Curtezan Did make Caraxus spend his whole estate And so through want of meanes turne Pirate than Whereby he aid incurre a mortall hate And on himselfe a lasting scandall brought So hath my luxury consum'd to nothing Rich heires and made them steale for meat and clothing 24. How many men have perisht by my fault And how am I made guiltie of their sinne Can I be ever sound that thus doe halt And by my winding plots and cunning ginne Intrap't the simple and ensnar'd them in Can I a ransome pay for this offence Or e'r be able to make recompence 25. Oh noe I cannot for beside my owne Other mens guilt lies heavie on my soule I have not beene content to sinne alone But caused others to make mine more foule And in their filihinesse did likewise rowle Their follies with mine owne I did conjoine And by commixtion made their vices mine 26. I was as common as the Proetides Receiving all that came with joy and mirth I thought on nothing but my owne delights Thinking there was no other heaven but earth Ah wicked wretch as e'r received birth My spotted life hath made me sathans denne Fuller of fiends then Mary Magdalene 27. Her sinnes I doe commit but want her sorrow Of all the ill she had I am possest I get the bad the good I cannot borrow I have her vices all but want the rest Her worst acts I embrace but leave the best My Saviours feete I wash not with my teares Nor with her doe I wipe them with my haires 28. I want the gifts of grace that she had given And her repentance my hard heart to move I cannot apprehend the joies of heaven Nor love my Saviour with her ardent love My hearts desire with hers flies not above I feele no spirituall comfort in my soule Nor can I thoroughly my state condole 29. All will be ready to report my shame And blaze my infamie in everie eare But none will pleade my cause to quit my blame Or for my sorrow that will shed a teare Or else excuse my fault when they it heare Indeed they cannot for my foule abuse Is farre beyond the reach of an excuse 30. How then shall I finde comfort in my griefe Or drive sad desperation from my heart My selfe unto my selfe yeelds no reliefe And other men no comfort will impart But rather adde more torment to my smart If thou shouldst leave me too in my distresse Then must I die in all my wickednesse 31. Oh teach me truely to lament my sinne And humble my proud heart by low submission Rowse me out of the sleepe that I am in That of my state I may have true cognition And make my peace with God by my contrition Instruct me in the perfect way of prayer Lest I fall headlong into deepe despaire 32. Helpe me to pray to God that he would showre Into my heart the graces of his Spirit That through his mercy and his saving power I may escape the guerdon of my merit And after life his heavenly blesse inherit Teach me to pray teach me sweete friend I say For I have almost quite forgot to pray 33. My heart is willing oh my heart is willing I feele my conscience terrified by sinne Oh by my teares by these my teares downe trilling Lift up thy heart with mine come come begin Lord ope my brest that grace may enter in Rowse my dead heart out of his drowsie den Pardon my faults sweete Iesus say Amen 34. Then from her eyes the teares did gush apace And downe she fell upon her bended knees Wringing her hands she did lament her case With sighes expressing her soules miseries In forcible and strong Hiperbolees My sinnes my sinnes she cries with heav'd-up-hands Are more in number then the Starres or Sands 35. Then beating of her brest in wofull wise With high swolne sobs and heavie heart-sicke grones Now woe is me now woe is me she cries My stinking sinnes lie boiling in my bones And kils my soule as Bees are starv'd by drones And whilst like furies round about they hem me As a just Iudge my conscience doth condemne me 36. Listen oh listen to my sad complaint I have no friend to moane to but to thee I need not with my follies thee acquaint Thou know'st my steps how retrograde they be And how my vices have overwhelmed me Pity my case and my sad state condole And adde some comfort to my sicke-growne soule 37. Be thou my Pharos to direct me home Vnto the harbour of my heavenly rest Without a helpe to guide me I shall roame And get a curse in seeking to be blest Good counsell to a soule that is distrest Comes in fit season and doth comfort bring To a sad heart that 's full of sorrowing 38. My Parents have forsooke me long agoe Detesting the vile course that I have led Brothers and sisters neither will me know My neere alliance wish that I were dead My friends that sometime were from me are fled My Parents Brothers Sisters Kindred Friends My very name their modest eares offends 39. All have forsaken me to let me perish And sinke my soule into the Stygian deepe Denying any comfort me to cherish But in sinnes cradle suffering me to sleepe That thence I have no heart at all to peepe But snorting in a dead security I want the sence