fault offend I le shew First when that they new worshippings inuent And cannot hold themselues so well content VVith that which God doth in his word ordaine As with inuentions of their owne weake braine It seemes they think their fancies to fulfill VVould please him better then to haue his will Next I doe reckon them that ouer-bold Gods sacred Legend haue at will contrould And maugre his grand-curse some places chang'd Added to some and some againe estrang'd Then those great masters I presumptuous deeme That of their knowledge doe so well esteeme They will force others as the Papists doe For to alow of their opinions to Yea though it be a meere imagination That neither hath good ground nor iust foundation Some will be prying though they are forbidden Into those secrets God ment should be hidden So doe some students in Astrologie Though they can make a faire Apologie And so doe those that very vainely trie To finde our fortunes by their Palmistrie These doe presume but much more such as say At this or that time comes the iudgement day Or such as aske or dare for to relate What God was doing ere he did create Heauen and Earth or where he did abide How and by whom he then was glorifide But those that into such deep secrets wind A slender profit in their labours find For to make knowne how highly they offend A desperate madnes is ofttimes their end Yet such their nature is thei le not beware But to be prying further still they dare For sure that longing can no way be flaid Which well the Poet seemd to know who said Man what he is forbidden still desires And what he is denide off most requires Rather then many will a man gainesay They dare make bold with God they thinke they may Because it seems they deeme him not so strong Or so well able to reuenge a wrong Some such great power to themselues assume And on their owne strength doe so much presume They seldome doe for Gods assistance craue As if it were a needlesse thing to haue Which is the cause that often the conclusion Proues their owne shame their hindrance confusion In Praying men presume Vnlesse they be With eu'ry one in loue and charitie Or if in their Petitions they desire Such things as are vnlawfull to require Death 's their reward we know that break the law But neither that nor yet damnations awe Keeps vs from sinne a thousand God-heads more Then one we make and dare for to adore Our owne hand-hand-works the Sabboth we disdaine And dreadlesse take the name of God in vaine If but by his Lords hand an Irish swere To violate that oath he stands in feare Least him of both his lands and goods he spoile For making him the instrument of guile And yet dare we poore wormes before his face Respecting whom the greatest Lords are base Both sweare forsweare vsing that great Name At pleasure without any feare of blame Why should not we as well suppose that he Who in our hearts would haue no fraud to be Will miserable poore and naked leaue vs Yea of those Blessings and Estates bereaue vs We now hold of him If we thus contemne And still abuse his sacred name and him But men secure in wickednes perâ—ist As if they could please God with what they list If they can Lord haue mercy on them say And mumble some few prayers once a day There needs no more nay surely there be such That thinke it is enough if not too-much But what 's their reason God made all the man Why should he haue but part allow'd him than He in their seruice nothing doth delight Vnlesse it be with all their strength and might With their whole heart soule and that way toe As he appoints them in his word to doe Some men their are who hope by honesty By their Almes-deeds and works of Charity To win Gods fauour and for to obtaine Saluation by it but their hope 's in vaine Also their 's others cause they haue the faith For to beleeue 't is true the Scripture saith Since they haue knowledge in Religion And make thereof a strict profession Or doe obserue the outward worship duly Do think that their in they haue pleas'd God truely Now these are iust as far as th' other wide Or they Gods worship doe by halfes diuide And for his due which is e'ne all the heart Do dare presume to offer him a part But th' one must know he will not pleased be With a Religion that wants honestie And th' other that as little good will doe His honest shew without Religion toe If this be so as so it is indeed How then wil those presumptuous fellowes speed Who thinke forsooth because that once a yeare They can afford the poore some slender cheare Obserue their Country feasts or Common doles And entertaine their Christmas wassaile boles Or else because that for the Churches good They in defence of Hock-tide custome stood A Whitsun-ale or some such goodly motion The better to procure young mens deuotion What will they doe I say that think to please Their mighty God with such vaine things as these Sure very ill for though that they can mone And say that Loue and Charity is