And curs'd be all things that proud Tomyris hath O worst that Death can doe to take a life Which lost leaues kingdom's to a Tyrants knife For now alas degenerate Cambyses vices Whose hand was fill'd with blood whose heart with Sits crowned King to vexe the Persian state With heauy burthens and with sore regrate O Cyrus more vnhappy in thy Son Then in that stroke wherewith thy life was don Cambyses now sits King now Tyrant rather Vnlucky Sonne of a renowmed Father Blood cries for Blood Himselfe reuenged hath His bloody Tyranny with his owne death That cruell sword on his owne flesh doth feed Which made so many loyall Persians bleed Whose wofull choyce made an indiff'rent thing To leaue their liues or lose their Tyran ' King Cambyses dead with him the latest drop Of Cyrus blood was spilt his death did stop The infant source of his braue Syers worth Ere after-times could spend his riuers forth Tyrant Cambyses being dead and gone On the reuersion of his empty Throne Mounts vp a Magus which dissembled right Forging the name of him whose greedy night Too early did perpetuate her owne And silent Death did snatch away vnknowne But when the tidings of this Royall cheat Tymes loyall Trumpe had fam'd th' vsurped seat Grew too too hot and longer could not beare So proud a burthen on so proud a Chayre The Nobles sought their freedome to regaine Not resting till the Magi all-vvere slaine And so renovvned vvas that happy slaughter That it solemniz'd was for euer after So that what pen shall write the Persian story Shall treat that Triumph and write that dayes glory For to this time the Persians as they say Obserue a Feast and keepe it holy-day Now Persia lacks a King and now the State Labours as much in want as it of late Did in abundance Too great calms doe harme Sometimes as much the Sea-man as a storme One while they thinke t' erect a Monarchy But that corrupted breeds a Tyranny And dead Cambyses fresh before their eyes Afrights them with their new-scap'd miseries Some to the Nobles would commit the State In change of Rule expecting change of fate Others cri'd no more Kings then one incumber Better admit one Tyrant than a number The rule of many doth disquiet bring One Monarch is enough one Lord one King One saies Let 's rule our selues let 's all be kings No saies another that confusion brings Thus moderne danger bred a carefull trouble Double their care is as their feare is double And doubtfull to resolue of what conclusion To barre confusion thus they bred confusion At last and well aduis'd they put their choyce Vpon the verdit of a Iuries voyce Seuen is a perfect number then by seuen Be Persia's royall Crowne and Scepter giuen Now Persia doe thy plagues or ioyes commence God giue thy Iury sacred euidence Fearefull to chuse and faithlesse in their choyce Since weale or woe depended on their voyce A few from many they extracted forth Whose euen poys'd valour and like equall worth Had set a Non plus on their doubtfull tongues Vnweeting where the most reward belongs They this agreed and thus aduis'd bespake Since bleare-eyd mortals of themselues can make No difference 'twixt good and euill nor know A good from what is only good in show But with vnconstant frailty doth vary From what is good to what is cleane contrary And since it lies not in the braine of man To make his drooping state more happy than His vnprospitious stars allot much lesse To lend another or a state successe In vaine you therefore shall expect this thing That we should giue you fortune with a King Since you haue made vs meanes to propagate The ioyfull welfare of our headlesse State Bound by the tender seruice that we beare Our natiue soyle far then our liues more deare We sifted haue and boulted from the Rest Whose worst admits no badnes and whose best Cannot be bettered When Chaunticleere the Belman of the morne Shall summon twilight with his bugle horne Let these braue Hero's drest in warlike wise And richly mounted on their Palferies Attend our rising Sun-gods ruddy face Within the limits of our Royall place And he whose lusty Stallion first shall neigh To him be giuen the doubtfull Monarchy The choyce of Kings lies not in mortals brest This we the Gods and fortune doe the rest So said the people tickl'd with the motion Some tost their caps some fell to their deuotion Some clapt their ioyfull hands some shout some sing And all at once cri'd out A King A King When Phoebus Harbinger had chac'd the night And tedious Phospher brought the breaking light Complete in armes and glorious in their trayne Came these braue Heroes prauncing o're the playne With mighty streamers came these blazing starres Portending Warres and nothing else but Warres Into the royall Palace now they come There sounds the martiall Trump here beats the Drum There stands a Steede and champes his frothy steele This stroaks the ground that skorn's it with his heele One snorts another pufs out angry wind This mounts before and that curuets behind By this the fomy Steeds of Phaëton Puffe too and spurne the Easterne