but to game verse 8 Sinne tolde her creditours she was a Queene And now become reuenge to right their wrong With hony-mermaids speech alluring seene Making new-pleasing words with her olde tongue If you be sick quoth she I 'le make you whole Shee cures the body but makes sicke the soule Safe is the body when the soule is wounded The soule is ioyfull in the bodies griefe Ones ioy vpon the others sorrow grounded Ones sorrow placed in the ones releefe Quoth siâ— feare nothing know that I am heere When shee alas her selfe was sick for feare verse 9 A promise worthy of derisions place That feare shoulde helpe a feare when both are one Shee was as sick in hart though not in face With inward griefe though not with outward mone But shee claspt vp the closure of the tongue For feate that words should do her body wrong Cannot the body weepe without the eies Yes and frame deepest canzons of lament Cannot the body feare without it lies Vpon the outward shew of discontent Yes yes the deeper feare sits in the heart And keeps the parliament of inward smart verse 10 So sin did snare in minde and not in face The dragons iaw the hissing serpents sting Some liu'd some dide some ran a fearefull race Some did preuent that which ill fortunes bring All were officious seruitours to feare And her pale connizance in heart did weare Malice condemnd her selfe guiltie of hate With a malicious mouth of enuious spight For Nemesis is her owne cruell fate Turning her wrath vpon her owne delight Wee need no witnes for a guiltie thought Which to condemne it selfe a thousand brought verse 11 12 For feare deceiues it selfe in being feare It feares it selfe in being still afraid It feares to weepe and yet it sheds a teare It feares it selfe and yet it is obaid The vsher vnto death a death to doome A doome to die in horrors fearefull toome His owne betrayer yet feares to betray He feares his life by reason of his name He feares lament because it brings decay And blames himselfe in that he merites blame He is tormented yet denies the paine He is the king of feare yet loath to raigne verse 13 His sons were they which slept and dreamt of feare A waking sleepe and yet a sleepy waking Which passt that night more longer than a yeare Being griefes prisners and of sorrowes taking Slept in nights dungeon insupportable Lodgde in nights-horror too indurable Oh sleepe the image of long-lasting woe Oh waking image of long-lasting sleepe The hollow caue where visions come and goe Where serpents hisse where mandrakes grone creep Oh fearefull shew betrayer of a soule Dieng each heart in white each white in foule verse 14 15 A guilefull hole a prison of deceit Yet nor deceit nor guile in being dead Snare without snarer net without a bait A common lodge and yet without a bed A holow-sounding vault knowne and vnknowne Yet not for mirth but too too well for mone T is a free prison a chainde libertie A freedomes caue a sergeant and a baile It keepes close prisoners yet doth set them free Their clogges not yron but a clog of waile It stayes them not and yet they cannot goe Their chaine is discontent their prison woe verse 16 Still it did gape for more and still more had Like greedy auarice without content Like to Auernus which is neuer glad Before the dead-liude wicked soules be sent Pull in thy head thou sorrowes tragedy And leaue to practise thy olde cruelty The merry shepheard can not walke alone Tuning sweete Madrigals of haruests ioy Caruing loues Roundelayes on euery stone Hanging on euery tree some amorous toy But thou with sorrow enterlines his song Opening thy iawes of death to do him wrong verse 17 18 Oh now I know thy chaine thy clog thy fetter Thy freechainde prison and thy clogged walke T is gloomy darknesse sins eternall detter T is poysoned buds from Acharonticke stalke Sometime t is hissing winds which are their bands Somtime inchanting birds which binds their hands Sometime the foaming rage of waters streame Or clattring downe of stones vpon a stone Or skipping beasts at Titans gladsome beame Or roaring lions noyse at one alone Or babbling Eccho tell-tale of each sound From mouth to skie from skie vnto the ground verse 19 20 Can such like feares folow mans mortall pace Within drie wildernes of wettest woe It was Gods prouidence his will his grace To make midnoone midnight in being so Midnight with sin midnoone where vertue lay That place was night all other places day The sun not past the middle line of course Did cleerely shine vpon each labours gaine Not hindring daily toyle of mortall force Nor clouding earth with any gloomy staine Onely nights image was apparant there With heauy-leaden appetite of feare Chapter XVIII verse 1 YOu know the Eagle by her soaring wings And how the Swallow takes a lower pich Ye kno the day is clear clearenes brings And how the night is pore thogh gloomy rich This Eagle vertue is which mounts on hie The other sin which hates the heauens eie This day is wisedome being bright and cleare This night is mischiefe being blacke and fowle The brightest day doth wisedomes glory weare The pitchie night puts on a blacker rowle Thy saints O Lord were at their labors hire At whose heard voyce the wicked did admire verse 2 They thought that vertue had beene clothde in night Captiue to darknesse prisoner vnto hell But it was sin it selfe vice and despight Whose wished harbours do in darknesse dwell Vertues immortall soule had middaies light Mischiefes eternall foule had middayes night For vertue is not subiect vnto vice But vice is subiect vnto vertues seate One mischiefe is not thawed with others ice But more adioynde to one makes one more great Sin vertues captiue is and kneeles for grace Requesting pardon for her rude-run race The tongue of vertues life cannot pronounce verse 3 The doome of death or death of dying doome T is mercifull and will not once renounce Repentant teares to wash a sinfull roome Your sin-shine was not sun-shine of delight But shining sin in mischiefes sunny night Now by repentance you are bathde in blisse Blest in your bath eternall by your deedes Behold you haue true light and can not misse The heau'nly foode which your saluation feedes True loue true life true light your portions true What hate what strife what night can danger you verse 4 Oh happy when