gone As old folkes do because their banquetings Their antient-drunken-summer reuelings Are out of date though they can say through teaching And since the Ghospell hath had open preaching Men are growne worse though they can soon espy A little mote in their owne neighbours eye Yea though that they their Pater noster can And call their honest neighbour Puritan How ere they in their owne conceits may smile Yet they are presumptuous weake and vile Also in this abhominable time It is amongst vs now a common crime To flout and scoffe at those which we do spy VVilling to shake off humane Vanity And those that gladly do themselues enforce Vnto a strict and more religious course Then most men doe although they truely know No men are able to pay halfe they owe thought Vnto their God as though their wisedomes He migh be serued better then he ought They count precise and curious more then needs They try their sayings and weigh all their deeds A thousand thinges that they well do shal be Slightly past ouer as if none did see But one thing ill done though the best does ill They shal be certaine for to heare of still Yea not with standing they can daily smother Millions of ten times greater faults in other VVho are so hated or so often blam'd Or so reuil'd or scorn'd or so misnam'd To whom do we now our contentions lay Who are so much term'd Puritans as they That feare God most But t is no maruaile men Presume so much to wrong his children when As if they fear'd not his reuengefull rod They can blaspheme and dare to anger God Now by these wordes to some men it may seeme That I haue Puritans in high esteeme
imparts A thousand seuerall Sciences and Arts A Christall fount whose water is by ods Far sweeter then the Nectar of the Gods Or for to giue 't a title that befits It is the very Nurcery of wits There once arriued cause my wits were raw I fell to wondring at each thing I saw And for my learning made a monthes vacation In nothing of the places scituation The Palaces and Temples that were due Vnto the wife Mineruaes hallowed crew Their cloisters walkes and groues all which suruei'd And in my new admittance well apaid I did as other idle Freshmen doe Long for to see the Bell of Osney to But yet indeed may not I grieue to tell I neuer dranke at Aristotles Well And that perhaps may be the reason why I know so little in Philosophy Yet old Sir Harry Bath was not forgot In the remembrance of whose wondrous shot The Forrest by beleeue it they that will Retaines the surname of shot-ouer still Then hauing seene enough and therewithall Got some experience at the Tennisball My Tutor telling me I was not sent There to be idle but with an intent For to encrease my knowledge cald me in And with his graue instructions did begin To teach And by his good perswasions sought To bring me to a loue of what he taught Then after that he gan for to impart The hidden secrets of the Logick Art In steed of grammer rules he taught me than Old Scotus Seton and new Keckerman He shew'd me which the Predicables be As Genus Species and th' other three So hauing said enough of their contents Handles in order the ten Praedicaments Then Post praedicaments with Priorum Perhermenias and posteriorum He with the Topicks opens and descries Elenchi full of subtile falacies These to vnfold indecd he tooke some paine But to my dull capacity in vaine For all he spake was to as little passe As in old time vnto the vulger was Their Latine seruice which they vnderstood Aswel as did a horse to do them good And I his meaning did as neere coniecture As if he had beene reading Hebrew lecture His Infinites Indiuiduitâ—es Contrari's and Subcontrarieti's Diuisions Subdiuisions and a crew Of tearmes and wordes such as I neuer knew My shallow vnderstanding so confounded That I was grauel'd like a ship that 's grounded And in despaire the mistery to gaine Neglecting all tooke neither heed nor paine Yea I remaind in that amazed plight Till Cinthia sixe times lost her borrowed light But then ashamd to find my selfe still mute And other little Dandiprats dispute That could distinguish vppon Rationale Yet scarcely heard of Verâ—um Personale And could by heart like Parots in the Schooles StaÌ„d pratling those me thought were pretty fooles And therefore in some hope to profit so That I like them at least might make a show I reacht my bookes that I had cast about To see if I could pick the meaning out And prying on them with some diligence At length I felt my dull intelligence Begin to open and perceiued more In halfe an houre then halfe a yeare before And which is strange the thinges I had forgot And till that very day remembred not Since first my Tutor read them those did then Returne into my memory agen â—o that with which I had so much to do A weeke made easie yea and pleasing too But then with that not thoroughly content â—practis'd to maintaine an Argument And hauing waded thorough Sophistrie â—ell vnto reading