of my impuritie 40. Nor have I hoarded treasure for my issue But brav'd it out in Iewels and in Gold In rich Embroider'd Silkes and cloth of Tissue And when t was bought it was not long unsold I thought not how to live when I was old But chang'd and pawn'd for to maintaine my pride And for the present onely did provide 41. For all the money that I have obtain'd And golden fees by playing of the Whore Vnto my selfe no riches have I gain'd But all is quite consum'd and I left poore Onely my wearing clothes and nothing more Sinnes golden gaines I see long will not last Suddenlie got as suddenlie doe wast 42. For as a Mill that 's set upon a river Purposelie ' built t' indure both winde and wether By force of a strong current for to drive her Receives all Corne to grinde that is brought thither And all the Countrey neere is served with her Some bringing to her others sent abroad And all of them deliver there their load 43. She shifts her worke and serves the turnes of all And everie one paies tribute for her paine Some giving single and some double toll Herselfe thereby not onely doth maintaine And keepe her in repare by such her gaine But to the Miller that doth keepe the Mill Supplies his wants and doth releeve him still 44. The like did I for by my commontrade From everie one that came I had a share And by that custome a rich living made And therewith kept my selfe in good repare And so maintain'd my clothing and my fare And what beside I did lay up in store My friends that kept
me had it evermore 45. For many came themselves and brought their fee Whereby I had great trafique and great gaine A nurse I had to fetch some home to me They likewise would well pay me for my paine If one suffiz'd not I could send forth twaine And what I got from many one by one I spent upon my secret friend alone 46. Him did I feede with money and with diet With all thing needfull that he wanted nothing My Luxurie maintain'd his beastly riot Pawning my owne to buy him change of clothing To cure his wants no filthy actions loathing What e'r by sinne I got to him I sent it And he no sooner had it but he spent it 47. Thus did I alwaies gaine to keepe me poore Still living bad to make another ill And to maintaine a knave I plaide the whore And suffer'd want that he might have his fill Killing my selfe another for to kill Sinne in my selfe sinne foster'd in another A wicked issue of a wicked mother 48. Since then my deerest friend I did expose My selfe to infamy and foule excesse Yet thereby nothing got but still did lose And heape up sinnes not feeling my distresse Till thou hast made me know my wretchednesse Loe I accuse mislike condole repent My selfe my fault my state my life mispent 49. Here take my clothes and sell them all away They are not for my wearing any more My Silkes and Sattins change for simple say Rich costly garments sute not with a Whore A proud-swolne heart becometh not the poore Those Iewels that I have and rings of gold Receive them here and let them all be sold. 50. What shall I doe with rich Tuftafaties Wrought Velvets Damaskes Grogerams and Plush Set forth with Lace and rare Embroyderies My Purples and my Scarlets make me blush My Musfes and Fannes I doe not wey a rush My fine Bonelaces and my dainty Purles My Needle-workes my Bracelets and my Curles 51. Take them sweete friend and set them all to sale My Earings Pendents and my chaines of Pearles My Rubies Saphires and my Diamonds all They are for Ladies and for wives of Earles Not sit for Strumpets and for light heel'd girles My dainty Linnen Cambrickes and my Lawnes Sell them away and put them off for Pawnes 52. Riste my Chests my Boxes and my Trunkes Seize all the goods within them thou shalt finde Such things as those are farre unmeete for Punkes They suite not any longer with my minde Let them to better uses be assign'd Rich Iewels gorgeous clothes and garments fine Pit not a body so defil'd as mine 73. Take them away remove them from my sight And put them off to any that will buy Then to the poore distribute every mite They doe deserve it better farre then I To them I doe bequeath it willingly Riches unjustly got from other men Distribute them to strangers backe agen 54. And laying all these costlie robes aside Procure for me some discontented blacke A plaine sad Gowne my nakednesse to hide That their appeare not lightnesse on my backe That gidly vanitie may goe to wracke Or as a fitter habit for my sinne A frocke of haire to clothe my carcase in 55. And let me henceforth take my leave of mirth As the unfittest subject of my minde Let not rejoycing in my heart have birth Vntill a spirituall gladnesse I doe finde And heavenly light of grace in me hath shin'd Let sollies hatred and sinnes discontent Adde to my soule a ghostly merrimem 56. Helpe me oh helpe me to some holy booke To stirre my heart up to devotion Get me a Bible I therein may looke That Gods good Spirit in me may have motion And