Horizon Whereat the Nobles prostrate to the ground Ador'd their God Their God was early found Forthwith from out the thickest of the crowd In depth of silence there was heard the loud And lustfull language of Darius Horse Who in the dialect of his discourse Proclaim'd his rider King whereat the rest Patient to beare what cannot be redrest Dismount their lofty Steeds and prostrate bring Their humbled bodies to their happy King God saue the King they ioyntly say God blesse Thy prosprous actions with a due successe The people clap their sweatty palmes and shout The bonfires smoke the bels ring round about The minstrels play the Parrats learne to sing Perchaunce as well as they God saue the King Assuerus now 's inuested in the throne And Persia's rul'd by him and him alone Prooue happy Persia's Great Assuerus prooue As equall happy in thy peoples loue Enough And let this broken breuiate Suffice to shadow forth the downefall state Of mighty Babel and the conquest made By the fierce Medes and Persians conqu'ring blade Whose iust succession we haue traced downe Till great Assuerus weare the Persian Crowne Him haue we sought and hauing found him rest To morrow goe we to his royall Feast FINIS THE ARGVMENT OF THE HISTORY KIng Assuerus makes two feasts to that he inuites his Courtly ghests to this the Citizens of Susa wherevnto he sends for Queene Vashti who denyes to come whereupon the King is angry and referres the censure of her offence to his Councell who giue sentence that shee should be degraded from her Princely estate Forthwith the King commands the fairest Virgins in the Land to bee brought before him for him to take his choyce
Shee made a Feast and put on iolly mirth To bid sweet welcome with her Princely cheere To all her Ghests Her Ghests all women were By this the Royall bounty of the King Hath well-nigh spent the seuen dayes banqueting Six Iouiall dayes haue run their howers out And now the seuenth doth wheele the weeke about Vpon which day the Queenes vnlucky Day The King with iollity intic'd away And gently hauing slipt the stricter reynes Of Temperance that ouer-mirth restraines Rose vp commanded that without delay How-e're the Persian custome doe gain-say How hast thou thus defil'd thy Yu'ry feet Thy sweetnesse that was once how farre from sweet Where are thy maiden smiles thy blushing cheeke Thy Lamb-like countenance so faire so meeke Where is that spotlesse flower that while-ere Within thy lilly-bosome thou did'st weare Ha's wanton Cupid snatcht it Hath his Dart Sent courtly tokens to thy simple heart Where dost thou bide The Countrey halfe disclaimes thee The City wonders when a body names thee Or haue the sounding Woods ingrost thee there And thus fore-stal'd our empty Markets here Sure th' art not or hid where no man shewes thee Or chang'd so much scarce man or woman knowes thee ¶ Our Grandame Eue before it was forbid Desired not that Fruit she after did Had not the Custome of those times ordain'd That women from mens Feasts should be restrain'd Perhaps Assuerus Vasti might haue stayd Vnsent for and thy selfe been vndenayd Such are the fruits of myrths and Wines abuse Customes must crack and Loue must break his Truce Anger contentious Wrath and wrathfull Hate Attend the Feast where Wine 's immoderate ¶ More difficult it is and greater skill To beare a mischiefe than preuent an ill Passion is naturall but to bridle Passion Is more Diuine and vertues operation To doe amisse is Natures Act to erre Is but a wretched mortalls Character But to preuent the danger of the Ill Is more than Man surpassing humane skill Who playes a happy game with crafty sleyte Confirmes himselfe but Fortunes Fauourite But he that husbands well an ill-dealt Game Deserues the credit of a Gamesters name ¶ Lord if my Cards be bad yet lend me skill To play them wisely ' and make the best of ill THE ARGVMENT The learned Councell plead the case The Queene degraded from her place Decrees are sent throughout the Land That wiues obey and men command Sect. 3. THe righteous Councell hauing heard the Cause Aduiz'd awhile with respit of a pause Till Memucan the first that silence brake Vnseal'd his serious lips and thus bespake The Great Assuerus sou'raigne Lord and King To grace the period of his Banqueting Hath sent for Vashti Vashti would not come And now it rests in vs to giue the doome But lest that too much rashnesse violate The sacred Iustice of our happy state We first propound the height of her offence Next the succeeding Inconuenience Thus broke in two he did anew ordaine That these same two should be made One againe Till singling Death this sacred knot vndoe And part this new-made One once more in two ¶ Since of a Rib first framed was a Wife Let Ribs be Hi'rogliphicks of their life Ribs coast the heart and guard it round about And like a trusty Watch keepe danger out So tender Wiues should loyally impart Their watchfull care to fence their Spouses heart All members else from out their places roue But Ribs are firmely fixt and seldome moue Women like Ribs must