of Philosophy And thinking there the Ethicks not enough â— also had a longing for to know The cause of snow haile thunder frost and raine â—he lightenings meteors and what here 't were vaine For me to speake of since I shall but show-it â—o those that better then my selfe do know-it Then from the causes of thinges naturall â—went to matters Metaphisical Of which when I a little newes could tell â— as the rest did vnto wrangling fell And as the fashion was for to disgrace her When I oppos'd the truth I could out-face her â—ut now ensues the worst I getting foot â—nd well digesting Learnings bitter Root â—eady to tast the fruit and when I thought â—hould a Calling in that place haue sought â—ound I was for other ends ordain'd â—ea to forsake this course I was constrain'd â—or fortune that full many a boone hath lost me â—hus in the reaping my contentment crost me â—u sir quoth she that I must make my slaue â—or whom in store a thousand plagues I haue â—ome home I pray and learne to hold the plough â—or you haue read Philosophy enough If wrangling in the schooles be such a sport Go to those Ploydens in the Inns of Court For aske your parish-neighbors they can tell Those fellowes do maintaine contention well For Art in numbers you no coile need keep A little skill shall serue to tell your sheepe Seeke not the Stars thy euils should relate Least when thou know them thou grow desperate And let alone Geometry t is vaine I le find you worke enough to marre your braine Or would you study Musique else 't were pitty And yet it needs not you shall find I le fit ye I le teach you how to frame a song and will Prouide you cares to be the subiect stil This Fortune or my Fate did seem to tel me And such a chance indeed ere long befell me For ere my yeares would suffer me to be Admitted for to take the lowest degree By Fates appointment that no stay can brook The Paradise of England I forsooke And seing I was forc't to leaue those mountaines Fine groues faire walks sweet delightful fountains And since it might not vnto me be granted To keepe those places where the Muses hanted I home returned somwhat discontent And to our Bentworth beechy shadowes went Bewailing these my first endeauors lost And so to be by angy fortune crost Who though she dayly do much mischiefe to me Can neuer whilst I liue a greater do me And yet in that ere she procur'd her will I learnt enough to scorne a Fortune still Yea vse hath made her enuy seeme so vaine That I am almost proud in her disdaine But being back returnd as I haue said Hauing a little in the Country stai'd I there espi'de as I had long suspected I vndeseru'd of some was ill affected And that by those t is thought my friends had been But though they kept ther mallice long vnseene And made faire showes as if they sought my good Yet they the same of all men most with-stood For seeming kind they often did perswade My friends to learne me some Mechannick trade Vrging expence perhaps and telling how That Learning is but little made of now When t was through mallice cause they feard that I Might come to vnderstand my state thereby Exceed their knowledge and attaine to do My selfe more good then they could wish me to For that a worse or some such scuruy end This selfe-conceited crew did euer bend Their spitefull
surely God amend it One twise twelue howers will begin and end it But why are they so earnest then oh know That the small springs within the dales below Glide gently on vntill a land-flood fils Their empty channels from the higher hils But when thei 'le swell vntill they can discharge Their Burthens in some plaine to runne at large So these low Magistrates would gladly sleepe And their owne easie crooked Channels keepe But when that any Streame of Ivstice showers And comes downe to them from the Higher powers Then peraduenture the 'le grow big a day And Iustice shall haue course the nearest waie Yet in a little space she must be faine To runne within their winding banks againe Some falsely haue affirmed Iustiâ—e blind Yet I am sure she knows how to finde If that she be disposed for to looke Who giues her daie-workes by her counting books Nay she knowes Capon Turkey Goose or Swan And thee I warrant from another Man What ere thou be But whilest she sees so plaine It is no wonder we haue lawes in vaine Also when Officers doe vndertake Their charge at first Lord what a quoile they make A drunkard cannot with his capring feete Cut out Indentures as he walkes the streete But he 's straight stockt for 't or for his offence By fining to the poore he must dispence Then those perhaps that slackly doe frequent Gods deuine Seruice somewhat shall be shent And many other goodly deeds thei 'le do But these grow quickly weary of them toe Againe sometimes comes out a Proclamation Which threatens on the paine of Confiscation That no Recusant doe presume to stay Within ten miles o th' Court from such a day Yet sure 't is notwithstanding