of his holy Word I may have notion And by the apprehending of the Deity Be stirred to the practice of true piety 57. Bring me acquainted with some good divine That may direct me in the path to heaven And search this dull and unsound heart of mine Lest I let all things goe at sixe and seven And backeward fall sowr'd with dissembling Leaven One that will well informe me in the right And trie me lest I play the Hypocrite 58. Conduct me to the Temple of the Lord Where I some powerfull Minister may heare That may unfold to me his sacred Word And thunder out his threatnings to mine eare And make his judgments unto me appeare And bringing me to see my wicked error Gods mercy may embrace me after terror 59. Get me a lodging in some private place Where I may harbour with some modest wife That my acquaintance may not see my face Where I may lead a quiet civill life Voide of all anger infamy and strife That by contemning whatsoe'r is evill I may avoide the allurements of the divell 60. Or else direct me to some Countriie grange The City is too full of base temptation That I may both my heart and habit change And in a lonely private habitation Persue with constancy this alteration And weyning of my selfe from worldly pleasure By sudden leaving sinne grow good at leasure 61. Looke to my steppes and let thy watchfull eye Have a regard unto my future course I dare not trust my selfe lest presently The power of sinne doe conquer me by force And by backesliding make me worse and worse Let thy especiall care for my soules good Be still applying to me heavenly foode 62. For though I now resolve with constant heart Never to take that wicked course againe And that the sence of sinne doth breed a smart In my sad soule now thinking to refraine From the blacke die that will my conscience staine Yet still I feare and feare it most of all Lest I againe into those follies fall 63. I know the divell hath a thousand baites To catch me in the compasse of his Net I know he deales by counterfeits and sleights And for my soule faire seeming shewes doth set Till me intangled in his snares he get I know his art and cunning pollicies And that doth make me feare his fallacies 64. Thou hast begun to manifest thy love In striving to reclame me from my follie Let it not die but whilst I live and move Persue therein and let thy care be wholy To guide me in the path of vertue soly Helpe to confirme me in my weake desires That my small sparkes of zeale may grow to fires 65. Helpe me to pray to God to grant me grace To persevere in this my reformation That I may now repent whilst I have space Craving his spirit of regeneration And of my sinnes beginning retractation A willing heart I have to turne to heaven Pray for me then that grace to me be given 66. And I will pray uncessantly that God Would powre into my heart his holy Spirit That sinne in me may have a period And I his heavenly Kingdome may inherit And so receive his mercie not my merit Lord heare my praier cleanse me from my sinne Open my heart that grace may enter in 67. This said she held
keep 't the same Their classicke vertues to their endlesse glories Have volumes fil'd with memorable stories 157. Poore Baldraca the mirrour of a mayd Though base by birth of meanest parentage Thought scorne to have her honesty betray'd By Otho greatest Monarch of that age Though he a Kingdome for it would ingage She highly priz'd her honour more then treasure And scorn'd his gifts should win her to his pleasure 158. Read thou the Story of Penelope Of Chiomara and Timoclea Of Camma and of bright Zenocrite Of the Aegyptian faire Edesia Of Claudia and of chast Lucretia And many more beside whose high-priz'd worth In Histories are to their praise set forth 159. Theano blusht when one by accident Espi'd her arme unto the elbow bare Doubting she should be thouht incontinent And therefore as ashamed and in feare Forthwith to cover it shee did not spare Blaming her selfe that let it so be seene As if therein immodest she had beene 160. Oh! wert thou but of her opinion And neere allide 〈…〉 to the rest So as twixt thee and them there were a union And that thou couldst a better course digest Then that which hitherto thou hast exprest Thy meretritious life would be amended And thou at thine owne follies much offended 161. But now the course that thou dost undertake Is most abominable rude and base It makes the hearts of honest people ake So vile a life should spoyle so faire a face Want of Gods feare and of his heavenly grace Hath overgrowne thy heart with impudence And fil'd thy veines full of concupiscence 162. Yet doe not thinke Amanda that thou art The onely she nhich hath this way transgrest Though sinne hath made a conquest of thy heart And for some yeeres hath thereof beene possest Grace notwithstanding hath an interest On which if wisely thou lay hold in time It will re-enter and evict thy crime 163. Commence thy sutte against the power of hell