keepe their wonted home And not like Dinah that was rauish't rome If Ribs be ouer-bent or handled rough They breake If let alone they bend enough Women must vnconstrain'd be plyent still And gently bending to their Husbands will The sacred Academy of mans life Is holy wedlocke in a happy Wife It was a wise mans speech Could neuer they now to command that knew not first t' obey Wher 's then that high Command that ample Glory Which for a patterne left in endlesse story Your noble Sexe in former dayes atchiu'd Whose sounding Fame no after-Times outliu'd What braue Command How well-succeeding broyles What stately Triumphs What victorious spoyles Their hands achiu'd They sway'd their Scepters thē As well in Kingdomes as in hearts of men And sweet obedience was the lowly stayre Mounted their steps to that Commanding chaire A womans Rule should be in such a fashion Onely to guide her houshold and her Passion And her obedience neuer's out of season So long as either Husband lasts or Reason Ill thriues the haplesse Family that showes A Cocke that 's silent and a Hen that crowes I know not which liue more vngodly liues ¶ Obeying Husbands or commanding Wiues THE ARGVMENT Assuerus pleas'd His seruants motion Propounded gaine his approbation Esters descent her Iewish race Her beautyes and her perfit Grace Sect. 4. VVHen Time that endeth all things did asswage The burning Feuer of Assüerus rage And quiet satisfaction had assign'd Delightfull Iu'lyps to his troubled mind He cal'd his old remembrance to account Of Vashti and her Crimes that did amount To th'summe of their diuorcement In his thought He weigh'd the censure of her heedlesse fault His fawning seruants willing to preuent him If too much thought should make his loue repent him Said thus If it shall please our gracious Lord To crowne with Audience his seruants word Let strict Inquest and carefull Inquisition In all the Realme be made and quicke prouision Throughout the Medes and Persians all among For comely Virgins beautifull and yong Which curiously selected let them bring Into the Royall Palace of the King And let the Eunuchs of the King take care For Princely Robes and Vestures and prepare Sweet Odours choyse Perfumes and all things meet To adde a greater sweetnesse to their sweet And she whose perfect beames shall best delight And seeme most gracious in his Kingly sight To her be giuen the Conquest of her face And be inthron'd in scornfull Vashties place The proiect pleas'd the King who made an Act To second what was said with soone effect Within the walls of Shusa dwelt there one By breeding and by birth a Iew and knowne By th' name of Mordecai of mighty kin Descended from the Tribe of Beniamin Whose necke was subiect to the slauish yoke When Ieconiah was surpris'd and tooke And carried captiue into Babels Land With strength of mighty Neb'chadnezzars hand Within his house abode a Virgin bright Whose name was Ester or Hadassa hight His brothers Daughter whom her parents dead This Iew did foster in her fathers stead She wanted none though father she had none Her vncles loue assum'd her for his owne Bright beames of beauty streamed from her eye And in her cheekes sate maiden modesty Which peerelesse beauty lent so kinde a rellish To modest vertue that they did imbellish Each others ex'lence with a full assent In her to boast their perfect complement Meditatio quarta
To sage aduice as ere before sh 'ad been It came to passe as Mardochaeus sate Within the Portall of the Princes gate He ouer-heard two seruants of the King Closly combin'd in hollow whispering Like whistling Notus that foretells a raine To breathe out treason ' gainst their Soueraigne Which soone as loyall Mardochaeus heard Forthwith to Esters presence he repair'd Disclos'd to her and to her care commended The Traitors and the treason they intended Whereat the Queene impatient of delay Betrayd the Traitors that would her betray And to the King vnbosom'd all her heart And who her Newes-man was and his desert Now all on hurly-burly was the Court Fild with the foulenesse of this sad report The watch was set pursuit was sent about To guard the King and finde the Traitours out Who found and guilty found by speedy triall Where witnesse speakes what boots a bare deniall Were both hang'd vp vpon the shamefull tree To beare such fruit let trees ne'r barren be And what successe this happy Day afforded Was in the Persian Chronicles recorded Explicit Hist Meditatio sexta THe hollow Concaue of a humane brest Is Gods Exchequer and therein the best And sum of all his chiefest wealth consists Which he shuts vp and opens when he lists No power is of man To loue or hate Lyes not in mortals brest or pow'r of Fate Who was the issue of a Royall breed The off-cast off-spring of the cursed seed Of Amalek from him descended right That sold his birth-right for his Appetite Haman his name His fortunes did improue Increast by fauour of the Princes loue Full great he grew preferd to high command And plac'd before the Princes of the Land And since that honour