forst to lie One here one there in prison yet vnbound Heart-striuing life and death to liue and die Nor were they ignorant of fates decree In being tolde before what they should bee verse 20 There falsest visions shewde the truest cause False because fantasies true because haps For dreames though kindled by sleep-idle pause Sometime true indices of dangers claps As well doth proue in these sin-sleeping lines That dreames are falsest shewes and truest signes By this time death had longer pilgrimage And was encaged in more liuing breasts Now euery ship had fleeting anchorage Both good and bad were punisht with vnrests But yet Gods heauie plague indur'd not long For anger quencht her selfe with her selfe wrong verse 21 Not so for heat can neuer coole with heat Nor colde can warme a colde nor ice thaw ice Anger is fire and fire is angers meat Then how can anger coole her hot deuice The sunne doth thaw the ice with melting harme Ice cannot coole the sunne which makes it warme It was celestiall fire terrestriall cold It was celestiall colde terrestriall fire A true and holy praier which is bolde To coole the heat of angers hot desire Pronounced by a seruant of thy word To ease the miseries which wraths afford verse 22 Weapons and wit are double linkes of force If one vnknit they both haue weaker strength The longer be the chaine the longer corse If measurde by duplicitie of length If weapons faile wit is the better part Wit failing weapons haue the weaker hart Praier is weake in strength yet strong in wit And can do more then strength in being wise Thy word ô Lord is wisdome and in it Doth lie more force then forces can surprize Man did not ouercome his foes with armes But with thy word which conquers greater harms verse 23 That word it was with which the world was framde The heauens made mortalitie ordain'd That word it was with which all men were namde In which one word there are all words containde The breath of God the life of mortall state The enimie to vice the foe to hate When death prest downe the sin-dead-liuing soules And draw'd the curtaine of their seeing day This word was vertues shield and deaths controules Which shielded those which neuer went astray For when the dead did die and end in sin The liuing had assurance to begin verse 24 Are all these deeds accomplisht in one word O soueraigne word cheefe of all words and deeds O salue of safrie wisdomes strongest sword Both food and hunger which both starues and feeds Food vnto life because of liuing power Hunger to those whome death and sins deuoure For they which liu'd were those which vertue lou'd And those which vertue lou'd did loue to liue Thrice happy these whom no destruction mou'd Shee present there which loue and life did giue They bore the mottoes of eternall fame On diapasans of their fathers name verse 25 Here death did change his pale to purple hue Blushing against the nature of his face To see such bright aspects such splendent view Such heau'nly paradice of earthly grace And hid with lifes quick force his ebon dart Within the crannies of his meagre hart Descending to the place from whence he came With rich-stor'd chariot of fresh bleeding wounds Sore-greeued bodies from a soules-sick name Sore-greeued soules in bodies-sin-sick sounds Death was afraide to stay where life should be For they are foes and cannot well agree Chapter XIX verse 1 2 AVant destroier with thy hungry iawes Thy thirsty heart thy longing ashie bones The righteous liue they be not in thy lawes Nor subiects to thy deepe oppressing mones Let it suffice that we haue seene thy show And tasted but the shadow of thy woe Yet stay and bring thy empty car againe More ashie vessells do attend thy pace More passengers expect thy comming waine More groaning pilgrimes long to see thy face Wrath now attends the passage of misdeeds And thou shalt still be stor'd with soules that bleeds verse 3 Some lie halfe dead while others dig their graues With weake-forst teares to moyst a long-drie ground But teares on teares in time will make whole waues To bury sin with ouerwhelming sound Their eies for mattocks serue their teares for spades And they them selues are sextons by their trades What is their fee lament their paiment woe Their labour waile their practise miserie And can their conscience serue to labour so Yes yes because it helpeth villanie Though eies did stand in teares and teares in eyes They did another folishnes deuise verse 4 5 So that what praier did sin did vndoe And what the eies did win the heart did loose Whom vertue reconcilde vice did forgoe Whom vertue did forgoe that vice did choose Oh had their hearts beene iust eyes had bin winners Their eyes were iust but hearts new sins beginners They digd true graues with eyes but not with hearts Repentance in their face vice in their thought Their deluing eies did take the Sextons partes The heart vndid the labour which eies wrought A new strange death was portion for their toyle While vertue sate as iudge to end the broyle verse 6 Had tongue bin ioynde with eies tong had not strai'd Had eyes bin ioyn'd to heart heart then had seene But oh in wanting eye-sight it betrai'd The dungeon of misdeeds where it had beene So many liuing in this orbe of woe Haue heau'd-vp eyes but yet their hearts are low This chaunge of sin did make a chaunge of feature A new strange death a misery vntoulde A new reforme of every olde-new creature New seruing offices which time made olde New liuing vertue from an olde dead sin Which ends in ill what doth in good begin verse 7 When death did reape the haruest of despight The wicked eares of sin and mischiefes seed Filling the mansion of eternall night With heauy-leaden clods of sinfull breed Life sowde the plants of immortalitie To welcome olde-made new felicity The clouds the gloomy curtaines of the aire Drawne and redrawne with the foure-winged winds Made all of borrowed vapours darkesome faire Did ouershade their tents which vertue findes The red seas deepe was made a drie trod way Without impediment or stop or stay verse 8 9 The thirsty windes with ouertoyling puffes Did drinke the ruddy-oceans water drie Tearing the Zones hot-cold whole-ragged ruffes With ruffling conflicts in the field of skie So that drie earth did take wet waters place With sandy mantle and hard grounded face That way which neuer was a way before Is now a troden path which was vntrod Through which the people went as on a shoare Defended by the stretcht-out arme of God Praising his wondrous workes his mighty hand Making the land of sea the sea of land verse 10 That breast where anger slept is mercies bed That breast where mercy wakes is angers caue When mercie liues then Nemesis is dead And one for eithers coarse makes others graue Hate furrowes vp a graue to bury loue