By writ of Melius Inquirendum brought And prosecute it till thou dost expell That bold suggestor lust and brought to nought Her false suggestions that these mischiefes wrought Three helpes thou hast to make thy title faire Against all claime Repentance Faith and Prayer 164. These three conjoynd bind fast the armes of sinne Chaine up ill thoughts ill words ill actions all Expelling vice and letting vertue in They captivate I say and keepe in thrall The force of hell and poâ—â—â— sathanicall By these thou dost ascend unto the throne Of the almighty Godhead three in One. 165. Be not dismayd Amanda nor despaire Although thy sinnes are of an ougly shape Boldly approach to God by frequent prayer Ther 's yet a meanes whereby thou mayst escape And stop hels mouth though it so wide doth gape As bad as thou have wallowed in like sinne Whose heart at last have let Gods spirit in 166. Hilaria's daughter Aphra borne in Creete A famous Bawd as in those daies did live For prostitution did three servants keepe Common for any that would money give She for her folly past did so much grieve That by Narcissus of Ierusalem Being converted suffer'd Martyrdome 167. Niceta faire and Aquilina to Both famous strumpets of admired feature Were by St. Christopher transformed so That each of them became a new made creature Embracing grace and quite forsaking nature And after many torments and much paine Vnder King Dagnes both of them were slaine 168. Another Thais an Aegyptian borne Growne very rich by prostitution Of whose vile course Panutius oft did warne Was wonne at last by 's admonition Vnto a godly and devout contrition Went from the stewes whereas she liv'd a Whore And in a Monastery died poore 196. Pelagia of Antioch sometime Exceeding rich and beautifull withall Immoderate in lust and in her prime Her minde that was before veneriall By Bishop Nonius grew seraphicall Her sinnes bewail'd her wealth at nought she set Liv'd and did poorely in Mount Oliver 170. See to thy comfort these and many moe Whose boundlesse lust had made them sathans slave Yet notwithstanding were converted so And from their sinnes retracted that they have By penitence their wicked soules to save Through Christ obtain'd their sins to be forgiven And are now crowned blessed Saints in Heaven 171. Thus the true penitents shall mercy finde Although their sinnes are of a Scarlet die And sure unlesse thou wilfully art blind Thou mayst perceive grace offer'd to thine eye Embrace it then I charge thee presently Or else I see thee so expos'd to slaughter Earths plagues will seize thee here hels hereafter 172. I see me thinkes a solemne Congregation At Old-Bridevvell of grave and solid men Sitting together there in consultation What punishment shall be inflicted then On thy polluted corps and thou agen Standing neere to them in another roome Trembling with feare attending of thy doome 173. The Iudges on thy pennance there agree'd For executing of their strict command According as they had before decreed A Beedle comes and takes thee by the hand To bring thee forth and lets thee understand That thou for all thy bravery and cost Must walke with him unto the whipping post 174. Whither he brings thee straightwaies without slaying Puls off thy robes and lockes thy hands up fast Then to his office without long delaying Thy clothes pul'd downe starke naked to thy waste He thereby lets thee understand the taste Of his smart Whipcord where there doth imprint Each lash a seame and every knot a dint 175. For flourishing with hand above his head And shaking of his foure limb'd instrument In the descent so learnedly they spread About thy shoulders that incontinent Thy dainty skin is all sanguinolent And so he deales his lashes one by one Till the set number of his stripes are done 176. Thus being of thy silkes and Sattins stript Exposde to publique shame and so disgrac'd And for thy impudent abuses whipt A poore blew gowne upon thy backe is plac'd And Canvas coyse upon thy head unlac'd Where in that guise thou marchest from the stocke And then dost practise Hempe Flaxto knocke 177. This is the least of all that can betide thee If by great fortune thou diseases misse The lash will scourge thee and thy friends deride thee And whatsoever more disgracefull is That will attend thy shame as well as this And nothing shall be wanting till thou hast Plague upon plague for all thy follies past 178. Thus living in dishonour and disgrace A scandall to thy Kindred and thy Friends Thy pleasure lasting but a little space Ripe in iniquity thy glorie ends And to a dismall sad confusion tends And having lost thy credit and good name Conclud'st thy daies in infamy and shame 179. For being turn'd into the open streete Vnworthy of a chamber or a bed Bare legg'd not having shooes unto thy feete Nor any thing to put upon thy head Scarce rags to keepe thy secrets covered Ly'st unlamented for the lice to gnaw And eate thy flesh upon a pad