Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A34266
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The Confusion of Babel a poem.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing C5809; ESTC R29675
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4,483
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16
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THE CONFUSION OF BABEL A Poem Quid nos Dira Refugimus Aetas quid intactum nefasti Liquimus Licensed and Entred according to Order LONDON Printed for W. Davis in Amen-Corner The Confusion OF BABEL IN what unhappy Times was the Foundation lay'd When Trait'rous Earth that bold Defiance made And ev'ry Atom its poor strength betray'd Some overpow'ring evil Like a deluding Devil Did still attend the Ambitious Rout To generate or bring their Treason out And could they dart at thy Imperial Throne Great God to seperate thy Union Who art thus individed All in one Thus silly Mortals can Couragious grow With numbers thinking to outweigh the Foe But never dream How much thy strength surpasses them Till Ruin teaches them to see The difference 'twixt Worms and Heavens Majesty Not happy till their Ignorance they know What cou'd the senseless Fabrick do Tho' Mountains on the top they threw Bold Aetna now in Flames consumes And belches out its nauseous fumes Who dar'd so Impiously to aspire And proudly Reach the All-revenging Fire 2. The fruitful Earth unbosom'd all her store Whose fatten'd Glebe was never poor Tho' impetuous Floods had Drown'd the world before Yet Covetous Man Tho' all this Liberty was given Must turn a Rebel and conspire ' gainst Heaven Still aggravaning his Fore-Fathers fall Who more by Pride then Ignorance did Damn us all The guilty Stones cou'd represent Nothing but a Monument Whose vast Circumference might contain The endless Labours of their Brain And all the Frantick Whymsies bare That ever cou'd inhabit there Let beauteous Shinar now decay And perish with th' infected Dust Who prov'd so unfaithful in her trust Nothing now thy shame can hide Who wer 't by Nature Beautified Till affected Art swell'd thee up with Pride No wonder then thy esteem is lost Who war't confounded in the Cost Now diff'rent Tongues may Curse thy Name And variously express thy shame Who mad'st the world more impiously the same 2. From this infected Hive All Nations do derive The Ills which to this day survive Nor can we wonder at thy fall Since all thy Dreggs are Epidemical Let every Stone Weep to imagine what 't has done For all 's derivative from thee alone England that had th' Imperial Sway And bore the Victory of the day From hence did so insensibly decay What can we find Where there is nothing else but Wind For Pride ne'r leaves the plenteous Spoil behind The Zealous Rout cou'd lead the Rebels on And all for True Religion Which was Establish'd and yet none Their Tow'ring thoughts too proudly did aspire But eyes will dim when held too near the Fire What is' t in their fond Projects we admire Scepters and Crowns at ev'ry foot were thrown Tho' in th' descent The Head ne'r suffer'd that sweet punishment But all was in Imagination And in that Pious Sect was found Pulpit above but the Church under-ground With blust'ring Noise but a meer empty sound 4. The Faithful Brethren in a knot were ty'd Which to Dis-sect were Parricide Yet when an Alexander e're shall come They dread th' unwelcome Doom And think the Fate too near their home What cou'd Rebellious Cataline effect Tho' Armies to the Field he 'd led Victor o're his Conquer'd Dead Yet his own self he could not then protect Caesar in Triumph there might Ride Tho' Enemies on ev'ry side And too great a number to deride Tho' Flames about the Sacred Altar dance 'T is yet secure from all injurious chance Security to Kings is always given For Kings are all Allies to Heaven And tho' the Sea swell with impetuous rage Yet there are Pow'rs that can asswage The short-Iiv'd Fury and comply Within a Calm t' effect a Prodigy No wonder now the Gyants fade When little Insects learn their Trade And from a Mole-hill top would be Blest with Sacred Immortality 5. The Pious Puritan may spare his breath And Pray'rs more fitter at his death Which by the Spirit last two hours long Mixt with a secret Curse and Holy Song The Funeral Requiems for great Charles's Soul Are now unnecessary things For Kings Still are more powerful where they least controul Well may they gaze on Heav'n so fast And take their leave seeing 't is the last Who knows but all their time is past O how they love to be Eunuch'd with strange Formality Whose whitned eyes wou'd represent The happy thoughts of th' Innocent But within That sordid Skin Lye the rank baits of all presumptuous Sin That Piety should yield And quit the field When such pernicious Antichrists arise Who wou'd at once their King and Country Sacrifice Of Solemn Black their Garbes are made To them an Emblem of the silent Shade Where Schism and Distraction Reigns The Element which all things curs'd maintains 6. In the first Rank Diego stood An everlasting Enemy to Good Whose Cure for his Disease was Innocent Blood Had he liv'd still one might fear Th' Egyptian Murderer here What cou'd he less in such a Cause maintain VVho wou'd Depose his Soveraign Or more compleatly have him slain Diego Cursed from his Mothers VVomb Born to be th' Epitaph to his Tomb Deform'd and Crooked whose mistake Did never yet a Circle make O how the little fiery Soul wou'd storm VVhich from its Body took its Form And thoughts within that narrow compass breed VVhich might disturb his very Ashes now he 's dead VVhat cou'd the Puny Rebels do Tho' on the top of Babel he VVou'd Execute his Treachery Are there no Subjects left that can be True Honour and VVealth did still attend his days And Bounteous Charles preferr'd his praise But whilst the hungry Serpent fled He secretly all o're his Venom spread VVell might the Forreign Nations keep His Ashes now asleep For here The fear Of Cadmas Brood were just VVhen Earth is mingled with such poys'nous Dust Old Charon gaz'd when from the Brook The little Passenger he took VVith such a Burthen on his back That made the aged Vessel crack Amaz'd at this he hast'ned o're And set him on the shore VVhere all the Furies with one general shout Did the Magnetick Harbinger Salute 7. Good Obadiah next Unfold the Text Whos 's Rosey Cheeks and smiling Face Becomes the Office of his place And seem some Holy Gifts of Grace Then with sound Doctrine he Feeds the Fraternity Till they repay again with Charity He Bellows out like a Geneva Bull Hell and Damnation a Pulpit full Perilous Tyranny to this Seems rather happiness For th' punishment was Death but thine Torture with active life dost joyn Soul-saving Sentences are lost When undervalu'd in the Cost And thou like Quacks dost Med'cines give With thousand Names Superlative And all from Super-natural Providence dost derive Shapes thou hast had a thousand more Then ever Proteus bore And in this Thou dost Engross all Ovid's Metamorphosis Whither wilt thou go at last Having already through the Popes Dominions past And Purgatory too with too much haste Cou'dst thou preserve