ment that some Should daily to the Presence Chamber come And shroud within a furlong on 't or two Some Great-one's may and so I hope they doe And by their owne Authority no doubt May keepe the rest from danger thereabout Pish they at such a matter will but scoffe 'Cause they know surely how to put it off Yet I 'le not say it is in vaine for why The Printer's sometime set on worke thereby And 't is moreouer for our satisfaction Who else might think the State were out of action But oh you noble English Senators Our Kingdomes Guard and Princes Counsellors How can you see your labours so mis-vs'd Or brooke to haue your Soueraigne so abus'd Doe you suppose that it deserues no blame To make a Scar-crow of the Regall Name And to erect it on some common stall For to be gaz'd on to no end at all Respect it more and vse it not for course Or fashions sake but shew it hath some force Pluck out those Vipers that for feare of harme Their chilled spirits in your bosomes warme D' ye not perceiue their stings No danger feare yet Oh 't is apparant let them not shroud neere yee For if you doe 't is doubtlesse the Conclusion If God preuent not will be your Confusion Yet all for ought I see should still remaine Were there not some who out of zeale to Gaine More then Religion or their Countries weale Their scuruie base conditions doe reueale In begging and in rifling of some few But they their owne corruptions rather shew Then redresse any More I here could vtter But I methinkes already heare some mutter As if I should be sure of Râ—mes great curse But then â—'me sure I shall be ne're the worse Yea let them go to Rome curse ban spare not I 'le sit at home and laugh because I care not But why doe I of Lawes alone complaine Since all Man deales in is in some sort vaine Religion is with Ceremonies stuft And with vaine-glory and presumption puft Now our Almes-deâ—ds and guifts of Charitie Are done for shew and with hypocrisie Yea al 's made vaine for if you would but view Our Vniuersities indeed 't is true There you may yet see how that heretofore In better daies hath been erected store Of Pallaces whose curious build are still A faire remembrance of the worke-mens skill Which least that knowledge in the land should fade VVere by the Patrons of good learning made That there the Muses shelter'd from the rages Of former present and succeeding ages Might safely liue and not beholding be To Pyren for his hospitality 'T is also true there wants not to sustaine Their proper needs nor yet to entertaine Such as desire knowledge there 's enough The worthy Founders haue prouided so But of these profits now why make they stay Best sel 't or let some Courtier beg't away For publike Guifts are turn'd to priuate vses Faire Colledges are ful of foule Abuses And their Reuenues I account as vaine Because they lazy Dunces do maintaine Who to themselues do claime the profits by Nothing but witlesse Seniority Such as saue Beard with reuerence be it spoken Of profound learning haue nor marke nor token Good Founders dreaming not of these Abuses Gaue them at first to charitable vses But we find now all alter'd and the dues The which by right vpon desert ensues Like Offices in Court are bought and sould And places may be had but how for gold There as else-where they now are growne so bad Without Quid dabis nothing can be had 'T is strange to see what Auarice can doe But are the Muses taken with it to Oh no for they esteeme such gaine a losse And their high Spirits scorne such earthly drosse How then There are some Cormorants crept in Who in their youth pretended to haue bin Addicted vnto knowledge when alas T is wel seene since that all their purpose was To snort in ease augmenting still their store Til they grow wealthy and their houses poore Foule droanes whose voices must be hir'd with mony Steruing the Bees while they deuoure the hony But oh you Birdes of Athens cleare your Hals And driue those lazy Hornets from your stals Through them it is men thinke you couetous They make your groues and walks grow scandalous But how wil you discerne them Marry thus Since they haue made themselues notorious I le point them out And though their heads they shroud As Venus did Aeneas in a cloud I 'le so vnmask them if their eares they show You shal be able to say there they goe First note them there are some by Bribes and Fees Can soone passe thorough two or three Degrees And if they sue for ought are not deni'de it When better Students must be put beside it Then there be others who their nests to fether Can keepe in office nineteene yeares together Enforcing many vnto penury To haue wherewith to feed their luxury Note you not some at fifty winters study That haue their wits so thin and braines so muddy They must procure of other men to doe The excercises they were cal'd vnto And sit there not of Dunces pretty store From Sunne to Sunne at euery tradesman dore Huge fat Curmâ—dgeons tell me I think no Do