and due reuerence Attend where Princes giue preeminence The King commands the seruants of his State To suit Respect to Hamans high estate And doe him honour fitting his degree With vayled Bonnet and low bended knee They all obseru'd But aged Mordecai Whose stubborne ioynts-neglected to obey The seed which God with infamy had branded Stoutly refused what the King commanded Which when the seruants of the King had seene Their fell disdaine mixt with an enuious spleene Inflam'd They question'd how he durst withstand The iust performance of the Kings Command Daily they checkt him for his high disdaine And he their checks did daily entertaine With silent slight behauiour which did proue As full of care as their rebukes of loue Since then their hearts not able to abide A longer suffrance of his peeuish pride Whose scorching fires passion did augment Must either breake or finde a speedy vent To Haman they th' vnwelcome newes related And what they said their malice aggrauated Enuie did ope her Snake-deuouring Iawes Foamd frothy blood and bent her vnked Pawes Her hollow eyes did cast out sudden flame And pale as ashes lookt this angry Dame And thus bespake Art thou that man of might That Impe of Glory Times great Fauorite Hath thy deserued worth restor'd againe The blemisht honour of thy Princely straine Art thou that Wonder which the Persian State Stands gazing at so much and poynting at Filling all wondring eyes with Admiration And euery loyall heart with Adoration Art thou that mighty He How haps it then That wretched Mordecai the worst of men A captiue slaue a superstitious Iew Slights thee and robs thee of thy rightfull due Nor was his fault disguis'd with Ignorance The vnfee'd Aduocate of sinne or Chance But backt with Arrogance and foule Despite Rise vp and doe thy blemisht honour right Vp like his deepe Reuenge rose Haman then And like a sleeping Lion from his Den Rouz'd his relentlesse Rage But when his eye Confirm'd the newes Report did testifie His Reason straight was heau'd from off his henge And Fury rounded in his eare Reuenge And like a rash Aduiser thus began There 's nothing Haman is more deare to man And cooles his boyling veynes with sweeter pleasure Than quicke Reuenge for to reuenge by leisure Is but like feeding when the stomacke 's past Pleasing nor eager appetite nor taste ¶ Lord let my fortunes be or rich or poore If small the lesse account if great the more THE ARGVMENT Vnto the King proud Haman sues For the destruction of the Iewes The King consents and in his name Decrees were sent t' effect the same Sect. 8. NOw when the yeere had tum'd his course about And fully worne his weary howers out And left his circling trauell to his heire That now sets onset to th' ensuing yeere Proud Haman pain'd with trauell in the birth Till after-time could bring his mischiefe forth Cast Lots from month to month from day to day To picke the choycest time when Fortune may Be most prospicious to his damned plot Till on the last month fell th' vnwilling Lot So Haman guided by his Idoll Fate Cloking with publike good his priuate Hate In plaintiffe tearmes where Reason lent the rellish Vnto the King his speech did thus imbellish Vpon the limits of this happy Nation There flotes a skumme an off-cast Generation Disperst despis'd and noysome to the Land And Refractory to the Lawes and thy Command Not stooping to thy Power but despising All Gouernment but of their owne deuising And stirre the glowing embers of diuision The hatefull mother of a States sedition The which not soone redrest by Reformation Will ruine breed to thee and to thy Nation Begetting Rebels and seditious broyles And fill thy peacefull Land with bloody spoyles Now therefore if it please my gracious Lord To right this grieuance with his Princely sword That Death and due Destruction may be sent To take the Couie of this rabblement Vnto the Royall Treasure of the King Ten thousand siluer Talents will I bring Then gaue the King from off his heedlesse hand His Ring to Haman with that Ring command And said Thy proffer'd wealth possesse Yet be thy iust Petition ne'rthelesse Entirely granted Lo before thy face Thy vassals lye with all their rebell race Thine be the people and the power thine To doome the Traitors their deserued Fine Forthwith the Scribes were summon'd to appeare Decrees were written sent to eu'ry Shiere To all Lieutenants Captaines of the Band And all the Prouinces throughout the Land Stil'd in the name and person of the King And made authentick with his Royall Ring By speedy Post-men were the Letters sent And this the summe is of their sad content Let eu'ry Prouince in the Persian Land Vpon the Day prefixt prepare his hand To make the Channels flow with Rebels blood And from the earth to root the Iewish brood And let the softnesse of no partiall heart Through melting pitty loue or fond desert Spare either young or old or man or woman But like their fault so let their plagues be common Decreed and sealed by our Princely Grace And giuen at Sushan from our Royall Place So